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South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is on the cusp of introducing a bill that would strengthen the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006 and fully ban all forms of online gambling including poker.
While UIGEA essentially does just that, the US Justice Department interpretation of the law opened the door for state-by-state legislation. Graham wants no part of it.
But this will most certainly be a daunting task for Graham as the tide has shifted since passage of UIGEA in 2006. It is widely believed that Graham cannot even find a Democratic co-sponsor for his bill.
The Poker Players Alliance noted that, "Graham articulated firm opposition to online betting. When asked about a poker carve-out, he was adamant in his rejection, going so as to say he would even oppose other bills with carve-outs, specifically mentioning the one proposed by Senators Harry Reid and Dean Heller of Nevada."
Reid and Heller’s proposed bill would focus on excluding poker from current prohibition.
Graham said of online gambling regulation in the US, "I don't think it is a good idea for the country. South Carolina is not a big gambling state… A lot of damage can be done to the society in general. Again, the law enforcement community has been pretty universally against it in South Carolina and you can see a pretty wide coalition of cops and religious leaders coming together."
Currently there are three states that allow real money online gambling – Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey. Other states, including California and Illinois, are looking into legalizing the activity within their respective borders. Earlier in the week, Nevada and Delaware entered into a compact to allow residents of the two states to play against one another in online poker games.
- Ace King, Gambling911.com
