Will Iowa beat New Jersey to the line?

Eric Bianchi
February 25, 2011
5 Comments

will-iowa-beat-new-jersey-to-the-lineIowa is the latest US state rumored to be seriously considering opening up the market for Internet gambling within their borders.

If those campaigning in New Jersey are unsuccessful in persuading the state that Internet gambling is the way forward, Iowa look like they could be waiting in the wings after a bill was unveiled yesterday that focused on intrastate poker.

According to the Des Moines Register, the bill would allow state casinos to offer residents over the age of 21 online poker from the comfort of their own homes. It would work by registering at a casino, by mail, telephone, or electronically, putting money into a special account and then logging on to a password-protected site to play poker.

“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, who are looking to be an operator of online poker if approved.

This is true in Iowa, an estimated 150,000 residents playing online illegally, which is depriving the state of $30-35million in taxes each year. The Iowa Racing and Gambling Commission, who would allow vendors to run websites, would regulate the Iowan network.

Republican Gov. Terry Branstad hasn’t had his say on the regulations yet, such is the early stage they’re at. Although with Vegas seeing a spike in mobile gaming and a number of states looking at Internet gambling to repair their economies, before the years out we could see as many as four states having intrastate gambling in place.

If you have any further information related to this story that you would like to share with us privately please click here.

Can't get enough CalvinAyre.com? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook, then you'll never miss out on the latest gaming industry news.

Share
Tags: Article, Iowa
Views and opinions expressed are those of the Author and do not necessarily reflect those of CalvinAyre.com
  • http://topsy.com/calvinayre.com/2011/02/25/legal/will-iowa-beat-new-jersey-to-the-line/?utm_source=pingback&utm_campaign=L2 Tweets that mention Will Iowa beat New Jersey to the line? — Topsy.com

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by James Boyer, Dyiron dela Croix. Dyiron dela Croix said: Will Iowa beat New Jersey to the line? http://dlvr.it/HZBgZ #Legal iGaming News [...]

  • http://calvinayre.com/2011/03/02/legal/domino-effect-expected-new-jersey/ Domino effect expected if New Jersey is successful

    [...] country.In recent days we’ve seen chatter emanating from discussions over gambling regulation in Iowa, and Florida, all waiting to see what occurs in Jersey this coming Thursday.An expert in Internet [...]

  • http://calvinayre.com/2011/03/03/legal/iowa-bill-passes-first-stage/ Iowa bill passes first stage while New Jersey waits

    [...] Jersey waits Jamie Hinks March 3, 2011 View CommentsIowa’s State Government Senate Committee has passed a bill that moves one step closer to legalizing intra-state online poker.Most in the online gaming [...]

  • http://calvinayre.com/2011/03/02/legal/iowa-should-know-where-it-stands-once-the-weeks-out/ Gambling News, Iowa should know where it stands once the week’s out

    [...] the legislature in Iowa have been hard at work finalizing plans for an online gambling bill.We already reported that the bill, introduced by state Senator Jeff Danielson on Tuesday, includes provision for the state’s [...]

  • http://calvinayre.com/2011/03/01/legal/new-jersey-bill-jobs-virginia-closes-ranks/ Gaming News: New Jersey bill creates more jobs; Virginia closes ranks.

    [...] will reinvigorate the state’s economy.In order for Jersey to beat out competition from Florida, Iowa, and California, amongst others, and become the first US jurisdiction to offer online wagering, [...]