The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS), released last Friday the first draft of the proposed “Policy Framework for the Regulation of Internet Gaming” that the members of the NCLGS developed, in order to provide a model for other U.S. states contemplating on the legalization of Internet-based gambling.The organization of lawmakers makes it clear that the purpose of their establishment is not as a means to oppose or support online gambling, but to ensure that an effective system and policy standards are already in place, once the different U.S. states enter into interstate online gambling compacts.
Inasmuch as such compacts are inevitable, it would serve those that intend to introduce and enact laws that legalize online gambling within their jurisdiction, including those that would consider multi-jurisdictional initiatives, to have clear and comprehensive set of guides that ensure uniformity of policies in place, which in turn will promote the security of interstate gambling.
The policy framework topics include matters pertaining to player protection, problem gambling safeguards, online payment processing, age verification, geo-location detection, player identity verification, taxation, regulatory supervision, licensing, policy enforcement, game selection, legal issues, and multi-jurisdictional agreements.
The council of legislators have already made consultations with the casino regulators of the New Jersey Division of Gaming and Enforcement, regarding mostly issues encountered and dealt with in connection with the Garden State’s launching of its Internet’s gambling industry. Some of the issues discussed included the much publicized geo-location problems that presented difficulties to legitimate registering players located in NJ’s border communities. Other problems taken-up included the use of credit cards to fund an online gambling account, which stems from the non-gambling policy of the major credit card companies, as far as U.S. online players are concerned.
The draft has been released and is available at the NCLGS website so that interested parties may view the framework as it will be open for comments on June 06. This will be during the scheduled NCLGS Summer Meeting to be held at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla, in San Diego, CA from June 06 to 08, 2014 and between 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Florida Rep. James Waldman and President of NCLGS said that “as a group of legislators responsible for sound gaming public policy in our respective states, the council recognizes the threats, as well as the possibilities, involved in new technology and Internet gaming”, for which the NCLGS “wants to ensure that an effective system is in place for those that do allow intrastate Internet gaming, and that policy standards are in place to promote security and uniformity in states that may wish to form interstate Internet compacts.”
The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States is the only independent organization of state lawmakers and is open to all states and territories of the US, Including Puerto Rico. The NCLGS members designated as chairs are members of respective state legislative committees responsible for the regulation of gaming in their state legislative houses. Its primary concern is to ensure the proper regulation of the Internet gaming industry in states where such industry is recognized as legal.
Aside from the Executive Committee headed by NCLGS President and Florida Rep. James Waldman, Vice President (vacant), Secretary Delaware Representative Helene Keeley and Treasurer Alabama Representative James Buskey, as well as several other representative and senators of different contributing states, the NCLGS structure includes committees for pari-mutuels, lotteries, casinos, responsible gaming and state-federal relations.
