Major Obstacle to Online Poker Legislation Removed: NFL Backs Down
The National Football League (NFL), online gambling’s most hardened opponent for more than a decade, has announced its intentions not to oppose HR 2267, a measure that seeks to legalize Internet poker.
According to PokerNews, an NFL representative cites the King-Meeks amendment to HR 2267 as reason for the reversal: “We don’t oppose it since it now includes the language we had hoped for. The amended language adequately addressed our specific concern. We are pleased with the outcome.”
The amendment in question, introduced by co-sponsor Peter King (R-NY) will prevent sports betting from becoming legalized in the U.S.
“Gambling911.com views this as a major step towards getting this law passed,” acknowledged Payton O’Brien, Senior Editor of the news site.
The NFL was reported to be behind early efforts to legalize sports betting on the Net and via phone from offshore gambling enterprises in March of 1998 when some 21 individuals were indicted for violation of The Wire Act. World Sports Exchange founder Jay Cohen is the only individual who fought the charges but ultimately ended up serving just under two years in a federal prison.
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
