| Barney Frank's U.S. Online Gambling Bill Passed |
Barney Frank's HR 2267 bill, to legalise online gambling in the U.S, was passed yesterday by a 41-22-1 majority vote, meaning that, online gambling has a strong chance of being made legal throughout the U.S. in the not too distant future.The Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act was originally scheduled for mark-up on Tuesday but got moved to yesterday due to slow deliberation on prior bills and an extended three hour lunch break.
However, for supporters of the much anticipated and sought after HR 2267 bill, the one day delay is just another forgotten memory, as the bill was passed with almost a 2-1 majority. Lest we forget, it was only four years ago that Congress voted 6-1 against legalising internet gambling and subsequently passed the UIGEA (the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act).
In total, fourteen amendments were made to the bill, with most changes welcomed by the Poker Players Alliance, including:
- Increasing the minimum online gambling age to 21
- Prohibiting credit cards as a means of depositing
- Making it near impossible for those online firms, which have so far allowed U.S citizens to play at their sites, to get a licence to operate with the U.S.
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