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The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that gaming authorities in Nevada have already offered rough drafts of regulations that would legalize online poker in the state, should the federal government decide to legalize it nationally at some point in the future. This marks a major advancement for U.S. online poker legalization in general, and indicates that at least some state legislators are taking a proactive approach to Internet gambling regulation, perhaps in preparation of federal legislation that could come as early as next calendar year.

The proposals were uploaded for public viewing at the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s official website yesterday. The proposals include guidelines for various aspects of real money online poker play, including customer enrollment, record-keeping and auditing, technology approvals and entity suitability.

In addition, the proposals define how the state government would have oversight of online gaming companies, and establish the protocol for disciplining those who violate the regulations.

Mark Lipparelli, the Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, noted that the proposals are being delivered in accordance with Assembly Bill 258, a progressive Internet poker bill passed by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval.

Lipparelli obviously has tax revenue on his mind, as he described online poker as a “multibillion-dollar business” before stating that, overall, the technology that supports virtual poker has “improved dramatically.” Lipparelli said that Nevada’s goal is to establish “high standards” for both entities (i.e. online poker rooms) and technologies (i.e. data encryption methods, deposit and withdrawal infrastructure).

If you’re a Nevada poker player and you’d like to support or challenge the legislation as it currently stands, you can attend a public regulatory workshop currently scheduled for September 26. Lawmakers will be fielding questions, comments and ideas for revisions and amendments during the public hearing.

As of now, it’s nearly impossible to say when online poker could be legalized on a national level, especially considering the approaching presidential election season.