Illinois Online Poker Legislation
Technically, there is no legal online poker Illinois supports, as there is no law that has been put into place to legalize online poker action throughout the state. However, there is also nothing on the books to make poker illegal either, which means that online poker throughout Illinois exists in something of a legal gray area.
- Illinois Online Gambling to Emerge as Standalone Bill Even with Gov. Pat Quinn shunning the idea of legalizing Internet gambling, at least one Illinois lawmaker is trying to find a path for legislation.
- Illinois is a state that does face some restrictions when it comes to playing poker online. Some sites that take players from other states don’t accept new players from Illinois. Read Poker Atlas for the latest updates on live poker events at local card clubs and the riverboat casino scene. As for online poker in Illinois, we have you covered.
If you have been following our blog, you will be familiar with the evolution of laws relating to online gambling in the U.S. and know that Illinois was the first state to operate an online lottery ticket program. It now appears that Illinois may soon take the next step to legalizing Internet poker and other online monetary-based games within its borders.
Michigan Online Poker Legislation
Yesterday, a bill was introduced and approved by an Illinois Senate Committee which, if fully enacted, would authorize online gambling in many forms and double the number of brick and mortar casinos within the State. According to Sen. Terry Link (D), the sponsoring Senator behind the bill, a full Senate vote could come as soon as this afternoon. However, several Republican senators, including Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R), have voiced their objections to the bill moving so quickly through the Senate Committee and would like more time to review the bill before putting it to a vote.
According to Senator Link, the bill would generate yearly Internet gambling revenues of $150 million and increase the overall revenues of brick and mortar casinos to $1 billion. Except for $10 million allocated to Gamblers Anonymous, the bill specifies that all proceeds from Internet gambling would go towards the State’s pension fund. Likewise, the proceeds from brick and mortar casinos would be used for education, which will be desperately needed after Illinois Governor Pat Quinn’s $400 million education budget cut announcement earlier this week.
Illinois Online Poker Legalization
While it appears likely that the bill will be passed in some form, Governor Quinn stated that the gambling industry, both Internet-based and brick and mortar, will be heavily regulated with “strong ethical standards [and] comprehensive oversight.”
Michigan Online Poker Legislation 2018
The development of federal and state interpretations of Internet gambling remains a significant topic for all gaming attorneys and those interested in Internet poker and gambling in general.
If you are interested in learning more about this topic or pursuing a venture in this area, please e-mail us at info@kleinmoynihan.com, or call us at (212) 246-0900.
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