Get Your Letters To Congress Ready!

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Barney Frank Introduces New Internet Gambling ActCongressman Barney Frank spoke this morning about his new bill that would look to repeal the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enactment Act (UIGEA). The law requires banks to monitor credit card transactions that could be used for the purpose of betting online.The chairman of the Financial Services Committee is looking to raise tens of billions of dollars with his new bill, which could be used to pay for expensive tax, healthcare, or other domestic legislation Democrats want to move this year.“It’s a terrible idea and there are a large number of people who think it is a terrible idea,” Frank said yesterday. “I don’t know how it ends. The worst that happens is that enough anti-gambling busybodies will be less inclined to interfere in people’s lives.”Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) today introduced the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act of 2007 that would create an exemption to the ban on online gambling for properly licensed operators, allowing Americans to lawfully bet online.The Act establishes a federal regulatory and enforcement framework to license companies to accept bets and wagers online from individuals in the U.S., to the extent permitted by individual states, Indian tribes and sport leagues. All such licenses would include protections against underage gambling, compulsive gambling, money laundering and fraud.“The existing legislation is an inappropriate interference on the personal freedom of Americans and this interference should be undone,” said. Rep. Frank.In 2006, the House passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, restricting the handling of payments by U.S. financial institutions for unlawful forms of Internet gambling. That law prohibits the use of payment instruments by such institutions to handle the processing of any form of Internet gambling that is illegal under U.S. federal or state law.Traditional forms of legalized gambling already exist in nearly every state. By continuing to prohibit Internet gambling in the U.S., the U.S. has left Americans who choose to gamble online without meaningful consumer protections. The proposed legislation would institute practical and enforceable standards to bring transparency to Internet gambling and provide consumers the protections they expect and deserve.The Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing entitled, “Can Internet gambling be regulated to protect consumers and the payments system?” at a date to be determined in June, 2007.

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More information from the financial services committee:Here's the text of the actual bill that was introducedQ&A about the billSummary of the bill for the Attention Span ImpairedEDIT: Based on my reading of these links, this bill is the best possible news. Now it's up to poker players everywhere to make enough noise to make it happen. It will soon be time for another letter barrage.

[mk 11]

gogogogogogogo barney!i would make out with him.he likes guys.

[solderz 0]

EDIT: Based on my reading of these links, this bill is the best possible news. Now it's up to poker players everywhere to make enough noise to make it happen. It will soon be time for another letter barrage.

Although it is nice to believe that individuals can actually effect change in the U.S. Government, it doesn't tend to hold true anymore. I still think we should all call our congressmen and write letters (just in case someone actually cares), but more importantly, donate to the pac's (political action committees) that are already fighting for poker players rights. Pacs can make multiple donations to the pac's of the politician they are trying to influence, thereby buying his or her vote. It's legalized bribery and its the way of the US. It sux, but its the way it is.

[WowThats 0]

I really want Internet poker back but that {Bill} in its current from does not address the real issues.1. Who oversees the server software2. Server location3. Dispute resolution4. Stricter controls on cheating5. Ownership, licensing.

[Highlow16 0]

This is the best news we could possibly hope for and it takes less than 5 post for people to start with their negativity.

[Dr_Shakes 0]

I really want Internet poker back but that {Bill} in its current from does not address the real issues.1. Who oversees the server software2. Server location3. Dispute resolution4. Stricter controls on cheating5. Ownership, licensing.

Yeah and it doesn't feed starving children in Africa either. As Rummy once said...You go to the floor of congress with the bill you have not the one you would like to have.I will be writing my congressman today. I encourage others to do so as well.

[nutzbuster 7]

Thanks for the attention impaired link Henry. WHEWWW! B)

[WowThats 0]

Yeah and it doesn't feed starving children in Africa either. As Rummy once said...You go to the floor of congress with the bill you have not the one you would like to have.I will be writing my congressman today. I encourage others to do so as well.

I cannot write or even suggest this bill be passed...it needs more work or the corruption will grow to the point on the next legislation will be to ban all forms of online gambling. I would rather see one Bill done correctly than rush through a Bill that will one day be overturned.

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I cannot write or even suggest this bill be passed...it needs more work or the corruption will grow to the point on the next legislation will be to ban all forms of online gambling. I would rather see one Bill done correctly than rush through a Bill that will one day be overturned.

