A draft of the online poker bill that Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) plan to introduce was released this week. The bill, known as the “Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection, and Strengthening UIGEA Act of 2012” would legalize online poker at the federal level, a step that became possible last December when the U.S. Department of Justice released an opinion stating that the Wire Act does not apply to online poker.

The bill provides an opt-in structure, in which states have to affirmatively choose to participate in the online poker program. A state would be considered to have opted in if it has passed a law legalizing online poker. Thus far, only Nevada and Delaware have passed such laws. An Indian tribe is considered to have opted in if a designated authority of the tribe submits written notice to the Secretary of Commerce saying so. Money could only be accepted from players located in those states or tribal lands at the time they are playing.

The bill would create an Office of Online Poker Oversight within the Department of Commerce to regulate the industry. The Secretary of Commerce would need to designate, not later than 270 days after the enactment of the bill, at least three state agencies or regulatory bodies of Indian tribes that are considered qualified bodies to regulate online poker. If there are not three bodies qualified, the Secretary will designate all state bodies that fit defined criteria including:

(1) A reputation as a regulatory and enforcement leader in the gaming industry.
(2) A strict regulatory regime.
(3) Regulatory and enforcement personnel with recognized expertise.
(4) Adequate regulatory and enforcement resources.
(5) Demonstrated capabilities relevant to the online poker environment.

In making determinations under those criteria, the Secretary is also to consider the number of years that the agency has directly regulated casino gaming, the size of the gaming market that has been regulated, and the demonstrated ability to evaluate complex gaming technologies, among other things.

No game other than poker would be allowed under the bill, even if it is licensed by the state. A state could still legalize other games under their own laws, but this law would not allow them to operate those games interstate. The bill has a carve-out that allows interstate bets on horse racing to continue to operate legally, as well as an exception to allow lotteries to sell tickets online.

The bill would impose a fee of 16 percent tax on revenues generated from online poker. The money generated from this tax would go to a fund known as the “Online Poker Activity Fee Trust Fund.” Seventy percent of the money in that fund would be given to the states or Indian tribal governments where the player was located at the time he played. The other 30 percent would go to the state that issued the license to the site where the money was generated.

For five years after enactment of the bill, no person may be considered suitable for licensing if the person owned or operated an Internet gambling site that accepted bets after December 31, 2006. Such persons are referred to as “covered persons.” Additionally, no assets that were used to take bets after December 31, 2006, can be used for five years after the bill’s enactment. This provision effectively excludes all companies that were shut down by the federal government on “Black Friday” in 2011.

An individual that is considered a “covered person” may apply for a waiver from the Office of Online Poker Oversight and would need to show by a preponderance of the evidence that the person did not violate, directly or indirectly, any provision of federal or state law in connection with the operation or provision of an Internet gambling facility. A similar waiver process exists for tainted assets. The bill also states that a previous criminal proceeding will not be considered in the waiver process.

The bill would prohibit the operation of public Internet parlors where devices are made available primarily for online poker.

There is no provision in the bill that requires a licensee to own a casino, a proposal that had been considered in some online poker legislation.

Criminal penalties of up to five years in prison can be assessed under the bill to operators that violate certain provisions.

We are glad to see that legislation that would legalize online poker is being considered on Capitol Hill and has reached a draft stage. This draft could change significantly over time, but the bill in its current form may face steep opposition.

Several objections are possible. First, many states have recently explored the idea of legalizing online poker, with the intent of possibly generating significant revenue. The language of this bill would take a significant amount of that potential revenue generated from online poker away from the states.

No state other than Nevada, Harry Reid’s home state, has developed its own regulationsto govern online poker, or given the criteria listed in the bill, would be considered qualified to regulate online poker.  The state that issues the license gets 30 percent of the revenues generated from online poker, which would likely all go to Nevada. States may not support such a large percentage of the money generated going directly to Nevada.

In addition, the provision barring all operators who took bets after the enactment of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 is too draconian and could be vulnerable to a constitutional challenge. Finally, the 16 percent fee on revenues generated from online poker is very steep and may face opposition from operators.

It also remains unclear what level of support an online poker bill would have in the lame-duck session of Congress. As Senate Majority Leader, Reid has the ability to dictate the legislative agenda to some extent, but it remains to be seen if he will be able to generate the votes needed to pass the bill. Kyl, although he will be retiring after this term, is the Minority Whip in the Senate and could also help rally support from Republicans. If it seems unlikely that a stand-alone online poker bill could generate enough support in Congress, there may still be an alternative. Perhaps the best chance of online poker legislation getting passed is to attach it to another larger bill, which is something that Reid can be influential in helping to achieve. It is a tactic that has been used in this context before, as in 2006, when UIGEA was passed as part of the SAFE Port Act, a bill that regulated port security.