Online gamblers have heard plenty of legislators talk a good game in the past several years in regards to new online gambling regulations for the US. Each time, the online poker players have been let down when the lawmakers failed to follow through on their promises to oversee law changes for the industry.
The next year will be critical for Internet gamblers, and one state in particular could hold the keys to whether or not the laws are changed. That state is Texas, where lawmakers are only now warming to the idea of casinos. The state Legislature will see several casino gambling bills in the new year, and if any pass, it could be a changing of the guard.
Texas is one of the last states that is still holding on to the idea that gambling is bad. States have changed their casino laws at a record pace over the past decade, but each time the issue has come up in Texas, it has been defeated. With budget cuts looming, this may be the year that gambling finally wins over one of the most conservative states in the country.
The Presidential pipeline in Texas runs deep, and if the new wave of lawmakers show a willingness to accept new globally held views of acceptance on casinos, it will signal a shift in the balance of power on the issue. The next logical step would be to expand to online gambling regulations.
As is the case with many issues, there are always a number of states that need to start the ball rolling. Those states for the Internet gambling community are New Jersey and California. New Jersey lawmakers have already passed legislation that would allow AC casinos to operate online.
California, one of the most liberal states in the US, has lawmakers pushing for online poker regulation. It is likely that a bill could be passed in the first session of the new year that would make California a pioneer for online gambling regulations.
While victories in these states are nice, it is Texas that may swing the issue on a federal level. With most issues, the last state to surrender usually holds the most power, and if casino legislation is passed in Texas, the other shoe will have dropped on those opposing gambling in the US. Casino and online gambling are here to stay, but it will take Texas, an ultra-Conservative state, to put the nail in the coffin of prohibition.
Source : Gambling Law
