Federal Online Poker Bill to be Introduced...Again

Rich Muny the president of The Poker Players Alliance has stated that there will be another online poker bill introduced sometime very soon, he says that, "Over the past several months, the fight for online poker has shifted towards the states and we have earned a few victories in those battles. New federal legislation is a result of state activity and a growing concern among Washington lawmakers that a state-by-state approach will leave consumers with a patchwork of laws, rules, and regulations." Mr Muny is of course commenting on the fact that now with 3 states having legalized and regulated online poker maybe it's time for a US wide set of laws that oversee all states. He continued with, "Undoubtedly, federal lawmakers are also eyeing the ability to raise revenue from online poker. PPA remains fully committed to pushing for legislation on every front: state, federal, and elsewhere. We welcome federal action and look forward to advocating for this in conjunction with current efforts in several states where legislation is pending or being considered. It is my hope that prospects of federal legislation will push state action, while imminent state action will propel the federal bill, resulting in a race to the top."

As most readers will know, a state by state way of regulation means that for the online poker industry to have any success the interstate compacts will need to be formed. This however means that states would have to go through the legalization process individually, and this will clearly take some time. Whether or not this bill will garner any sort of following remains to be seen, and if history is anything to go by then it will indeed not, as online poker has been down this road before. In the meantime online poker sites that are regulated offshore such as Americas Cardroom, Bovada Poker and BetOnline Poker continue to provide poker players from around the world with exactly what they want, i.e liquidity in cash games and decent tournament prize pools.