It was rumored that during the lame duck session of U.S. House Judiciary Committee that an online poker hearing would take place with the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA) as the hot topic subject of debate. However, an online poker hearing will not take place.
The Poker Players Alliance sent out a tweet yesterday on Twitter which stated that Sheldon Adelson’s RAWA bill will not be heard as there will be no hearing taking place during the lame duck session which covers the topic. However, the PPA did state that interested parties should be on the lookout for RAWA to move forward in other avenues.
This past March, it was Senator Lindsey Graham and Congressman Jason Chaffetz who introduced the Restoration of America’s Wire Act in the hopes of putting a stop to online gambling options in the United States. The bill refers to the Interstate Wire Act of 1961 which disallowed anyone from participating in sports betting over communication lines but was later applied to online gambling once the internet was created.
In late 2011, the Department of Justice ruled the Wire Act only applied to sports betting which helped online gambling to become a legalized option in individual states that choose to pass legislation. So far, only Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey have opted to pass legislation for online gaming in their individual state.
Sheldon Adelson then began his quest to put a stop to online gambling, pushing for legislation which led to the RAWA bill. Adelson has deep pockets and has used his wealth to spearhead a campaign to stop online gambling from taking place in the United States.
The PPA wants players and proponents of online poker to be aware that even though the hearing seems to be off the table, RAWA could be connected to further legislation, similar to the UIGEA in the past.
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