Poker bill clears Senate committee, heads to floor

(AP) - Lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee have approved Internet poker bill AB258, sending it a floor vote.

The amended bill is intended to ensure the state has licensing and regulation standards in place should the federal government legalize Internet gambling. The rules would be established by the Nevada Gaming Commission,

Online gambling has been mired in controversy since the U.S. Justice Department indicted executives of three top online poker sites April 15, charging them with violating federal law. In its original form, AB258 would have prohibited state regulators from denying a license to existing online poker sites. That provision was deleted.

Assemblyman William Horne of Las Vegas says AB258 will make Nevada a licensing model if and when the federal government legalizes online gambling.

The committee approved the bill Tuesday.