Time Running Out On Gambling Expansion Legislation In Iowa

Iowa lawmakers have been debating the gambling expansion issue for months, and now time is running thin for these legislators to pass any new gambling laws. The issue has become too broad, with ideas flying in from all directions.

One of the big ideas that was presented this year was the possibility of regulated online poker. Once the Internet gambling issue came up, it seems that some lawmakers have backtracked on gambling as a whole.

"It's abundantly clear we would not have anywhere near the votes for passage of what many considered would be the largest expansion of gambling in the history of the United States of America," said House majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, as reported by The Des Moines Register.

The initial legislation that was being discussed would have allowed state casinos to run high stakes poker tournaments. That would have brought millions of dollars into the state budget through taxes, but now that the talks have evolved, the poker expansion looks dead for this year as well.

Another major hurdle that was looking to be cleared by lawmakers was existing casinos having to seek approval from voters to continue to operate every eight years. The new law would have allowed the casinos to operate without having to lobby voters if the casino was approved for two straight times.

Iowa is one of the many states that have sought to expand their gambling operations. The economic recession in the US brought a willingness among lawmakers to expand gambling to help deal with budget shortcomings.

March 14, 2010
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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