Republican Robert Wexler may be impartial to online casino gambling, yet the fact remains that he is making a worthy effort to regulate some forms of online gambling, namely poker. Wexler recently introduced the Skill Game Protection Act, which as a follow-up to Congressman Barney Frank's Internet Gambling Regulation Enforcement Act, seeks to carve out exceptions for games of skill (player against player) that offer real money betting, such as online poker games, mahjong, bridge, backgammon and chess.

As Frank gears up to debate the provisions of his legislation in the House Financial Services Committee, which he chairs, Wexler is taking a more safeguard approach introducing his legislation. Die-hard casino gamblers might go so far to say that Wexler could be doing more damage than good to Frank's legislation. Although both pieces of legislation do not seek to outright overturn the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, Frank's legislation certainly seeks to amend it and give individual State's the right to tax and regulate all forms of internet gambling, including online casino gambling.

Wexler's legislation, on the other hand, seeks to "clarify the existing law", as the Poker Player Alliance (PPA) put it so politically correct. The PPA's argument, as is Wexler's legislation, is that poker is a game of skill and not chance. Wexler said that "poker is a game, not a crime", and referred to the fact that millions of Americans currently participate in online games of skill.

The only part in which Wexler's legislation is weak is that it tries to distinguish itself from online casino gambling. Wexler admittedly recognizes there is still an element of chance in games like poker, but he argues that one's overall success is dependent on their level of skill. Wexler also argues that many people depend on online poker rooms to foster their main source of income.

Well, if you ask me, distinguishing poker from strategic games like blackjack, video poker and craps is a stretch in itself, but making it out into a reliable career choice is going much too far. Certainly there are professionals who make a living off of playing online poker. However, they are the vast minority. Not intending to dash anyone's dreams of being a professional poker player (by all means, go for it), Wexler's legislation paints the online poker industry with more glam than it really has. Good try Wexler and the PPA. If the bill does pass, more power to the online skill gambling industry, whatever that is.