In November 2005, reports surfaced that North Dakota state representative Jim Kasper had renewed the fight for online poker. Kasper's first efforts failed last year, when a bill he sponsored to legalize online poker in the state was shot down by the senate. More recently, Kasper has reportedly been wooing a number of online poker companies to help him fund a second go at proposing the initiative, which he has estimated will cost $1 million. In addition to direct contact with companies, Kasper has also spoken at trade events, seeking to gain wider support among poker industry members. Just three months have passed since Kasper's online poker efforts were reported to have been renewed, but that seems time enough for the online poker advocate to lose hope.

Kasper has stated that his efforts to legally sanction online poker are nearing their end. In a case of the straw that broke the camel's back, Kasper is becoming exasperated by the seeming futility of his efforts. For the tenacious legislator, not even a 44-3 nay-saying vote for Kasper's 2005 bill proposal dashed his hopes. In round two, however, Kasper has found the response of the online poker community underwhelming, and the feeling is quickly rubbing off on him.

The congressman's current fundraising efforts have borne little fruit, a fact that Kasper blames on the decentralized character of the online poker industry, which makes any unified action difficult. Kasper said that several bodies in the online gaming sector have voiced support for the online poker initiative, but none have put their money where their mouths are, so to speak. Kasper has said that, unless he can be assured the support, financial and otherwise, of the industry, he is ready to fold.

Source:  Poker777 Staff

Tuesday, 07 February 2006