Texas Rep Joe Barton pushing for federal online poker bill

Representative Joe Barton has become the new image for online poker regulation. Texas Representative is pushing for federal online poker legislation although he is going to work hard as Utah Representative, Jason Chaffetz, has already become one of the main advocates for online poker, bringing the bill to a federal level. Both Representatives will have to fight against the anti-online gaming supporters that are still making use of obsolete federal bill RAWA (Restoration of America’s Wire Act). While politicians continue discussing on whether to create a federal legislation for the online gaming industry or not, the market is suffering the consequences. Representative Joe Barton (R - Arlington) is going to follow his own strategy to finally introduce a federal regulation to illegalize online poker nationwide. His would be the second bill in opposition to RAWA, as Representative Jason Chaffetz (R - Utah) introduced his earlier this year.

Texas Rep Joe Barton Barton does not consider online poker as a potential danger, given the fact that online gaming legislation is already working well in many states as well as in many countries. “It is being done in some states. It is being done overseas. This is not a cross-your-fingers-hope-it-works kind of deal. Folks who think they can stand in a pulpit and tell people how to run their lives and tell states how to run their businesses don’t see the same Constitution I do. It is very ironic that Texas Hold ’em Poker is played everywhere legally except in Texas. But one of these days that will change. It is poker only. It does not apply to the lottery or any other games of chance. The fear that someone will lose their house or run up credit card debt, that’s not going to happen. Congress has the responsibility to debate these regulations openly and should not allow bureaucrats to unilaterally change the law behind closed doors. Until that debate takes place, Congress must restore the long-standing interpretation of the Wire Act.”

The online poker industry is supporting Barton’s proposals at all cost; backers as strong as John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance, have come out saying: “This bill should die today so members of the committee can focus on more pressing matters, and not on legislation that will deny states the ability to protect its citizens. If an unelected billionaire is granted the power to rewrite history by imposing a federal prohibition, the future is bleak for every American who values their Internet freedom”.