Another American State Proposes Legalizing Internet Poker

The race for the internet poker market in the USA just got a little hotter with yet another state in the union suggesting it will legalize online poker for its residents. Now, officials in far flung Iowa are considering a proposal to make playing poker for real money on the internet a past time available to Iowans. Iowa's Senate has a bill on the table that proposes legal and regulated internet poker.

Lawmakers are tired of seeing revenues from the activity leave for parts unknown and want to keep it local, explaining even though it has been effectively banned federally players are finding ways to play online poker anyway.
"Right now you have a lot of gambling going on via the internet, which is illegal right now in the State of Iowa,” commented Grand Falls Casino and Resort General Manager Sharon Haselhoff.
"So, what the bill does is, through the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, it allows folks to go into a casino, register to make sure they're not on the statewide ban list, make sure they're 21-years of age, to set up their account, then be able to go home, within the State of Iowa, and play internet poker against folks throughout the State of Iowa," Haselhoff continued to explain.

Officials in Iowa propose that should this piece of legislation be passed, it could mean up to $13-million in extra revenues brought to government coffers from the introduction of online poker. Haselhoff continued, "So, if the legislation is passed at the legislative federal level, then we're not behind all the other states or the other big casinos that will take over and now they run internet poker.  And they could be in Las Vegas or Atlantic City and not in Iowa,"  The possible legalization of internet poker in Iowa could put the State ahead of the curve in the technical applications required to run such an operation.