Talks between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) on Internet gambling laws are still at a stalemate, based on results of their latest discussions. These discussions would potentially result in tougher laws against most types of online gambling, while in effect legalizing online poker.
Reid had most recently tried to gathersupport from the GOP for the bill to be drafted, and had requested both Kyle and Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) to help him out to this end. And although Reid had given both men a deadline of Monday to act on his request, both Kyl and Heller have been apparently stalling for time and waiting for the House of Representatives to make their move before drumming up support from the Senate. Kyl, who had drafted a law in 2006 prohibiting financial institutions from processing online gamblingpayments, had informed the National Journal last Tuesday that the bill would best be started in the House, then drafted by Reid and Heller in the Senate before sending it once again to the House.
The back-and-forth exchange between Reid and Kyl would have ideally centered on the credibility of online poker; as opposed to other games of chance, poker requires skill and quick thinking, and is not as likely to be as fraudulent a form of Internet gambling. However, the main issue has become a question of who’s going to take care of things – the House or the Senate? Kyl had recently opined that Republicans in Congress would not approve any bill that initiallypasses through the Senate. “If Reid just tries to force something through the Senate with poker in it, the House is going to figure they’re being jammed,” said the Arizona lawmaker.
It may be some time, though, before talks progress beyond their present state. As 2012 is an election year, Heller is focusing on winning a full term to the Senate amid what is seen as continued “political pressure” from Reid to get the online poker bill through the Senate first.
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