Frank Still
Waving Pro Online Gambling Flag in USA
May 26 - For hundreds of years the United States has proudly
called itself 'the land of the free', where democracy is the
order of the day and its citizens have their freedoms and rights
protected under the Bill of
Rights. Strangely enough though, these rights to not extend to online gambling.
There is hope, however, in the form of forward-thinking Democratic Congressman,
Barney Frank, who for over a year has been trying to drum up support in Congress for
his bill, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act of 2007 (IGREA).
This bill is aimed at counteracting the draconian Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act
(UIGEA) that was passed by Congress at the end of 2006.
UIGEA was passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush
shortly thereafter, to prevent Americans from exercising their right to
gamble online.
And while the bill does not strictly stop Americans from gambling
online, it does make it illegal and prosecutable for US banks, credit card companies and other
financial institutions to process online gambling-related payments.
As such, it has become virtually impossible for Americans to fund online
gambling accounts around the world, assuming the respective online gambling operations that
include online casinos, online poker rooms, online sports betting sites and
online bingo casinos, still accept players based in the US.
Barney Frank, recognising the hypocrisy and unfairness of the
bill, introduced his own bill which is designed to allow Americans to exercise
their right to be able to choose for themselves whether to gamble
online or not.
Frank, who has been described as a 'libertarian, championing freedom of
choice with a strong dislike for government restrictions' is increasingly
being viewed as an American hero, with widespread support from the local and
international online gambling community.
In addition, he is gaining increasing support from his fellow Congressmen and
women, many of whom supported UIGEA at the time, as they realize that Frank
makes a lot of sense
when he points out that the online gambling ban is nothing short of a 21st
Century 'Prohibition'.
You might recall that in the 1930s the Prohibition (which made the production
and consumption of alcohol in the United States illegal) single-handedly spurned
the huge underground and illegal trade in alcohol that ultimately gave birth to
organized crime and the mafia, which is still going strong today.
Barney
Frank believes that Prohibitions are largely unenforceable and,
as such, create a breeding ground and opportunity for illegal operations
and activities. In addition, he
feels that Americans are quick to lose respect for a government and its lawmakers
that cannot adequately enforce the laws they pass, and spend billions of
tax dollars trying to do so.
Interestingly, many countries have taken the opposite stance to the United
States, including the United Kingdom and South Africa, which have long realised that the legalisation, regulation
and taxation of online gambling is the better option, both
for the country and its citizens.
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