BARNEY FRANK ON JAY LENO SHOW


Congressman speaks on the advantages of US regulation rather than banning

The author of a the HR2267 legislative proposal to legalise online gambling in the United States, Congressman Barney Frank, appeared as a guest on the widely distributed Jay Leno Show in the United States this week, putting out the word for a regulated online gaming industry instead of bans.

Whilst Frank dealt with the tax billions that could flow from online gambling and the stringent measures contained in the bill to guard against money laundering, organised crime involvement, problem and under aged users, and the need for fair and safe software, Leno focused on the potential danger that problem gambling numbers could be exacerbated.

Frank underlined the fact that users would not be able to use their credit cards to gamble online; only debit or prepaid cards would be accepted, and there would be limits on wagering.

“If there is something people want to do and it is not hurting someone else, then let them keep doing it,” Frank said.

The interview did not focus solely on Frank's interest in legalising online gambling; the Congressman dealt with a variety of other topics from bringing an end to American involvement in the Iraq war to the legal use of marijuana.