Frank To Introduce Repeal Of Online Gambling Ban

Though Representative Barney Frank has gotten most of his attention due to his role in handling the economic crisis, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee is also known for his nearly lone opposition to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, almost unanimously passed in late 2006. Frank is holding steady on that opposition and, must pass” session in 2006 by Republican Senator SAFE Port Act.

Late night tactics and renaming schemes didn’t escape the attention of the press and critics, though, who noted the inherent hypocrisy of outlawing certain types of gambling while preserving state sponsored or approved forms of gambling like state lottery and horse racing.

The new illegality of online gambling climaxed with Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear calling for the forfeiture of international gambling domains to the state, which may not survive the legal challenges railed against it. This particular issue shed more light on problems with the legislation, especially regarding the right of a state to take action against foreign based companies.

Though the law is regarded as a Republican fetish held over from a Congress that has changed much over two election cycles, the UIGEA wasn’t one of those quintessential Democrat vs. Republican issues. The parties were united on this one, gaining near unanimous passage in both houses in 2006, and powerful Democrats in favor of it then are still in office today: Biden, Obama all voted yes.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how successful Frank’s motion to repeal will be. Repealing the law would, in effect, be an exercise in self-contradiction, and the politicians involved, save for Barney Frank, would be admitting they were wrong on the gambling issue. In that light, the future looks bleak for repeal—but we’ll see how honest they really are.