Harry Reid Dubious About Future of Reid/Kyl
Yet another chapter unfolded Tuesday in the story of the Reid/Kyl Bill to regulate online poker at the federal level, which has dominated the attention of online poker fans and industry followers for several weeks.
When asked about the fate of the bill, a draft of which is circulating in the Senate without having been formally introduced in that chamber, Nevada Democrat Harry Reid did not appear optimistic, according to a story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The Reid/Kyl Bill seeks to regulate online poker at the federal level, while at the same time tightening aspects of the 1961 Federal Wire Act in order to limit other forms of online gambling, including traditional casino games and sports betting.
The bill allows for some provisions for state-run lotteries and also would permit states to opt out should they not wish to offer online poker to residents.
Delaware and Nevada have already passed laws allowing residents to play poker online while they are physically located within the state, and several other states, including New Jersey and California, are looking closely at regulating the game.
Kristen Orthman, Reid’s spokeswoman, told the Review-Journal that Reid and Kyl met together to discuss the legislation on Monday. Reid has been very outspoken about what he believes to be the lack of Republican support for the bill, at times blaming Kyl for failing to secure crucial votes and at other times lashing out at his fellow Senator from Nevada, Dean Heller, with similar accusations.
Heller and Kyl claim GOP support for the bill is in place, however they doubt its viability should it be incorporated onto another bill, a so-called “Christmas tree” act composed of heterogeneous legislation.
Speaking of the improbability of online poker passing in such a fashion, Kyl said, “If it ever comes up in the Senate, and it’s offered in the appropriate way – that is to say not part of some bill that nobody is going to vote for – then there’s no question about Republican votes in my view.”
When asked by a reporter about the future of Reid/Kyl, Reid said, “Everyone, listen to this. We suddenly have Republican votes on Internet poker, two weeks before Christmas. Without being vulgar, what the hell would I put it on?”
With the clock quickly running out on Congress’s lame duck session and online poker unlikely to be part of any bill related to the fiscal cliff, whether or not Kyl’s claim that Republican support exists for online poker is true remains to be seen. But with time and definitive answers both in short supply, US-based poker players dreaming of accessing the game online anytime soon may just be out of luck.
