MORE SPEAKERS NAMED FOR HOUSE HEARING (Update)

8 June 2007

Friday's speaker list is getting longer and smarter

Further speakers for the House Financial Services Committee hearing on Congressman Frank's proposal to regulate and license online gambling in the United States have been announced.

A respected information security expert, Jeff Schmidt of Authis is the latest expert who will give evidence on the practicalities of regulating online gambling. He joins a list that includes Howard Lederer, a member of the Poker Players Alliance Board of Directors, and Radley Balko, senior editor of Reason Magazine. Both have expressed strong opposition to UIGEA's and are in favour of regulating Internet gambling in the U.S.

Gerald Kitchen, CEO of SecureTrading, a UK-based Internet payment service provider, and Jon Prideaux, chief executive of Asterion Payments, will also speak during the hearing. SecureTrading's Web site claims that it is able to "virtually eliminate risks such as underage gambling, money laundering and abuse by organized crime and fraud against consumers."

Baptist minister Greg Hogan may testify. Hogan's son was the subject of a 2005 high media profile criminal case and is currently serving a sentence of imprisonment in Pennsylvania. He was found guilty of robbing a bank to pay off debts to his fraternity brothers who helped him fund Internet poker accounts.

The House Financial Services Committee will hold the hearing, entitled "Can Internet Gambling Be Effectively Regulated to Protect Consumers and the Payments System?" on Friday, June 8 at 10 a.m. Washington time.

The hearing will be the first Congressional discussion on Internet gambling since the UIGEA, which bans financial transactions with online gambling companies other than those "exempted" such as horse racing, state lotteries and fantasy sports, became law last October.

Gambling Initiative said the hearing could be the first of up to four, and should be viewed as being part of the effort to get more members of Congress to understand online gaming.

“It’s part of the push to get more support,” a spokesperson said.

There are over 70 members on the financial services committee.

Congressman Frank has indicated that it would be helpful if US voters contacted their representatives before the hearings to courteously voice their opposition to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which seeks to ban financial transactions with Internet gambling sites.

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa