It is not the kind of legislation that the online poker
industry dreamt of in which privately owned online poker sites
would be given licenses to provide national services in a
regulated environment. The Washington DC proposal allows only
the district’s lottery operator, Intralot, to add an online
poker site that will service players strictly within the
district. However, as of now the poker industry will take what
it gets, especially in the context of the events unfolding in
other American states.
In New Jersey the online gambling bill was passed by the legislature but the governor vetoed it at the last moment. Iowa dropped the bill while it was being discussed in the legislature. Similar online poker bills are floundering in the pipeline in Nevada and California. In Washington DC the budget approved by the city council provided for Intralot to run an intrastate online poker site. The Congress had till last Thursday to reject the bill. However there were no objections and the bill is deemed to have gone through.
Buddy Roogow, executive director of the Washington DC lottery plans to first have an online poker site operating as a test run. This online poker site would function from certain select spots, such as hotels. The time frame being considered is the end of 2011. He added, however the technology to prevent players from outside Washington DC participating at the proposed online poker site is yet to be tested. City Councilman Michael Brown, who had introduced the online poker bill, also spoke to the Wall Street Journal. He said, “I figured that online poker was already happening here, and we just want to capture some of those revenue dollars. Every little bit helps.” The estimated amount is $13 million over the first three years.
The Washington law firm Ifrah cautioned that the online poker site becoming a reality in Washington DC is not a foregone conclusion. Several steps will need to be successfully taken. Regulations will have to be enacted outlining “exact terms of play so that they comply with appropriate federal laws”. The definition of lotteries will need to be amended in the appropriate DC law. The draft regulations must pass through a public comment period. The US Department of Justice, which can throw a spanner in the works, is yet to react.