Iowa Governor Terry Branstad yesterday signed a bill which asks the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission for a study on regulating online poker, due on December 1, 2011. One of the study’s goals is to determine the impact, positive and negative, that online poker would have on Iowa citizens and the brick-and-mortar casinos already in the state. Many existing gaming laws in Iowa will be impacted by the study.
Iowa is one of many states investigating the opportunity of legislating and legalizing online poker. Other states include Nevada, Florida, California, Washington, D.C., Hawaii, and New Jersey. It is already invested heavily in the casino business. Current Iowa laws have dictated that casinos must win referendum votes in their home county every eight years. If a casino could not win this referendum, it would be forced to shut down. Gov. Branstad’s law changes this law: the referendum is no longer automatically required every eight years, but citizens may petition for it if desired.
The bill is among many which are setting the stage for a national and federal debate. While the federal government is cracking down on online poker, many states are introducing, debating, and considering bills to legalize and regulate online poker. Iowa’s bill is unique in that it requires a thorough, data-centric study before any other measures are taken. This approach may convince many current naysayers and, come December 1, will have a significant impact on the national debate.