From the Desk of the Poker Philosopher

This article slipped past me while I was on vacation, but thankfully I was able to catch it on Professor Nesson's blog, eon. Apparently, the provision of Governor Patrick's casino bill that would criminalize online poker, about which I wrote to him in opposition, is finding itself with no political support:

While his casino bill’s overall prospects remain far from clear, Gov. Deval Patrick’s bid to criminalize online betting appears especially imperiled, with the administration treating that provision as incidental.

Close observers of the upcoming gambling debate say the move to outlaw Internet gambling, with prison sentences of up to two years, could be a casualty. Administration officials concede that the ban is not central to the three-casino plan, which Patrick estimates could generate up to $450 million in annual state tax revenues.

Senate President Pro Tempore Stanley Rosenberg, designated by Senate President Therese Murray as her top adviser on gambling, called the ban “very, very difficult” to enforce.

It appears this article was originally published by the State House News Service.

Labels: poker

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