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Cliffs:
Gives authority to both the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) and the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) to oversee licensing and regulation of online poker (Secretary oversees states, NIGC oversees tribes).
Secretary, in consultation with NIGC, will develop regulations within 180 days of enactment.
Secretary and NIGC will appoint state or tribal agencies, respectively, to be regulatory authorities (RAs) for sites.
Secretary will create Office of Internet Poker Oversight.
RAs will issue regulations, site licenses and supplier certificates of suitability. License good for five years, renewable at discretion of RA.
Initially, only gambling facilities (casinos, riverboats, race tracks) with at least 500 slots, and cardrooms with at least 175 tables are eligible for a license. The Secretary can expand that after two years.
Bad actors: anyone with a felony conviction for illegal Internet poker is ineligible for a license for five years.
Any site licensed under a state or tribal law prior to enactment will be exempt from the licensing and regulation under this bill.
Players: 21+ years old; located in U.S.
No provision that specifically excludes non-U.S. players, but no provision authorizes it either.
Sites must locate their gaming equipment in the jurisdiction of their RA.
States are opting in by default. Opt outs done by letter from Governor or tribal authority. No requirements for a state legislative vote, etc.
Anyone delinquent on child support can be excluded per court or authority request.
Cheating is defined as the violation of any licensee’s terms of play to gain an unfair advantage; the use of a software or hardware that is prohibited by rules of play to gain an advantage; or the use of any cheating device with the intent to cheat or defraud the licensee or another player, including the use of any bot.
Adds provisions to the UIGEA for the creation of a list of Unlicensed Internet Gambling Enterprises. Payment processors will be forbidden to process transactions for anyone on the list.
No site taxes in this bill, just site User Fees to cover the costs of licensing and regulations. Can't be deducted from player deposits.
Requires sites to do applicable tax collections and reporting upon "payment of proceeds" to players.
CC deposits forbidden.
States that Internet poker is neither Class II nor Class III gaming under IGRA, and existing state-tribal compacts are unaffected.
Other skill games that are not gambling under “all provisions of Federal, State, or tribal law” are exempt from licensing and not wagering under this bill.
No protections for player account funds specified in the bill, other than requiring sites that lose their license to refund all player funds.Comment -
Good posts guys and thanks for the update. I'm tweeting everybody on that list on the PPA Website. Everybody needs to get involved if we ever expect changes in these ridiculous gestapo internet gaming laws!
Send an email and tweets to your congressman. Join the PPA, a fantastic organization dedicated to bringing poker back for US players. Exercise your right to be heard, if enough players get involved and raise hell about it, change will come about! There is no reason why Americans should not be able to play a game we invented and has been around since the days of pioneers and the old west!
Last edited by mikejamm; 07-13-13, 03:22 PM.Comment -
y no cc depositsComment -
Here some more info on Rep. Joe Bartons' Bill:
NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Distribution
PPA Applauds Rep. Joe Barton’s Internet Poker Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 12, 2013)
– The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide, today commended Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX) upon the introduction of H.R. 2666, the “Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2013,” legislation to license and regulate Internet poker.“Since April 15, 2011, ’Black Friday,’ millions of Americans have been waiting to regain their freedom to play poker on the Internet.
I applaud Congressman Barton for listening to their voices and introducing legislation that restores this freedom and establishes a safe and regulated marketplace. Internet poker is here to stay in America, and we are all better served through licensing and regulation that implements high standards to protect consumers, thwart fraud and abuse, and guarantee the proper safeguards against underage and addictive gambling,” said Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, chairman of the PPA.
The legislation is very similar to legislation Congressman Barton sponsored in 2012 and addresses many of the concerns raised in previous Congressional hearings.
It will focus exclusively on Internet poker, as opposed to H.R. 2282 a recently introduced online gambling bill that includes online casino games in addition to poker.
Mr. Barton’s bill also mandates technologies to protect consumers from fraud and limits underage access, preserves state’s rights,and ensures Indian Tribes have the same rights to apply for a license as other entities.Additionally, the bill:
Expressly prohibits accepting Internet bets – poker or otherwise – without a U.S. license,and ensures that licensees can only accept Internet bets on poker.
Creates specific standards for licenses, modeled after existing land-based gambling licensing procedures.
Requires qualified bodies to develop a Compulsive Gaming, Responsible Gaming and Self-Exclusion program to help mitigate problem gambling.
Does not restrict states from licensing and regulating Internet poker on the state-level.
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