Poll results: Readers undecided on federal bill future
Voters split almost evenly between three options " one third unconvinced bill will be introduced
In light of recent developments concerning the proposed federal egaming bill from Senators Harry Reid and Jon Kyl, eGaming Review’s readers remain torn on the fate of the legislation.
Kyl last week criticised his co-sponsor Reid for making a federal online poker solution “a lot harder” after setting Nevada Senator Dean Heller a deadline to secure the support of 15 Republicans [a deadline which was not met], with Heller himself suggesting this week that “Harry Reid would rather have Shelley Berkley win this race [to usurp Heller’s place in the state’s Senate elections] than have this bill pass.”
Perhaps influenced by these developments, some 33% of those polled believe that intense opposition to the proposed Reid/Kyl bill will mean it is not even introduced.
The highest proportion (39%) believe that, while the bill will be introduced, it ultimately will not succeed. Republican opposition to any form of online gambling is significant, with the party’s plans to prohibit all forms of online gambling “ in turn reversing the supposed softening of the Wire Act recommended last December “ revealed as part of its party platform last month.
Previous federal bills, introduced last year by John Campbell and Joe Barton respectively, gained some traction at the time but failed to come to fruition. The same was true of earlier efforts in the lame duck session in December 2010.
However, the remaining 28% of voters remain optimistic, believing that not only will the bill be introduced as scheduled, but that it will narrowly pass into law. If the Reid/Kyl bill is introduced, the most likely time is during the forthcoming lame duck session between 7 November and 31 December.