NYS lawmakers look into legalizing online poker

John Bonacic, R-Middletown, who chairs the Senate Racing Wagering and Gaming Committee.

“The culture of Internet gambling is not one of our family values, ” said Robb Smith, executive director of Interfaith Impact, a coalition of religious groups opposing gambling.

“Establishing a regulatory regime for online poker in New York should focus on an open and competitive market that fosters innovation and keeps consumer interests at the forefront”, Pappas said. Featherstonhaugh, an Albany lobbyist and part-owner of the Saratoga Casino and Raceway, said the state is the “senior partner” with existing racinos because of that revenue sharing arrangement and that Albany “needs to be aware of and sensitive to protecting” the funds that now flow from the track casinos.

A measure that would permit online poker companies to set up shop in the Empire State is scheduled to be discussed Wednesday at a hearing put on by the bill’s sponsor, Sen. That apparently doesn’t bother the gaming association boss, as he sees a need to protect the market share of the state’s existing racinos.

MGM Resorts global, which has been expanding its casino footprint in the Northeast in recent years, testified next. “Internet poker can be effectively regulated”. S.to have online gaming and/or poker will be waiting quite some time – at least until it becomes something important to the legislators themselves.

“It has the potential to put a casino poker room into every home, ” it states. “It’s not a panacea but it’s a decent amount of money”. He stressed that taxes can’t be too high.

Proposals to allow Internet poker in New York is dividing the gambling industry, with some companies predicting increased revenue for state government while others warn it would threaten existing gambling facilities.

Officially, the hearing was held in conjunction with New York State Senator John Bonacic’s S5302 online-poker bill.

The “wet blanket” at the hearing was provided by a New York gaming official. Balance said that there is “opportunity to go beyond poker”, though.

The truth, however, is that Bonacic’s bill isn’t going anywhere this year, and even though Bonacic announced the hearing last month, there was little advance build-up for the hearing, and no sign at all that it would feature some of the pro- vs. anti-online gambling fire and rhetoric that has marked similar hearings in other states.

In other words, the hearing offered a solid lineup and plenty of useful industry information; the larger problem, of course, is that no one was there to hear what they had to say. “It is critically important to monetize that customer base”.