N.D. to make another bid to legalize online
poker
by Sarah Polson
North Dakota State Rep. Jim Kasper plans to introduce
a bill in the state legislature during its next session that would
legalize Internet poker in the state. Internet poker companies would
be able to set-up there legally with their hardware, software, and
employees.
Kasper, who is a Republican, called the online gambling
ban proposal in Congress "ridiculous," and said his fellow
Republicans just don't get it when it comes to Internet gambling.
With Kasper's plan, Internet poker sites would be able
to use North Dakota as a sort of "safe haven" to set up
shop in the United States. They would be required to set up in the
state and would have to use North Dakota's state-owned bank in order
to protect gamblers' money and prevent money laundering.
There would be software mandates put in place to provide
age-verification protections and allow the state to monitor for individuals
who exhibit addictive behavior. The companies would also be limited
to poker in order to avoid any issues with sports betting legality.
The online gambling companies would benefit from the
situation by gaining more legitimacy, and the state would benefit
from the legalization by taxing the Internet poker businesses and
being able to reduce property taxes for its residents.
Kasper said even if the federal government manages to
pass its online gambling ban into law, he would still put forth his
proposal in North Dakota because he believes gambling is a state issue
and not a federal one. He contends that Congress has a right to prevent
crime, but not to stop online Texas Hold'em sessions.
This will be Kasper's second attempt to pass legislation
legalizing online gambling in North Dakota. In 2005, it passed in
the state house, but was overwhelmingly voted down in the state senate.