Nevada Govenor Sandoval supports legalised online poker

Written On  4/12/11 By Recentpoker.com staff writer Frank Polliern :

NEVADA GOVERNOR PREFERS THE FEDERAL LEGALISATION ROUTE

Sandoval supports legalised online poker….but only through a federal regulatory regime

Speaking on the Nevada political news television channel "Nevada Newsmakers" this week, the governor of the state said he was in favour of legalised online poker in the United States, but favoured a federal rather than state-by-state approach.

Governor Brian Sandoval said that if a federal legalization solution evolved, he wanted Nevada to be the first American state to take advantage of the business potential that such a legalization would present.

Governor Sandoval revealed that he is seeking greater clarity on the legal position through communications with the US Department of Justice, which has claimed that online gambling is illegal, despite the apparent absence of specific federal laws against the pastime.

“I don’t want the state to be in contravention of the federal law,” he said. He went on to opine that the future of the casino industry resides in Internet gambling, which has shown sustained growth and has considerable potential.

The Nevada Legislature is currently considering legalization bill AB258 launched by Assemblyman William Horne recently and supported by PokerStars.com The bill has had one inconclusive hearing in the Assembly Judiciary Committee, where it remains unvoted.

Horne, who chairs the committee, is on record as saying he is determined to advance the bill further, if necessary with practical and acceptable amendments, and regardless of the governor's preference for a federal solution.

Emphasising the regulatory experience of the Silver State, Governor Sandoval said both the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission have the capability and knowledge to design a regulatory structure that would meet any federal requirement.

In related news, media perhaps scenting a corruption story were short circuited Monday when the Nevada Legislature's legal head, Brenda Erdoes, cleared a fact-finding trip sponsored by Pokerstars for three state politicians.

Erdoes confirmed that the three politicians, Assemblymen Kelvin Atkinson and William Horne, and Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, had approached her for approval prior to the short visits to London and the Bahamas.

She confirmed that she had told them the initiative was appropriate and permissible due to the likelihood that the legalization of online poker would become a legislative issue.

The politicians completed the mission and were given detailed briefings on all aspects of internet poker by their hosts. Horne subsequently introduced bill AB258 to the Assembly.