In the state of Massachusetts a controversial bill was up for a vote that would have banned online poker while at the same time supported three casinos. To the relief of poker fans in the state, and potentially poker players across the US, the bill was defeated by a House vote of 106-48. The bill, proposed by Governor Deval Patrick, had become the center of a maelstrom of debate around the topic of online poker in the state, mainly due to the incongruous support of the casinos, which would have sported poker rooms in addition to table games.

