Internet Gambling Bill Introduced in the House

[Mousey]

This may be old news by now, but I just found this in my spam folder (after I'd deleted gobs of casino spam from my inbox, no less)... Anyway this was in a FSDupdate email...

For Immediate Release


March 17, 2011




Internet Gambling Bill Introduced in the House


WASHINGTON – The Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act was introduced in the House today by Congressman John Campbell (R-CA) with Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) as a leading sponsor. Congressmen Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) and Peter King (R-NY) are also leading co-sponsors. The bill is identical to H.R. 2267 that was passed out of the House Financial Services Committee on July 28, 2010 with bi-partisan support. The bill would establish a federal regulatory and enforcement framework under which Internet gambling operators could obtain licenses authorizing them to accept bets and wagers from individuals in the United States. The legislation comes in response to the enactment of Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which restricted the use of the payments system for Americans who gamble online.

“I’m pleased to be working with John Campbell as a cosponsor of the bill” stated Congressman Barney Frank. “We worked together last year and I think this promises to be one of those unfortunately rare times when bipartisan activity can work.”

This legislation, which licenses and regulated online gambling, requires licensees to take appropriate safeguards to prevent fraud, money laundering, underage and compulsive gambling. It contains strong protections to prevent minors from gambling online; prevents inappropriate online advertising targeted toward underage or compulsive gamblers; clarifies the effect of this act on Indian tribes; requires consultation with tribes in implementation; prohibits licensees from accepting bets or wagers from persons on the self excluded list of compulsive gamblers and persons delinquent with child support payments; prevents the use of a credit card to gamble online; clarifies an exception for intrastate and intratribal online lotteries; prohibits sports betting; requires that players set financial loss limits; strengthens regulatory requirements re: integrity and fairness; bans violators of federal and state gambling laws from obtaining a license; and requires a substantial U.S. presence as a condition of obtaining a license.

 

[Mousey]

ooookaayyy.... so i'll talk to myself here... does this have any better chance of getting past the first few hurdles than when it was introduced last year??

 

[lots0]

Who knows Mousey...

It could pass this year... but IMO if the Dems could not pass it when they were in charge... It ain't going to to get passed now when the Republicans are in charge.

But you never know.

 

[jetset]

Spencer Bachus is the new chair of the Financial Services Committee in the now Republican-controlled House, and that is going to be a serious obstacle, I think.

It will be interesting to see how many of the old co-sponsors come on board for the new bill, too, and if Campbell and Frank can build on that.

There's been a helluva lot more mainstream coverage for online gambling this year, which could be a good thing, and California, New Jersey, Florida and Iowa have shown a real appetite for getting into some form or other of online gambling on a state-by-state basis, which I would think adds some pressure for a federal solution.

Then there is the parlous state of state and federal government coffers thanks to the recession and wars - maybe a new source of revenues will be increasingly appealing.

So my feelings are mixed but lean toward pessimism - this has been shot down or left too late so many times before...

 

[felicie]

So I guess everyone will have to use prepaid cards and possibly bank debit cards. I'm really hoping the states do it individually now and keep the feds out of it. I think there would be a lot less restrictions. That's my story now and I think I'll stick to it. LOL

 

[gloria460]

requires that players set financial loss limits; strengthens regulatory requirements re: integrity and fairness; bans violators of federal and state gambling laws from obtaining a license; and requires a substantial U.S. presence as a condition of obtaining a license.

I love this part bc as you know most gamblers will keep depositing or chasing that big hit while not being able to afford it. This will only work if the gambler is set up thru a centralized network so that he can't casino hop to deposit. Overall, I love the idea of finally being legal, I hope this passes!

 

[jetset]

Some are saying that the recent enforcement actions will derail current attempts to legalise online gambling / online poker in the US, but I think that is just an opinion.

Until this (federal) bill starts on its journey through legislative committees, it is difficult to know how much support it will garner and how successful it will be.

Certainly the mainstream media coverage both pro and against has been massive, especially in the wake of Black Friday and Blue Monday, so the issue should be reasonably front-of-mind...and the AGA and some of its most powerful members seem to be keen to get something going.

I for one am holding thumbs on this - it would be nice to see some positive progress in America.

 

[felicie]

I thought California was going for state control not federal. The state wont get the money then, the feds will. Oh goodie. I'm not playing if the feds run it anyway. Talk about ffing up a nevermind.
Thanks Mousey.

 

[jetset]

I thought California was going for state control not federal. The state wont get the money then, the feds will. Oh goodie. I'm not playing if the feds run it anyway. Talk about ffing up a nevermind.
Thanks Mousey.

The California intrastate proposals are still running, pretty much the only instrastate attempts at legalisation that still are: Florida and Hawaii were killed off, and nothing exciting is likely to happen in New Jersey or Iowa for some time.

Of course the Washington DC legalisation is still intact, albeit under threat, and in Nevada AB258 has tasked the NGC with forming regulations on the clear understanding that nothing will be done without federal legalisation or the DoJ saying its OK (the latter being highly unlikely imo)

So other than California it looks as if the emphasis is on a federal legalisation through either Joe Barton's attempt to legalise online poker with Harry Reid's support, or the Frank-Campbell bill - both have agreed to support each other.

That's what the big corporates and the AGA wants, and that's the way it's apparently destined to be....