Iowa bill passes committee vote

The movement towards regulated online gambling in Iowa has passed the first hurdle after Senator Jeff Danielson’s committee approved Senate Study Bill 1165 in a vote held last night.

According to reports the gambling bill was passed by a 9-6 margin with its online poker provisions intact, however it is less certain whether this element will remain as the proposed legislation reaches the Senate stage.

It is believed that a number of the opponents at the committee stage were from the Republican Party, and with the party holding 24 of the 50 seats in the state’s Senate, Pro Tempore Senate President Danielson may face some serious obstacles forcing through the bill in its current form.

The bill, which is predicted to generate US$35m in annual revenues for the Hawkeye State, would in its current form, see hub operators pay US$250,000 a year for licences as well as a US$3m fee which would be credited against taxes over time.

As reported in eGaming Review earlier this week, the bill must now pass through both of the state’s houses, before ultimately going before Governor Terry Branstad. Elsewhere in the United States, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will today announce whether he has approved, vetoed or conditionally vetoed the egaming bill in his own state.