Frank Hopeful for Pro US Online Gambling Bill in 2009

Sept 3 - In the crazy, self-serving and hypocritical halls of power in Washington DC that make up the American government, there is only one politician who seems to actually care about what the American people want and that is Congressman Barney Frank.

For many months many millions of pro-online gambling fans in the United States - banned from gambling online thanks to a draconian piece of legislation called the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) - were hopeful that Frank's bill (the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act of 2007) would be passed to legalise the popular Internet pastime.

Online gambling websites, portals (including dish.co.za) and news blogs all over the world published stories as soon as another Congressman was reported as signing Frank's bill, the objective to get enough supporters in Congress to have UIGEA 'kicked to the curb' for good.

However it was not to be as Frank's bill lost by the narrowest of margins when it finally came time to vote in the House of Representatives. Ironically there were 37 votes for the bill and 37 against. Unfortunately the rules dictate that in the event of a tie, all proposed bills are vetoed.

According to sources, Barney Frank had drummed up enough supporters to ensure his bill would be passed but an alleged campaign of lies, scare tactics and misinformation by an Alabama Republican created a public backlash that caused many of Frank supporter's to change their vote.

To the credit of possibly the only-forward thinking politician left on the hill (with the exception of Barack Obama perhaps), despite his bill's defeat in Congress Frank has remained largely up-beat and recently told reporters that he was confident a pro-online gambling law would be passed in 2009 by a Democrat-controlled Congress. Let's hope he ain't whistlin dixie!

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