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Barney Frank’s resolution on legalising online poker, HR2267, is now being discussed in the US Congress. The first debate was on 21 July, decision is expected in late August.
The resolution aims to eliminate the status of poker as banned online gambling and establish it a legalised, taxed game. A controversial matter on its own, the debate was further heated by the remarks of the republican Spencer Bachus.
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Spencer Bachus
Mr. Bachus regarded poker as gamble that has nothing to do with skill [4] and stated that in case it was legalised, minors were tempted to play even in their bedrooms and could easily become addicts. “There is no need to place a casino, in an internet form, in every single college room,” he added. Bachus also compared poker players to drug addicts.
Those in favour of Frank’s resolution, including Annie Duke, representing Poker Players Alliance, noted that they absolutely agreed to protect minors from gambling, and even mentioned examples from Great Britain of strict regulations on the age of the participants, but they felt that their opposition only used the issue to further their own cause.
Legalising online poker would create an estimated 60,000 jobs and $72 billion income from taxes in the US in the next 10 years.
Related article: California Proposal on Online Poker Legalisation Delayed [5]