New York State Senate eyes online poker regulation
Senate co-leaders include online poker language in approved budget document yesterday.
New York Senators have proposed the regulation of online poker as part of this year’s budget.
Senate co-leaders Jeff Klein and Dean Skelos included language in the budget document which stated: “The Senate supports authorising and regulating internet gaming for games of skill, including poker, to reflect recent changes in the classification of these games.”
The reclassification refers to a court ruling by a Brooklyn judge who determined that poker is “not predominately a game of chance” and therefore not classifiable as gambling under the terms of the Illegal Gambling Business Act (IGBA).
The ruling from Judge Jack Weinstein was made in relation to a case involving New York resident Lawrence DiCristina, who had been arrested and charged under IGBA for running a poker room in the borough of Staten Island.
New York State’s Senate and Assembly both passed non-binding versions of a budget yesterday.