Republican rep. drawing up online poker bill for US players

Republican rep. drawing up online poker bill for US players

Wednesday, 25 May 2011

A Republican representative is offering a ray of light to US online poker players; According to The Hill Rep. Joe Barton is planning to introduce a bill legalising and regulating online poker in the US. He has said that he hopes the measure can get through both chambers of Congress.

“Poker is a game of skill,” said Barton, who went on to suggest that anybody who challenged that notion was free to play with their own money against 2004 WSOP champion Greg Raymer, who was present with Barton at the press conference.


The bill is being drafted with the help of the Poker Players’ Alliance and it is hoped that the bill will go through the House Energy and Commerce Committee – this is good news for US players as the House Financial Services Committee Chariman, Spencer Bachus, is a big opponent of any legalised online gambling.


The closest we have come to this previously is the Reid Bill or the Barney Frank Bill, neither of which passed Congress. Financial Services member Rep. John Campbell of California said that despite not playing poker himself, he knows that banning it is a poor move as tens of millions of US citizens play and love the game.


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Tags: Legislation, Joe Barton, Greg Raymer, Poker Players' Alliance, Harry Reid, Barney Frank