Minnesota planning on blocking access to online gambling

[Talking Poker]

12 month may be pushing it, but IMO, we are finally making progress and I do think Party is positioning themselves for when this happens. First, they made a 9 figure settlement with the DOJ so they could never be prosecuted for their past actions, and now they are resigning Mike Sexton, who was let go when the pulled out of the US Market.

It may not happen for a while, but it seems pretty clear to me that Party thinks they have a good chance of being back in the US Market at some point.

I wonder what their stock price looks like lately...

[Kurn]

I think there's a good chance of progress being made, but 12 months? Legalizing internet poker is way down on any legislators priority list right now, until someone does a feasibility study and shows them how much $$$ in taxes they can make.

No way in a year. begin studying the idea maybe in 6 months, but by next year with congressional elections coming up it may not be the right issue to push simply because to 70% or so of the electorate, it is a non-issue.

Maybe by late 2011, and I think thats pushing it.

[Talking Poker]

Price Waterhouse Coopers did that exact study last year:


The "Final Answer": $52 billion could be generated for the US over the next 10 years.

I'm sure Barney Frank will be mentioning that study when he introduces his bill (to overturn the UIGEA) next week.

Meanwhile, I was reading through PartyGaming's Annual Report just now, and there is some pretty interesting stuff in there. Specifically regarding this issue, they believe the US will look to license and regulate online gambling in "the next few years."


Of course, licensing and regulating is still a ways away, but IMO, the UIGEA could be overturned (or a carve out for poker, etc) significantly before then.