Iowa legislature pursuing intrastate online poker

The Iowa Senate is on the verge of considering legislation that would license and regulate intrastate online poker, according to a report in today's Des Moines Register.

According to the story, the draft bill would "allow state-regulated casinos to allow Iowans ages 21 and older to play online poker on their personal computers."

The bill is sponsored by Sen. Jeff Danielson, the Chairman of the State Government Committee which will take up the bill. A complete version of the bill has not yet been made available to the public.

The effort is being backed by U.S. Digital Gaming, which would seek to operate Iowa's online poker network, according to the story.

If the State Senate considers the bill, Iowa will join New Jersey, Florida and California on the list of states considering regulating online gambling. California and Florida have bills in committee that would regulate intrastate poker. And a bill that would regulate and tax intrastate Internet gambling in New Jersey has a March 3 deadline for a signature or veto from Gov. Chris Christie.

Meanwhile, members of Virginia's legislature are taking the opposite approach to online gambling. Both the House and the Senate have passed bills that clarify the definition of "illegal gambling" to include gambling that occurs "inside or outside the limits of the Commonwealth." The target of this legislation, however, does not appear to be offshore Internet casinos or their patrons, but rather in-state businesses that run Internet "sweepstakes" where gamblers buy time on computers and can win credits that can be converted into cash and prizes.

Aaron Todd

Home-game hotshot Aaron Todd was an editor/writer at Casino City for nearly eight years, and is currently the Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications and Marketing at St. Lawrence University, his alma mater. While he is happy to play Texas Hold'em, he'd rather mix it up and play Omaha Hi/Lo, Razz, Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw, and Badugi.