Obama and Romney Positions on Online Gambling
Do you know where Barack Obama and Mitt Romney stand on the subject of online gambling? Even if you watched all the primary debates and campaign speeches, you still might not have a very good idea.
Even though iGaming has the potential to raise billions of dollars in tax revenues and is enjoyed by millions of Americans, candidates rarely discuss the subject on the campaign trail.
Here’s a quick look at where Obama and Romney stand on iGaming issues.
Romney and the GOP
The GOP has long been the party of conservative social values, so it’s no surprise they’ve taken a strong anti-gambling view on their party platform. Their official stance is a ban on iGaming and a return to the pre-December 2011 interpretation of the Federal Wire Act of 1961.
Early in the primary season, Romney claimed to still be coming to a position on the subject, but was able to find his way once the Nevada primaries were in the books. His post-primary stance tows the party’s anti-gaming stance.
Romney hasn’t really addressed gambling as a states’ rights issue, nor has he called out New Jersey’s Republican Governor Chris Christie for his support of repealing the US sports betting ban.
Obama and the Democrats
The Democratic Party in the US takes a much softer line on Internet gambling than their GOP peers.
Back in December of 2011, the Department of Justice seriously softened its interpretation of the Wire Act and opened the door for legal Internet gambling in the US. This move would not have taken place without Obama’s approval.
In a response to a poker player petition calling for legalized online poker earlier this year, the Obama administration made its stance very clear. The brief response said that decisions regarding online gaming should be left in the hands of the state governments, not the Feds.
After the Election
What the political parties say today and what they’ll do tomorrow are two very different animals. State governments are unlikely to go backwards on intrastate poker schemes and Romney White House would be unlikely to challenge them on the subject.
If Obama is elected, we expect legalization efforts on the poker front to continue unabated.
What’s your take on the subject? Post up in the comments section below.
Tags: Internet Gambling Laws, Land-based Casinos, Online Poker Legislation Updates, Politics
Are You Prepared to Profit 
My thing is, I can’t stand Obama but I love my job!
Maybe I just write in ron paul.. That sounds like the best I can do at this point. You can’t win here.
It was under a GOP administration that his mess was created. Under the current administration the States now have a chance to make up their own minds. The choice is clear.
I was hoping Ron Paul can get further in the race because he was going to do something positive for the industry.
When these two are the main contenders I prefer the lesser evil and that would be Obama.
Thanks for the insightful comments everyone. In trying to write this story objectively, I had a real problem reconciling the GOP’s anti-regulation/pro-small business stance with their take on shutting down iGaming.
Yeah whats up with that also. What we do is what anti-regulation/pro-small is all about. I don’t get it… Then again didn’t Trump endorse romney? Maybe its all just a play for votes, as you said “What the political parties say today and what they’ll do tomorrow are two very different animals.”
Thats why ron paul didn’t get as far… He kept telling people what He Would Do..
Obama and Romney just tell people what they want to hear.. To bad everyone is dumb enough to fall for it…
But then again… We also make a pretty good living selling hope
jackpots anyone??
Obama is simply passing the buck. He is not pro states rights on any other issue. He just doesn’t want to make a public stand. He knows full and well that legalization of iGambling is never going to work.
There is a candidate who is very clear about how he wants to allow online gambling….GARY JOHNSON. he’s on the ballot in 47 states and endorsed by Ron Paul.
For those to which this issue is important, I highly recommend looking into him. And don’t be bullied into “not wasting your vote” A vote for what you believe is never a wasted vote.