Joe Barton Okay With Online Poker Bill Being Attached to Deficit Spending Measure
There hasn’t been a whole lot of coverage of this week’s Washington, DC Digital Gaming and Lottery Policy Summit, but some of the heaviest hitters connected to online poker are in attendance including our friends at SouthPointPoker.com and the Congressman who has drafted a measure to legalize Internet poker in the US, Texas Republican Joe Barton.
As Gambling911.com has alluded to in recent days, supporters of the online poker initiative – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid among them – could be planning to attach a measure to “must pass” legislation.
Subtle hints became more profound during Tuesday’s sessions (as revealed by these tweets):
Scarlet Robinson. @Rep_BonoMack is 'very open' to moving bill says @RepJoeBarton. Agreed to sponsor iPoker for motion in 2011. Bullish about prospect.
taxdood Brad Polizzano
Barton says if his #iPoker bill survives the subcommittee, there will be a discussion w/ Boehner re a vehicle to attach the bill to.
Brad Polizzano
Barton: Alternative route for#iPoker bill is to attach it to a bigger bill addressing federal deficit; must add revenue component to bill
There is a great audio that can be listened to here at Pokerati.com.
The momentum is certainly pretty doggone positive over these past few months though Gambling911.com anticipates maybe one last dogged blow to the industry in the not-so-distant future. We shall see what happens as the industry continues to em-bark on a trajectory that has many excited and – dare we say – a bit uncertain.
There are even rumors that the kimbles and bits and pieces of what is left of Full Tilt Poker snatched up by France’s Groupe Bernard Tappie may one day re-enter the US marketplace, perhaps even retaining the Full Tilt Poker name. In our eyes here at G911, this all looks like “Wagging the Dog”. The “real money” online gambling sector, as it is now, continues to ayre on the side of caution, both the poker and sports betting side.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com Publisher
