Barton all in on bill to legalize online poker
"Joe Barton is all in on a bill to legalize online poker
Rep. Joe Barton found bipartisan support for a bill to legalize online poker. (Facebook photo)
Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, introduced a bill Friday to legalize online poker, which Barton calls a “game of skill.”
Current law permits playing online poker, but the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 bars players from collecting money on their winnings. In April the FBI shut down three major poker sites – Full Tilt Poker, Poker Stars and Absolute Poker – and a grand jury charged 11 defendants with money laundering, bank fraud and violation of gambling laws.
Barton’s bill would legalize the online game and create a federal agency to oversee and regulate the sites. The legislation also requires the websites to register with gaming commissions, though they would have to register in a state that already allows gambling.
Under the bill, people across the country would be able to play online poker for money , but each state would also have the choice to opt out of the law. Other forms of online gambling would still be illegal.
“We want to have an iron-clad system to make sure that those who play for money are playing in an honest, fair system where they can reap the benefits of their winnings,” Barton said in a press release issued from his office. “To put it simply, this bill is about having the personal freedom to play a skill-based game you enjoy without fear of breaking the law.”
Barton – who has admitted to enjoying a game of poker, though not the Internet version – had bipartisan support as he introduced the legislation to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. His bill had 11 co-sponsors, including Rep. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, who is in the midst of cultivating his own controversial bill to legalize marijuana.
The bill would allow millions of online poker plays to legally make money off their hands. (AP photo)
Although Reps. Barney Frank, D-Mass., (Paul’s co-sponsor for the marijuana bill) and John Campbell, R-Calif., struggled when they unveiled a similar online poker bill last year to the House Financial Services Committee, Barton is hoping for better luck this time around. Barton’s staff has spent the past month working with the Poker Players Alliance to craft the bill, and he will surely have the backing of the millions of online poker devotees.
“Poker is an all-American game,” Barton said, “and it’s a game that requires strategy and skill.”"
This could be good.
Rep. Joe Barton found bipartisan support for a bill to legalize online poker. (Facebook photo)
Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, introduced a bill Friday to legalize online poker, which Barton calls a “game of skill.”
Current law permits playing online poker, but the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 bars players from collecting money on their winnings. In April the FBI shut down three major poker sites – Full Tilt Poker, Poker Stars and Absolute Poker – and a grand jury charged 11 defendants with money laundering, bank fraud and violation of gambling laws.
Barton’s bill would legalize the online game and create a federal agency to oversee and regulate the sites. The legislation also requires the websites to register with gaming commissions, though they would have to register in a state that already allows gambling.
Under the bill, people across the country would be able to play online poker for money , but each state would also have the choice to opt out of the law. Other forms of online gambling would still be illegal.
“We want to have an iron-clad system to make sure that those who play for money are playing in an honest, fair system where they can reap the benefits of their winnings,” Barton said in a press release issued from his office. “To put it simply, this bill is about having the personal freedom to play a skill-based game you enjoy without fear of breaking the law.”
Barton – who has admitted to enjoying a game of poker, though not the Internet version – had bipartisan support as he introduced the legislation to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. His bill had 11 co-sponsors, including Rep. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, who is in the midst of cultivating his own controversial bill to legalize marijuana.
The bill would allow millions of online poker plays to legally make money off their hands. (AP photo)
Although Reps. Barney Frank, D-Mass., (Paul’s co-sponsor for the marijuana bill) and John Campbell, R-Calif., struggled when they unveiled a similar online poker bill last year to the House Financial Services Committee, Barton is hoping for better luck this time around. Barton’s staff has spent the past month working with the Poker Players Alliance to craft the bill, and he will surely have the backing of the millions of online poker devotees.
“Poker is an all-American game,” Barton said, “and it’s a game that requires strategy and skill.”"
This could be good.
