Online Poker Players Watch President Obama Speech

Las Vegas has been the centre stage for most internet poker players this summer especially those who played in the World Series of Poker. Most of them took some time-out to watch the presidential address on Tuesday evening.

The U.S is regarded as the hub for many online poker operators and considered to be the premier market for online gambling in the world. The past couple of weeks have seen Representative Barney Frank and his fellow lawmakers hard at work to convince the powers that be, to change the current gambling laws in the country and to legalize online gambling once again.

Rep. Frank proposes that the U.S should rather control the online gambling Industry rather than criminalize it. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UGEA) was implemented in 2006 since then nothing much has changed in the industry pertaining to the U.S.

Rep. Franks’ bill has a worthy opponent in the likes of Rep. Spencer Bacchus.  Across the board Frank has received support from many different lawmakers; one person who might turn the tables in favour of Frank is the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Reid has not been a staunch supporter of online gambling in the past; however, he has experienced a chance of heart of late.  Staunch supporters of online gambling in the U.S are keeping their fingers crossed in the hope that online gambling would be legalized in the country again.

Sen. Reid represents Nevada, Las Vegas the gambling capital in the U.S has long been opposed to online gambling, some of the major company’s may be changing their views on this issue.  Harrah’s Entertainment has even launched an online casino with the Caesars brand. Presently U.S players are not allowed to wager at these casinos.

President Obama addressed the nation on Tuesday night, has played a poker game or two in the past as well. The gist of his speech was centred to end the combat mission in Iraq, after many years against the nation President George Bush has declared war, military presence in Iraq is now below 50,000 soldiers.