It would also settle a long-running dispute between the state's horse breeders and the Altoona racetrack over how purse money should be divvied up, and would let casinos off the hook for referendum votes, according to a copy of the freshly drafted bill obtained Thursday.
It
would be "a win-win" for Iowans
who gamble and for those who
don't, with a mix of gambling
policy that has merit, said
state Sen. Jeff Danielson,
D-Waterloo, chairman of the
Senate committee that will
closely examine the bill.
But because gambling inspires
fierce passions in Iowa, debate
over the bill is bound to get
contentious and entangled in
other political issues.
The most avant-garde piece would
allow state-regulated casinos to
allow Iowans ages 21 and older
to play online poker on their
personal computers. Approved
gamblers would put cash into
special accounts, set maximum
limits for bets and length of
play, then log on to a
password-protected website to
play cards at a virtual poker
table.
No state currently allows online gambling, but a bill approved by New Jersey legislators is sitting on the governor's desk awaiting his signature, and bills are being considered in Florida and California.
Gaming lobbyists making a heavy push in the Iowa Legislature said online poker on overseas-based websites is already rampant. Legalizing it here would assure Iowans they're participating in an honest game - and allow the state to take a cut.
"What is driving this is the recognition that you have an existing activity that's already taking place in an unregulated environment, and the revenue is all flowing overseas," said Kirk Uhler, vice president of government affairs for U.S. Digital Gaming, a California company that would seek to be the operator of the state's online poker network if it were approved.
read more - by JENNIFER JACOBS - Des Moines Register