Washington D.C. OK’s online casino games

Before you get excited and think that federal online gambling legislation has unexpectedly slipped through Congress overnight …it hasn’t.

But what has happened is this.  The District of Columbia (ie Washington D.C.)  made provision its 2011 municipal budget to offer games of skill and chance via the Internet to players within the borders of the District.  Congress had a 30 day window to veto the provision and that window has now expired.

The games operator has already been appointed – Greek lottery giant Intralot.  Although the types of games that will be provided is still up in the air and to be decided by lottery officials.

So, some time in the reasonably near future, the District of Columbia will be the first jurisdiction in the United States to offer legalized online casino games, beating Nevada, New Jersey, California and others to the punch.

Of course the games will only be available to a small population of players…D.C. has about 600,000 residents, a number that swells to around a million during the work-week. So it’s a small entree to regulated US online gambling.  But the location is clearly significant…right under the the noses of the individuals debating whether or not to open the door to net-gambling nation-wide.

I wonder how many politicians will be sneaking in the odd hand of online poker between, or even during particularly boring sessions of Congress?

I’m sure Barney Frank will.