According to Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), “God wants us to have the right to play poker online”. This is what Barton said during a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on Tuesday. The committee was appointed review the possibility of regulating online gambling in the United States.

Barton introduced his bill Internet Poker Freedom Act in July and has been cheering for it ever since. According to Barton, the internet is an omnipotent technology which allows people to do almost everything, except play poker. At least in the US. “Just about the only thing you can’t do anymore on the Internet is play poker. I think the time has come that in the Internet age, we need to regulate and set a level playing field for those of us who would like to play poker online.”

The committee is handling the proposal and trying to resolve specific issues such as age verification systems, ID verification, self-exclusion systems and poker AI. The main concern is the DOJ’s interpretation of the Wire Act and state’s individual autonomy in deciding over legality of online gambling.