Nevada Gambling Industry to Sen. Reid: “Don’t Open Door” to Online Poker in the U.S.

One of the largest opponents of fully legalizing Internet poker and online casinos in the United States is naturally the Nevada gaming industry. And this week, certain executives in Northern Nevada are publicly perturbed with Senate majority leader Harry Reid’s newfound flipflip on online gambling. 

In an August 16th meeting with these gaming officials, Nevada’s Democratic congressman stated that, while he does not support most forms of Internet gambling, he would/will support legislation legalizing online poker sites in the United States. 

The Northern Nevada businessman took Reid’s statement and ran with it a little, creating snowballing concerns that, should American poker rooms online become fully legal, online casinos and sportsbook operations would surely follow.

“[Online poker) is just the tip of the iceberg and could open up this state to more online gaming,” said Bill Hughes, the marketing director of the Peppermill “If you want Nevada to survive, you don’t open that door, [not even] an inch for online poker,” said Baldini’s Sports Casino general manager Eric Dale, as quoted in a Gannett news story. “As a state that is heavily supported by casinos, because of self-preservation for the state of Nevada, we have to not open this door.”  

While the U.S. Congress is still on a term break, bills to modify the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), the current overriding law on online gaming, await voting in subcommittees in September. One bill approved by the House Financial Services Committee would theoretically allow citizens to play online poker in USA.