Gary Pretlow, chair of the New York House of Assembly Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, commented this week on the sudden surge of political interest that has seen support for online poker legalisation bill A5250 jump from 13 to 44.
Pretlow remained cautious, acknowledging the additional support, observing that it could grow to 60, but opining that 76 sponsors would make him more confident of the bill passing on a floor vote by the 150 members of the House.
He said he was confident that the bill, which has for the last two years stalled in the Assembly after passing the Senate (see previous InfoPowa reports) would ultimately pass, but that there was still opposition to it, some of it from House leadership.
Some of the recent support may have been generated by the efforts of Assemblyman Clyde Vanel, chair of the Assembly Sub-Committee on Internet and New Technology, who drew attention to the online poker bill by attempting (unsuccessfully) to add it to the state budget recently (see previous InfoPowa reports).
Pretlow is currently juggling the online poker proposal and one preparing the state for liberalised sports betting contingent on the US Supreme Court decision in the New Jersey case…and he has mulled the possibility of getting the poker bill through by riding on the coat tails of the more urgent sports betting bill he may be submitting next month.
However, he cautioned that such a political tactic would be a last resort.