Robert Wexler and Shelley Berkley Consider Their Own Gambling Legislation Initiatives

A couple of Democratic members of Congress besides Barney Frank are addressing the issue of the online poker.

A representative from Nevada, Shelley Berkley, is introducing a motion in Congress which calls for a comprehensive study of online poker playing. She calls for research by the National Academy of Sciences. This study would last for over a year. Berkley suggests it would help to address many of the questions posed by partisans on either side of the debate.

The study would discuss effects of online poker on minors and addicted gamblers, the extent to which online gambling helps criminals and terrorists launder money, a study of the uniformity of gambling laws in all U.S. jurisdictions, how the UIGEA has affected online gambling in America and which technological innovations could help improve regulation in the future.

I don't know that most gambling advocates are interested in this study. It sounds like a wasted year to study online gambling issues which will be in dispute a year from now.

A SHORT RANT

Personally, I find it ludicrous when people argue that online poker should be banned because it contributes to terrorism. While there may be an instance where some online casino launders money for a terrorist cell, that hardly means that the vast majority of online casinos and their affiliates aren't exactly what they appear to be--a source of income for average, law-abiding citizens who don't want to spend their lives toiling in a corporate office.

I imagine there are banking institutions which launder money for terrorists. You don't see Congress writing a law to close down all banks until the extent of this involvement is studied. If you want to keep gambling money from going to criminals and terrorists, the last thing you want to do is drive the legitimate, publicly-traded companies out of the industry.

That's what the UIGEA is doing.

BOB WEXLER

In perhaps the most encouraging news for online poker advocates, Congressman Robert Wexler of Florida is reported to be working on a bill that would cut out a niche in the UIGEA for internet poker.

There are few details about this proposed bill, so I would caution advocates of online poker to avoid getting their hopes up. But since this specifically deals with the issue which most poker players have--that the UIGEA forgot poker but created exemptions for lotteries, race tracks and even fantasy--Wexler's legislation could be the most important piece of news for online casinos and their American affiliates.

Robert Wexler first came to national prominence during the 2000 Florida election crisis. He was one of the most vocal voices in favor of Al Gore's stance during the crisis, since Wexler represented a couple of the districts in dispute.

In the six years since the crisis was resolved, Wexler has advocated better paper trails for electronic voting machines and better election technology in general. As a member of the House Judiciary's Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property, Wexler has taken an interest in how the Congress's anti-gambling bill has affected online gamblers.

WEXLER ON THE UIGEA

Here's an article with comments by Wexler at the time of the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. You will need to scan down the page towards the end of the article to see them.

Jon Kyl spouts off his usual nonsense in the article, though there is no mention of Jim Leach, who lost his seat in Congress largely due to his support of the online gambling bill.

Robert Wexler and Shelley Berkley Consider Their Own Gambling Legislation Initiatives