Will Congress hold 'em or fold 'em on Net gambling?

The gambling lobby has a message for Congress as states line up to cash in on a White House ruling that in-state online lotteries and poker won’t violate a federal Internet betting ban: Deal now or get stuck with a bad hand.

A Justice Department opinion issued before Christmas has created a now-or-never dynamic on the Hill for lawmakers and lobbyists pushing for a federal Internet poker law as state and regional officials move ahead with online gambling plans. Come April, DC plans to offer online poker and blackjack. Illinois intends to be selling lottery tickets on the Web by then, too. Meanwhile, Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) was quoted this week saying his state could be the “epicenter” of Internet betting. “The writing is on the wall. The states are going to do this,” said John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance. “The first three or four months of the year is going to be pretty important for Congress to act.” All bets are on some key lawmakers — some backed by Las Vegas casinos — trying to do an end-run around the DOJ opinion by pre-empting it with a federal law. That could set up a showdown pitting states vs. the feds.