Egaming bill introduced in Mississippi
HB 1373 is set to go before the Magnolia State's house gaming committee.
Mississippi representative Bobby Moak has introduced a new bill aimed at creating “The Mississippi Lawful Internet Gaming Act of 2012″.
The bill has now gone before the house gaming committee in the Magnolia State, although a timeframe for its discussion is yet to be set.
Among the provisions included by Democrat Moak is a pledge “to impose an additional license fee in the amount of 5% on internet wagering gross revenues per calendar month.”
He cites both the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and December’s DoJ opinion on the Wire Act as representing a green light for the state to push ahead with its measures.
As with recent pieces of legislation in other US states, measures are in place to combat underage gambling and gambling addictions, with the text of the bill explaining: “An effective state regulatory and licensing system for online gaming would inhibit underage wagering and otherwise protect vulnerable individuals…”
State regulators would also, under the terms of the proposed legislation, “Establish such technical standards for approval of software, computers and other gaming equipment used to conduct Internet wagering” in order to prevent “tampering” and protect players from “fraud or deception.”
Earlier this week an egaming bill in Iowa was approved by a three-man subcommittee, while anti-gambling legislation moved one step closer in Utah after Stephen Sandstrom’s bill passed a house committee vote by 61 votes to nine.