The state of Massachusetts has taken the first steps toward legalizing online poker. Thanks to an amendment proposed by state representative Dan Winslow, residents may be able to play legal internet poker by the end of next year.

This new amendment has now crossed the first barrier in the lawmaking process, gaining approval from the Massachusetts House of Representatives this past week. The proposed alteration to the state’s constitutions will now be debated over in the state senate. Should this process go well, voters will be given the chance to press it into law.

Should things get that far, Winslow’s plan, according to iGaming Business, would license “up to five operators to offer games of online poker to its citizens for five years. Rake would be set at ten percent, which compares favourably with the 25 percent being sought by land-based casino and slot machine operators, while the state would receive 70 percent of the profits.”

“The gambling legislation has great potential to create jobs at casinos and for construction,” said Winslow. “Internet poker has great potential for creating high-tech jobs, developing the software and also the regulatory software to ensure the integrity of the games.”

Several other states around the nation have attempted to legalize online poker, including New Jersey, Nevada, Florida, and California. Even Washington, D.C. has taken steps toward providing its citizens with access to a safe, legal online version of the game. But, for now, all have come up short in their bid to become the first state to ratify such an amendment to their constitutions. Massachusetts, one of our nation’s very first states, is now the odds on favorite.