NEW YORK REPUBLICAN IN MOVE TO SHIELD ONLINE HORSE RACE BETTING

Wednesday August 10, 2011 : Gibson bids to clarify internet gambling legalization
 
In a move that he describes as a bid to clarify existing laws on internet gambling, Republican Representative Chris Gibson has announced in New York the launch of a bill to protect Internet wagering on thoroughbred horse races from laws designed to restrict online gambling.
 
The bill is said to be similar to one former Congressman Scott Murphy, a Democrat, wrote last year.
 
"While the [current] rules were designed to crack down on illegal Internet gambling, they have unintentionally created confusion regarding the validity of credit card transactions for legitimate wagers on horse racing that are sanctioned by the federal Interstate Horseracing Act," Gibson said in his statement Tuesday.
 
"As a result, several credit card companies have decided not to process any gaming transactions, even legal Internet gaming transactions on horse racing."
 
The racing industry has invested millions in online pari-mutuel wagering, and doesn't want to see it wasted…and betting via the internet is growing.
 
When the bankrupt New York City Off-Track Betting Corp. closed last year, the New York Racing Association began taking online registrations for its NYRA Rewards program and began streaming races live online.
 
"In upstate New York, we are fortunate to have Saratoga Race Course, the crown jewel of horse racing in the state and the economic engine for our area," Gibson said. "To sustain this much-needed tourism revenue and to protect thousands of jobs, we must ensure that horse wagering remains legal, as intended by federal law."
 
The legalization will go before the House Judiciary Committee shortly.