Harry Reid’s Online Gambling Bill Comes to an End
December 27th, 2010
Everyone in the online gambling community has been upbeat lately with all the news about the different states and places in the world moving forward with the legalization of online gambling. In the United States folks were excited about the introduction of the Harry Reid bill which aimed to remove online poker from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) which would allow for online gambling and online casino games such as slots to be legal in the country. However, all of the high hopes and excitement ended pretty soon in only one week after the introduction of the bill as it has come to and end.
The current session will not permit for the new online gambling bill by Harry Reid to get a vote and can not be added as an amendment to another law in these last days of 2010. The executive director of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), John Pappas, has recently stated that: “We are disappointed that Congress failed to act and provide the necessary consumer protections and sensible oversight over this multi-billion dollar industry. Sadly, some politicians remain with their heads firmly in the sand. The leadership of the Poker Players Alliance got the debate this far and we are determined to see this through.”
Harry Reid’s bill was to be added to a different bill for tax relief however, that plan wasn’t successful and thusly the online casino gambling proposal will not be adopted in this new law. This online gambling bill was specific to the fact that the United States needs help to create revenue to bring the country to a recovery from the global recession of the past years. To legalize and regulate online casino games would be a great help on this matter and Harry Reid’s bill was to be added to the tax bill recently drafted by President Obama but faced a great deal of opposition that brought it to an end.
California Moving Forward with Online Casinos
December 10th, 2010
This year has been a big year for online gambling in general, which means good news for all folks who love to play free video slot games and the ever-so-popular casino table games without having to leave their house. In the United States more people are fighting towards new legislations and more states are joining in the battle. For instance, just after the Senate in the state of New Jersey approved their online gambling bill, the state of California has shown strong interest in improving their online casino gambling issues in 2011.
California is strongly trying to fix the state budget and have turned to online gambling for a possible solution. According to state officials the newest online gambling bill sponsor will be announced before the year ends. California has always had issues with the tribes in their state but have improved those relationships to a point where discussion is a possibility and their support is practically imminent. It seems as tough the political atmosphere in California is improving dramatically for the online casino gambling community and will continue as the new year rolls in.
In California the new governor, Jerry Brown, is said to be open for a new online gambling-related bill and things in the state are still looking good with both houses remaining predominantly Democratic. However, the success of this new proposal is California depends entirely on how the bill behaves in New Jersey. When online casinos are fully legal there, other states in the country will follow since legislators will take advantage of the momentum since other states have shown apprehension simply for the fact that they don’t want to be the first to try out this new law. Other states want to know what has been done outside of their home towns before they go ahead an change their legislations, especially when its a sensitive issue like online gambling.
More Obstacles for Online Casinos in the US
November 12th, 2010
This past October, the Republican party in the United States took control of the House of Representatives after picking up 60 seats in midterm elections. This is the largest gain in the House since 1948 for the Republicans. What does this mean for the online gaming community?
With President Obama’s Democratic Party loosing a great deal of control of the House, the Lower House of Congress and with minimum grasp of the U.S. Senate, both online gambling operations and regular land-based gamblers should be concerned as to what this will mean for the progress of American gambling laws. In 2008, when the new president was elected, the online gaming community was hopeful with the Democrat taking three chambers of government and placing majorities into both of the Congressional Houses.
However, these new results have largely dimmed the possibilities for positive changes in the next two years. Even though the Republican party has not been consistent about their view on online gambling, senior US Senator for the State of Kentucky, Mitch McConnell, has consistently voted against all previous gambling legislation and his state has been very unfriendly to offshore gambling. McConnell serves as an example for how the community can expect for Republics to react in newer, or even paused, legislations regarding the legalization of online casinos and gambling sites.
One of the positive figures to remain in office is representative Barney Frank, U.S. House Representative for Massachusetts and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, who has been an activist for the legalization of online casinos in the United States. These online gaming sites would offer the same options land-based venues have including poker tables, video slots and more. However, the new Republican force in the House is not likely to to take Frank’s proposals into consideration even when in the past he did have bi-partisan support.
Video Slot Machines Grow in Popularity in Georgia
October 29th, 2010
Video slot machines are some of the most popular games that people seem to be enjoying these days, wether they’re located on a land-based establishment or found at an online casino web site. In the United States, there are illegal video slot machines in corner stores in places like Georgia and throughout the rest of the country and seem to drain thousands of dollars from gamblers on a daily basis. These electronic video slots represent such an awesome opportunity for owners to make quick cash that authorities claim that for every illegal video slot casino that is shut down, two more seem to appear out of the blue.
In 2001, the state of South Carolina banned video gambling machines from their stores and other and casino operators were forced to move their operations to Georgia were thousands of new machines invaded the state. These video slot machines are the kind that take bills of $20 and $50 per bet, including those machines that simulate other games like poker and more traditional slots. Those high amounts per bet are alarming for the authorities in Georgia, especially since the law allows for winners to cash out merchandise valued at $5 or less for a single play or try their luck again with free plays.
In April, authorities seized 18 video slot gambling machines and four people were arrested and charge. An anonymous person wrote to the Banner-Herald newspaper with high regards of theses busts and hoped that authorities would continue to do more. The writer named other seven stores that offer illegal casino games and claimed that they offered jackpots of more than $3,000. According to an ongoing investigation, the video slot machines accepted bills in denominations of $1 and up to $20, but clerks in the store stated that players could only redeem winnings for gas or merchandise, but not actual money.
Party On with the Newest Video Slot: Roll Out the Barrels
October 15th, 2010
The greatest party on Earth has made it to the free video slots world. Rival Gaming has created a new video slot machine game that promises to take you on a trip to Germany and celebrate their biggest party of the year: Oktoberfest!. They have named this game “Roll Out the Barrels” which fits perfectly well with the theme of this festival full of beers, music and food. What more could you possibly want out of a slot machine game designed to turn your party mood on?
Roll Out the Barrels has 5 reels and 20 paylines that will help you cash in some of the juiciest prizes you’ve ever seen. You can enjoy this game with as little as one penny or 25 cents for maximum payout possibility. The game belongs to the video slot family and comes with every little detail we love about the newest generation of video slot games. Fun icons decorate the screen and animations pop here and there which keeps the game fun and alive. A set of symbols found in Roll Out the Barrels include a wooden barrel of beer, a pretzel, a german sausage, an accordion, an alp horn and many more festival related images.
Of course, Roll Out the Barrels wouldn’t be complete without quite a few extra features. First off, the game has an expanding wild symbol. This symbol is the Barrel of Beer and when it appears it will replace any other symbol to create a juicy prizes. Another great extra feature is the bonus round game. The bonus game is launched when players get 3 or more Barmaid symbols. You must keep the customers hydrated by giving them beer and you must choose to fill the jars from four different barrels which will pay out different prizes. Choose well and you’ll be handsomely rewarded with a nice amount of coins.
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