Representative Barney Frank turns 69 today

From the CAP Newswire:

March 31, 2009 (CAP Newswire) -- He doesn't gamble, but Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank is something of a hero to those who do -- at least, those who do on the Internet.

That's because of his tireless efforts to oppose the disastrous Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA). The bulk of these efforts have been conducted in a bipartisan partnership with Texas Republican Ron Paul. Both of these outspoken congressmen were in strong opposition to the act before it was passed into law, and both have focused efforts on repealing it in the years since.

Since the UIGEA's passage, Frank has sponsored a series of bills designed to restore online gambling to a fully legal status by licensing and regulating it. He has suffered a number of setbacks, and the anti-UIGEA bills he has introduced have failed to pass. However, each one has been more successful than the last, and Rep. Frank has emerged as the U.S. Congress' leading anti-UIGEA figure. His support has grown in recent years, but there was certainly a time when his anti-gambling voice was the only one to be heard, testifying to the bravery of a man who would speak out in favor of online gambling in an era of reactionary, hyper-conservative American politics.

In recent statements, Frank has expressed confidence that UIGEA will be overturned soon, possibly this year. And many in the iGaming industry understand that that’s only a possibility because of his efforts.

Happy birthday, Mr. Frank!