There have been reports going around that the Iowa House of Representatives have shot down this move to legalize online poker. This is because the roster was going to add the Hawkeye State which meant they were a potential state to offer online poker, and due to this the motion was shot down, and this means it even ended the possibility of online poker in the state for good.
According to statements from KCRG-TV, the Iowa House received the Senate File 2257 after the Senate voted on its passage with a vote of 29-20. This file which was supposed to put in place the regulatory authority and laws needed to open up for an intrastate online poker operation, was not expected to come to the House, but since quick action was taken by the Senate, this passage and proposed law, forced the House into action on the bill. Someone in this mess, either the House or the legislators was not watching the agenda or didn’t actually expect the file to pass through the Senate at all. Peter Cownie, House Chairman said he wasn’t expecting it to be passed at all. Since the file was passed so swiftly, and over the deadline which means it goes to the committee and should be decided upon later on this year.
The proposal didn’t come to a vote when it came into the House, and this effectively ended any potential action that would have been taken this year for online poker to be legalized in the state of Iowa. Since the lack of time it took the Senate to come to a conclusion means it needs to be reconsidered, and re-passed through the Senate and the House. The House Speaker, Kraig Paulsen said he was not going to push further action on the matter before the General Assembly adjourns with their decision. There is actually a lack of interest in the house for any legalization of poker in the state of Iowa, so chances are it is not going to make its way through.
This proposed law would have brought $3 to $13 million in tax revenue for the state. This was something that would have helped the state out in the long run, but the Senate and the House do not think it is a good plan to pass. Now that Iowa is out of the mix of states, there is a lot of speculation about the bill’s revival. These are mostly dependent on the House leadership. Nevada is going to continue to move forward with their bill to hopefully have it passed. This is rumored to be started in the fall of this year, but at this time there are no definite dates set for the state of Nevada’s poker bill to be passed.
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