Fri, 04/15/2011 – 01:02 – PokerPages Staff

Nevada’s Assembly Judiciary Committee has unanimously passed the bill which could make the Silver State the first to offer a regulated and licensed intrastate framework in the United States.

An amended version of Assembly Bill 258 introduced by William Horne was met with approval by all quarters on Tuesday.

The amended bill does not provide provisions for international play though a tax structure will be implemented if and when federal driven laws are eventually put into place.

Horne concluded that “the parties agreed that intranet poker will be able to be commenced, and the Nevada Gaming Commission will be able to license gaming for online poker, before the federal regulation happens.”

There had also been strong suggestions that Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval was in support of blanket federal legislation but Horne revealed that those views were based on the potential conflict of the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

“I don’t believe the governor’s letter to me actually said he didn’t support the poker bill. He recognizes that we need the bill, and just has concerns about us coming in conflict with federal law.”

“Today we passed out an amended version of the bill, and I am confident that the governor will sign when it reaches his desk.”

The bill must now pass the Assembly floor before moving onto the Senate. If successful, Governor Sandoval will then have the option of signing it into law.

“The concerns of the bill’s opposition have been alleviated in the Assembly. I anticipate when we go to the Senate that everyone will go to the table in support of the bill.”