New York Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (l.) has introduced a new bill to regulate online poker in the state. The bill is a companion to a bill introduced in the state Senate. The bills follow up efforts in 2016 that saw an online poker bill approved by the Senate. The bills define poker as a game of skill.
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New York is poised for another run at legalizing online poker as a bill to regulate the game has been introduced in the state’s Assembly.
The bill matches a companion bill introduced in the state Senate. Both bills classify online poker as a game of skill. The distinction answers concerns that the state’s constitution does not allow the legislature to expand gambling.
“The courts have not limited the legislature’s ability to determine that certain forms of poker should fall outside the general definition of gambling since those games are games of skill,” the bill says.
The bills specifically reference Texas Hold ‘em and Omaha as poker variants that require high skill levels and do not fall under the definition of gambling in the state, according to a report on Cardplayer.com. The bills only apply to online poker, and not online slots and casino games.
The new bill was introduced by Assemblymen Gary Pretlow and joins a bill introduced in the state Senate by Senator John Bonacic. This will be the third year New York considers and online poker bill. Last year, a bill was approved in the state Senate, but died in the Assembly.
The bills also outline regulations for online poker and set a 15 percent tax on gross gaming revenue.
