R.I.P Mississippi

A GAMBLING bill that had high hopes in Mississippi died this week, after three weeks of high hopes. If it had have been passed, it would have allowed existing gaming licenses to offer Internet wagering.

The Mississippi Lawful Internet Gaming Act of 2012 was introduced by lawmakers scrambling to take advantage of a change in government policy, after the Department of Justice indicated that online poker and most other forms of gambling are not considered illegal under the Wire Act of 1961.

Gambling in Mississippi has been legal since 1990. Around 30 licensees, who run gambling establishments, offer poker on 160 poker tables between them. Some of the top names in the US gambling industry offer services in Mississippi, including MGM Resorts, Boyd Gaming and Caesars Entertainment, and the death of the Mississippi Lawful Internet Gaming Act of 2012, only three weeks after it was proposed, would be a disappointment to these groups.

Mississippi has now placed itself last in the race in the rush to push online poker legislation. However, the state that is by far in the lead is Nevada, which may be the first to introduce a real money online poker site if all goes according to plan.