Libertarian Johnson’s Presidential Campaign Could Help Facilitate iGambling

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Saturday, June 18th, 2016 | Written by Charles Washington

While discussions about online poker and other forms of iGaming are taking place in state legislatures across the country, little is being said about the possibility of regulating online poker, online casino games and daily fantasy sports at the national level. At one of the Republican primary debates, the issue of daily fantasy sports betting was brought up and almost as quickly dismissed by the candidates, while on the Democratic side of the aisle there also doesn’t seem to be any interest in considering the matter.

But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a political party that is outspoken about the issue. The Libertarian political party has long been committed to legalizing and regulating iGaming, viewing the matter as an extension of personal liberty. Libertarians combine conservative views regarding the government’s reach and influence, with liberal views on social issues, and this has proved to be a positive philosophy for online gaming.

Meet the Libertarian Candidate

The Libertarian Party is poised to appear on the ticket for the U.S. presidential campaign in all 50 states. Their candidate is Gary Johnson, the former Governor of New Mexico, and his running mate is William Weld, the former Governor of Massachusetts. Both men bring years of experience with them to their campaigns, and have the distinction of being Republican Governors in states that usually elect Democrats to their highest office.

In 2011, Gary Johnson was also the Libertarian candidate for President. As a part of his campaign, he reached out to the online poker and iGaming communities, vowing to push to end the restrictions on online gambling if he were elected to office. After the US clampdown on unregulated online poker sites that year, Governor Johnson even took the opportunity to express his support for the issue by posting the following statement on the 2+2 poker forums:

“Government has absolutely no business telling Americans what they can do with their own time and their own money on their own computers, and that most certainly should apply to playing poker online. The fact that Americans are now prevented from playing online poker is an outrage. Unfortunately it is but another chilling example of how Congress and the Justice Department continue to trample on our personal liberty.”

Poker players subsequently helped to drive his campaign, and many political insiders believe that their influence and actions at the polls were what helped Johnson secure 1 percent of the popular vote.

Johnson Supports DFS Industry

By 2015, Johnson was helping to drive forward the America Initiative, which seeks to advance libertarian ideals in the US. He subsequently lent his support to the daily fantasy sports industry by expressing solidarity with FanDuel and DraftKings, and furnishing them with statement which was later read out in front of the Manhattan office of NY AG Eric Schneiderman. As an extract from the text read:

“The Attorney General’s unwarranted attack on fantasy sports is classic government overreach. Government should protect freedom, not curtail it just because a politician wants to. When tens of millions of Americans want to engage in a fun, harmless activity, why is it any of the government’s business? There are plenty of laws on the books to protect citizens from fraud and abuse, if and when it occurs. Taking away the freedom of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers is just wrong.”

2016 Is a New Ball Game

Without doing much campaigning or ever appearing in a debate, Gary Johnson is already receiving 10 percent of the vote in nationwide polls when his name is added to the list. In the current nasty battle between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump, Johnson has the appeal of literally being anyone other than the two controversial figures. Those who are familiar with the issues that Johnson is passionate about often like the balance between Republican and Democratic ideals that he manages to strike.

It seems that Gary Johnson has a shot at performing much better in November than the Libertarian Party ever has before due to the current political climate; however, it’s unlikely that he’ll be able to gain major support without more media coverage and a spot on the stage at debates. Even if he does end up getting more attention, it would be an upward battle for Johnson to win the U.S. Presidential election. Still, there is hope that his views on iGaming could force Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump to finally weigh in on the matter and further the conversation about legalization. In other words, even without winning, Johnson has the potential to have a positive effect on the online gaming industry.