Vegas Comp

Anti-Online Gambling Bill Approved in House; Critics Question Exemption

The US House of Representatives has approved an anti-online gambling bill that seeks to close the avenues of payment to online gambling sites such as online casinos, poker rooms, sports betting and the like.

The legislation also aims to clarify existing laws that further get the message across that online gambling is illegal.

The bill would prohibit banks and credit card companies from handling transactions pertaining to online gambling. Law enforcement officials will also be given the authority to work with Internet service providers to block access to gambling web sites.

Opponents of the legislation do not agree to wiping out the industry altogether, but believe that regulating the $12 billion industry by taxation is a better alternative. The industry is based almost wholly outside the US, but US residents comprise almost half of its patrons.

Others also say that it is a case of choosing winning and losing sides, as it does not cover all kinds of gambling. They question the exemption of other online betting games such as horse racing and lotteries, for the merit that they are government-run.

"If you're going to support legislation that is supposed to 'prohibit gambling,' you should not have carve-outs," said Andrea Lafferty, executive director of the conservative Traditional Values Coalition.