Governor of Utah Gary Herbert has written to two of the US’ most influential politicians calling for i-gaming laws to be determined by individual states, rather than the federal government.
In his letter to Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican House Speaker John Boehner, Herbert urged the pair to oppose proposals to “federalise internet poker and casino gambling.”
Gaming, he said, has traditionally been regulated by state governments, adding that this is a matter of “constitutional and social preference.”
Utah lawmakers recently signed a bill to reinforce the state’s stance on gaming, which includes a ban on internet gambling.
“The residents of the state of Utah have always been very clear about our views that allowing gambling on the internet or other venues is not in Utah’s best interests,” Herbert said. “In the case of interstate online poker, if Congress were to make it legal, it would be against the wishes of the majority of Utahns and encroach on our 10th Amendment rights, as well as our historical and long-standing position against gaming and wagering.”
The American Gaming Association, which changed its own stance on i-gaming, advocates legislation that respects fundamental states’ rights.
