According to the Poker Players Alliance, the main lobbying voice for poker players on Capitol Hill, a bill could be introduced in the US Congress that “would block new states from licensing online poker while a federal study is conducted.”

That’s different than the Sheldon Adelson-backed Restoring America’s Wire Act, or RAWA, which bans online gambling and online poker in the US altogether, including in the three states where it’s regulated: New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware.

As Rich TheEngineerMuny from the PPA explained, “While the news is good in that it we are taking the fight to our opposition and are having successes, the rumored study bill is not good news at all. Fortunately, the poker community is organized to defeat any RAWA-lite bills on the horizon.”

Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) introduced RAWA in the House of Representatives, while Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who is running for President of the United States, introduced RAWA in the Senate. As Gambling Compliance put it, “It is not clear how seriously the study proposal is being considered. But it is being pitched as an alternative to the stalemate which has developed within the Republican Party” over RAWA.

According to US News, Adelson (pictured), whose Las Vegas Sands casinos include the Venetian and Palazzo in Las Vegas, spent $150 million during the 2012 elections supporting the likes of Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, among others. The news outlet added, however, “Only one of the nine races he targeted with cash came out the way he wanted.”

Adelson’s influence, especially with an election year looming in 2016, could be enough to push a study bill or RAWA through. For example, Presidential candidateMarco Rubio (R-FL) is a co-sponsor of RAWA in the Senate. Graham, also a Presidential candidate, is its main champion despite the fact that he’s never sent an e-mail.

In March, a Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee held a hearingcentered on RAWA that largely consisted of fear-mongering. The witness panel lacked anyone with a technical or regulatory background and, instead, the debate centered on the moral ramifications of gambling. The lone bright spot was Perry Aftab, who while lacking technical expertise espoused the benefits of regulated internet gambling.

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