2+2 is proud to announce that we are endorsing Senator Dean Heller for Senate 2012. For those who don’t know, he is the Republican candidate for Senate from the State of Nevada which is where our office and home is located.

But for virtually all US poker players, this election is much more important than who gets elected from the State of Nevada. That’s because getting good federal legislation relative to poker is something that is extremely important to all of us, and Senator Heller is a key player in achieving this objective. So in this regards, here is a statement we just received from Senator’s Heller’s Campaign:

Dean Heller understands the importance of creating a legal framework for online poker and its contribution to improving and expanding Nevada’s economy. For this reason, he’s taken a leadership role to get Internet poker legalized and has made it a priority to educate Senate and House members on the merits of legalizing this game. He has also been successful in addressing some of the common misconceptions associated with online poker.

The framework for online poker should also include proper safeguards. Any legislation should require operators to use state-of-the-art technology with GPS capabilities and biometrics in order to prevent gambling by minors. These precautions also help ensure that only consenting jurisdictions – those states that choose to opt-in to a federal licensing program – can participate online. Operators that do not comply with these standards will be fined under the law.

Dean Heller continues to be instrumental in securing support for this issue within his own Senate caucus and House Republican Leadership. He has worked tirelessly to find a constructive legislative path forward on this issue and will continue to work on bipartisan basis to move this issue forward before the end of the 112th Congress.

During the next few days (and weeks), we hope to post more information concerning Senator’s Heller’s Campaign and our endorsement. Again, 2+2 is proud to announce this endorsement and we feel it’s extremely important for our readership to learn about Senator Heller and why we feel this Senate race is so important relative to getting good federal legislation.

Fri, 08/26/2011 – 05:15 – PokerPages Staff

New Jersey State Senator Raymond Lesniak has reportedly kick started his attempts to regulate online gambling in the state by introducing a new bill on Thursday.

Lesniak’s first bill was vetoed by Governor Chris Christie earlier this year after passing through both houses of state government. Lesniak was said to have admitted that he would not reintroduce the bill unless Christie guaranteed that a similar outcome would not occur again.

However, despite not receiving those assurances, Lesniak has supposedly decided to put forward bill S-3019 due to the precarious position of the horse-racing industry in New Jersey. The potential revenue from subsidizing online gambling could be crucial to its immediate future.

“I’m hoping the governor will reassess his position, and that Republican representatives from that area will help him change his mind. I think the opportunity is here to get together and change his view,” Lesniak said in a statement.

Lesniak is reported to have made several changes to the new bill, addressing Christie’s previous concerns that internet gambling cafes could become a widespread problem in the state if it had been signed into law.

Supposedly, Lesniak is also eager for New Jersey to become the first state to legalize gambling on the virtual felt as it would help strengthen their position if and when federal legislation is passed in the United States.

“It’s not going to be a long road, but we’re just not sure where it leads. We’ll put the bill back on his desk before the end of the year, and hopefully by that time we’ll have changed his mind,” Lesniak concluded.