[MagCFO]

[ QUOTE ]
"any other highlights from the conference worth sharing"

Basically, there were some good insights into the regulatory quagmire that would bog down any internet gaming regulatory effort. These are over and above the financial and screening barriers to entry one can expect from a regulatory approach.

I got a "from the front lines" idea, consistent with my past experience with gaming regulators, in the US and offshore.

The online poker industry flourished in an atmosphere of little or no regulation of any real substance. Since moving into the public capital markets, and pushing a "regulation" is best agenda, it has floundered .... aside from momentum it had going forward.

There will be serious delays associated with crafting a regulatory approach or adapting current regulations to internet gaming. For example, in Nevada, a truly gaming-friendly state, in order to change a chip in a single machine on the floor, gaming authorities must be notified. Each State will present different, idiosyncratic requirements ..... (hence force behind the Dormant Commerce Clause")

There are companies and interests, reported in the press, who are hard at work to formulate some standard approaches to technical issues, consistent with operational functions. That is a very tough row to hoe and I hope they succeed.

(Age verification and locational screening are really minor technical issues, albeit major political ones. The host of regualtory technical issues will be mind-blowing. You really need to question whether the market or regulation works best ....)

I had always been puzzled by the 18 mos. window proposed for the Study Bill, but it makes sense in that context.

In contrast, a market-based approach, which is where the industry grew up, has proven fairly protective of customers and certainly has placed few barriers to development of the game.

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I'm not sure exactly what you are saying about the "bog down" that will happen during the legislative process.

Are you saying you now understand why the study bill calls for 18 months?

I definitely think getting a regulating internet would be a process that would probably take 3 years in my opinion.

There would be a study bill that would take 18-24 months, then it would take probably another year to "digest" and implement the results of the study bill.

Now, 3 years sounds like a long time, but the good news IMO would be that once the process starts, the enforcement of current regs would probably be pretty nil. That's just my opinion, but I don't see the DOJ making a huge push to shut people down if there was a bill in process to possible legalize and regulate the industry.

TPCEO - did you expect regulation to be faster or slower? I couldn't tell if the 18 month study bill was something you think is feasible or maybe you think it will take even more time.