Online poker gambling could be legalized

May 15, 2012
by Doug Carlson

WASHINGTON (BP) -- Predictably, the news cycles these days have been largely consumed with the unpredictable -- the outcome of the 2012 presidential election and the future of the institution of marriage. This follows days of media showcasing the sensational -- Secret Service prostitution scandals in Colombia and General Services Administration spending scandals in Las Vegas.

But almost entirely absent from media mention is a brewing scandal that combines aspects of these unfolding sagas.

Reeling from slowed business and smaller coffers in the wake of a 2006 law to clamp down on the illegal practice of online gambling, the gambling lobby is roaring back in an effort to convince the government to license and regulate betting on the niche game of Internet poker; all online games involving wagering are currently illegal. the rest