News

Monday, 15 March 2010 06:35

The slow and steady march towards legal and regulated online gambling came a little closer as Rep. Barney Frank prepares to take the next step.

The wheels of this particular machine have been turning very slowly indeed and for a very long time, but Democrat Representative Barney Frank's proposed Bill to restructure the way online gambling is viewed from a legal standpoint is about ready to take the next, measured step forward. Frank has been gradually gaining support for his proposed bill and with the good news that the sixty sixth co-sponsor has just added his name onto the growing list, it has meant that he can now move his bill into what is known as the Markup Phase.

Hailing from the Sixth Congressional District in Ohio, Democrat Representative Charles A. Wilson has become the latest name on the co-sponsors list for House Bill number 2267. He joins the ever growing group of congressional representatives that have climbed on board the political carousel intent on bringing sweeping changes to the present laws regarding online gambling.

Over the course of the next few weeks, there will be many discussions covering all aspects of the important bill. Frank was given a stay of execution when Congress agreed to extend the deadline for the full implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) that his bill seeks to overturn from 1st December 2009 to 1st June 2010. In the months that remain, the final details must be worked out and the legislation passed if he is to succeed in his attempt.

Frank's proposed legislation has drawn supporters from the two sides of the political fence, although by far the majority of those supporters are Democrats. Despite this apparent cooperation, there is still much tension between factions on Capitol Hill meaning the passage of the Bill will be anything but smooth and it will inevitably face some stern opposition from some who will try to stand in its way.

The elimination of the UIGEA in favour of setting up a regulated and legal online gambling industry has its supporters and detractors with some very strong opposition from religious and moral groups that hold a lot of sway in the US legal and political systems. Frank's main contention is that U.S. citizens deserve the right to their freedom to choose whether they want to gamble from their own homes or not as they see fit. This is a powerful argument as it touches on the very heart of the American Constitution where freedom of choice is a basic right of every one of its citizens.