POLITICAL ARM-TWISTING HELPED DEFEAT HR 5767
Politicians give an insight into the action behind the Frank/Paul attempt to stall the UIGEA regulations

HR 5767, the bipartisan attempt by Congressmen Barney Frank and Ron Paul to stop the implementation of the UIGEA regulations pending greater clarity, failed on a tied 32 - 32 vote in the House Financial Services Committee recently, and this week the information portal RGT Online gave some insight into the behind-the-scenes action.

In an interview with RGT Online writer Vin Narayanan at the World Series of Poker championships this week, Congressman Robert Wexler and former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato who heads up the Poker Players Alliance gave an interesting background to the vote on a controversial subject that has attracted criticism from financial institutions, politicians and civil rights bodies.

Wexler commented that the 32-32 tie actually represented the strongest support any Congress has shown for an online gambling measure. "It shows that awareness of the absurdity of the status quo has never been greater," he told Narayanan. "I'm confident, in the short term, we'll be able to do something. Declaring poker a skill game and getting a regulated environment are more long-term goals."

D'Amato pointed to the activities of arch-online gambling enemy, Republican Alabama Representative Spencer Bachus, who had "twisted the arms" of five to six members [of the Financial Services Committee] who had previously indicated support for the amendment and the need for clarity of what illegal gambling was.

"There's a good chance we're going to re-introduce the measure before Congress goes into recess," D'Amato revealed.

D'Amato also flagged the strong antipathy to online gambling of the National Football League in the U.S., saying: "One Congressman from New York told me that the NFL is pushing hard to keep the UIGEA in place. They want to make sure that sports betting does not spread on the Internet."

Narayanan raised an interesting point in the interview, asking for opinions on the possible entry of tribal gaming entities into the world of online poker under the UIGEA, which the writer said allows for states to run online casinos and poker rooms if they restrict play to residents of that state.

Wexler stressed that he supported the right of all Americans to play online when and where they want. "This isn't about special interest groups or lobbyists. This is about the right to play poker," he said. D'Amato opined that poker has been played in the White House, the Supreme Court, the Senate and the House.

"It's a game of skill and the government should get off the backs of regular Americans and the let them play wherever they want," he concluded.

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I also thought that the tie was a good sign for the future of US poker.

Let's see what happens next time.

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so the NFL doesn't want sportsbetting on the internet where it might be regulated, taxed and monitored, otherwise it is going to stay underground and be untaxed. I wonder what NFL ratings would be like if nobody bet on the games to begin. Take the Superbowl for example, if you take away betting how many people would still watch this game or talk about it after the Giants pulled through with the big upset. I think your money is safer betting on a game then in the stock markets.

The NFL wants betting to stay in Vegas etc, where they can get a cut of it.

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dominique


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A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.
David Brinkley

"The land of the free and the home of the brave"

Ha ha, except if you want to play online.

As long as you give them a cut of your winnings, then you can play for 'free'

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Out here it's the Dems that are giving us a hard time, although my Democrate rep voted in favor of the bill, there are 2 that I have writtin to and one that had an article in the LA Daily News. Polise, Feinstein, and some rep named Lopez, all Democrates.

These 3 are all against online gaming and the scary thing is Polise is 100% against it and she is in a position that can really hurt us. Dont forget, she runs the house and is the 3rd in line for the "Big Post:

So much for freedom and the rights we should have. Dems, Reps, its all about the money.

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Buddy M



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Bud your last comment is too true, most policticians are greedy self serving bastards. I pray for the day common sense comes back to Washington.

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Prof, you have to wait long before common sense comes back to Washington, or to any Capital of any country. "Common" sense does not serve the goals of those who want to remain "uncommon" and enjoy their privileges, like most politicians in any country.

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