Although Paddy Power has lengthened his odds for gaining the White House to 12/1, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) would be one of the most supportive — if not the most supportive — candidates 
toward the gaming industry. He’s also taken advantage of the Department of Justice‘s reinterpretation of Wire Act to get the Garden State into Internet gaming (although he downplays the significance of his signature on the enabling legislation). He’s also pushed very, very vigorously for legalized sports betting. His one blemish is recent mistreatment of New Jersey‘s Indian tribes, which could point to a more conservative position on tribal gambling nationwide.
That “maybe” hardens into a certainty when the subject is Jeb Bush, the ex-Florida governor who refused to enter into compact negotiations with the Seminole Tribe. A rollback of policy to the era of the anti-tribal George W. Bush administration seems inevitable. He also said, back in 2008, “Florida is family friendly, wholesome, prosperous place [and] gambling doesn’t have a part in that.” Since then gambling has become pretty well ubiquitous, particularly in the battleground states, so that’s got to stick in his craw. Voters in Miami-Dade County turned a deaf ear to his attempts to stop casinos from being put there. While he’s out of step with the electorate on casinos, he could thwart Internet gambling simply by ordering a re-re-interpretation of the Wire Act. His odds stand at 8/1.
Leading the field at 5/4, Hillary Clinton still has some explaining to do. In 1984, she stumped (successfully) for anti-casino forces in Arkansas. Sixteen years later, as senator for New York State, she supported casino expansion at Monticello Raceway and near Niagara Falls. She’s also on both sides of Internet gambling, having voted for the infamous Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act but also promoting the idea of a study to see if ‘Net betting could be safely regulated. Online Poker Report.com nevertheless thinks a Clinton II administration would support expanded Internet wagering.
Readers, the choice is yours.
