Given the positive nature of the initial; online poker elements in the United States, it is understandable that other states will be looking into the possibility of getting involved. There will be many pitfalls and barriers to overcome, but the politicians and people in power need to at least be thinking about what the possibilities are for them. There will be people arguing for and against the installation of online poker capabilities across the United States and there needs to be an understanding that this could bring in much need income.
The current economic situation means that many states are keen to bring in as much revenue as they can. However, they should expect to face opposition from people that believe the cost of online gaming and poker is much higher than any sum of money that is brought into a state. This is why there will be a lot more debate and discussion to come before online poker is rolled out across the United States. Now is the time to start debating though and it seems as though Colorado is starting to look into whether they will be able to welcome real money US poker sites in the near future.
At the moment though, there has been a warning that change will not come soon. This is because John Suthers, the Attorney General, has stated his legal opinion that the current constitution in the state does not provide the power or possibility for the state to open up to online gaming. Suthers has been quoted as saying, “I conclude that a constitutional amendment is the only lawful means by which to expand limited gaming to include Online Gambling.”
Different people draw different meanings from online poker opinions
This has been seen as bad news for some and great news by others but of course, if there is a genuine will to bring online gaming into the area, changes can be made. The current constitution states that there is a general level of prohibition applied to games that are deemed to be games of chance. However, back in 1990, there was an amendment made which created an allowance for a limited amount of gaming in three districts of Colorado. These areas are Central, Cripple Creek and Black Hawk. Even though the Supreme Court in Colorado deemed poker to be a game of chance, it was placed on a list of games that are permitted.
This sounds hopeful but there is a concern over the fact that the term ‘limited’ genuinely means limited. The wording states, “structures which conform …to the architectural styles and designs that were common to the areas prior to World War I”, which means that there may not be much scope for use in the modern world.
Suthers also pointed out that he believes that at the moment, there is a need for a person to be present when they place their bet. Suthers continued, “The location of the server or other hardware or software that determines the outcome of the bet would also be relevant to the permissibility of any online gambling under Colorado law.”
Of course, it should be noted that Suthers is merely stating an opinion, as opposed to delivering the way that things are. In 2012, there was a counter argument stating that the presence of the servers has no bearing on the location of where the bets are being placed. This argument was put forward by professional John B Wefing, who said; “The legislation that requires that the Internet servers be located in Atlantic City satisfies the spirit of the constitutional requirement that casino gaming be allowed only in Atlantic City.”
However, the fact that Suthers is the Attorney General in Colorado, it is likely that his opinion will hold more weight. This means that Colorado poker players may have to wait until there is an amendment to the constitution before they can enjoy online poker.