Comments on Online Poker by MGM Chief

Online gambling might be approved by US Congress this year, claims the executive According to MGM Resorts chief executive Jim Murren, online poker legalization may be close at hand, and it appears that the group is well-positioned to benefit from the legalization and ready to offer legal Internet poker in the United States this year. Namely, MGM and Boyd Gaming recently closed a partnership deal with Bwin.party digital entertainment, in cooperation with which they will be able to pursue online gambling should it get legalized. In Murren's opinion, Congress might approve online gambling as part of other legislation this year. This he supports with the fact that at the moment, there are several online gambling legalization options in front of Congress. Murren also opined: "Several pieces of legislation need to be passed, and it could be associated with any one of those. I do believe it will be passed at the federal level and I do believe it will be passed this year, but that's my opinion... "In fact, our arrangement with Bwin.party is designed to capitalize on Internet poker legalized in the U.S. We vastly prefer the federal option for any number of reasons: Uniformity of regulation, taxation, strengthening of crime prevention. But we can't speak for the federal government." In addition, the experienced executive expressed his confidence that online poker will finally be legalised on a federal or nationwide level this year, despite the challenges of passing politically sensitive legislation in an election year. He also said that, even if individual states opt for legalization on their own, in the absence of a federal solution, MGM would be flexible and adapt to that approach, as well. "Regardless [of which regulatory system emerges], legal online poker will help encourage some of the estimated $3 billion-plus that now flows abroad to remain at home, and MGM Resorts hopes to get a solid share of that market," Murren concluded.