Online Poker Bills Fail in Two States

Online poker bills failed in two states this week. For a third year, Mississippi’s “Lawful Internet Gaming Act” failed to gain any traction and did not leave the committee by the required day for this year’s legislative session.

Mississippi State Rep. Bobby Moak, the bill’s sponsor, told PokerNews that he knew the bill had no chance of passing this year.  Rep. Moak feels that 2016 will be the first year that there would be any serious consideration to regulate online gaming in the state.  The bill would have legalized online poker and casino games.

Washington’s online poker bill HB 1114 also died this week.  The Curtis Woodard, the man behind the Washington Internet Poker Initiative, The bill’s sponsor responded to a commenter on the bill that it would “not be moving forward” this session due to a lack of interest.

Woodard noted that getting the bill introduced started a discussion that may have otherwise not happened to address the need to remove the online poker prohibition in Washington.  It is currently a felony to simply play online poker, though no player has ever been charged with the crime.  Woodard also states in the report that Amaya Gaming sent a lobbyist to the state, presumably to support the online poker effort.