Frank Hits Back
With New Pro Online Gambling Bill
 Sept
17 - Despite having his proposed IGREA bill outvoted in US
Congress a few weeks ago - which was designed to abolish the
draconian US online gambling 'prohibition' - Massachusetts
Democrat, Barney Frank, is back with yet another bill
that could see online casinos regulated in the country.
Online gambling is banned in the US as a result of a bill -
UIGEA - which was passed by Congress and signed into law by
George W. Bullshit in late 2006. As such, Frank's new bill is
centered at allowing UIGEA to continue its ban on online sports
betting but allow online casinos to be legalised, licensed and
regulated.
Despite Frank's ongoing efforts to see that Americans can
exercise their right and freedom to gamble online or not, it is
unlikely that his new bill will be passed anytime soon. This is
as a result of Congress' history of vetoing anything vaguely
pro-online gambling or potentially threatening to the country's
multi-billion dollar land casino and sports betting industries.
However, Frank's new bill has already gathered a few supporters
such as New York Republican Peter King who said that he felt the
bill was 'a representation of what he thought was in the best
interests of the average American as well as the US financial
community.'
Although the proposed bill has been criticised by various online
sports betting companies who feel that if the bill was ever
passed, they - unlike online casino and online poker operators -
will be singled for out prosecution as their services will in
effect be seen as 'illegal'.
A House panel is expected to vote on Frank's new bill in the
near future that would require federal agencies to
comprehensively define illegal online gambling practices so that
US banks, credit card companies and other financial institutions
can comply with the ban.
Since 2006, US banks have complained that the language used
within the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) has
been too vague, particularly since some online gambling services
such as the placing of horse racing wagers have always been
exempt from the bill.
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