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For the past several years, the online poker landscape has been in a perpetual state of flux. Beginning with Chris Moneymaker's historic romp through the World Series of Poker, and in essence, launching the poker boom, the legality and the morality of online poker has been debated from everywhere from water coolers to the halls of Congress. It has been such a hot button topic at times that many of our nation's top lawmakers have attempted to define where it fits among forms of gambling and to figure out the feasibility of potential government regulation. Constituents of both sides of the arguments stand firm and are passionate in their beliefs, and a of right now, the only thing that is certain is that June 1, will bring even more uncertainty, that of course being the date that the banks are to be in compliance with the controversial UIGEA.
It seems however that the balance of power may indeed be on the verge of tipping towards the pro-online poker side as President Barack Obama's latest Supreme Court nominee appears to have an understanding and appreciation of the game of poker. Should this be true, it would appear to be a major win for those looking for regulation and a blow against former President Bush's controversial bill.
Just this week, Elena Kagan, a native New Yorker was introduced at a press conference. At the gathering, she was described by a well-informed associate as being "a poker player". Though it well may have been nothing more than a figure of speech, it was a curious choice of words, not lost among poker players keeping up with the situation. Any advantage gained is of the utmost importance given the amount of vital proposed poker legislation currently in the works. For instance, currently, Pennsylvania and Kentucky are the sites of landmark court cases specifically involving poker. A Pennsylvania court ruled that poker is a skill game in a case brought against a couple for hosting a poker game; a decision which was later overturned on appeal. This case in particular appears to be headed for a showdown at the US Supreme Court and having a judge who is a poker fan of some kind could only help matters. Meanwhile, the fight in Kentucky centers around the illegality of gambling as a whole as is seeking to determine if patrons are entitled to recoup any losses.
These two cases alone could go a long way in shaping the future of poker, and specifically online poker in the United States. This is truly a monumental moment in poker history. Will Kagan be enough to shift the balance of power in poker's favor?
Source: www.aintluck.com
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