On Tuesday, the American Gaming Association (AGA) made its strongest call yet to Congress in an attempt to make online gambling legal. They stated that legalization was vital in order to protect US citizens from gambling operators that function illegally.
Frank Fahrenkopf Jr., President of the AGA, said in a statement that “There are no longer any good reasons to put US citizens at risk by continuing to outlaw online poker in the USA.”
Code of Conduct
Officials from the association created a Code of Conduct for online poker. In it they gave an overview of what measures would be necessary for a regulatory framework which would protect players in the USA as well as stop minors from gambling. It would also assist problem gamblers and help law enforcement for identifying and prosecuting any illegal operations.
The Code of Conduct addresses six principles:
- Extensive background checks should be done to keep criminals out.
- Proper identification should be enforced to prevent minors and cheaters from playing.
- Regular auditing and testing should be conducted to keep games fair.
- Exclusion process should be carried out to prevent minors and cheaters from accessing the sites.
- Responsible gaming protections should be implemented for patrons and problem gamblers.
- Anti-money-laundering procedures should be put in place.
Besides this the AGA has also released a YouTube video which explains how having unregulated poker line can be hazardous to Internet players.
Taking Action
Fahrenkopf explained in an interview that the association was neutral on two bills put forward by Congress which attempted to address the issue. The statement released on Tuesday shows that the association is in favor of legalization.
“We believe that this is the time to get this done. It’s all about educating members of Congress about not only Internet poker, but poker in gaming in general,” Fahrenkopf said.
On Monday Congressional Quarterly stated that Fahrenkopf had been seen on Capitol Hill using the argument that by legalizing online poker, additional tax revenue would be created along with between 10,000 and 15,000 sector jobs, both public and private. In addition to this, he has apparently proposed to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that he should add online poker legalization to President Barack Obama’s job-creation package.
Push for Regulation
Despite the crackdown at the beginning of this year, US citizens continue to play online poker on a daily basis. The US Justice Department charged a number of gambling operators back in April of bank fraud and money laundering. These sites included Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, and PokerStars.
Fahrenkopf explained that by using their proposed Code of Conduct, US players will be able to gamble in a secure environment. He stated, “Online poker operators must adhere to the same stringent regulations that have proved effective in governing brick-and-mortar casinos.”
Using these guidelines, the AGA believes that online poker could be properly and effectively regulated, thereby protecting American players, creating employment, and increasing revenue into the country.