More Organizations Oppose Restoration of the U.S. Wire Act
Published May 1, 2014 by OCR Editor
On April 29, 2014, ten organization submitted a letter to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, opposing Sen. Lindsey Graham's proposition to restore the Wire Act, which would legally ban internet gambling in the US.
Last month, Senator Lindsey Graham and Rep. Jason Chaffetz introduced a bill that would restore America's Wire Act, which would ban most types of online gambling across the states, even those that have already legalized it.
On April 29, ten conservative organizations signed a letter opposing the restoration of the Wire Act. They presented the letter to the top leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.
The letter stated that the restoration of the Wire Act would be a "a broad overreach by the federal government over matters reserved for the states," and approval of this bill would set a dangerous precedent of "internet censorship."
Additionally, a federal ban on US gambling would leave the door wide open for offshore operators to continue targeting the American audience without offering any form of legal protection. This has also been the claim of the Poker Players Alliance, the American Gaming Association and the Coalition for Consumer and Online Protection.
The groups that signed the letter include: Institute for Policy Innovation, Alliance for Freedom, Competitive Enterprise Institute, American Consumer Institute, Independent Women's Forum, Freedom Action, R Street Institute, FreedomWorks, Institute for Liberty and Taxpayer Protection Alliance.
Also Opposed
Also opposed to the restoration of the Wire Act is the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS), which submitted a letter of opposition two weeks ago to Senators Patrick Leahy and Chuck Grassley and Representatives Bob Goodlatte and John Coneyrs.
The letter stated, "This legislation, proposing to amend the Wire Act to prohibit transmission of wagering information for all types of gambling activities, including Internet gambling, would effectively preempt the states' historical ability to properly regulate gaming. It is our strong conviction, as legislators who chair and are members of the legislative committees that work diligently to develop sound public gaming policy, that states are the most appropriate entity to decide upon, and oversee, what kind of gaming should exist and what should not within their borders".
