The U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee for Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade will hold a hearing on online gaming tomorrow. Topics addressed in this hearing will include the safety of online gaming and likely a discussion of Congressman Joe Barton’s bill HR 2366. This bill seeks to legalize and regulate the online poker industry at the federal level.
This debate is an important step towards the future of online poker in the United States. Of the current law, Barton says “it’s lose-lose for everyone – the public, the taxpayer, the banking industry, and the people who want to play online poker openly and honestly on the internet”.
Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Chairman Alfonse D’Amato has been invited to this hearing as a witness. D’amato will testify on behalf of poker players, voicing concerns regarding important industry areas such as the need for independent audits of game fairness and segregation of player funds from other poker site capital.
Republican Congressman Joe Barton’s proposed bill HR 2366 sets a framework for legal online poker, with a strong emphasis on protecting the consumer and the accountability of licensed operators. The bill actually strengthens the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) by strictly prohibiting online gambling, while creating exceptions for poker, lotteries, horse betting and other skill games. The bill also includes strict penalties (up to three years in prison) for collusion and use of bots.
However, there are some drawbacks and unaddressed issues in this bill. The bill only applies to online poker, not online casinos or other games. Under this bill credit cards would also be prohibited for use as payment. The use of Heads-up Displays (HUDs), tracking software and even multiple account use aren’t mentioned either.
Although we are still a long ways off from returning to pre-Black Friday era online poker, this is great news and shows that there is light at the end of the tunnel. D’Amato views this hearing as “good for building momentum” in the struggle for safe and legal online poker in America.