Online Gaming Groups Rally Supporters

The toughest part of serving in Congress for any politician is deciding how to vote on legislation (or where to take next vacation). Members of Congress make approximately 400 votes per year on various issues ranging from cotton subsidies in Tennessee, to slight time zone changes, to internet gambling.

So, what formula does Congress use to decide which way they will vote on a particular issue? Sometimes they vote based on what they think is the consensus of their constituency (not often). Sometimes they vote based on their own conscience or personal assessment (not often). Other times, they vote on the side of party leaders in hopes of getting support later-on for bills that matter more to them (once in awhile). Lastly, they vote based on the influence of special interest groups and campaign donors (99%).

In the rush to get internet gambling attached to the Port Security Bill, it's obvious that Senators didn't do their homework, otherwise, they would have seen the difficulties that lay ahead for the implementors of their new laws.

They rushed into a bill that was hand-fed to them by big special interest groups from the horse-racing industry, state-run lotteries, professional sports, and of course, land-based casinos. The bill, which was voted on last Friday evening, passed through the Senate very quietly. The only noise coming from a small non-profit group known as the Poker Players Alliance, and many upset freedom fighters on website message boards.

"The passing of this attachment is as ass-backwards as the state of Tennessee", said John Atlas, a graduate of Georgia Law School and expert in Constitutional Law.

As the news continues to unfold, keep coming back to CasinoGamblingWeb.com. We are dedicating our entire staff to this issue for the next few months. Thanks for your support.

October 1, 2006
Posted By Susan Torres
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com    Previous Page | Internet Gambling | Top Online Casinos | