Online Poker in the USA Given Another Chance

Published: Friday, August 07, 2009 Online-Casinos.com

American's must be pleased as yet another senator has put another proposal before the house in an attempt to get online poker regulated and taxed in the USA. It is estimated that half of the 16 billion dollars wagered internationally online was made by Americans. Online poker players in the USA have been vocal in their disagreement with the treasury department in the states arguing that online poker is a game of skill and not pure chance. A new bill sponsored by Robert Menendez a Democrat from New Jersey, estimates that more than $3 billion dollars in annual revenue can be raised by licensing and regulating online poker.
Menendez said, " Pulling Internet poker out of the shadows and into the light of the law, we have an opportunity to help our economy while protecting our families. By bringing these games of skill into the mainstream, we can generate billions in revenue for businesses and the treasury during these troubled times."
Menendez's bill would create a five year renewable licence to operate online gambling web sites.The Treasury department would be given the power to deny licenses to potential operators who they feel do not meet the criteria for integrity, honesty, experience and financial capability. Mr. Menendez's proposed law will also require online gambling sites to enforce age and residence verifications and other safety nets to combat money laundering and fraud.
Those States and Native areas that do not want to be part of the system will be considered illegal and must refuse business from those areas
Menendez also said, "The safety benefits of the bill are particularly crucial. Parents are worried about their children falling prey to illegitimate gaming sites and thousands of Americans have been fleeced of millions of dollars by these sites. He concluded "with proper regulation, we can prevent minors from playing poker online, crackdown on predatory operations and sanction the legitimate ones."