Latest Internet Gambling Rules Have Americans Seeing Blue

Every day citizens of the United States of America who do not follow politics have been motivated to get involved in this past election. President Bush and his administration have alienated so many Americans that there has been a call for change in the White House.

Perhaps it is decisions like the one made on Wednesday regarding rules to govern Internet gambling in America that have millions of Americans eager with anticipation of the upcoming day when they can slam the door on Bush and his administration.

At a time when Washington needs to come together more than ever and put political party preference aside, Bush and his administration issued another clear picture of all that has been wrong with the past eight years.

The rule that was published on Wednesday by the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve has given financial institutions just over one year to put the proper safeguards in place to prevent payments in connection with illegal Internet gambling.

Financial institutions now have until December 1st, 2009 to comply with this rule. The rule took two years simply to put in place, yet the Treasury Department feels that the financial institutions can prepare and comply in one year.

Many of these financial institutions are carrying the burden of helping turn the current economic disaster around, but now they will have to redirect some of their efforts to ensure they comply with a last minute rule.

The Bush Administration gets what they want here. They get what their administration has been about for eight years. They won. It does not matter what has been in the best interest of the country, so long as Bush and his followers got their way.

Senator John McCain over and over again used the word "win" when describing the Iraq war in his presidential debates with Senator Obama. That most certainly comes from hanging around with the president for the past two terms.

In the case of Internet gambling and the UIGEA, the current administration knew that they had passed an ill advised law that could not be defined. Instead of admitting their mistake, they quickly came up with a rule that still does not define clearly what is or is not illegal Internet gambling.

It was easier for them to throw the burden of enforcement on financial institutions that have too much else going on to fight this rule. Others, however, have stated loud and clear why these rules are being published this late in the game for an outgoing administration.

"The clock is ticking on President Bush's prohibitionist crusade against Internet gaming and that is clearly why these flawed regulations are being forced on the financial services industry at the very last minute," said Representative Shelley Berkley.

Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank asked the Treasury earlier this week in a letter to please not move forward with this rule before a study could be done on its effects. Two days later the rule was published and pushed through.

Various members of financial institutions representing some of the most respected banks in the world advised at a hearing that it would be unfair for them to have to enforce a law that could not even be clearly defined. Others also warned that the UIGEA was vague, and needed definition.

The Bush Administration ignored all of these pleas and kept moving forward on the task at hand. That task is the same one that cost John McCain, a good candidate, a chance at the White House. It is the same task that has millions of Americans counting the days until they once again have a say in how their country is run.

November 13, 2008
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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