AGA plans to introduce new bill

Frank Fahrenkopf, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA), the national trade association for the commercial casino industry in the U.S., delivered his keynote address at the Gaming Executive Summit in Madrid this week.
Fahrenkopf revealed in his address that the AGA does not support Joe Barton’s proposal and intends launching its own bill later this year.
“Ten days ago Joe Barton of Texas introduced a bill that was modelled on the draft that was worked on by Senator Reid and Senator Kyl in the lame duck session. We are not supporting it,” said Fahrenkopf in his address.
Further details on the proposed AGA bill were revealed in Fahrenkopf’s address and include:
“Number one, it would give oversight to the Congress department of the United States but they would delegate the licensing and regulatory authority to those states that have the longest history in gaming regulation, that have the law enforcement on staff and the financial wherewithal to do tough regulation. Probably, that only means Nevada and New Jersey.
“Second, States would not automatically be included as states where you can gamble online with online poker. State legislators and governors would have to take affirmative action to say, we want our people to game.
“Third, there would be delineation between those companies that got out of the market with UIGEA’s passage, and those that did not. I don’t know exactly what that would be, but assume there would be a ‘penalty box’. ”
The AGA chief supports and is committed to pushing legislation at a “Federal level rather than have a mish-mash of different state laws.”

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