Fahrenkopf: Federal bill could be introduced "this session"
AGA chief executive expects Representative Joe Barton to re-introduce online poker bill.
Representative Joe Barton could re-introduce a federal online poker bill in the House this session, according to outgoing American Gaming Association CEO and president Frank Fahrenkopf.
Barton received 30 co-sponsors for his federal legislation last year, but his bill still failed to secure enough support to face a House or Senate vote. Senators Harry Reid and Jon Kyl’s draft federal online poker bill leaked last year also failed to gain sufficient Republican support to be officially introduced with many believing that the chances of any new federal bill being re-introduced to be dead.
Speaking at the iGaming North America Conference in Las Vegas yesterday, Fahrenkopf said “I wouldn’t be surprised if a new bill was introduced in this session” but following Kyl’s retirement, the AGA would have to find “a conservative Republican from a non-gaming state”.
Fahrenkopf, who last year labelled Congress “dysfunctional” due to its failure to make progress on online gambling, recently announced he would step down from the AGA on 30 June, after which he will be retained as a consultant. He has been the first and only chief executive of the lobbying organisation since its inception in 1995. Last year he earned more than US$4m in the role.
In the absence of federal legislation, Nevada has pushed ahead with plans to offer interstate egaming through compacts with other regulated states, which is currently only Delaware, but New Jersey is expected to follow suit next week.