New US Government Task Force Shows Need For Online Gambling Regulation

The US attorney's Office in Baltimore, Maryland has set up a new Assets Forfeiture and Financial Crimes task force that will go after online gambling operations running in the country. The need for the task force exemplifies one of the reasons Representative Barney Frank and other lawmakers are attempting to regulate Internet gambling.

In the US, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act has made it even more difficult for people to understand online gambling laws in the US. The law was aimed at eliminating online gambling in the country, but instead, it has made it even more unclear as to the legality of such activity in the US.

The task force has already began their work by seizing bank accounts that were being used to pay US players their online gambling winnings. As recently as late last week bank accounts were being seized in Maryland and in other states around the US.

"Seizing and forfeiting ill-gotten gains enables us to take the profit out of crime and use the proceeds to compensate victims," said US Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein, as reported on Gambling911.

That statement lends credence to one of the main reasons Representative Frank is leading a movement to regulate Internet gambling in the US. If regulations of the online gambling industry were in place, there would be no "victims." A regulated system would allow US Internet gambling customers to play freely without the concern that they will be deceived by the gaming sites they are using.

"Most people within the online gambling community knew that when the UIGEA was put in place, it would bring to light all of the corruption that currently exists within the online gambling industry," said CGW Online Gaming Analysts Roger Wheeler, "The more seizures this new task force makes in relation to online gambling, the more it will prove Rep. Frank's theory that people in the US need to be protected."

Representative Frank has proposed two pieces of legislation that would overturn the UIGEA and also lay the framework for a regulated Internet gambling system in the US. The House is not the only branch working on changing the current laws.

Senator Robert Menendez introduced legislation that would legalize online poker and on Saturday Senator Ron Wyden proposed an amendment that would use Internet gambling revenue generated by Frank's Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act (HR 2267) to help offset health care reform costs.

September 21, 2009
Posted By Larry Rutherford
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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