On Tuesday, voters in the United States went to the polls for midterm elections. The entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate were up for grabs and, when the polls closed, internet gambling champion Barney Frank (D-MA) was reelected by a 54% vote. However, with Democrats losing control of the House, Frank will likely lose his post as Chairman of the Financial Services Committee.
The Committee has been largely responsible for bringing pro-internet gambling bills to life including Frank’s HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. The measure was marked up in the Committee in July, but has not yet been addressed on the House floor. It sports 70 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle.
Among those watching the returns with anxious eyes on Tuesday was Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas, who told Poker News Daily, “It’s disappointing to see that Barney might lose his position, but the PPA has done a good job of recruiting others on that committee. It’s unclear who its Chairman will be, but it looks like it will be Spencer Bachus (R-AL). With that, we have a challenge, but not even Bachus can say with a straight face that the UIGEA has been a successful piece of legislation. Even he and his staff would contend that there needs to be review of how the government addresses internet gaming.”
UIGEA originator Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) was reelected to another two years on Capitol Hill, as were internet gambling proponents Shelley Berkley (D-NV) and Jim McDermott (D-WA). McDermott’s HR 4976 serves as the tax companion bill to HR 2267, but it has not yet been marked up in the House Ways and Means Committee.
Pappas was looking forward to meeting new members of Congress come January: “We’re very excited to educate so many new members. We’ve had success when new members come into Congress and we’re able to get players and members in their districts out in front of them. Whether Republican or Democrat, when you spell out the issue and it’s backed up by calls, it’s important. New blood here in Congress is good for our issue.” According to Yahoo News, Republicans will have at least 240 seats in the House come January.
In a hotly contested race in Nevada, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was reelected to another six-year term. He told his constituents around 2:00am ET in an acceptance speech, “Nevada chose to look forward, not backwards. Nevada made this choice because we know it’s not about us versus them. Today, you made possible what many called impossible and I’m grateful you did, not for me, but for the future we all share as Nevadans.” Pappas added that the PPA sank a considerable amount of resources into Reid’s reelection bid.
Also weighing in on what Republican control of the House could mean for online poker players was Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan, who told Poker News Daily, “It’s an opportunity for the lobby in DC and go back and reassess how they are championing this bill. Thus far, it’s been an emphasis on revenue. Taken against the backdrop of the Federal Government, the total revenue is small. Perhaps they could primarily champion it as a jobs creation and capital investment bill.” The creation of jobs was the name of the game on Tuesday night and emphasized in a victory speech by House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH).
Bachus ran unopposed in Alabama and currently serves as the Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee. Now, Bachus and other sitting lawmakers will likely return to Capitol Hill for a so-called “lame duck” session. Whether internet gambling and online poker will be addressed before 2010 is through remains to be seen. Pappas forecasted, “We’ve said that our best opportunity to get something done in 2010 was during the lame duck session. We’re still moving in that direction.”
