Iowa online gambling legislation progresses

Proposed legislation that could see Iowa legalise intra-state online gambling took another step towards becoming reality yesterday after it was approved by the full Senate State Government Committee.

After making it past a three-member evaluation panel earlier this week, Senate Study Bill 3164 was approved by a vote of eleven to four and is now scheduled to be put before the full Democrat-controlled Iowa State Senate for a vote during the current session, which is due to expire on April 17.

The proposed legislation would, if passed by the Iowa State Senate and the Iowa House of Representatives before being signed into law by Republican Governor Terry Branstad, see the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission tasked with establishing a structure whereby competing hub operators would partner with state-licensed casinos to offer online gambling to residents that are at least 21 years of age. Those not resident in the state would still be able to establish an account by visiting an Iowa casino but would not be able to play online while outside Iowa.

“I don’t see this as an expansion of gambling, I see this as an expansion of freedom,” Iowa State Senator Rick Bertrand told local television station KCRG.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission recently issued a study outlining how the state could structure intra-state online poker with projections showing that legalising the game could generate up to $13 million for local coffers.

“We have a situation in Iowa where Iowa citizens are not being protected and this will do that,” said Iowa State Senator Bill Dix.

However, the proposed legislation did not pass through the Senate State Government Committee unanimously with three Republicans and one Democrat voting against amid claims that the bill would bring a highly addictive form of gambling directly to Iowans’ computers and hand-held electronic devices.