On Poker: Federal online gambling legislation clears big hurdle

San Antonio Express ^ | August 5, 2010 | Chuck Blount

[C19fan]

Maybe there are some teeth in the push for legalization and sensible federal regulation of the Internet gambling industry after all. Sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) — chairman of the House Financial Services Committee — HR 2267 is a bill designed to establish federal oversight of an online gambling industry that currently resides in murky legal waters for U.S. players.

It passed overwhelmingly 41-22 via committee vote last week, advancing the legislation to the House floor, where it hopefully will be voted on before the end of the 2010 session. If it gets that far, it will be the deepest penetration of online gaming law at the federal level in history.

[C19fan]

Broken clock. When the GOP, lead by Frist and Leach, tacked on the ban to online gambling to a Port Security they deserved to lose. Of course, some GOP congressmen were able to carve out an exception to horse betting. I hate Nanny Staters whether they have a D or R attached to their name.

[balch3]

A totally cynical move on the GOP leadership’s part and I’m glad it came back to bite them. I believe the backlash had an effect in some races. It pains me to say it, but Barney Frank is doing the right thing in pushing through this legislation.

[C19fan]

Rep Leach (R-IA) lost in November and some believe it was due to the backlash.

[FrankR]

If anyone participates in this, they must be doing it from an insane asylum.

Barney Frank has his hands all over it (and Lord knows where those hands have been).

Anything combining money, and internet, had better be given some extreme scrutiny; you may as well send you info to one of those emails that discovered a bank account in your name in Africa.

Gambling is a business the Federal Government should NOT be involved in.

[Leo Carpathian]

If it goes through, bye, bye casinos?

[ThePatriotsFlag]

Do you know it’s against the law in SC to have a bingo game? (and they just “didn’t” pass a law to fix it in this last session).

[C19fan]

I would say not because if you want to gamble online you can evade the so-called prohibition; I play micro stakes poker on a site that accepts American players.

[calex59]

Yes, they were too stupid to realize by banning internet gambling right before the election they were going to cost themselves some votes. They don't call it the stupid party for nothing.

BTW, what is so hard about simply repealing the ban, instead of trying to make new legislation? I will answer my own question: TAXES. The key word, regulation, translates into taxes.

[gulfcoast6]

Barney Fag is going to be the richest politician ever to retire from congess..