New Federal Legalization Attempt Imminent?

It's been the second time this week that the outgoing AGA chief, Frank Fahrenkopf, has hinted that there may be a new federal attempt to legalize online poker in near future. Speaking in a TV show, Fahrenkopf said a new attempt would most likely be launched soon through the House of Representatives, possibly helped by Texas Republican Joe Barton. "I've talked to the congressman and he's doing a little spadework with the members. We'll just have to wait and see," the AGA exec said, commenting on the growing intrastate legalization drives in New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada: "I think the activity of a number of states - particularly Delaware where they authorized all forms of casino games - could (result in) the largest expansion of legal gaming in this country's history if states start to emulate what Delaware did," he said. According to the AGA exec, he had been active in promoting a federal online poker solution over the past two weeks, noting: “We might see [a bill] introduced quite soon in the House. There is still an effort in the House. I think there are some members in Congress who normally are very anti-gaming who view a poker bill as the lesser of two evils.” He also addressed the possibility of a new federal attempt at online poker legalization at the 2013 iGaming North America conference, when he reinforced the organization's support to the federal solution, although he conceded that in other sectors federal interference had not taken place, at the same time claiming that real-money gambling online could be an exception to general experience. With a federal solution such a hypothetical situation would not arise, he opined.