Internet Gambling Ban : A Response From My Senator

How can an unrelated bill that has failed passage in the United States Senate be added to an important must pass Port Security bill? I asked my senator and this is what he had to say.

Dear Sir:

Thank you for contacting me regarding gambling on the Internet. I appreciate hearing from you and would like to respond to your concerns.

Internet gambling has increased in popularity in the United States and around the world. It is estimated American's wager more than $6 billion each year online. Federal law places many restrictions on Internet gambling. Many of these laws were enacted to prevent unwelcome intrusions of interstate or international gambling in states where the activity is outlawed. However, these laws have been difficult to enforce because many gambling enterprises operate overseas outside the jurisdiction of the United States.

On September 30, 2006, the Senate approved the conference report to the Security and Accountability for Every Port Act (H.R. 4954). This legislation would strictly prohibit financial transactions for all forms of Internet gambling, with the exception of horse racing. It would also require the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve to issue regulations outlining procedures that financial institutions could use to identify and stop Internet gambling-related transactions from being transmitted through their systems. H.R. 4954 awaits consideration by the President.

Again, thank you for sharing your concerns. If you have any further questions or comments, please contact me. For more information about issues and activities important to Florida, please sign up for my weekly newsletter at http://martinez.senate.gov.

Sincerely,

Mel Martinez
United States Senator

October 5, 2006
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com    Previous Page | Internet Gambling | Top Online Casinos | Submit News!