Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Gaming Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee adopts amendment and advances online gaming bill after divided executive-session vote
Summary
In executive session the Senate Ways and Means Committee adopted a sponsor amendment restoring charities to the revenue distribution and advanced Senate Bill 168, the online poker/table-games licensing measure; the committee recorded a 3-2 vote on the final recommendation.
Senator Tim Lang and committee members discussed amendment 260s to Senate Bill 168 during executive session; the amendment restored charities to the distribution of gaming revenues and clarified the bill would cover online table games (poker, blackjack, roulette) rather than slot machines or historical horse racing.
The chair described the amendment as fixing a drafting error: "It was never my intention to carve out the charities from revenue. This bill puts the charities back in play," he said during executive-session remarks.
Committee discussion included concerns about the social costs of expanding online gaming. One member said, "I've been voting against them. I don't think we should expand gambling at this point, and I'm concerned about the effects on the brick and mortar establishments... I think it will be easier for someone to develop a problem," and urged more robust responsible-gaming funding and services. The chair responded that the committee would pursue a separate proposal next year to consolidate responsible-gaming funding and to consider a percentage set-aside to support addiction services and a statewide self-exclusion database.
In the recorded executive-session vote the committee adopted the sponsor amendment and forwarded the bill with an OTPA recommendation; the committee recorded a 3-2 vote on the final motion.
