Lobbyist Claims Harry Reid Poised to Attach Online Poker Bill to Upcoming Payroll Tax Extension

An article discussing plans to legalize online poker and the potential for decreased funding for lottery scholarships makes reference to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s plans to attach a measure to the upcoming Unemployment payroll tax bill later this month. 

It is widely believed that the Congress is working hard to get something passed prior to the introduction of legislation at the state level.    

The Daily Helmsman: 

Wendell Moore, senior public policy advisor to a law firm that provides back-of-house operations for the Tennessee lottery, said that while lobbying in Washington, D.C. in meetings with opponents to the online poker act, he was told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans to propose an online gaming amendment to the Senate's unemployment payroll tax bill this month.

Reid's primary campaign donators for his reelection were Nevada casino companies in favor of a measure to legalize Internet poker drafted up by Texas Congressman Joe Barton last year, Chelsea Boozer of the Daily Helmsman noted.

Politico, meanwhile, described the Payroll Tax Extension as a “mess in the making”. 

While many pundits argue this is legislation that “has to pass”, there is no guarantee that it actually will. 

We could be looking at further delays beyond February. 

“I think it would be helpful to lock it in for the year,” said Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) in an interview with Politico. “The reality is we have other legislative issues to deal with. We can’t focus every two months on this one issue.”

Arizona Republican Senator Jon Kyl, who is widely rumored to be working with Reid to push through an amendment to his 2006 co-authored Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, seemed a little more optimistic that something will be passed by month’s end.

“We wanted to create some momentum, some positive momentum, [and] I think we’ve done that,” he said. “There’s a good feeling in the committee. This week, we really got to get down to some tough areas of commonality.

- Ace King, Gambling911.com