Minnesota Lawmaker Fights Back Against Internet Gambling Ban

Minnesota Representative Pat Garofalo is most certainly not in favor of online gambling, but he is worried that his state is going above their jurisdiction in trying to stop it. That is why he has introduced new legislation in the state.

Garofalo has introduced legislation that would stop the Minnesota Department of Public Safety from forcing Internet service providers to block online websites. Garofalo explained his actions on Tuesday.

"The Department of Public Safety has to have better things to do than to go after a college kid in his dorm rook or some guy sitting in his basement spending a couple of hours playing online poker," said Garofalo, "Demanding that a private-sector Internet service provider block access to websites is not a proper function of our state government."

Garofalo might get beat to the punch by US Representative Barney Frank. Frank plans on Wednesday to unveil legislation that would overturn the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, and set the framework for legalized and regulated Internet gambling.

While that plan may take a little longer than what Garofalo is proposing, the Minnesota representative does not want the US to start employing practices from other countries.

"I'm certainly not condoning online gambling," said Garofalo, "But I have serious concerns about government banning access to websites. This is the kind of thing they do in communist China, not the United States of America."

May 6, 2009
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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