Internet Gambling Prohibition Could Be Repealed

Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, has announced that he is considering a new bill that would repeal the internet gambling ban that was passed last year. As the leading financial services expert in the US House of Representatives, Frank sees the economic potential of legalizing and regulating internet gambling.

At the end of September 2006, one of the last pieces of legislation to be voted on before Congress adjourned for a break was the Security and Accountability For Every (SAFE) Port Act, also referred to as the Port Security Act of 2006. Falling under the heading of Homeland Security, this $400 Million bill was focused on keeping America's seaports safe from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

The bill was so sure of being passed that Congress had issued a blanket rejection of any special interest tack-ons being applied to the bill. This made it that much more curious that an extra bill found itself added onto the end of the SAFE Port Act just prior to the vote. It was particularly surprising because the additional bill dealt with the topic of internet gambling, which had absolutely nothing to do with the safety of America's ports.

The internet gambling bill, titled as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), was applied to the port security bill by then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ). Not only had Kyl tried and failed to pass his internet gambling prohibition law for an entire decade, but the duo had previously tried the same deceptive tactic of hiding the bill in legislation that was guaranteed to pass.

Kyl and Frist had previously attempted to add UIGEA to a military spending bill that governed the budget for US troops fighting the war on terror. Critics stated that the gambling bill had no place on the Defense Department legislation and forced it's removal. Critics also objected to it being included in the Port Security Act, but it was added at the last minute before any serious debate could be mustered.