The American Gaming Association used the recent platform provided by a U.S. Senate hearing to reaffirm the need for online poker regulations at the federal level.
The AGA is also in favor of bolstering laws governing online casino games.
The hearing demonstrated the purported problems of online gambling development. Expert witness testimony offered potential solutions that would restrict the legislation to only online poker.
“To address current illegal activity and the threat posed by a state-by-state gambling expansion, the [AGA] encourages a federal ban on online casino-style ‘games of chance’ and effective regulatory oversight of Internet poker,” reads an AGA press release.
The AGA suggests that federal regulatory standards be created for online poker and allow states to opt in by choice. The states would then add their own measures to the federal legislation. This kind of initiative contradicts the current state-by-state approach.
Geoff Freeman, CEO and president of the AGA, asserted his view that online poker is here to stay.
“The question is whether Congress will ensure minimum regulatory standards of online poker, protect consumers, exclude bad actors from the American market and provide Native American tribes with an appropriate regulatory framework,” Freeman said.
The AGA warns that failing to update federal statutes to battle money laundering and offer some form of secure player identification would be destructive to the online gaming industry and the nation.
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