Frank’s Bill Reaches Fifty Co-Sponsors

In the wake of National Poker Week, advocacy groups are making a serious push to advance the pro-poker agenda on Capitol hill - and it looks as if those efforts may be paying off. Rep. Barney Frank’s (D-MA) legislative attempt to license and regulate online poker - Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act (H.R. 2267) - gained its fiftieth co-sponsor today.

“Reaching this milestone illustrates that momentum is growing for a shift in U.S. policy and a rewrite of U.S. Internet gambling laws,” said Jeffrey Sandman, spokesperson for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative. “The list of supporters will continue to grow as more representatives are educated on the subject and increasingly hear from their constituents that Internet gambling regulation presents the only viable way to protect consumers, since attempts to prohibit the activity have completely failed. We also expect an increased spotlight on Internet gambling as a way to augment federal revenues and help cover the cost of necessary policy initiatives.”

Frank’s initiative was at the center of many of the public efforts by groups such as the Poker Player’s Alliance during National Poker Week, a series of events designed to raise public awareness regarding the legal status of online poker and to apply pressure to lawmakers to craft regulations that would allow a transparent, legal industry worth billions in tax revenue to flourish.

Frank’s co-sponsors are primarily Democrats, with a few key GOP names such as Ron Paul and Pete King in the mix.