Democrat: Lift Internet Gambling Ban & Replace With Policing
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee today proposed the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act, a bill that intends to replace the Internet gambling prohibition instituted last year with strict regulations and policing of violators. Those regulations include deep criminal background checks and financial disclosure for companies looking to offer Internet gambling services.
This bill comes 6 months after the controversial Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 was passed into law. The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act received a lot of criticism for infringing on American freedoms and is equated with censorship.
In a quote from CNet’s News.com article, Barney Frank dissented upon the current law, saying:
The existing legislation is an inappropriate interference on the personal freedom of Americans and this interference should be undone
Furthermore Frank points out that since almost all states have legalized some form of gambling that we should hold the same precedent to their online counterparts.
[...] As I’ve written and told others repeatedly, online gambling will be legalized in the United States. Yesterday Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee proposed the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act (PDF) which acknowledges that despite the ban six months ago internet gambling is here to stay and seeks to provide guidelines for regulating the industry instead. Hat tip to 901am. [...]
By Barney Frank proposes bill to legalize and regulate internet gambling » Make You Go Hmm on April 27, 2007 3:33 pm