Nevada tax cut bill will not include online gaming legislation

Fans of online slots and other internet-based gambling games recently got their hopes up when an online gaming bill was almost attached to the payroll tax cut extension, according to CasinoCityTimes.com. However, their dreams have been dashed, as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (who proposed the legislation) announced the gaming bill would not be included.

"We think the standards were written in a way that will allow for small adjustments as the process moves forward," Macquarie Securities gaming analyst Chad Beynon wrote in a recent report. "At this point, no firm date has been set, but 13 companies have now submitted for an operating license."

Nevada is currently the only state that allows intrastate online gambling, but Beynon also projected that Iowa, New Jersey and California may enact online gaming legislation as early as this year. Federal officials are currently debating the possibility and details surrounding legalizing online gaming across the nation, which CasinoScamReport.com indicates could be the reason the gaming legislation was left off of the tax cut bill.

Do you think Reid's bill could stand a chance by 2013?