Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2013
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.
Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2013 - Prohibits a person from (and requires a fine under the federal criminal code, imprisonment up to five years, or both for) operating an Internet poker facility without a license in good standing issued by a qualified regulatory authority.
Defines "qualified regulatory authority" as: (1) a state agency or regulatory body qualified by the Secretary of Commerce (in the case of a state) or the National Indian Gaming Commission (in the case of a federally recognized Indian tribe) as having met certain minimum standards prescribed by the Secretary and Commission; (2) the designated regulatory authority of a federally recognized Indian tribe authorized to game under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and designated as a qualified under the same minimum standards; or (3) the Office of Internet Poker Oversight to be established by this Act in the Department of Commerce.
Makes such prohibition inapplicable to facilities operated by persons located outside the United States in which bets or wagers are made by individuals located outside the United States.
Allows a licensee to accept an Internet poker bet or wager from U.S.-located individuals and offer related services so long as the license remains in good standing.
Prohibits licensees from knowingly accepting bets or wagers by persons residing where a state or Indian tribe has notified the Secretary of specific gambling prohibitions. Sets forth exceptions concerning the applicability of such state prohibitions on tribal lands.
Establishes a five-year term for initial licenses, subject to renewal and transfer requirements.
Authorizes enforcement and disciplinary actions by the Secretary and qualified regulatory authorities. Sets forth civil monetary penalties.
Requires each qualified regulatory authority to: (1) maintain a list of persons self-excluded from playing Internet poker through licensed Internet poker facilities; and (2) submit a current copy of such list each week to the Secretary, who shall maintain a master list. Requires each licensee, as a licensure condition, to implement a gambling addiction, responsible gaming, and self exclusion program.
The summary continues for 7 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on July 11, 2013. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on July 12, 2013: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 113th Congress (2013-14), 296 of the 9,091 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.3 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
JOE BARTON (R-TX) introduced it on July 11, 2013, and 1 member has since signed on as a cosponsor.
They are 1 Democrat.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on July 11, 2013, 4809 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 4808 days ago, on July 12, 2013.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 113th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2015 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers