Leading House Democrat Considers Repeal of U.S. Gambling Ban

A leading liberal Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), is indicating he will give details "in the coming weeks" on possible legislation to repeal a ban imposed last year on online gambling.

Rep. Frank, the chairman of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, said he is planning to consult with other legislators on the matter. During the waning days of the Republican Congress, last year, radical right wing religious zealots passed a ban on online gambling in the U.S., one which has been found to violate international law by the World Trade Organization. President George W. Bush then signed legislation outlawing gaming financial transactions.

Now, the Democrats, showing themselves as friends of the regular person, is going to repeal that legislation, which was passed without debate, and snuck through as an amendment to a bill about homeland security.

“I’m not ready to give you more details, but I will be by next week or so. We’ll talk more about it later,” said Rep. Frank.

A spokesman for the Massachusetts Democrat said this week that Rep. Frank was considering legislation to repeal the ban but had not drafted a bill and had no timetable for action.

Online Allies

Rep. Frank already has some allies. Two Nevada lawmakers are working on legislation for an 18-month study of online gambling to determine whether online gambling can be effectively regulated in the U.S.

U.S. Reps. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev), and Jon Porter (R-Nev) are planning to reveal the co-sponsored legislation within the next few weeks.

About 2,300 Internet gambling sites producing about $12 billion per year would benefit from the bill.

Rep. Berkley said she talked to Frank recently on the House floor about Internet gambling and they plan to meet again "in the very near future."

"The purpose of our bill is to provide a comprehensive study with detailed information on the expanded growth of Internet gambling," Berkley said.

Reps. Berkley and Porter would create an 18-month Internet gambling study to the National Research Council, which is an agency of the National Academy of Sciences.

"This actually is a very independent institution which has the resources to get the facts to Congress," Rep. Porter said.

Rep. Porter introduced a similar bill last year, which Rep. Berkley co-sponsored. Even though Congress voted for an Internet gambling ban last October, Rep. Porter said he thinks lawmakers would consider a repeal right now.

A date has not been set, but Rep. Porter said he still plans to visit the Isle of Man, Britain, and Madrid, Spain, to observe Internet gambling operations firsthand.

"I would say technology has improved over the last few years, and I have greater faith in the ability to regulate Internet gambling so that it does not pose a threat to minors," Rep. Berkley said.

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