Frank and Campbell to speak at House poker hearing
Proponents of internet poker bill joined as witnesses by Nevada Gaming Control Board chairman Mark Lipparelli and American Gaming Association president Frank Fahrenkopf.
United States Representatives Barney Frank (pictured) and John Campbell will speak tomorrow at a House hearing on the virtues of online poker regulation.
Among the other witnesses set to appear at the hearing are Nevada State Gaming Control Board (GCB) chairman Mark Lipparelli and American Gaming Association (AGA) president Frank Fahrenkopf.
The hearing, scheduled by the House subcommittee on commerce, manufacturing and trade, is entitled “Internet Gaming: Regulating in an Online World.” It is set to begin at 2pm GMT and comes less than a month after the same subcommittee held a preliminary hearing in advance of potential future discussion of Joe Barton’s HR2366 bill, although this is yet be discussed officially.
A Congressional Super Committee has a deadline of 23 November on which to agree long-term budget deficit reduction, but it has yet to agree on the balance of tax rises and spending cuts required. However, if agreed in the coming days commentators have suggested that online poker could be included in the plan.
Campbell introduced a federal online poker bill of his own in March, with the backing of co-sponsor Frank, while Barton’s bill followed in June.
Since then Fahrenkopf said of Barton’s legislative proposal: “We are not supporting it. We are not opposing it, but we are not supporting it,” adding that the AGA could introduce a federal bill of its own before the end of the year, however such a bill is yet to materialise.
Fahrenkopf was called as a witness at the last hearing on wider egaming issues, at which point he reiterated the lobby group’s support for intrastate regulation under federal rules.
Lipparelli’s appearance at the hearing comes in the light of the revelation that Nevada could be set to investigate licence applications as soon as February. He has also been asked by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval to serve on the panel of the state’s revived Gaming Policy Committee.
Other states considering intrastate regulation include New Jersey, with a referendum passed last week in favour of legalised sports betting in the Garden State, but the consequent bill from Senator Raymond Lesniak “ made public earlier this week “ includes no egaming element.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s hearing, Michael Waxman, spokesman for lobby group the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative, said: “Regulation presents the only opportunity to protect consumers and capture the jobs and economic benefits that are currently lost to offshore gambling operators.”
Waxman added, “The recent indictments of offshore online poker operators clearly demonstrate that the US government’s attempt to prohibit internet gambling is a failure and a mistake. Americans who continue to gamble online are vulnerable to exploitation, have no guaranteed safeguards over their funds and are left without readily available legal recourse.”
Tonight there is also set to be an Indian Senate hearing on egaming entitled “What’s at Stake for Tribes?” Witnesses include former Senator and current chairman of lobby group the Poker Players Alliance, Alfonse d’Amato. The meeting is said to being held so that a number of tribes are able to clarify their position on the issue.
Ivor Jones, analyst at Numis said in a note this morning: “It is uncertain what legislation will make it through Congress before the end of the year. However, in our opinion, it is clear that with some political will online poker legislation could be presented as a valuable source of tax and jobs, and be passed.”