Will Barack Obama recognise Pennsylvanian judge’s ruling?
Sunday 18th January 2009
As we covered yesterday a Pennsylvania judge has ruled that poker is a game of skill and not chance which could see the game taken out of the US gambling ban. As followers of this site will know, the US gambling ban was predominantly brought in to curb the ever expanding online gambling market which was dominated by poker. The US authorities had concerns regarding significant tax income which was being lost and also the potential to take business from off-line casinos.
The Pennsylvanian judge’s ruling that poker is in fact a game of skill rather than chance should allow the re-entry of online poker sites to the US that will Barack Obama recognise this?
This will be the first test of the incoming president’s term in office and will test his resolve to "fix" the poker situation in the US. Whether he decides to go with the Pennsylvanian judge’s ruling and withdraw poker from the list of banned online gambling activities remains to be seen as he will be under severe pressure from other members of the government.
Sooner or later it appears inevitable that the US poker ban will be lifted but how and when this may happen remains to be seen.
As we covered yesterday a Pennsylvania judge has ruled that poker is a game of skill and not chance which could see the game taken out of the US gambling ban. As followers of this site will know, the US gambling ban was predominantly brought in to curb the ever expanding online gambling market which was dominated by poker. The US authorities had concerns regarding significant tax income which was being lost and also the potential to take business from off-line casinos.