Keep Up To Date With Our Feeds

A Glimmer of Hope?


2007-03-15 12:06:54
By: Gene Bromberg

Lately the words "poker" and "legislation" have not been a happy combination for players, but a story that appeared in yesterday's Financial Times shows that not everyone in Washington is hostile to the game. Barney Frank, the Democratic congressman and the newly appointed head of the House Financial Services Committee, says that he plans to introduce legislation to repeal the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). From the FT article:

Mr Frank called the ban...one of the "stupidest laws" ever passed and said he wanted to "repeal" the law.

"I am working on legislation to cut back on this internet gambling thing.I think it's preposterous," he said, adding that he was considering some "innovative ideas".

"I'm looking for ways, maybe we can make some money off of it," he said, signalling that he could be considering a proposal that would make online gaming legal by both regulating - and taxing - the industry.

Now, the chasm between "working on legislation" and "President signing bill into law" is as wide as the Grand Canyon. Of course there wasn't any debate on the UIGEA, as former Senator Bill Frist managed to get it tacked onto the Port Security Bill at the last second, ensuring there was no discussion of it's merits and no chance it wouldn't be passed. But that doesn't mean there isn't opposition to gaming in both chambers of Congress. If there IS legislation introduced to repeal the UIGEA, it will be doubly important that you make your voice heard.

Keep informed about what's happening in the poker world (say, by reading the UltimateBetBlog) and have your Representative's and Senator's contact information at hand. Let them know that this is an issue that matters to you--and to many others as well. There is strength in numbers, and that's especially true when it comes to politics.


Permalink: http://www.ultimatebet.com/poker-blog-post/A-Glimmer-of-Hope/1734