Nevada Governor Steps Up For Federal Online Poker Regulation
Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval has stepped up to the plate in an effort to have online poker regulated on a national level in the US. On Thursday, Sandoval sent a letter to the current heads of the House and Senate, asking that a federal regulation bill be passed.
Sandoval watched on Wednesday along with dozens of gaming executives as a massive Internet gambling operation was picked apart by US authorities. Law enforcement officials in several states helped in an investigation that led to the arrest of 25 people. Those arrested were charged with various crimes frequently associated with gambling including conspiracy and promoting gambling.
The Nevada governor is concerned with the growing number of people that are betting online at unregulated casinos, and he believes the time has come for the federal government to step in and protect not only these players, but also the regulated land-based casinos in Nevada and other states.
“While many states have long-standing proficiency in regulating brick-and-mortar gaming within their boundaries, the advent of Internet gaming has introduced a borderless element that state regulation alone cannot address,” wrote Sandoval in his letter addressed to House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
Nevada has already passed laws last year regulating online poker. The issue for Sandoval and the casinos in Nevada is that while their state is regulated, others may not be. That leaves the door open for illegal sites to operate and take potential customers away from the licensed US online casinos.
Former strong opponent of online gambling regulations Senator Jon Kyl, has changed his stance and now is part of a movement, along with Senator Reid, to have online poker regulations on a national level. Kyl is still in favor of strengthening the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act through any new gaming legislation.
