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Utah has little interest in jumping on the state legalization of online poker bandwagon in the wake of a decision by the US Justice Department that essentially allows intrastate Web poker.
Utah is one of two states that does not have a lottery and there is not a single casino based there.
Washington is the only state thus far that specifically prohibits online poker by its residents, making the activity a Class C felony.
Utah Rep. Stephen Sandstrom (R-Orem) is in the process of drafting an anti-Internet gambling bill.
“The [Utah] bill is even more significant due to the ruling by the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) that states may legalize online gambling,” Sandstrom said. “This bill is a referendum on the DoJ’s decision and some in the U.S. Congress such as Senate Leader Harry Reid to proliferate online gambling.”
He added: “We want to keep Utah free from the negative impacts of legalized gambling,” Sandstrom said via his website. “Many gambling critics see the DoJ’s recent interpretation as another major crack in America’s moral foundation.”
One thing the Utah political establishment cannot be accused of when it comes to gambling is hypocrisy.
The neighboring state of Nevada recently passed legislation that will allow its residents to play “real money” poker within the state’s borders.
More Poker News Headlines for Early Friday Afternoon December 30, 2011:
Jonathan Duhamel Speaks for First Time Regarding Home Invasion - On Friday, 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event winner Jonathan Duhamel spoke out for the first time about a brazen home invasion that left him beaten and robbed of his bracelet. Four individuals, including an ex-girl friend, Bianca Rojas-Latraverse, were arrested in recent days.
He described how he was severely beaten, taking several blows to the face and all over his body by two men posing as parcel deliverymen. Duhamel also expressed regret over entering into a relationship with Rojas-Latraverse.
He also told CJAD Radio he was not surprised about her involvement. Read More Here >>>>
PokerStars Reverses Rake Structure Plans – The world’s second or third largest online poker room (depending on what day it is), PokerStars, has decided to reverse its rake structure plans. The plan to changed to weighted-contributed calculation for VIP points will take place on January 1. The planned changes would switch to a simpler rake method based on a percentage of the pot, and rake percentages and rake caps were to be tweaked. It would have resulted in a reduced rake in some games. Read More Here>>>>
- Patrick Flanagan, Gambling911.com
