Nevada Online Gambling Laws May Be template For Federal Legislation
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has become one of the biggest proponents of online gambling regulations at a federal level in recent years, but this week, the senator failed to include Internet gaming regulations in a must-pass payroll tax cut bill. That, according to many analysts, signaled the end of possible regulations at a federal level until next year.
The omission was glaring for those in the gaming industry. Lobbyists had been pushing Reid to attach online gambling laws to the payroll legislation, and now that he did not oblige, the industry is a bit taken aback. There is hope, however, that online casinos will be operational in the US by the end of the year.
Nevada has already passed their own version of online gambling legislation, and it may become the template for other states and the federal government moving forward. Already, 13 companies have applied for online gaming licenses in Nevada, and the belief is that by the end of 2012, online poker rooms will be open for Nevada residents. Florida, New Jersey, Iowa, and California are expected to pass similar legislation before the end of the year.
The biggest movement within the online gambling industry is currently coming in the social media world. Several major online gambling companies, including International Game Technology and Caesars Entertainment, have entered into agreements with Slotmania and Zynga, two social media free gaming services. Ultimately, analysts believe these sites will begin offering real money gambling to their customers.
"Currently, multiplayer blackjack and roulette, slot machines, and video poker are available," said Macquarie Securities analyst Chad Beynon. "But we expect additional slot games as well as community poker games to be added in the near term."
The online gambling movement began in full force after the Department of Justice issued an opinion late last year reversing their long-standing belief that all Internet gambling was illegal under the Wire Act. The DoJ now asserts that online sports betting is illegal under the 1961 law.
February 17, 2012
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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