One Iowa lawmaker has effectively invited the online gambling industry to begin a marketing campaign inside of the Hawkeye State.
Although the Iowa Lottery has made it clear that online and mobile gambling are not on their radar, this inevitability is in the best interest of the people of Iowa, says Sen. Brian Schoenjahn.
Specifically, the state legislator claims, by having the state officially embrace this emerging industry, it will keep Iowa gamblers safer than they otherwise might be in the increasingly digital gambling world they inhabit.
“My fear is that it’s like the Target credit card scam, except there are no protections,” Senator Schoenjahn tells The Sioux City Journal. “If people are going to do it anyway, maybe Iowa ought to take a piece of the pie and regulate it.”
Senate State Government Committee Chairman Jeff Danielson, D-Cedar Falls, agrees with Schoenjahn that Iowans risk being taken by “bad actors” in the online poker business. However, he doubts the Legislature will take action this year unless there is bipartisan support for online gaming legislation.
To date, no bills have been formally introduced. But with discussions expected to escalate and marketing poised to pick up, minds and hearts may soon be persuaded to bring Iowa into the exclusive club of states (New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware) where online gambling is legal.
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