14/03/2011, Online casino

The state of Nevada is the last state to submit a new bill for online gaming on March 10th. The law bill, introduced by assemblyman William Horne, would allow online poker for Nevada's nearly three million residents.

The bill AB258 was introduced on Friday and it contained the following language: “The Commission shall not deny a license to an operator of internet poker… solely because the operator… before the effective date of this act, operates, operated, or was associated with interstate or foreign commerce… while licensed in another jurisdiction. The Commission may issue a license as an operator of internet poker to a person or an affiliate of a person who has been licensed to operate internet poker by a recognized body of another jurisdiction with licensing requirements that are similar to the licensing requirements of this state and who has successfully operated internet poker pursuant to such a license for at least two years before the date on which the application for the license is submitted.”

According to Jeff Ifrah, the Washington-based attorney who represents PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, the bill would open up the possibility of partnerships between the established Nevada casinos and the offshore poker operators.

“If the state is serious about raising revenue for this endeavor, then it needs to be able to obtain the participation of the leading operators,” Jeff Ifrah said in an interview for the Associated Press.

Through this law, Nevada joins California, Florida, Iowa and a growing number of other states considering Internet gambling bills.

Last week, the Governor Chris Christie vetoed the bill that would have legalized online gambling within New Jersey.