In 2014, there has been a stream of constant speculation mixed with facts as to which states will enter the online gambling market in the US. From the state of California, to Louisiana and Hawaii, several states have been mentioned in reports stating that regulation may eventually be in the works. According to a recent article by OnlinePokerReport, the state of Florida may now be considering the option as well.
Early last week the Senate Gaming Committee of Florida met to discuss the 2014 legislative session and a gaming reform bill that should be introduced during the next session. The meeting was reported and included a video in which all the information below was provided.
Senator Richter is the Chair of the Senate Committee and he presented the outline of the draft for the gaming reform bill. He also took any questions or concerns of members of the committee towards the bill. The gaming reform option would see the creation of a gaming commission that would oversee every aspect of gaming in the state except for the lottery.
The committee discussed many different gaming topics which included determining which issues should be covered in the bill. The group discussed several different options including online poker. Many of the senators in the meeting addressed the subject of online poker and it was during these discussions that the term ‘game of skill’ was mentioned in regards to online poker. The group did not seem optimistic that online poker would be added to the language of the gaming reform bill.
The bill is expected to be finalized by February 24th and if the bill passes without an inclusion of online poker, then the state will be hard-pressed to legalize the option in the near future. It should also be mentioned that during the meeting, a constitutional amendment was discussed that would place a referendum vote to take place before any changes can be made in the gaming industry. This would place the decision to the public which would make it harder for the online poker industry to begin in the state of Florida.
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