Online poker legal soon?
With the U.S. being threatened by the European Union over WTO violations and a very strong showing by the Poker Players Alliance the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act may be history in the near future. During a recent keynote at Global Gaming Expo (G2E) former Senator Alfonse D'Amato, currently the chairman of the PPA, said he expects legalization of online poker in the U.S. within the next 18 months. Ironically the reason the U.S. government seems to be changing its tune about online poker is not the millions of U.S. citizens that want to see it legalized but the $100 billion suit being filed by the EU against the restrictions. Antigua-Barbuda was the first country to seek action against the U.S.' online gambling ban and was awarded a surprising win by the World Trade Organization. D'Amato mentioned the pending sanctions by the WTO could have a huge impact on online poker's future. Earlier this week European trade chief Peter Mandelson said the U.S. should let foreign companies into the online gaming market instead of merely trying to compensate the European firms for shutting them down. "The U.S. has so far opted for compensation to make right what is wrong," Mandelson said in a story with Reuters yesterday. "I don't think compensation does that job." Mandelson is hopeful that the PPA will be successful and mentioned that he will continue to make arguments on behalf of the European industry. Avoiding trade sanctions wouldn't be the only reason for reversing the ban on internet poker, however. The government would make billions of dollars in taxes if online poker was properly regulated. New technology has also made underage gambling easier to prevent.Related Articles: PPA Puts More Heat on KentuckyPPA Takes Fight to KentuckyPPA Hails D.C. Trip a Success PPA Moves to WashingtonVisit PokerListings.com
PokerListings.com  –  Nov 21, 2007 11:06 PM [GMT]
found in Sports: Poker