You must have a very low opinion of your fellow poker players and places such as this forum. In the internet age, any site that showed even a hint of corruption or treating its players badly would be out of business in a flash. Look at how fast news about sites travels. Do you really think people would say "well, I see that the last six people who went there got ripped off, but I think I'll give it a try anyway...."If the company is licensed in the US, it has to obey US laws against cheating its clients. We don't need special rules for that; it's just a fact of business. And because they know they will be scrutinized more closely than most businesses, any online gambling site would be forced to go above and beyond the standards that a normal business follows, for fear of being shut down and losing their piece of the billions.But the free market is the best antidote -- would Ceasar's really want to tarnish their reputation by running a shady online site?

[WowThats 0]

You must have a very low opinion of your fellow poker players and places such as this forum. In the internet age, any site that showed even a hint of corruption or treating its players badly would be out of business in a flash. Look at how fast news about sites travels. Do you really think people would say "well, I see that the last six people who went there got ripped off, but I think I'll give it a try anyway...."If the company is licensed in the US, it has to obey US laws against cheating its clients. We don't need special rules for that; it's just a fact of business. And because they know they will be scrutinized more closely than most businesses, any online gambling site would be forced to go above and beyond the standards that a normal business follows, for fear of being shut down and losing their piece of the billions.But the free market is the best antidote -- would Ceasar's really want to tarnish their reputation by running a shady online site?

You really don't believe what you type do you? Navie... when did online gambling become licensed in the USA? Just in case you didn't know all forms of gamblers outside of the once/twice a year are degenerates, I fail to understand how anyone can defend gamblers as anything other than degenerates. You put to much trust in people...wherever money is involved people will do things they normally would never even consider.When online gambling can be regulated inside the USA I am all for it, in its current form I am against online gambling.

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Just in case you didn't know all forms of gamblers outside of the once/twice a year are degenerates, I fail to understand how anyone can defend gamblers as anything other than degenerates. You put to much trust in people...wherever money is involved people will do things they normally would never even consider.When online gambling can be regulated inside the USA I am all for it, in its current form I am against online gambling.

Are you serious? If this is truly your belief, what the hell are you doing here on a poker forum?And how can you honestly comment on having too much "trust in people"? It's thinking like this that has our own government probing our collective asses every time we take $5 out of the ATM. OK, maybe that's a little overstated, but it hasn't gotten any better over the years, it's only gotten worse. The government thinks we need protection from ourselves because they don't have any trust in people. Well, I for one can control my actions, money involved or not. I don't need some blowhards in the government to look out for me except when it comes to protecting me from criminals, and terrorists, etc. I don't need protection from myself.

[RickyG033 0]

I couldnt pick Barney Frank out of a lineup of one person, but I'd go to war for this man

[Spence 0]

Anybody else here thinking Party Poker might get the nod to be one of the pioneers, since they are a public company and already held accountable? Might be looking in to their stock.

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You really don't believe what you type do you? Navie... when did online gambling become licensed in the USA? Just in case you didn't know all forms of gamblers outside of the once/twice a year are degenerates, I fail to understand how anyone can defend gamblers as anything other than degenerates. You put to much trust in people...wherever money is involved people will do things they normally would never even consider.When online gambling can be regulated inside the USA I am all for it, in its current form I am against online gambling.

LOL, nice troll. Hopefully people won't fall for it.

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Yeah, I'd wait til the bill gets out of committee, but Party would be a pretty good bet.

[HoosierAlum 0]

Just in case you didn't know all forms of gamblers outside of the once/twice a year are degenerates, I fail to understand how anyone can defend gamblers as anything other than degenerates.

LOL that is quite possibly the funniest statement I've ever read.

[oldirtyharry 0]

They should just call the bill "The Party Poker bb/100." Goddamn I miss that place

[HoosierAlum 0]

PLEASE EVERYONE CALL! This is our one glimmer of hope. I agree it is slim, but we still have a chance.

[ol'number7 0]

Just in case you didn't know all forms of gamblers outside of the once/twice a year are degenerates, I fail to understand how anyone can defend gamblers as anything other than degenerates.

**** you and the donkey you rode in on. I "gamble" almost every day

[DmsTips 0]

Just in case you didn't know all forms of gamblers outside of the once/twice a year are degenerates,

LOL you idiot.

[WowThats 0]

LOL you idiot.

I'm not attempting to be rude to anyone however you have to take a look what gambling really is, the type of person it creates, what it does to people.

[GWCGWC 83]

**** you and the donkey you rode in on. I "gamble" almost every day

It's true.yesterday it was QQ<KQ sooooted, calls an allin and hits the runner runner flush.what'd you gamboool on today?

[Suited_Up 2]

I'm not attempting to be rude to anyone however you have to take a look what gambling really is, the type of person it creates, what it does to people.

100% of the time!!