Treasury Department Delays Enforcement of Online Gambling Law

[Mousey]

LINK to article

Treasury Department Delays Enforcement of Online Gambling Law
from staff reports

Drafting of regulations has dragged on for months.

The U.S. Treasury Department is dragging its feet in writing regulations to accompany a law designed to stop the use of credit cards to pay for Internet gambling.

Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., went to see Treasure Secretary Henry Paulson on Thursday to ask about the delay.

“Are they going to be committed to enforcing this law," Brownback asked, "and putting the personnel in place that it needs."

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act passed last year, but the Treasury Department has yet to draft the rules for enforcement.

Chad Hills, gambling analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said writing them up shouldn’t be too burdensome.

“We estimate that about five federal employees working on this could keep and maintain a list of Internet gambling operations,” he told Family News in Focus.

Illegal Internet gambling is a $12 billion-a-year industry, and Tom McClusky of the Family Research Council said the pressure to water down the restrictions via the Treasury Department is intense.

"The gambling forces seem to have some friends in those departments that might have been helping write some of those regulations," he said. “It’s almost setting up a fourth branch of government – a bureaucracy branch – that decides what laws they want to enforce and what laws they want to basically rewrite.”

(Paid for by Focus on the Family Action)

[lots0]

a bureaucracy branch – that decides what laws they want to enforce and what laws they want to basically rewrite.”

Now that is funny coming from a member of the Focus on the Family Action group of Fascists.

These people in the Focus on the Family Action support the idea of everyone in America following THEIR radical religious beliefs, no matter if the people want to or not. These people do not support the idea of a Free and Democratic Nation. They are Religious Fascists pure and simple.

And like my tag line says.... I am a Fascist Hater.

Two Cheers for the workers in the Dept of the Treasury!

[footdr]

Thank for this additional info on u.s. military bases. It makes a good argument and I included it in my new emails to my Congressional reps.

I am emailing to urge your support for HR 2046 introduced be Congressman Barney Frank, regarding licensing of Internet Gambling.

First I would like to say that the manner in which the ULIGEA of 2006 was passed clearly denied our Elected Officials time to review the Legislation. This Legislation is viewed as a hypocrisy by a large number of U.S. Citizens.

Most testimony in support of this Legislation was based on moral issues and that fact that many young adults(teens) were becoming addicted to gambling.

1. It is clearly not viewed as a moral issue by the U.S. Government. If it were, then all forms of gambling would be prohibited, not just internet gambling. I did not see any statistics being presented regarding the amount of dollars spent by Citizens on State Lotteries, Horse Racing, Land Based Casinos, Dog Racing or Bingo. I would suspect if you add the expenditure up through these venues it would be more than that spent through the internet.
2. Regarding Teens gambling on the internet. This is totally misrepresented. First of all, most teens and college students do not have the financial resources to gamble on line unless provided by their parent and I doubt any sane parent is going to give their teen money to gamble with. Secondly, the internet sites I am aware of clearly do not pay winnings to anyone without first receiving a copy of that individuals drivers license, front and back; a copy of a utility bill(minus acct number info. of course)that indicates name and address,and if any of these look suspicious they will ask for additional information.All sites post age requirements. One might say these documents can be forged and submitted. My reply would be that young adults can easily have access to u.s. casinos and purchase lottery tickets with a fake I.D. I have questioned a few local teens regarding this and they inform me they have purchased many lottery tickets, these teens were high school age.

Clearly the real issue is that the U.S. Government is not getting there cut of the gambling proceeds. I can see their point in this regard.

This is why I think Congressman Frank is on the right track.

Another issue adding to the hypocrisy of this bill is the fact that our own Government has established slot machine venues on our foreign Military Bases. The response to this when questioned was that it keeps the soldiers from going to outside gambling establishments. Please! The real reason is so they can make the money instead of the oustide establishments. They say the proceeds are used to fund other recreational activies for the troops. I think that is a great idea. But, it is a contradiction of the Governments statement that gambling is a moral issue, bad for families and the public as a whole.

