Anti-Gaming Bill Sneaks by in Congress

Sept. 29 was a day to remember for the online gambling world.



In a backdoor move by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a bill to reign in online gambling in the United States was attached to a must-pass defense bill designed to boost security at nation's ports. This undemocratic move discouraged debate on a bill that would limit United States citizens' access to online poker and enabled it to pass without any public debate.



Now, I'm not a political expert, but that just doesn't seem right.



First off, the bill does not make it illegal or criminalize playing poker, so don't panic. In fact, the bill does not speak to the poker player at all. It calls for banks to work with the federal government to stop transactions between customers in the U.S. and offshore gaming companies. It makes it illegal for banks and credit-card companies to make transactions with online gambling companies.



However, once this bill is signed into law, it will have its challengers. The World Trade Organization has already ruled against the U.S. for attempting to ban online gambling. Expect more WTO complaints to be filed. There are more than 60 nations in the world that have passed laws to allow, tax, and regulate online gaming, including poker, on their soil. One of them is the United Kingdom, where many of poker's largest companies, such as PartyGaming, are publicly traded.



Also, this bill carves out exemptions for horse racing, lotteries, and fantasy sports. Poker's largest lobbying organization, the Poker Players Alliance, says it will fight to get poker, which is a game of skill, a similar type of exemption.



It is unfortunate that the United States is moving in an opposite direction concerning the taxation and regulation of gaming as compared to the rest of the world. With millions of Americans playing poker every day, this bill is unwise.



Fresh news is unfolding daily on this topic and Card Player, so stay tuned to CardPlayer.com for all the latest perspectives.