Bill that would block UIGEA fails in committee
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The House Financial Services Committee defeated HR 5767 on Wednesday, a bill that would have blocked implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.
The committee, chaired by the main sponsor of the bill, Barney Frank (D-Mass.), took a pair of votes, according to a story at pocketfives.com:
The first was on an amendment by Congressman Peter King (R-NY) that would have called for the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve to work hand in hand with the Department of Justice to ascertain what identify what kinds of online gambling are legal and what kinds are not. It was defeated after a 32-32 roll call vote, with many of the calls for defeat coming from Republican members of the Committee. HR 5767 was then voted on without the amendment and was defeated by an oral vote, with the Nays outnumbering the Yays by a sizeable margin.
Debate focused on the problems with online gambling; the amendment focused on the idea that the main problem many have with the UIGEA is its enforcement, not the legality or morality of online gambling.
The defeat of the bill is obviously a big blow to online gambling in the United States. Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, chairman of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), issued a statement following the vote:
It is disappointing to realize that opponents of this legislation still do not truly understand the intent of the bill. It was clear today that those who oppose this bill chose to focus on emotional and non-germane issues, such as the harmful impact of gambling on children, instead of on the merits of the bill itself.
“As it stands, UIGEA is a completely unworkable and unenforceable bill that would do little to address the main concerns of its sponsors – namely, protecting underage and compulsive gamblers as well as cracking down on money laundering. To truly address these issues, the PPA firmly believes that Congress should implement thoughtful and effective regulation of the online gambling industry as opposed to outright prohibitions, which history has shown do not work.
Poker Players Alliance Executive Director John Pappas is scheduled to appear on the P5s podcast about what is next for the PPA and the fight to legalize and regulate online gambling and poker in the United States.
