Gaming executives may not be popping champagne corks at the news that Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) is joining a mass exodus of incumbents prior to the 2012 election. However, they’re undoubtedly happy to be rid of a longtime thorn in their side — terminology that Kyl would probably take as a compliment.
The retirement of a vexatious but worthy, skillful adversary is cause for at least a backhanded salute. For the past 15 years, Kyl has stymied Internet casinos’ advance into the U.S. virtually singlehanded. His opposition alone was sufficient to ensure that Majority Leader Harry Reid‘s day-late/dollar-short effort to legalize Internet poker in the 2010 lame-duck session was DOA. Evidently sensing a vacuum in Congress where Internet gambling was concerned (and prescient with regard to its importance), Kyl moved to fill it … with himself. As three successive administrations shirked the challenge the issue presented, King Kyl reigned supreme as a self-appointed Internet Casino Monarch, freelancing policy and answerable to no one.
Thanks to UIGEA and recent changes to the makeup of Congress, Kyl’s legacy will be with us for many years yet. And it’s salutary reminder that even one vote in the Senate can have enormous long-term consequences for gaming.
Senator Kyl is a master of putting petty politics ahead of National interests. It was long foregone that Senator Reid was not going to get handed a legislative victory regarding internet gambling, despite the revenue it would generate in a down economy. Kyl’s behavior regarding the START Treaty with Russia was an exercise in dishonesty and dangerous obstructionism. Thankfully some brave politicians like Senator Lugar stepped in and literally shamed enough Republicans to support an extention of Reagans work with the Russians. Bye bye Kyl, time for you to go on tour with Sarah Palin and warm up her audience.