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New Bill Introduced To Study Online Gambling

May 8, 2007

Nevada Representative Shelley Berkley has introduced a bill calling for an independent one-year study of online gambling by the National Academy of Sciences which may result in strong evidence against the UIGEA.

Berkley has made no secret of the fact she would like to see the UIGEA repealed, but she makes the point that her bill will only call for an objective study of the online gambling issue. The Las Vegas Review-Journal quoted her as saying: "One of the advantages of this legislation is that it doesn't take a side. It doesn't say Internet gambling is good or bad. It says 'Let's study the issue.'"

Berkley's news has been welcomed by the online gambling industry, which has endured  a horror 12 months in the United States, with Department of Justice arrests of online gambling executives, the late passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, and DoJ interference with NETeller, leading the online gambling payments processor to withdraw from the US and Canada, leaving the industry in turmoil.

But the news of late has mostly been positive for the industry – the World Trade Organization ruled against the US in a landmark case brought about by the tiny island of Antigua in the Caribbean, online gambling lobby groups have had time to organize and rally hundreds of thousands of members, the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee Rep. Barney Frank last week introduced the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act 2007 which calls for online gambling to be legalized, and now Shelley Berkley has throw her weight behind the industry by calling for this study.

Berkley's bill has some support in the House. Over 60 representatives are co-sponsors of the bill, including Rep. John Conyers, Rep. Frank LoBiondo and Rep. Frank.

Berkley wishes the National Academy of Sciences to assess the impact of the online gambling transaction ban introduced last year, examine the technological methods used by other nations (the UK, for example) which license and regulate online gambling as well as analyze the recent WTO rulings on the issue.

After being under immense pressure for much of the last six months, the online gambling fightback appears to be picking up steam.

Jonny Vincent (Pokernews.com)

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