Iowa Lottery wants the federal authorities to leave well alone when it comes to online gambling as they think power must stay with the states. CEO Terry Rich went to D.C. to lobby the issue with the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries. He brought a report back to the Iowa Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee in which he explained: “The lotteries emphasized that the federal government should not infringe on states’ rights to implement and to regulate Internet gaming within their own borders. Lottery staff also stressed that individual states are best equipped to respond to their citizens’ unique local preferences and decide what, if any, intrastate gaming should occur within their jurisdictions.”
The sentiments here are similar to those made by others railing against federal online gambling efforts and go to show that state’s are eager to do things on their terms – much like the way its been for years with land-based gambling. Iowa is one state that has been fairly active when it comes to online gambling bills with the latest poker bill dying a slow death in the House in March 2012. At least it goes to show the states know it was going to be state-by-state all along.