Anti Gambling Bill Passes House

On Tuesday the House voted 317-93 in favor of a law that would ban credit cards and other forms of payment forms from being used to pay for wagers. The law would also clarify and update a current clause to which would make online gambling illegal.

The new anti-online casinos bill would also allow law enforcement agencies to work with ISPs to block access to the sites. Much to the industry's anger, the bill would exempt state-run lotteries and horse racing. The battle for the future of this industry now moves to the Senate. Lawmakers in the Senate not prioritized online casino gambling but the bill's supporters say the outcome of the Houses vote might give them all the backing they need.

The reasons given for pushing the ban forward is that the easy availability of the internet makes it too easy to gamble, something that can create betting addictions and financial problems. Critics counter argue that the current legislation favors some gambling industries over gambling sites and that regulating the $12 billion industry and collecting taxes on it would be more effective than a ban.