Many of the new congressional leadership have ties to legal gaming

When Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), was chosen U.S. Senate majority leader for the 110th Congress that will convene in January, he was just one of a number of influential leaders with a connection to casino gaming.

Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is expected to be the Republican leader in the senate, and Kentucky is a state with land based casinos.

Dick Durbin (D-IL) assistant majority leader is from a state that 's filled with casinos.

Trent Lott, (R-MS) Minority whip, is from a state that has numerous land based casinos.

Jon Conyers (D-MI), expected to head the House Judiciary Committee, has seen the business brought by casinos to Detroit.

Barney Frank (D-MA), expected to chair the Financial Services Committee, is opposed to UIGEA on libertarian grounds.

Could this mark a sea change in Congress regarding its approach to online gaming? At this point it’s anyone’s guess.

My opinion is that the American Gaming Association will succeed in commissioning a study to determine whether online gaming can be successfully regulated in the US.

Once those results come in, look for the major land-based casino brands in the US to partner up with online sites that will allow them to provide well-regarded and trusted brand identity with tried and true software, online marketing, and back room expertise in support of regulated online gaming within the USA.

It won’t happen overnight, and I hope I’m not being overly optimistic in my assessment, but I can’t see prohibition ever succeeding — it never has — and a regulated industry is the next best thing.