AGA Chief Believes American Online Poker Is Close

American Gaming Association Chief Executive Frank Fahrenkopf Jr. said he believes legalized online poker in America is close to reality, but rejected current legislation sitting before the U.S. Government.

Speaking at the G2E Expo in Las Vegas earlier this week, Fahrenkopf said, "We're perhaps closer to federal legislation than we've ever been. There's a buzz in Washington about the need for action."

"The fact is that, despite the (indictments), millions of Americans are still betting billions of dollars a year on foreign poker websites, sites outside the reach of US law enforcement, leaving US players vulnerable." \

Fahrenkopf said that he and fellow staffers at the AGA were working to meet with more than 100 freshman lawmakers to deliver their message on internet poker. The AGA executive also said that the current legislation in front of the U.S. Congress does not achieve the goals that the AGA or industry leaders want to see.