Ever since the game of poker became popular on the Internet, state governments across the United States have debated whether or not to legalize online gambling. One such state, Iowa, could reap the benefits of online poker legislation if it is passed by the state’s government. The benefits Iowa could reap are to the tune of $80 million. State officials estimate that close to 80,000 residents of Iowa currently play some form of poker on the Internet and want this new piece of legislation to help the state and the players at the same time.

The legislation in question would create a safe environment for Iowa online poker players, which would ultimately encourage other poker players to delve into the world of online poker, knowing that the Internet tournaments can be trusted. A handful of Iowa lawmakers are concerned about the legality of this legislation. Their main concern is that it needs to be passed to benefit not only the state, but to also protect those who play online poker within the state’s borders. Representative Brian Quirk feels that the online poker world, without regulation and legal legislation, is full of fraudulent activity and presents a lot of risk to those wishing to play the game on the Internet.

This piece of legislation would allow poker players to deposit cash into an online account at one of the state’s 17 casinos. The players would then be able to play against other Iowa residents who have done the same thing, but within state borders. Poker players would not be able to access their online accounts from the Internet when they are outside the state, nor would they be able to play against poker players from other states in the country or other countries around the world.

On the other side of things, the Iowa government is also looking at the monetary value of such a piece of legislation and how it would benefit the state. The state could stand to make around $80 million from such a piece of legislation if it were to be passed. The legislation is still in its early stages, with state representatives putting feelers out to online poker groups and Iowa casinos that might be interested in such regulation.

State representative Dough Struyk had this to say about the possible legislation:

“If we don’t have a rough idea of what kind of revenue they’re going to bring it makes it very difficult for us to negotiate with our colleagues as far as why we want to go down this path.”

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2 Responses to “Online Poker Legislation Could Benefit Iowa”

1. Zach Smith says:

   March 15, 2010 at 2:29 pm

   I say pass the law! A little online poker never hurt anyone. I’ve been playing for years and even had a good win with Foxwoods recently.
2. eddie says:

   March 15, 2010 at 3:44 pm

   While casinos can ruin people financially, especially gambling addicts, they attract a lot of other kinds of entertainment (some better than others)