Maybe American Gamblers Should Move to Iowa?
Last Friday, officials announced that Iowa would be the first state in the country to permit legal in-state Internet poker under a plan being developed by a bipartisan group of policymakers. The plan would allow people to deposit between $50 and $500 into a special account at one of Iowa's casinos. That account could then be used to play poker online. Playing outside of the state would be illegal.
According to preliminary projections, extra income to the state would be roughly $11.5 million. People would first have to actually go to a casino to add money to their account, so supporters of the plan are calling it "account deposit wagering" and are refraining from saying it is Internet gambling.
Rep. Doug Struyk, R-Council Bluffs who is part of a legislative working group on the issue, said, "We would take something that Iowans are currently being abused on by out-of-country, unregulated entities and allow the states to put constraints on it."
Other changes include allowing major poker tournaments at existing casinos and a code change to permit casinos to profit from out-of-state pari-mutuel betting on races run on Iowa's dog and horse tracks. Iowa's scheme would ensure compliance with federal laws against online gambling and financial compliance with offshore companies.
