PokerStars backs Frank bill; maintains US activities lawful
PokerStars has thrown its support behind Barney Frank's egaming bill which passed out of Committee yesterday, at the same time maintaining its US activities "at all times have been lawful."
PokerStars is backing the Frank bill which passed out of Committee yesterday, calling it “the most significant US legislative accomplishment in the history of the internet gaming industry”, and also maintaining its US activities have “at all times have been lawful.”
PokerStars’ general counsel Paul Telford said in a statement this morning: “PokerStars maintains its strong support for HR 2267 and encourages the full House and ultimately the Senate to move quickly to secure passage during the current Congressional term.
“PokerStars, a pioneer in operating online Poker under stringent regulatory frameworks, looks forward to working with incumbent and new operators in promoting a safe and healthy online poker industry in the US as it currently does under similar licensing models in Italy and France”.
The US-facing poker giant said it would also be supporting two provisions introduced to the bill during markup which would disqualify any site from being licensed which had intentionally violated US federal or state gambling laws.
The first of these, from Brad Sherman, would render unsuitable for licensing any applicant which fails to certify in writing that it has never committed an intentional felony violation of federal or state gambling laws. The second, from Ranking Member Spencer Bachus and Representative Michelle Bachmann, would render unsuitable for licensing any person who knowingly participated in illegal internet gambling activity after passage of UIGEA in late 2006.
PokerStars’ statement said: “The UIGEA by its clear terms shall not be construed as ‘altering, limiting or extending any Federal or State law or Tribal-State compact prohibiting, permitting, or regulating gambling within the United States. Therefore, in light of the more comprehensive view on this point set forth in Rep. Sherman’s amendment, the Bachus/Bachmann amendment, with its UIGEA timeline, appears redundant, as Ranking Member Bachus himself observed during the markup.
“Nevertheless, PokerStars supports the provisions in both amendments as neither would adversely affect the availability of a license for a respected operator such as PokerStars. As reflected in legal opinions provided to PokerStars, its activities in the US are and at all times have been lawful.”