Okay, let’s get this out of the way first — unlike other gambling writers I know, I’m not really that excited writing about politics. So, I’m not going to get all huffy or excited if Barney Frank, a Democrat from Massachusetts, is heading up a bill instead of some a Republican from Texas. The point is — this bill is an attempt to repeal the draconian Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) that was signed into a law by, well, a Republican from Texas.
But Barney Frank’s bill HR 2267, Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, (which is not yet being called the IGRCPEA but is referred to as HR 2267) will get its first hearing before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday, July 21. Unfortunately, this hearing may not be moving the bill forward with any speed. This may just be Barney’s attempt to keep attention on the bill because the hearing is only a half day with no mark up scheduled. Which means there would have to be another hearing before it moves to the House of Representatives. Also, the committee hasn’t yet released a list of the witness they’ll be hearing speak on behalf of the bill.
John Pappas from the Poker Players Alliance has issued a statement stating that he hopes Barney Frank’s committee will vote on the bill before their August recess. The Poker Players Alliance has been supporting Frank’s efforts to get the UIGEA repelled. As has iMEGA, the Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association. But iMEGA doesn’t seem as positive about the current proceedings as the PPA. They say hearings are nice but what’s needed is votes. Which is true.
At this point the UIGEA has been in effect for over a month and no one has seen an increase in prosecutions related to online gambling. And the result is, there hasn’t been much of a change in the online gambling landscaped in the United States other than players finding other means than credit cards to make deposits.