A half-page provision in Washington DC's 2011 budget has made the city the first jurisdiction in the US to adopt legislation regulating the industry, according to a report on the Casino City Times website.
The provision gives the DC Lottery and Charitable Games Control Board the authority to set up "both games of skill and games of chance" and to offer games online, after Congress, which had 30 days to respond, did not eliminate the online gaming provision, allowing it to become law.
Councilman Michael Brown, who introduced the measure, said in the report: "The reason was for us to help close the budget gap we have here in our city. I was trying to figure out how to bring in as much revenue as possible to limit the impact of budget cuts."
