Iowa moving towards regulation of online poker
Posted by Carl Barnett on 10 Mar 2010 at 10:03
The state of Iowa currently has a huge debt to handle, with money owed totalling over $400 million.
The state has recognised this as a problem, and is considering the viability of using online poker as its solution to the matter.
Representative for the state, Doug Struyk, has pushed strongly for regulated intrastate online gambling for some time, and he cites the huge number of regular online gambling fans in Iowa as a reason for creating a state option.
The plan, if it comes to fruition, would allow residents of the Iowa state to deposit money at casinos, and then use the resultant credit to gamble online.
There are currently 17 casinos in the state of Iowa, and the residents of the state would be able to play against each other once they have funds deposited.
Estimates favour the initiative, with experts predicting that regulating online poker games could bring in a figure of around $11.5 million in extra income for the state.
Iowa was the first state to legalise riverboat gambling, so it is viewed as a ‘pioneer’ when it comes to gambling legislation.
The move would mean that games ranging from Texas Holdem to Omaha Poker would be played online.
