Judiciary Committee Moves Internet Prohibition Bills ForwardNext Stop: House Floor |
|
The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee Wednesday moved forward an anti-gambling bill that would criminalize online gambling. The next place the proposed bill will be debated - and possibly approved - is the House floor.
The Internet Prohibition Act would not only make offering online gambling officially illegal at a federal level, but would also make it illegal for financial institutions to work with online gaming sites. It would also force financial institutions to work with the federal government to enforce the law, something banking representatives say their industry is not prepared for.
For a full explanation of the bill by Allyn Jaffrey Shulman, Card Player Magazine's legal expert, click here.
Rep. Bob Goodlatte has repeatedly tried to stop online wagering and he blames his last failure on the now infamous Jack Abramoff, the disgraced lobbyist who is the main player in a current bribery investigation that even involves the White House.
This is just one way Goodlatte has played politics with his bill. He paints the online gambling business community as shysters who can't be trusted, calling them "fly-by-night" companies absent of any kind of business ethics.
On his website, he claims Internet gambling activities "suck billions of dollars per year out of the U.S. economy, serve as a vehicle for money laundering, undermine families, and threaten the ability of states to enact and enforce their own laws."
He even claimed that his bill helps fight terrorism during a house judiciary subcommittee hearing a few weeks ago.
Goodlatte's bill passed 25-11
The Judiciary Committee also approved Rep. James Leach's Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, a bill that would prevent credit card companies and electronic fund transfer companies from working with online gambling sites. It was passed by a voice vote. This bill will probably be attached to Goodlatte's proposal before they reach the House floor.
There are several organizations working to keep online poker legal. The following is a list of some that CardPlayer.com readers might want to visit and support:
Copyright © 2001-2024
CardPlayer.com. All rights reserved.
