Congress passed its final bills of the year Dec. 9 and adjourned without so much as a hint of consideration for attaching an online gambling ban during the lame-duck session, ending a disappointing 2016 for poker legislation on a positive note. While there was no concrete progress, at least there was no visible damage done.
However, there may have been damage that we just can't see yet. I'd argue that the legacy of this past year is tied to the next. Bills in California, Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan advanced further than they ever had before, but in the first three states things ended in a discouraging manner.