California Rep. Becomes Seventieth Online Gambling Bill Co-Sponsor

Representative Barney Frank is moving closer to bringing his online gambling legislation before the entire House, and he has now picked up his seventieth co-sponsor for the bill. Rep. John Campbell from California signed on at the end of July.

The past couple of weeks have been good for online gamblers in the US. First, Rep. Frank held a hearing on H.R. 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act in which representatives both for and against the legislation spoke.

The markup of the bill occurred a week later, with many of the amendments proposed during the initial hearing being adopted in the markup meeting. After the markup was complete, the House Financial Services Committee passed the bill.

There is some concern within the online gaming community that the bill will never reach the House floor this year. Legislators are on break, and when they return it may be too difficult a task to take on such an explosive, controversial issue with just a couple of months until the mid-term elections.

Representatives that may ordinarily support online gambling regulations in the US, could balk at the idea of putting their name to the bill so close to a crucial election. Whatever side of the issue the representatives are on, their opponents could use it against them in debates leading up to the elections.

The outcome of those elections will go a long way in determining whether Rep. Frank has a chance to pass his legislation next year. If Republicans gain seats in the House, it will prove difficult for Frank to sway a large majority of Conservatives to vote for Internet gambling regulations.

Bi-partisan support has been key for Frank's bill, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle supporting the legislation. If the bill eventually passes the House, it will still need the support of the Senate before the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act is officially overturned.

August 10, 2010
Posted By Larry Rutherford
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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