American online poker legalisation

On June 1, 2010, the UIGEA Law will go into effect but not before Representative Barney Frank has anything to say about it. His bill to repeal this law is still gathering support, not only by other representatives, but by online US players as well. In a recent poll, 91% of US players voted yes to online casino gambling. Thus, the debate continues. But there is one man who doubts that the UIGEA law will be overturned. Calvin Ayre, the head of Bodog, thinks that it will take another 10 years before American online poker legalization is realized. His reasoning is that if the current law is repealed, it will take time for operators to conform to new regulations that will obviously be enforced. He also believes that those who originally operated sites in the US and were eventually forced out due to the UIGEA Law will not be allowed to resume operations until they meet all the regulatory requirements.

It is a well known fact that regulatory concerns have not been a priority among Republicans in the US Senate. In fact, their entire platform rests on the fact that the stock market and other entities should be less regulated to allow for a free and open market. But, as you know, the lack of regulation was a direct cause of the economic downturn in the US. Barney Frank’s legislation states that: “Internet gambling in the United States should be controlled by a strict Federal licensing and regulatory framework to protect underage and otherwise vulnerable individuals, to ensure the games are fair, to address the concerns of law enforcement, and to enforce any limitations on the activity established by the States and Indian tribes.”

Contrary to what Calvin Ayre’s stated, there is a good chance that the UIGEA Law will be overturned this year. Support for the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act is growing daily, and there may be a vote on this new legislation in February.