Bill banning online poker introduced in Texas
Racetracks, bingo halls and Indian reservations would be eligible for brick and mortar operator licences.
A bill which would permit poker to be played in eligible brick and mortar properties but ban it from being played online has been introduced in the Texas state legislature.
The new legislation, entitled the Texas Poker Gaming Act of 2013 and sponsored by Senator Eddie Rodriguez, would see the state’s racetracks, bingo halls and reservations eligible for poker licences, while also banning electronic poker tables.
Poker would be categorised as a game of skill and regulated by the Texas Lottery Commission.
The bill’s exclusion of online poker games comes as little surprise, with the state first and foremost keen to implement strong regulation in order to put an end to widespread illegal poker operations.
Texas is, however, along with California one of only a handful of states with a large enough population to provide attractive intrastate poker liquidity.
Elsewhere, hopes for egaming legislation in New Jersey hang in the balance as Senator Raymond Lesniak’s bill awaits approval from Governor Chris Christie.
Four NJ Senators including Lesniak and State Senate President Steve Sweeney sent a letter to Christie last week urging him to sign S1565 into law as soon as possible in order to allow the state benefit from the extra revenues egaming would bring.
The letter stated: “Given the fiscal conditions facing our casinos, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, and the recent movement toward Internet gaming in states across the country, we cannot afford to wait any longer for implementation.”
The bill passed in a 33-3 vote in the New Jersey Senate just before Christmas, with its Assembly version A2578 passing 48-24-4 just days earlier.
It remains unclear if Christie will sign the bill into law by the 3 February deadline, having vetoed similar legislation in 2011.