On Tuesday, December 10, the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade held a hearing entitled “The State of Online Gaming.” The hearing focused on the current status of online gaming, including poker, and the push to legalize it at the state level.
Witnesses at the hearing were by invitation only and included: John Pappas, Executive Director, Poker Players Alliance; Andrew Abboud, Vice President of Government Relations and Community Development, Las Vegas Sands Corporation; Geoff Freeman, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Gaming Association; Les Bernal, National Director, Stop Predatory Gambling, Kurt Eggert, Professor of Law, Dale E. Fowler School of Law, Chapman University and; Rachel Volberg, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Pari-mutuel wagering is the only interstate wagering currently permitted on the internet but three states have legalized intrastate online gaming – Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey – to permit people physically within their respective borders to participate.
Several online gaming bills have been introduced in this Congress, including those to license, regulate and tax the activity. However, the NTRA Legislative team does not expect any immediate action by Congress on this issue.