Casinos in Iowa May Soon Offer Internet Poker

Internet poker flourished in the U.S. just a few years ago until the federal government cracked down on U.S. players.

Owned and operated offshore, Internet poker sites were exempt from U.S. taxes but were also known for being a little shady.

Although the government cracked down on U.S. players, there were still loopholes that allowed many players to continue playing online.

I played online for a few years until the crackdown and gladly stopped because they were very loosely regulated.

Because of the popularity and the potential revenue for established casinos and tax revenue for state and federal governments, Internet poker is starting to make headway in the U.S.

Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware are all moving ahead with plans to operate online poker. With approval by state governments, these online poker sites will have to comply with the strict gaming laws which hope to bring legitimacy to online poker, not to mention tax revenue for the states.

You can now add Iowa to those list of states trying to get into the online poker mix.

The Des Moines Register recently released an article explaining details of the bill.

Iowa seems to be always on the forefront of progressive ideas and this is no different. With this bill they look to keep pace with technology and provide a stable, regulated means for millions of online poker players who are already playing poker online.

Just as Iowa casinos are regulated,  regulation of these online poker games would be overseen by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.

The measure heads to the Iowa Senate State Government Committee where it is expected to pass in the Democratic controlled Senate but will most likely find opposition in the Republican controlled House.

This is a huge leap forward for casinos in Iowa if it passes and one that I support. Online poker players have been playing for years already in largely unregulated poker sites, with this they are assured that the sites will be as legitimate as the casinos themselves.

You can see the full Des Moines Register article here.

See our The Iowa Casinos home page to find information and maps to all casinos in Iowa.