Lesniak Criticizes Reid’s Bill Which Would Ban Online Gaming
October 15th, 2012 by Site Admin
Many members of the online gaming community are concerned about provisions in the online poker bill authored by Harry Reid and Jon Kyl. Some politicians share their concerns. New Jersey senator Raymond Lesniak has recently criticized Reid’ bill, because it would ban most forms of online gaming.
Lesniak and some of his colleagues in New Jersey have been working hard to implement new laws which would legalize online gaming. Lesniak has spent the past nine months working on a bill that would legalize intrastate gambling. He hoped he would put the bill to a vote in the state Assembly and go to Gov. Christie’s desk back in January. However, Lesniak and his supporters have faced a number of challenges that have prevented it from going to a vote.
Many advocates of online gaming have been hoping that Reid and Kyl’s bill would offer new opportunities for the gaming industry. However, the provisions in the bill would make it illegal to offer online gaming services other than poker or horse racing. Lesniak feels this will make New Jersey and many other states worse off since they would lose the right to offer intrastate online gaming to their citizens.
Lesniak said Reid is trying to pass a bill that would help Nevada’s gaming industry at the expense of New Jersey and many other states. New Jersey could generate nearly $200 million in annual revenue from online gaming. Lesniak has advised his colleagues representing New Jersey in the federal Senate and Congress what is at stake. He is asking them to vote against Reid and Kyl’s bill and demand that it be rewritten to include other forms of online gaming.
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