A member of the Massachusetts legislature has filed a bill that would allow for internet poker to be played in the state. It came in an amendment to a bill that is currently under consideration that is related to the expansion of land-based casinos in the state.
Dan Winslow, a Republican, isn’t necessarily trying to open up full-scale online gambling in the state, but is indeed proposing that Massachusetts permits players from outside of its own borders to participate, which is different than some of the proposals in other states concerning games that are played over the internet.
Winslow believes that what he has proposed is consistent with what is in the bill, but that doesn’t mean everybody agrees with that. The treasurer of the state, for example, has called it a violation of federal law. No doubt that won’t be the end of the resistance. People could attack it on two fronts: (1) the interstate aspect, and (2) the fact that it is online.
If Winslow is successful in getting his proposal attached, and the bill passes, there could be internet poker in the state as early as next July.