They always say that hindsight is 20/20, and indeed, now that all the dust has settled and people are getting over the indignity of having a poker bill scrapped, everyone’s starting to thank their lucky stars that Harry Reid’s bill died before it could come to fruition.

Sneaky, sneaky

If you’re an online poker player, chances are, you’re either playing at PokerStars or at Full Tilt, the two biggest poker rooms in the internet. These two sites accept poker players and already have a long standing reputation that they are running a legit business that does not aim to swindle money off of people. In fact, a lot of Americans have turned to online poker as their primary source of income, and even more use it as a supplementary source. Living the life of a “Professional Poker Player” has become entirely possible thanks to these sites. However, if Harry Reid’s bill was passed, Full Tilt, PokerStars, and other similar sites would have been kicked out of the US for a minimum of 15 months. Supporters of the bill soldiered under the banner of ‘online poker regulation’.

But in reality, the bill was simply paving the way for MGM Mirage and Caesars’ Entertainment to muscle in on the poker industry and establish themselves without having to contend with the current giants, Full Tilt and PokerStars.

Regulation? Really?

Had the bill passed, players who built up their accounts on Full Tilt and PokerStars would have lost all the progress they made. All those loyalty points – yeaaah, down the drain… for at least 15 months, that is… and all for what? So that the casino giants in America could force you into choosing them over the site that you’re playing at right now? We all want regulation, but at what cost? Full Tilt and PokerStars have more than proven their integrity time and again – that they would be excluded from the market the moment the bill is passed is nothing short of stupid. The thought is simply absurd, and the Republicans have come out as unlikely heroes for thwarting Reid’s bill.

It’s a classic bullying move that was surprising in its subtlety. For now, Reid and the other supporters of the bill have retreated and are said to be ‘improving’ the bill. Hopefully, this improvement will include provisions that are fair to everyone, especially the American Poker Pros.

When signing up to PokerStars or Full Tilt, remember to use the correct PokerStars Bonus Code or Full Tilt Referral Code in-order to get the maximum sign-up bonus.