US Poker Community Breathes Sign of Relief

Published on December 9th, 2014 9:41 pm EST

The online poker community in the United States breathed a sigh of relief earlier today after it was revealed that the nation's omnibus spending bill would not include RAWA (Restore America's Wire Act). The last-minute wrangling between the Republicans and Democrats had people worried, but in the end the 1,600+ page bill did not include any mention of RAWA.

The Restore America's Wire Act bill would ban all forms of online poker and online casino games in the United States. This bill, had it been snuck into the omnibus spending bill, would have ended online poker in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware and crushed the spread of online poker into states such as California.

RAWA is Sheldon Adelson's attempt to ban online gambling in the United States. There were reports that Adelson was leaning heavily on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to slip RAWA into the omnibus spending bill. The implication, according to reports, was clear - Reid is running for re-election in a couple of years and Adelson would be an important ally to have on the Senate Majority Leader's side.

Adelson was attempting to use the omnibus spending bill as a way to pass RAWA after the House Judiciary Committee cancelled a hearing on the bill earlier in the year. Fortunately for the US poker community, there are some strong organizations and companies that are steadfastly opposed to Adelson's push to ban online poker in the country.

In the end, Adelson's push to ban online gambling in the United States was thwarted once again. Rest assured, however, that Adelson is not going to give up. The man is stubborn and has a practically infinite bankroll so you can be sure that he will renew his push to ban online gambling next year.

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Filed Under: Poker Legal Issues