Frank about US Online Gambling

Poker to be excluded from the new act
US Representative Barney Frank (D-Mass) is making headway in his fight for the rights of online poker players in the United States. Frank introduced his new bill - the Payments System Protection Act of 2008 - which was passed, and with it greater definition of which online gambling activities are illegal. In addition, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) will remove online poker, among others, from its lists.

Opponents of online gambling include Spencer Bachus and Chad Hills. The pair is vehemently opposed to online gambling, but Frank has been making significant headway in his efforts to regulate the industry since the first bill, HR 5767, was defeated earlier on this year. In that bill, Spencer Bachus deliberately used misplaced and misleading correlations between online gambling and teen suicide.

The comeback kid
Frank however roared back with newfound resolve recently. This time around, Barney Frank is eager to get the Department of the Treasury to work with the Attorney General to clarify which forms of online gaming are illegal. To this end Pete Sessions and Jim McDermott are pushing for regulation of the online casino industry. Frank will not be deterred by the many zealots opposing online gambling. If the bill passes, it will allow for greater liberty in online gambling while protecting children and safeguarding against money laundering.

The public has rights
The proposed safeguards include age checking, prevention of identity theft and dealing with problem gamblers. Barney Frank is confident that a greater share of Democrats in congress this fall will allow the bills to pass in 2009. Major financial powerhouses such as the Financial Services Roundtable, the Chamber of Commerce and the Credit Union National Association - among others - support regulation of the industry and are against enforcing an outright ban.

Moment of Zen
Frank's fight for online poker is not new. This passionate speech, in the video on this page, was given in Congress in 2006, and featured on the Comedy Central Daily Show with Jon Stewart 2 years ago. His words still resonate with us today.