"There was some opposition; we’ll pick it up next year more than likely,” said
bill sponsor Assemblyman Gary Pretlow. The bill seeks to
legalise online poker as a game of skill, or specifically hold’em and
omaha, which are deemed by the senator, apparently, to be the most skillful variants. That will be the key point for debate the take place in the Senate.
The Empire State’s long-running efforts to
legalise
internet poker had first moved forward
last
february after the legislation passed the Senate Gaming Committee by a unanimous 11-0 vote.
The bill originally introduced in late January would
authorise the New York State Gaming Commission to hand out online poker licenses at the cost of US$ 10 million per license. Under the bill, poker would be classified as a game of skill, which differs from the provision
within the state constitution that prevents internet gaming. The state will also be able to enter interstate compacts in order to increase player pools and liquidity.
The bill would amend the Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law to permit certain interactive poker games,
specifically Texas Hold’em and Omaha Hold’em. It would change the definition of poker to constitute a game where the outcome is determined by skill rather than
luck, and would
regulated without this being considered gaming expansion.
Source: GMB / NY Daily News / Cardschat.com
