FIRST-PERSON: Putting a stop to Internet gambling

sbcbaptistpress.org ^ | October 6, 2006 | Bill Frist

[balch3]

WASHINGTON (BP)--Before it wrapped up business in late September, Congress passed an important new law to make it easier to crack down on illegal Internet gambling. I believe that America needs this law because Internet gambling presents a serious and growing problem that existing laws don’t address. The new law passed because members of the pro-family movement -- including a great many Southern Baptists -- brought the issue to the attention of both Democrats and Republicans.

Internet gambling has grown out of control. Although four major federal laws and hundreds of state policies already make it illegal to gamble on the Internet, enforcement has proven almost impossible. Since all significant gambling websites operate outside of the United States, they lie beyond the reach of federal or state regulators.

This hurts families. Although Internet gambling did not have a prominent place on either party’s radar screen just a few years ago, its explosive growth and potential for damaging families made it a very important issue to me and many others in Congress.

In fact, online casino websites have the potential to turn every personal computer in the country into a miniature version of the Las Vegas Strip. Rigorous state enforcement means that brick and mortar casinos make a good faith effort to keep minors away from gambling. The same isn’t so for online casinos: A website can’t tell whether someone is 13 or 35. The existence of Internet gambling, moreover, makes a mockery of laws in states that forbid all gambling. Experts who testified before Congress agreed social trouble has increased as a result: People who gamble online are almost twice as likely to become problem gamblers as those who gamble in other places. Problem gambling destroys lives and families.

The new law, which President Bush will sign this month, makes it much more difficult to send money to Internet gambling sites. Internet casinos that want to accept credit cards, Internet bank transfers, or any other illegal gambling payments will find themselves blocked. It’s important that people in the pro-family movement remain vigilant to be sure that the regulations implementing this law accomplish all that Congress intended. The government also will be able to ensure that website operators don’t provide links to gambling websites. Finally, anybody who violates the Internet gambling law can have all gambling licenses revoked: Thus, any land or river-based casino operator that opens a gambling website could see all of its casinos shut down.

Some believe that Congress should have gone even further in amending and strengthening current laws, but the enforcement tools provided by this legislation are an essential step towards ensuring that we uphold the current law and punish those who break it.

We already have evidence that the law will work. Although the president has not yet signed the bill, shares in the United Kingdom’s largest online gambling companies have dropped more than 50 percent on the news of Congress’ action. At least one major online casino has decided to pull out of the U.S. market altogether and others likely will follow suit. Internet casinos, which made a fortune violating existing laws, bet against Congress taking them on. Thanks to citizens concerned about America’s families, their bets didn’t pay off. --30-- Sen. Bill Frist, R.-Tenn., is majority leader of the U.S. Sena

[balch3]

Bravo Senator Frist.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

You bet!

[kms61]

Nanny-Statism at its finest. Frist is no conservative.

[Razz Barry]

I believe that America needs this law because Internet gambling presents a serious and growing problem that existing laws don’t address.

The growing problem must be it's taking away from Tennessee lottery sales.

[Deetes]

Nanny-Statism at its finest. Frist is no conservative.

[There You Go Again]

This new law is garbage....the phony left pushes its "virtue" on me....now the phony "religious" right pushing their virtue on me (when they aren't playing with little boys...) Leave me alone...if I want to bet on a game, let me.... These "virtuous" people are such phonies....

[SpaceBar]

"The new law, which President Bush will sign this month, makes it much more difficult to send money to Internet gambling sites. Internet casinos that want to accept credit cards, Internet bank transfers, or any other illegal gambling payments will find themselves blocked."

Sounds like a person can gamble online all they want. They just can't put it on the ol' MasterCard.

[blake6900]

Bravo Senator Frist.

Bravo, my ass. The only reason they did this was because they couldn't figure out a way to tax the proceeds. If it's so unhealthy to families, why don't they push legislation outlawing Indian Casinos that are right here in our own country?

The fact is Frist has been a failure as the Senate Majority Leader. He feel right into the same trap that Trent Lott fell into. He forgot who he was representing and how he got there. And he let Harry Reid ramrod him.

So we end up with worthless feelgood laws like this. No thanks. I'm glad he'll soon be gone.

[katya8]

Let's see.....we've got

The war against drugs

The war against gambling

The war against porn

The war against guns

The war against terror

The war against laughter

The war against boys

The war against men

The war against life

Just take your anti-depressants and STFup!

[sockmonkey]

Some believe that Congress should have gone even further

And many think that Congress has no business telling people it's okay to spend their cash at Injun Joe's, but that it's illegal to spend it a PartyPoker.com from the privacy of their own home.

Gambling has no fascination for me, and never has, but for those who like it, I think the Government has overplayed it's hand on this one.

[razorback-bert]

Yep, stop the lotteries if gambling is ruining families.

But the lotteries are "for the children."

[johnthebaptistmoore]

You forgot The war against poverty and the war against anti-political correctness.

[mgstarr]

Save me oh benevolent big government.....

Idiots.

[cryptical]

Bravo Senator Frist.

All we would have had to do is tell Congress that online gambling sites help illegal aliens sneak across the border and they would have left them alone.

Good to see that all the other problems in the world are solved so they can get to this pressing issue...

[Jeff Gordon]

Maybe these Nanny's can occupy themselves by providing a personal bottom wiping service.

[dasboot]

A gambler in, say 1860...down and out...was down and out. As with a lot of bad habits, the practitioners suffered the consequences of their stupidity. That dynamic, in and of itself, was a big negative to getting involved in vice, and/or allowing the passions to over-rule propriety it the recreational pursuit thereof.

Now, the ruined wretch has a friend in government...a safety net...an incentive to vice, even. There is no bottom.

The nanny-state, welfare mentality has wrought a government that DOES have a correct hand in the regulation of traditional vice-light: we all pay the consequences of the human train wrecks...and there are a lot more of them.

I wish I could say that the gubmint oughtta bugger off; but the welfare state demands regulation of the behaviors that turn productive, happy people into parasites and criminals. The house that Jack built. It sucks.

The prudent thing would be to get rid of welfare, and withhold regulation of all vice: let the players suffer the consequences. Scared straight. But that requires reason over sympathy....not gonna happen. 2c

[dasboot]

ps...vote for me: you can have your vice, and eat dirt, if that's what you earn.

[Snoopers-868th]

Cigarettes first, gambling second, wonder what will be next? Just a step closer to 1984