North Dakota’s attempt to regulate online poker has failed after the proposed bill was defeated by a massive majority vote in the Senate.
Senators in the state voted 44-3 to oppose the bill that would have allowed internet poker sites to become licensed in the US for the first time.
The bill passed a house vote by a slim majority earlier this month, and the sudden turnaround is likely to be viewed by the eGaming industry as another victory for the intimidation tactics of the DoJ.
Opponents of the bill voiced their concerns that the federal Department of Justice has written to the state stating the bill would have contravened federal laws.
"There are at least three federal laws out there that make this legislation suspect," Senator Carolyn Nelson, said.
The letter meant that both the state’s governor and the Attorney General refused to endorse the bill.
Senators from North Dakota had previously heard testimony from members of the eGaming industry including Nigel Payne, chief executive of Sportingbet.
Payne told the Senate the industry was crying out for regulation, but it appears his cries fell on deaf ears.
"This is just another vehicle for more gambling in North Dakota, and I'm not sure that we want it," Senator David Nething said yesterday.
However, despite the bill’s failure in the Senate industry leaders have expressed their delight they have been given the opportunity to put forward the case for regulation in a public forum
Payne told eGaming Review yesterday shortly before the news was announced he felt the Senate debate was a huge step forward for the industry.
“It just shows how far we have come that we are out there talking to American Senators,” Payne said.
“If you had said to me a year ago I would have been allowed to stand up in front of the Senate of a US state I would have said you had been sniffing glue.”
source : egr magazine
