Online poker will be illegal in US 'until 2013'
US poker players must wait at least another year for federal legislation on online gaming
by Alligator Blood | February, 20th 2012 |
Overall: 5
|
Above: The Stratosphere Casino has applied for an online gaming licence
Online poker will remain illegal in the United States until 2013 at the earliest, a leading analyst has claimed.
Macquarie Securities gaming expert Chad Beynon told investors that US poker players will have to wait 'at least' another 12 months for the industry to reborn.
It came after politicians in Washington shunned the chance to include an online gaming bill in tax legislation last week.
Instead, individual states - such as Nevada - will now carry the fight through 2012, slowly allowing Americans to once again play poker online.
Beynon said: "We think the standards were written in a way that will allow for small adjustments as the process moves forward.
"At this point, no firm date has been set, but 13 companies have now submitted for an operating license."
He added that the industry would continue to fight for federal legislation on Capitol Hill because Washington is more able to effectively regulate online gaming than individual states.
Insiders believe fresh poker legislation could emerge during Congress' lame duck session in the wake of November's presidential election.
ACEP, which owns the Stratosphere Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, is the latest Nevada business to apply for an online gaming licence.
The world's two biggest online poker sites, Full Tilt and PokerStars have been shut to US players since Black Friday - April 15 2011.