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Lotteries have generally opposed federal legislation, pushing for states to retain control of gambling laws. I. Nelson Rose, a gambling law expert, said the opinion's timing and deference to states could mean trouble for commercial casinos that want an inside track on running licensed online gambling. "They're going to have problems because when the states legalize, their natural inclination is to give it to the locals," said Rose, who regularly writes about online gambling developments at his blog, Gambling and The Law. And that, he said, is the big question: Who's going to get the license? "If you're a Nevada casino operator, you don't want to be competing in more than 50 separate jurisdictions against connected, politically powerful operators," Rose said. Rose said new federal laws are a longshot in 2012, while states could choose to enter into compacts with other states to pool players, making games more lucrative. U.S. lotteries could emulate counterparts in Canada that run limited online gambling sites in the provinces, he said. Recreational player Mark Gorman of Austin, Texas, said he's skeptical, because different DOJ officials under a future president could change their opinion, forcing lawmakers to start over again. "I wasn't terribly excited that this would change the landscape," Gorman said. In Nevada, where gambling regulators adopted online poker regulations the day before the DOJ opinion, it's not clear whether casinos will try to let gamblers wager on more than just poker online. Michael Gaughan, owner of the South Point casino in Las Vegas, said his lawyers are looking at how the opinion has changed legal situation as he tries to become the first Nevada casino operator to run legal online poker in the state. "I don't know what happens," Gaughan said. "This opens up a whole can of worms, now." He said he'll wait for their analysis before deciding whether to ask Nevada regulators to expand his plans. Poker may be a baby step, legalized before other games as states argue that gambling creates jobs, said Alexander Ripps, a legal analyst in Washington for independent gambling market analysis firm Gambling Compliance. "I think you're going to see it coming down to what to they think can get through," Ripps said. "Once you're in with one thing, then, in theory, down the line you can always get something else in." Meanwhile, Boyko said, he just wants to be able to trust his money online while the game. "All I want is a safe place to play poker," he said.
[Associated
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