U.S. House to Hold Online Poker Hearing
The U.S. House Ways and Means Committee will meet on May 19, 2010 at 9:30 am in the Longworth House Office Building. The focus of the hearing is to consider the fate of online poker in the U.S. in connection with "The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act" (UIGEA) that is scheduled to go into effect on June 1, 2010.
Invited Testimony
The U.S. House committee press release has said that the point is to "hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only." The release also notes, "However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing."
What is the UIGEA?
This law prohibits anyone from accepting payments from someone if they know those payments are connected to illegal Internet gambling. However numerous Representative and Senators have been involved in excluding poker, which is considered to be a game of skill, from the law.
Importance of this Meeting
The meeting could be the start of the a movement in the U.S. House and Senate that would legalize online poker. There are numerous bills on tap that are designed to protect online poker in the U.S.