Poker Voters of America: Florida report 'great first step
The Florida online poker report to be presented to the state legislature this month is "a great first step" to legalising the online game within the state and has led to a new strategy at Poker Voters of America (PVA), PVA chief Melanie Brenner has said.
THE FLORIDA ONLINE POKER REPORT to be presented to the state legislature this month is “a great first step” to legalising the online game within the state and has led to a new strategy at Poker Voters of America (PVA), PVA chief Melanie Brenner has said.
The 12-page study, prepared by Florida’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) think tank and seen exclusively by EGRmagazine.com yesterday, will play a key role in whether or not the US state decides to introduce laws aimed at regulating online poker within its borders.
It assesses the three different courses available to Florida lawmakers: wait for US Congress to legalise online poker at federal level; explicitly prohibit the online game in the state; or authorise and regulate it.
Brenner (pictured), who is also president of American Poker Ventures (APV), PVA’s Florida arm, said: “OPPAGA came out with three options, two of which do nothing to regulate poker, bring revenue to the state or give consumer protection to online players. We feel that puts us in a strong position [regarding the regulation of online poker in the state].”
APV’s lobbying focus will now turn to convincing legislators that authorising and regulating online poker is the most effective way to protect Florida consumers from unregulated internet poker, Brenner revealed, and to presenting robust counter arguments to the four potential disadvantages listed by OPPAGA in connection with this option.
As reported on EGRmagazine.com, legalised online poker under the APV model could raise US$90m+ a year in Florida tax revenue.
For more on this issue, read our Florida market snapshot or MelanieBrenner’s blog post on the OPPAGA report: Reasons To Be Cheerful. Brenner is speaking at EGR Live, eGaming Review‘s free-to-attend conference and exhibition for operators this month.