A new, more politically-pragmatic online gaming bill could be introduced by US lawmakers as early as this autumn, it has been claimed.
Speaking at the World Gaming Executive Summit in Madrid on Wednesday, American Gaming Association president Frank Fahrenkopf revealed that a poker-only bill that would place industry oversight into the hands of the Department of Commerce is expected to be introduced after the Congressional summer break.
Among the key features the AGA anticipates will be in this possible new legislation is a strong focus on tough regulation and consumer protection, while taxes are to be divided between the state where the bet was placed and where the poker site is regulated.
Crucially, the Department of Commerce will delegate licensing and regulatory authority to states taking affirmative action and opting to legalise online gaming, with particular weight given to those states with a long tradition of regulating gaming - most likely Nevada and New Jersey.
Federal regulation ought to appease the concerns of tribal gaming operators who do not recognise state sovereignty over them. "It’s fairly up in the air regarding what’s going to happen," Fahrenkopf said. "I do not believe the attention of Congress will be turned to this issue until the fall.
If there’s any chance, my guess is it will be in the fall of this year or early next year. We’ll then be in a presidential election year, which thereafter will make it very difficult to pass."
