Kyl’s caginess adds credence to the theory that the lack of specifics emanating from the Reid and Kyl camps regarding their online poker plans is part of an intentional stealth strategy. The popular scuttlebutt is that the dynamic duo will attempt to attach an online poker provision to a piece of unrelated must-pass legislation à la UIGEA, rather than risk trying to debate online poker’s merits (or lack thereof) live on C-SPAN. Poker Players Alliance exec director John Pappas told PocketFives that passage of online poker legislation would be “much more likely as a rider. There would be a senator or two interested in that.” (Are their names Reid and Kyl?) As for long-time arch enemy of online gambling Kyl’s interest in the matter, Pappas suggested Kyl “isn’t looking at this because he wants people to play online poker; he wants stronger enforcement against that which is not online poker.”
Pappas put the likelihood of an online poker bill making it though the Senate in 2012 at “better than 50/50,” but he noted that time was of the essence, given that Washington’s focus is already turning to the November election. Whether or not you believe Kyl’s stated willingness to quite possibly do something, he’s already announced he won’t seek re-election, so he’ll be out of the picture by next January and thus no longer able to help, hinder, or just plain confuse the hell out of US poker players.