Online Gambling Ban Approved by House Panel

Online Gambling Ban Approved by House Panel
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On Thursday, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee approved legislation targeted at banning online casino gambling, an estimated $12 billion industry. Existing law would be updated and expanded by the measure, in order to cover all forms of interstate gambling in the United States. This would also bar a gambling business, online casino or otherwise, from accepting payment in the form of credit cards, checks, wire and Internet transfers.

The poker industry, and the online casino poker rage, which have exploded in recent years, argued that the bill unfairly targets its game while legalizing online casinos betting for horse racing, Internet lotteries and certain fantasy sports. 'If games of chance are given a free pass in this bill, it makes no sense that a skill game like poker should be banned. Congress should not be picking online winners and losers,' said Poker Players Alliance president Michael Bolcerek.

It would also prohibit online gambling on an estimated 2,300 gambling sites, many run by offshore online casnio companies, and also require banks to block gambling transactions by customers, which the industry has argued would be difficult to identify. Despite the committee's approval, 25-11, it remains unclear whether the legislation will reach floor votes in the House and Senate this year. Congress has a relatively few work days left in 2006 because of the November congressional elections. Under U.S. law, interstate gambling over telephone wires is already illegal and other gambling is banned unless regulated by the states. 'In the United States, gambling is essentially illegal unless regulated by the states. This is a measure to work through that to make sure that the states are indeed protected in their right to continue to regulate gambling,' Goodlatte said.

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