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Online Gambling: Debate in House Financial Committee Today

written June 8, 2007

Remote Gambling Association (RGA), a trade association which represents the largest remote gambling operators and encourages social responsibility within the gambling industry, submitted testimony today to the House Committee on Financial Services that demonstrates how regulated Internet gambling can protect consumers and the payment system.

 “As with all other industries and sectors it (Internet gambling) is capable of control in order to prevent it being used as a source of crime,” said Clive Hawkswood, Chief Executive of the Remote Gambling Association. “Within the United States vast amounts of credit card transactions take place on a daily basis.  The system is well established and well policed in order to counteract fraudulent and criminal transactions.  The only circumstance in which crime can flourish is if the activity is unregulated.”

Hawkswood added, “The main areas of risk are criminal infiltration, fraud and money laundering.  However, despite statements that have been made by opponents of online gambling there is no evidence that this sector is more prone to criminal activity than any other.”    

“The testimony provided by the RGA clearly indicates that the technology exists to regulate Internet gambling and protect consumers against money laundering, fraud and identity theft,” said Jeffrey Sandman, spokesman for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative.  “It is time for Congress to take action and give Americans an opportunity to gamble online in a safe and secure environment.”

It should be noted that it is our opinion that Radley Balko, Senior Editor of Balko Magazine and a contributor to Fox News gave arguably the most lucid and overwhelmingly favorable argument in favor of online gambling out of all the speakers we listened to. 

The Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative promotes the freedom of individuals to gamble online with the proper safeguards to protect consumers and ensure the integrity of financial transactions.  For more information on the Initiative, please visit www.safeandsecureig.org.  The website provides a means by which individuals can register support for regulated Internet gambling with their elected representatives.

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--EOG Newswire 10:42 AM EST

For more information on the RGA, please visit www.rga.eu.com.