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The words came from Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) himself, and they were spoken to the highly reputable Washington D.C. publication The Hill. Not only did Frank declare that he will be introducing the pro-gaming legislation that will, in essence, overturn the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), but he plans to do it as early as the week of April 20th, the week that Congress returns from its Easter break.At the beginning of February, Frank told the Financial Times of his intentions to reintroduce legislation to legalize and regulate online gambling. Most likely, he referred to H.R. 2046, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act, that he originally introduced to Congress in April or 2007. Though it retained 48 sponsors and had some support, the UIGEA seemed too new, and the legislation fizzled. But with Frank promising its reintroduction after two years of encouraging support from even more members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, the soon-to-be-reintroduced bill has promise.
In late March, Frank again spoke of his intentions, this time to The Hill for an article published on April 1. He noted that his current plan is to introduce the bill after the Congressional break but “definitely in April.” But what’s more, he professed an objective that seemed to be the opposite of recent speculation; he will introduce the legislation as a standalone bill, meaning there will be no attempt to attach it to must-pass legislation as was done with the UIGEA, when that was attached to a port security bill in 2006.
He told the reporter that it would be “inappropriate” to do it the way the Republicans passed the UIGEA. “That is not my intention,” Frank said. “It would be a mistake. I want to do this with hearings, discussions and votes.”
This noble plan does present concerns, in that the issue of online gaming will be put under a microscope and available for all parties to contribute input. That means that the religious groups, staunch gaming opponents, and even powerful lobbying groups that represent the NFL and other sports organizations, will be able to throw their money and influence behind an effort to defeat the bill. On the other hand, however, the idea that hearings will be conducted offers the opportunity to push the well-documented facts that represent poker as a game of skill, as well as put members of Congress who tout their support for basic Constitutional freedoms to the test for their support.
Most likely, Rep. Frank has a plan to go with his risky move, as the Poker Players Alliance, Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative, and other organizations have been awaiting the opportunity to gather their supporters and funds to rally around the legislation. But before the poker industry is privy to the plan, the bill needs to be introduced and Frank’s process for moving it along must be seen.
With the introduction of the bill only days or weeks away, it is important to reach out to members of Congress now, letting them know that this bill will have massive support, not to mention bring billions of dollars in much-needed revenue to the U.S. government. Visit the Poker Players Alliance or the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative to learn about the simple process of contacting Congress.
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