Congressmen Ron Paul of Texas and Barney Frank of Massachusetts have introduced legislation that would legalize computer gambling.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act gives financial institutions a government-go-ahead to block payments to off-shore internet gambling interests. The Frank-Paul bill would cancel that blockade. Tom McClusky is with the Family Research Council.
“It makes you question a number of things about why they would try to pass this type of legislation and also the whole mysteriousness around the biggest supporters of this legislation – the Poker Player’s Alliance, and what exactly their ties are to the sponsors.”
Offshore Internet Gambling may be funding terrorists, and it certainly siphons money out of the US economy. Valerie Lorenz with the Forensic Center on Compulsive Gambling says it’s being fed by anonymous gamblers.
“It is so readily available—in anyone’s home, at school at work—without any kind of limitations or constraints. You can gamble in the middle of the night at home when your family thinks you’re sleeping.”
Proponents of the Frank-Paul bill say the current ban doesn’t provide protection, but Lorenz says that’s based on who is being protected.
“Government is established to protect citizens. And here in the case with gambling it is protecting a profitable, greedy, private industry. It is not protecting the citizens.”
And since the Gambling Enforcement Act was signed into law, under-age gambling, including kids away in college, is down.
