Barney Frank Hopes to Ban the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act - World Trade Organization and European Union Agree - Boston Herald Reports
Barney Frank is looking for public support in his push to repeal the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. It was reported in The Boston Herald on Thursday that Rep. Frank is considering laying out his plan to the Congress in the next few weeks. He hopes for the voting public to make this a hot-button issue for his fellow legislators.
Right now, the bill is only being considered. Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, says that he will need to line up the support of other lawmakers. Taking the pulse of the Congress, Frank says that his colleagues are beginning to reconsider their votes on the original UIGEA.
With Democrats setting the agenda in Congress, it is a whole different story. Last fall, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist tied the unpopular ban on American internet gambling to a slam dunk Port Security Bill. Republican Senator John Kyl boasted about the U.S. Congress wiping out $7 billion dollars in market capital of publicly-traded European gaming companies.
The European Union was not pleased by the move. The EU market chief, Charlie McCreevy, is currently considering the U.S. law at the World Trade Organization court. This wouldn't be the first such complaint before the WTO.
In the last month, The World Trade Organization ruled that the U.S. ban on overseas-based internet casinos was illegal. The decision is based on the selective enforcement of gambling in the states. As long as the United States allows its own citizens to engage in domestic race track gambling online, it is illegal for it to ban foreign companies from serving U.S. citizens in other online wagering games.
Obviously, the Bush Administration and Bill Frist disagree. They administration continues to ignore years-old WTO rulings on the same issue. But there is a chance that the WTO decision might give Congressional lawmakers courage to repeal the unlawful gambling act.
Congressman Frank says, despite the favorable WTO result, it is too early to make moves to lift the online gambling restrictions. But the veteran lawmaker will start to advocate legislation to his colleagues.
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Barney Frank Hopes to Ban the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act - World Trade Organization and European Union Agree - Boston Herald Reports
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