Optimism that online poker may again be on the cards in New York state rose this week following reports of discussions between Assembly gambling committee chairman Rep. Gary Pretlow and the neighbouring New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement e-gaming regulator, which apparently created a positive impression.
InfoPowa readers may recall that legalisation looked imminent last year when state Sen. John Bonacic’s online poker bill sailed through the Senate with only five negative votes, only to come up against a brick wall in Pretlow’s Assembly committee, which prevented its 2016 passage.
Pretlow had concerns about the security of online poker systems and the risks of collusion, which it appears the New Jersey regulator was able to assuage, causing speculation that the way may be open for success in both the Senate and the Assembly this year.
Arguments that Pretlow has recently used to justify his support for a challenge to the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in his quest for legalised sports betting in New York could equally apply to online poker, observers have pointed out.
Pretlow is on record as saying that illegal sports betting in New York is currently widespread, with billions of dollars in wagers being made to the benefit of illegal operators. It should therefore be legalised, regulated and controlled to ensure consumers are protected…and of course taxed, so that New York state can boost its revenues.