THE BIGGEST ISSUE I SEE IN THE UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION is Civil Liberties, freedom of choice and restoring Constitutional rights of Citizens of the United States.

The American public is tired of these contradictions. We are tired of Religious and other Lobbyist groups influencing our laws. We are watching what the new Congress is doing. We are watching what the Supreme Court is doing to protect our rights and freedom.

We are ready for a change in the way Government runs this Country at our expense.

[Casinomeister]

A URL to bookmark:
http://www.casinomeister.com/US_congress.php

[EasyRhino]

I'm going to take this as a slightly good thing. Delays and snafus in implementing may contribute towards better odds at voiding or substantially reducing the law, either through congress or WTO action.

One can hope, right?

[footdr]

Can't find an official statement as to the reason for the delay.
I worked for the Veterans Administration for 5 years in upper management.
So the first reason is a common one, BUREACRACY, things move very slow.

Secondly, and this is just my opinion, I think they are having problems with a solution that is feasible. The Banking industry has repeatedly said that the regulations must exempt ACH(non-credit/debit card transactions) and paper checks as they have no electronic means of identify the what the payment is for. ACH non-credit/debit card transactions currently are not coded as credit/debit card transactions are. To begin coding them takes a revamp of the entire ach system and requires changes world-wide. Paper checks obviously have nothing that indicates what the payment is for.

The treasury and fed reserve basically promised the banking industry that these exclusions would exist in the new regs.

I am sure they are meeting trying to iron out what measures are DOABLE with the banking industry. Without requiring millions of dollars to be spent revamping the banking system

I can not find one thing about the new regs at either Gov site or banking industry sites.

Anyone find anything

[Mousey]

I haven't been able to find anything regarding any UIGEA bank regulations, footdr.

But... I've been thinking... it seems that the US DoJ only needs to wave threats and subpoenas and arrest sportsbook and eWallet owners/operators/board members to accomplish their goals. Most payment processors have backed out (and/or had funds confiscated). Publicly listed casinos have all dropped US players. Our ability to deposit and withdraw has been all but choked off... the DoJ is 'investigating' and extorting funds from anyone and any financial company remotely related to online gaming... what do they need the UIGEA for?

I wonder how many USA players have simply quit trying to deposit anymore?

[jetset]

I haven't been able to find anything regarding any UIGEA bank regulations, footdr.

But... I've been thinking... it seems that the US DoJ only needs to wave threats and subpoenas and arrest sportsbook and eWallet owners/operators/board members to accomplish their goals. Most payment processors have backed out (and/or had funds confiscated). Publicly listed casinos have all dropped US players. Our ability to deposit and withdraw has been all but choked off... the DoJ is 'investigating' and extorting funds from anyone and any financial company remotely related to online gaming... what do they need the UIGEA for?

I wonder how many USA players have simply quit trying to deposit anymore?

Exactly. The actual UIGEA regulations will be an added *bonus* for the enforcement authorities, but they have already caused a huge amount of disruption and losses just by using threats, high profile arrests and "opinions".

And it would appear that no-one is prepared to challenge them through litigation.

[NASHVEGAS]

Exactly. The actual UIGEA regulations will be an added *bonus* for the enforcement authorities, but they have already caused a huge amount of disruption and losses just by using threats, high profile arrests and "opinions".

And it would appear that no-one is prepared to challenge them through litigation.

which also holds true to the 60's wire act(PRE NET) which prior to UIGEA seemed to be a dying storm(ANTIQUITATEDsp LAW) but now has reimerged as a category 5 hurricane and the gospel for the courts. I don't get it!

[dominique]

And it would appear that no-one is prepared to challenge them through litigation.

I think the Carruthers trial will bring up a lot of political issues, we know the WTO ruling will be used, and likely the EU stance and various aspects about non US companies not being allowed to do business in the US while US companies (Yahoo, Playboy, the Sands) are doing business in the same industry abroad.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Kaplan trial (based on early infractions as bookie in NY) would be pushed to the max, and Carruthers would be let go.

Short of that, the Carruthers trial will be the first time the US courts have to address the issue.