Mississippi joins intra-state online poker debate

In America, the southern state of Mississippi has become the latest to join the debate surrounding intra-state online poker after a House of Representatives legislator introduced legislation that would regulate the activity within its borders.

Mississippi House Bill 1373, which is also known as the Mississippi Lawful Internet Gaming Act of 2012, was filed in the Mississippi House of Representatives on Wednesday by Democrat member Bobby Moak and would, if subsequently passed by both chambers of the Mississippi State Legislature before being signed into law by Republican Governor Phil Bryant, legalise and regulate online gambling including poker within the state.

“The Legislature finds that since the development of the Internet, millions of people have chosen to engage in online gaming through illegal off-shore operators and such unlawful gambling is conducted without oversight, regulation or enforcement, all of which raises significant concerns for the protection of our citizens,” reads the preamble to Mississippi House Bill 1373.

“Without regulation of online gambling, the public's trust and confidence in legal gaming is impacted.

“An effective state regulatory and licensing system for online gaming would inhibit underage wagering and otherwise protect vulnerable individuals, ensure that the games offered through the Internet are fair and safe, stop sending much-needed jobs and tax and fee revenue overseas to illegal operators, provide a significant source of taxable revenue, create jobs and economic development, address the concerns of law enforcement and ensure that only those persons of good character and fitness who meet strict criteria set forth in law and regulations are suitable to facilitate and conduct online gaming activities.”

The 56-page bill sets out policies and procedures for applicants, licensees, service providers, employees and players and would see any operator looking to offer online gaming required to obtain a license from the Mississippi Gaming Commission for ‘not less than $200,000’ while renewals would run at least $100,000.

If passed, the Mississippi Lawful Internet Gaming Act of 2012 would require all players to be at least 21 while those employed by the firm holding the gaming licence would be prohibited from taking part on that particular domain. In addition, competitors would be able to make deposits using cash, cheques, money orders or credit cards while ‘no software, computer or other gaming equipment shall be used to conduct Internet wagering unless it has been specifically tested and approved by the Commission’.

The proposed measure would also levy fines of $50,000 to $200,000 for each violation if a person ‘knowingly alters, tampers, or manipulates software, computers or other equipment used to conduct Internet wagering’ while funds held in a player’s account would be forfeited to the licensee if that account remains inactive for one year with the licence holder keeping half and the remainder going to the Mississippi Gaming Commission.

With this proposed legislation, Mississippi has become the fifth state after Iowa, Nevada, New Jersey and Hawaii to consider proposals for intra-state online gambling while the District of Columbia recently repealed a measure that would have seen residents able to partake in games of chance over the Internet.