The State of Nevada took a giant leap forward in the online poker race today when Governor Brian Sandoval signed an interstate online poker bill into law.
Assembly Bill 44 was fast tracked through the legislative process and received unanimous approval in a joint session of the Nevada State Legislature.
The quick action, as well as the bipartisan support for the bill, underscores the major stakes in the US online poker race. One lobbyist even referred to it, “the gaming version of the space race,” in an interview with the Las Vegas Sun.
With the passage of the interstate online poker bill, Nevada is set up to reap a major windfall from states that are interested in online poker, but would rather not set up the regulatory infrastructure themselves.
As he signed the measure into law, Sandoval commented on the importance of interstate poker to the Nevada economy saying:
This is a historic day. This is the day we usher Nevada into the next frontier of gaming.
The only hurdle the bill faced came from Assembly Majority Leader William Horne, who wanted to see its passage tied to higher licensing fees for operators. In a compromise, the State’s Gaming Commission was given increased flexibility to raise or lower the cost of a gambling license.
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