Four new co-sponsors sign up for HR2267

Congressman Barney Frank's proposal to regulate and licence non-sportsbetting Internet gambling in the United States, his HR 2267 Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act introduced on May 6, signed another four co-sponsors Friday, bringing to 30 the number of politicians indicating their support so far.

Congressional Representatives Steve Driehaus (Ohio), Jared Polis (Colorado), Raul M. Grijalva (Arizona) and Steve Israel (New York) are the latest to sign up for the bill, for which Frank, who is chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, has high hopes in a more enlightened and Democrat-dominated Congress.

We reported earlier this week that a companion Bill launched by Franks to delay by a year the implementation of the controversial regulations underpinning the UIGEA has so far attracted 13 co-sponsors. HR2266 - the Reasonable Prudence in Regulation Act - was launched May 6 2009 and seeks a hold on the UIGEA until December 2010 when there is more clarity and the outcome of HR 2267 proposing to regulate and licence online gambling in the USA is known.

Industry observers hope that the current HR 2267, which supports the autonomy of individual states, excludes sportsbetting but seeks to legalise and regulate online gambling in the United States, thus rendering the contentious UIGEA largely redundant, will have a better chance of success, given the need for more tax revenues by recession-hit states within the Union. Recent world trade events such as the European Union condemnation of American discriminatory anti-online gambling enforcement may also influence the debate.

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