May 27 - It's pretty clear that the US government is set on
sorting out the tangled legal mess that is online gambling, by passing
yet another bill that will target the financial aspect of online casino
transactions.
The House Judiciary Committee passed the (Internet) OnlineGambling Prohibition
Act by a vote of 25-11 on Thursday of last week.
It will be the second time in
around four years that the bill sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia)
will be put through the process.
In his previous attempt to pass similar legislation, Goodlatte's bill collapsed
under the weight of exemptions added by the various groups supporting the bill.
Online gambling legislation tends to attract a wide range of interested parties
such as the Christian Coalition, the National Coalition Against Gambling
Expansion, and the Family Research Council, but many of these groups end up
sinking the bill due to the exemptions.
Unfortunately for online gamblers, online gambling is a huge target for
lawmakers.
Currently, the global online gambling industry is worth a staggering
$12-billion per year, with an estimated $6 billion coming from online gamblers
based in the United States.
