Poker and the Bipartisan Tax Fairness and Simplification Act

Poker News / Matthew Pitt / 24 February 2010 / Leave a Comment

The curiously named Bipartisan Tax Fairness and Simplification Act was introduced on Tuesday by US senators Ron Wyden and Judd Gregg, a bill that could eventually lead to internet gambling being regulated and taxed in the USA, paving the way for European sites to open their doors to the American poker playing public once again.

The fact that the bill is being introduced by a member of both political parties, Wyden is a Democrat whilst Gregg is a Republican, should immediately draw the attention of their peers at Capitol Hill. Given the code S3018, the bill actually sets out to simplify and reform the US tax codes, reducing them from the current six codes down to just three, set at 15%, 25% and 35%, also called the Alternative Minimum Tax.

However, it is Subtitle C that has the online poker community excited at the prospect of internet gambling being regulated and being made available for them to play without worry of the consequences. It borrows language from Barney Frank's HR2267, the equally overly-long named Internet Gambling regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act, which has amassed 65 co-sponsors so far.

It is not known how much support a bill trying to change tax codes will receive in the Senate but even if it flops it does set a precedent in that it will be the first time internet gambling has been added to a bill and it definitely will not be the last. Wyden actually tried to attach something similar to a health care reform but dropped the idea when it was not received very well.

With a little bit of luck the bill will generate great interest and be signed into law as soon as possible. For those who are sceptical, do you remember how the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was sneakliy inserted into the Safe Port Act of 2006, meaning those with the power to vote could not really reject it as it was a counter terrorism bill. Maybe, just maybe this will go through in the same way.

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