Joe Barton Testifies Before Subcommittee on Legalized Internet Poker (Live Streaming Video)

Texas Republican Joe Barton has drafted legislation that would legalize Internet poker in the US.  He testified Friday November 18, 2011 before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade.  It was the second hearing on the subject over the past 30 days.

During the testimony, concerns were raised over the vulnerability of Web users who might access an online poker site. 

“My experience (with poker players) is they excel in math.  Not people who would be taken advantage of or need to be protected,” Barton said.

Senior Research Scientist at the University of Chicago, Dr. Rachel A. Volberg, who admitted earlier that legal Internet poker in the United States was inevitable, responded that this was true in regard to “professional” players but not necessarily the average Internet user, especially those who start off playing free and ultimately graduate to “real cash” play. 

Charles McIntyre of the New Hampshire Lottery Commission and the American Gaming Association’s President Frank Fahrenkopf also spoke as part of the panel of experts offering their testimony. 

One of the other concerns brought up during the hearing related to cheating and bots that gain an advantage during play. 

“They have developed software that could monitor the way the bets are placed to determine whether or not there is a problem,” Fahrenkopf said.  He also pointed out that in most cases of cheating, other players were the first to uncover such situations.

Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Mark Lipparelli said that he felt online poker would compliment the existing brick and mortar businesses such as those in Las Vegas.  But there was also a discussion as to whether the current draft legislation could be expanded to include state lotteries as license holders and operators of Internet poker rooms. 

- Chris Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher