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Written by Marcus | Monday, March 8th, 2010
The US state of Iowa may be the first state in the country to take drastic measures to legalize online poker and online gambling in the state. Representative Doug Struyk is pushing for the state to act now, saying that the time is right if Iowa wants to lead the country in this endeavor.
Struyk supports online gambling, although he refers to the activity as “account deposit wagering.” He claims that at least 50,000 Iowans regularly partake in online poker and online casino activity. He also noted the problems that these players may face if something isn’t done to legalize the games. He also believes that the sites aren’t always on the up and up and suggests that offshore poker sites use planted participants to bluff and win money off their honest and unknowing opponents. Struyk state, “People in our state lose thousands of dollars on this.”
His proposal put forth would allow citizens of Iowa to open online accounts at state casinos, funding their bankrolls with cash. He says that there’s a one in four chance it could actually pass this year. He believes the success of the proposal will lie in the ability of legislatures to educate the public on the industry appropriately.
The House Majority Leader, on the other hand, doubts that Iowa is ready to pioneer such a renaissance idea as legalizing online gambling in the US.
Kevin McCarthy, Democrat from Des Moines, Iowa, says, “I will tell you that in my judgment, that would be the largest expansion of gambling in the history of the United States of America. There never has been a state that has done it and knowing that gambling bills historically are bipartisan and it takes a lot of work to get to 51 votes on a fairly limited bill, moving to the potential of allowing every home in the state to be licensed as a casino to gamble at home seems to me to be a fairly heavy lift.”
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Written by Marcus · Filed Under news · |
