ONLINE GAMBLING BILL SUBMITTED TO CONGRESS
As reported in the Wall Street Journal this week, Congressman Peter King has introduced legislation to legalize and regulate online gambling. Although this bill addresses online poker alone, this is the foot in the door for the gambling industry.
Last year, Senators Reid and Kyl pushed an Internet poker bill that failed because of intramural fighting between the gambling interests, along with strong anti-gambling pressure from religious and other groups, including Stop Predatory Gambling. Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware jumped into the void and legalized it within their own states, which may end up getting them in trouble with the U.S. Justice Department.
Senator Reid, Representative Joe Barton, and others are also planning to introduce Internet gambling legislation this session.
The supporters all talk about the government regulating Internet gambling to prevent money-laundering, identity theft, fraud, and underage gambling. However, experts in the law-enforcement field, and some experts on website programming insist that expert programmers in the gambling trade will be able to get around all of these efforts.
Just imagine a mini-casino available in every family room, dormitory, library and office in the nation. Although the American Gaming Association says that the studies they pay for show a very low rate of addiction among Internet gamblers, studies at the University of Connecticut and the University of Lethbridge, Alberta show a very high rate of addiction among Internet gamblers.
Stop Predatory Gambling New Mexico will be giving you updates on the progress of these bills, as well as contact information for your legislators in D.C. We invite you to assist to thwart this scourge from flooding the nation.
Dr. Guy C. Clark, chairman
Stop Predatory Gambling New Mexico
