Federal Online Poker Legalization Bugs National Governors Association

A note was sent this week to House and Senate leaders by the US National Governor’s Association, in which the influential organization expressed its concerns regarding the proposed Reid-Kyl bill which seeks to legalize online poker but ban other forms of online gambling in the United States.

Therefore, in its note, the Association urged lawmakers to include state input before moving any further with the online gambling legislation, adding: “The draft would pre-empt emerging state regulatory authority recently established by the U.S. Justice Department under a reinterpretation of the federal Wire Act” (based on the DoJ&s recent change of heart regarding the act), “which could restrict state revenues derived from gaming.”

The letter was signed by Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett and Kentucky governor Steve Beshear, chairman and vice-chairman (respectively) of the NGA’s Economic Development and Commerce Committee.

In their letter, they also noted: “As you know, states that authorize gaming in whatever form derive significant revenues critical to help fund programs for education, senior citizens, military veterans, and other important services.”

In related news, Oct. 26 was not a good day for Senator Reid (72) who suffered a multi-vehicle road accident in Las Vegas. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured – he reportedly sustained rib and hip contusions and was released from hospital after a medical examination.