Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he expects Congress to take up debate on legalizing Internet poker "soon," although he wasn't ready to commit a time frame.

This follows comments from Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman, who said it was "inevitable" that regulated online poker would come to the United States.

From Casino City:

Caesars stands to benefit more than any Nevada casino operator if the U.S. legalizes Internet poker. The company owns the lucrative World Series of Poker and operates Internet poker websites in Europe that capitalize on the popular brand.

Federal legislation is all that's needed for the company to launch an American-based pay-for-play World Series of Poker website.

Meanwhile, Nevada has begun the process of adopting regulations, allowing the state to license and oversee Internet poker providers pending federal approval. State gaming regulators released the first draft for industry review on Aug. 24.