Here is the time-line of events. The United States Department of Justice reverses their long-held opinion that all forms of online gambling are illegal in December of 2011, advising individual states to make that decision for themselves. In early 2012, Nevada becomes the historic first state to legalize online poker soon after that landmark decision, and they are followed up by both Delaware and New Jersey. Here in 2013, none of those states has yet to officially deal the first hand of poker online, but Nevada legislators recently announced that watershed event will happen this May.
Poker
Chicago Casino Gambling Bill Proposes Online Illinois Wagering
You might think that the recent veto by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn regarding expanding brick-and-mortar gambling in his state would mean bad things for the future of Internet gambling in the Prairie State. But state Senator Terry Link did not let that decision dissuade him from proposing a bill that would call for statewide legalization of online gambling in Illinois. The bill is titled the Chicago Casino Development Authority Act, but it extends well past the Windy City.
US Feds to Propose Online Gambling Legislation This Spring
In late 2011 the United States Department of Justice decided to flip flop an age-old position regarding online gambling. They moved from illegalizing all forms of online gambling in the US to allowing each state to decide its own destiny. That has since resulted in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware passing legislation legalizing online gambling in some form in those three states. And California, Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Iowa and other states are all currently mulling over the possibility of legalizing online gambling as well.
Texas Online Poker Package Proposed
Legalized Internet gambling has come to the United States once again. Online gambling has been legalized in New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware in some capacity. Right now New Jersey has the largest potential player pool of those three states due to their 9 million residents. Nevada currently has a population of 3 million, with Delaware hovering around 1 million residents. But if the Lone Star State has its way, it will nearly double that combined possible player pool with their more than 26 million residents if the recent legislation proposing legalized online poker in that state is passed.
California Re-Buys Into Online Poker With New Gambling Bill
Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey have passed online gambling packages making it legal for United States companies to operate internet gambling portals. You must be located inside those states’ boundaries as a resident or traveler to play, and those three states have positioned themselves as leaders in a multi-billion dollar online gambling business in the United States which is in its infancy. Obviously, states with larger populations stand a better chance to profit financially, and that’s what makes the recent Internet gambling bill introduced in California so important.
California Submits New Online Poker Bill Proposal
Only a couple of days after next-door neighbor Nevada passed historic legislation okaying interstate gambling, California State Senator Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) quickly submitted a new online gambling proposal. The online gambling bill would okay Internet poker in The Golden State, and is not the first time which Correa has proposed some type of online gambling for California’s residents and visitors. This new bill was filed one day after Nevada legalized interstate poker pacts with other US states, and is listed as SB678. While not yet allowing for interstate agreements, the proposal would allow online poker websites to be operated within California’s borders.
New Jersey’s Chris Christie Passes Online Gambling Bill
Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey has long been a proponent of online gambling in some form. There is no question that billions of dollars are available to those states in the US which adopt some sort of online gambling legislation. And while Mr. Christie had previously on two occasions turned down the online gambling bills proposed to him, last week he said the most recent offering only needed slight tweaking for him to okay it. The changes were made, and the Governor from the Garden State made New Jersey the third state in the US to approve online gambling since the Department of Justice put that responsibility in state hands.
Nevada Legalizes Online Gambling, Beating Rival New Jersey
In the online gambling version of the Space Race, emergency legislation flew through the Nevada Assembly and Senate, and was hastily signed by Governor Brian Sandoval, legalizing online gambling in the Silver State on February 21. Nevada had in 2011 passed legislation which would allow it to quickly offer online gambling should the United States Department of Justice legalize it. After the DOJ reversed their age-old stance on Internet gambling in late 2011, the table was set for individual states to hit the virtual felt.
Delaware Pushing to Offer Online US Gambling First, Ahead of Nevada
You probably know many of the details. Concerning online gambling in the United States, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has always said that is a big no-no. But in the final days of 2012, they sort of changed their opinion. They stated that activities like online lottery sales, online poker and other forms of online gambling not including sports betting probably are not that bad at all, and decided to allow each individual state in the US to decide their online gambling destiny.
Christie Vetoes New Jersey Online Poker – And Poker Players Celebrate
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie sure has a strange way of showing his purported love of online gambling legalization in the Garden State. The last couple of years has seen the rotund Republican slap down multiple attempts at legalizing online poker in New Jersey. Most recently, he vetoed the latest online poker package put forth by lawmakers in that state. It is beginning to appear that Christie has lost his “Approved” stamp, as he routinely turns down one online poker proposal after another. If that is the case, is there any way that this latest spurning be seen as a good thing?