Illinois Senate wants online poker

ILLINOIS could be welcoming online poker if a recent amendment to an existing bill is anything to go by. The state is said to be looking into other forms of internet gaming, after the state gave online lottery the green light. On Monday, Senate President John Cullerton sent a letter to Gov. Pat Quinn and other lawmakers outlining his plans. Illinois estimates new revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars. If pushed forward, the Division’s Internet gaming platform could be up and running next year.

Cullerton wrote in the letter: “The state could organize the first major poker pool, garner worldwide popularity, and position itself as a ‘hub’ for multi-state and international iGaming.” The legislation could be heard in the Senate’s Executive Committee as early as this week.

While Illinois looks at a state-run online gaming product, Nevada is on the verge of licensing its well-established casino companies to run games. Both models would be intrastate at first.