Senator Jon Kyl May Support Legalized Online Poker?

The very man who co-authored legislation prohibiting most forms of Internet gambling, outgoing Arizona Republican Senator Jon Kyl, may consider a measure that would exempt online poker.

Kyl, a long time industry opponent, helped draft the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006.  Exemptions were made for horse racing, state lotteries and fantasy sports. 

The revelation from Senator Kyl comes right from his own website, under the heading of Updating the Law to Account for New Technologies

As technology evolves, so too must the law.  New media like the Internet can provide a wealth of information and opportunity to those who use it with good intentions.  But it can also present new opportunities for those who would use it to prey on their fellow citizens.  I have sponsored bills designed to crack down on criminals who evade the law by using new technology.

"I have opposed efforts to legalize Internet gambling in the past because evidence suggests that it fosters problems unlike any other forms of gambling. Online players can gamble 24 hours a day from home; children can play without sufficient age verification; and betting with a credit card can undercut a player’s perception of the value of cash — leading to possible addiction and, in turn, bankruptcy, crime, and even suicide.

Efforts to carve out an exception for games like poker, which many believe is a game of skill, may be considered later this year.Until I have the chance to review them, I cannot make a judgment about their merits; but I will consider them carefully as long as they leave in place the broader proscriptions against online betting."

- Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher

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