Haha. Good1.

You do understand that each state that opts in will be getting tax money every year right? IMO not many will be opting out. Less than 10

Considering gambling is a state issue, you're just...wrong. Many states WILL opt out of any federal legalization on online gaming, it is their constitutional right to do so. The idea that they need to pass their own legislation in order to opt out of federal legislation when gambling is a state issue is lol.

And has been mentioned in the thread, the odds of federal imposition of legislation upon the states is near zero, nor would it ever hold up if appealed, which it most definitely would be (by probably most or more of the 33 states that currently have anti-commercial gambling laws).

The money is incentive, but it hasn't been incentive enough to allow commercial gambling in 33 out of 50 states yet...dunno why you think it would overnight. You're projecting your desires for poker legislation on the state governments, which are clearly more concerned with their duty to uphold their idea of social responsibility than securing gambling proceeds.

Make no mistake, this issue will be decided at the state level, as it always has.

p.s.-are you all forgetting that poker is not a federal crime??

I keep forgetting this is the universe where spock has a beard.

Still, seems that Ryan should be forced to answer at least one or two questions relating to why there was massive insider fraud from the minute he took the role of Excapsa CEO to his very last day. Questions he has successfully avoided answering til now. Ryan says he gave Russ Hamilton the ClubWPT software for free, how do we know that Ryan isn't still good friends with Hamilton? Or that the original UB founders won't be cut in to whatever deal goes down? How can a licensing organization be legitimate that doesn't take Ryan's tenure at UB into account?

You obviously know less then nothing about how government works. How do you think a state will be able to opt out, by some sort of decree by the governor? The ONLY way to opt out will be by passing legislation or having some sort of referendum - this will be spelled out in the federal legislation.

The federal government doesn't have to "impose legislation" on states - federal law always supersedes state law.

I suggest you learn something about the Interstate Commerce Act, and the blanket authority this grants the Federal Government to regulate any behavior they see fit, for any reason (for good or ill).

Nothing substantive is ever decided on the state level.

Federal law supersedes state law as long as it's within federal jurisdiction, yes. This would apply to environmental regulations, criminal law, etc. So if there was federal regulation against gambling in the criminal code the states would have to abide. But if there is no federal law against gambling (there isn't already), the states CAN MAKE THEIR OWN LAWS AGAINST IT.

And as we see that is just what the case already is, which 33 of them have already.

Federal legislation can't enforce upon the states their will in forcing them to allow online poker to be played. They can't make a law saying that the States don't have the right to make a state law against poker (even if they did it would be immediately overturned as unconstitutional). If the decision is not made to criminalize it federally, it can be still be made illegal by either the state or local governments in their respective jurisdictions.

As I said, if legislation is passed that allows poker sites to once again operate in the US, many states WILL continue to uphold the state laws already in place against gambling.

I dont think so. maybe to lease their software but thats about it

lol wat? Indictments aside? and Indictment by the DOJ is not this small negligible thing. Getting the competition out of the way to pave the road for US casinos is a biiiiig big part of the overall picture. I get it that people love PS and all but come on people. I'm sure there are plenty of people in this country to make software that is just as good if not better. Time to move on imo.

If 17 (or your 40) states want to tax legal internet poker business, they can do that now; and they can have all the tax to themselves instead of sending a 25% cut to the feds forever......!! How many states have done this?

If 40 states really want to legalize poker activity but would prefer to send a chunk of license money to the feds for interstate privileges, please tell me why this huge majority hasn't made this a done deal???

BTW, how much is the racing business paying for fed licensing and interstate privileges? Is it more or less than the proposals for poker?