Support to Stop Online Gambling Ban Stronger Than Ever

by Edward Rogers, News Staff Writer

July 13, 2008

With increasingly stronger criticism of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of late, there has been some sentiment that stopping the legislation dead in its tracks would be a possible and most feasible solution to all of the difficulties facing the implementation stage of the UIGEA. And that is precisely what Congressmen Barney Frank and Ron Paul's bipartisan attempt - namely House Resolution 5767 - aimed to do.

However, it was HR 5767 that was stopped dead in its tracks following a Hour Financial Services Committee hearing that put the resolution up for vote. Needing a majority vote to win, HR 5767 actually received a 32-32 tie, which was the strongest showing of support for online gambling regulation in the U.S. thus far. Although not keeping the UIGEA from moving forward (which may end up keeping itself from moving forward), the beaten HR 5767 is an encouraging sign for the online gambling community.

Furthermore, according to Congressman Robert Wexler and former Senator and current President of the Poker Players Alliance, Alfonse D'Amato, who were both recently interviewed with Rolling Good Times at the WSOP Championships in Las Vegas this week, there were some underhanded tactics being deployed to sway the vote. As the case was with the UIGEA, which was underhandedly passed as an attachment to a Port Security bill, HR 5767 was no doubt met with a lobbying force used to help pass the UIGEA in the first place.

One such pawn was the steady casino gambling antagonist, Republican Alabama Representative Spencer Bacchus, who as you might guess, helped author the UIGEA. According to D'Amato, Bacchus had successfully "twisted the arms" of at least five members of the House Financial Services Committee who had earlier pledged their support for an amendment to the UIGEA.

Perhaps that amendment is coming? Or perhaps it's special interest groups like the National Football League, who are pushing very hard to ensure betting does not spread to the internet. The obvious and ironic thing is that it already has, and will continue to do so! But people like Congressman Bacchus seem to think that the UIGEA is already doing a good job at curbing online gambling.

And yes, while several online casino operators have dropped out of the market, there are several still facing the U.S.. Congressman Bacchus claims that defeating HR 5767 has been "a victory for young people because illegal internet gambling brings the casino into their bedrooms and dorm room, sometimes with tragic consequences". But Mr. Bacchus has failed to see that regulation, not a prohibition, is the key to protecting minors.

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