Rep. Mary Bono-Mack, the chairperson of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade has scheduled a few hearings to discuss the issue of online gambling being legalized. The next meeting is scheduled to take place on Feb 18th- one day after the Senate Indian Affairs Committee gathering.

Feb Hearing Generated Positive Responses from Legislators

Responses from legislators have been quite positive during the Feb hearings. Joe Barton, a Texas Representative pushed legislators so that online gambling is made legal in the United States. So did one of Rep. Bono-Mack's committee's member. Both were supported by quite a few witnesses who appeared before the committee.

Among the prominent witnesses present in the Feb hearing, were FairPlayUSA's chairwoman Parry Aftab and Poker Players Alliance's current chairman, Alfonse D'Amato. The witnesses claimed that it is better to regulate online gambling than prohibit it. D'Amato strongly supported the cause of legalizing online gambling. However, many of the other advocates present in the hearing were neutral on the issue.

When discussing about the upcoming hearing, Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative's spokesperson, Michael Waxman stated that with so many hearings taking place, the Congress is compelled to progress on the issue of regulating online gambling. Till now, the names of witnesses for Feb's hearing have not been declared. The announcement is expected to come by the middle of this week.

Supercommittee to Suggest Methods of Revenue Raise on Feb 23rd

The 'supercommittee' was created with equal number of Republican and Democratic members to chalk out ways of meeting the revenue deficit which the country is currently facing. The committee will come up with its findings on Feb 23rd. The poker community adopted various means to influence the subcommittee so that online gambling regulation is included in its revenue raise schemes.

It was brought to light that if online gambling is regulated not only will consumer's interests be protected but revenue too will be generated. However, it is still unknown whether legislation pertaining to online gambling will be included in the discussions to take place on Feb 23rd.

Big Ventures to Come up if Online Gambling's Legalization Becomes a Reality

A few days back, Boyd Gaming and MGM Resorts International signed a deal with Bwin.party Digital Entertainment for a proposed joint venture. It will start operating once online gambling becomes legal in the US. The site will be able to offer offering gambling products like online roulette. Caesars Entertainment has also entered into a similar deal. Other upcoming gambling ventures include operations by the Las Vegas based Fertitta Enterprises and card rooms of California. Commerce Casino and the Bicycle Casino have started offering free games online. Once online gambling is regulated in the country, real money games too will be offered by these companies.

National Indian Gaming Association More Inclined Towards Protecting Tribal Interests

In the Feb hearings, the chairperson of National Indian Gaming Association, Ernest Stevens, spoke in favor of protecting tribal interests in online gambling regulation. The speaker was more inclined towards preserving tribal rights rather than the potential for online gambling.