Bill introduced to legalize online poker

Rep Joe Barton (R-TX) introduced legislation that would license and regulate online poker.

Unlike a recent bill from Rep Pete King (R-NY), Barton's bill, the Internet Poker Freedom Act, would apply only to poker and not other forms of online gambling. The legislation would require poker websites to be licensed, would require technology to block underage players and would require programs to discourage compulsive gamblers. The bill would still allow states to conduct their own regulation. Internet gambling is currently in a legal gray zone. A 2006 law curbed Internet gambling, but a 2011 Justice Department decision has permitted states to allow online gambling within their own borders.