US ONLINE GAMBLING LANDSCAPE

1/31/2012 : US ONLINE GAMBLING LANDSCAPE (Update)
 
Policy makers continue to mull on the future of online gambling within their States
 
D.C. Council members intend moving forward with a bill that would repeal the State's internet gambling proposal following a protracted hearing held last week by Council member Jack Evans.
 
A Finance and Revenue Committee meeting scheduled for tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday) will revisit the controversial passage of the first-in-nation internet gambling programme after an internet gambling provision was added to the D.C. Lottery contract after the fact.
 
The Committee chaired by Evans will review Bill 19-474: Lottery Amendment Repeal Act of 2011 and its panel includes leading proponents Michael A. Brown and Marion Barry; Muriel Bowser – who appears to be sitting on the fence, and vociferous critic David A. Catania.
 
Further afield, Connecticut has scheduled an informational forum on online gaming, devised by Democrat's State Rep. Stephen Dargan and State Senator Joan Hartley at the Connecticut legislative office building on Thursday this week.
 
Industry players invited to speak at the forum include: State Attorney General's Office representative Bob Clark; Chuck Bunnell – Mohegan Sun Casino; Bill Satti – Foxwoods Resort Casino; Anne Noble – Connecticut Lottery Corporation; Brooks Pierce – Sportech, Inc.; and Carlos Reinoso – Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling.
 
In a Finance Committee meeting on the topic, Representative Roland Lemar demonstrated with the use of his iPad how easy it is for Americans to partake in the activity by completing the online registration process on an unidentified, but described as leading, online gambling website.  “I was able to go through the entire application process, provide my credit card number, do everything except click start,” Lemar said.
 
Lemar demonstrated what Governor D. Malloy commented on earlier this week: "Online gambling is coming to Connecticut whether we like it or not. The playing field with respect to gaming is about to change, and we have to consider those changes and be aware of them.”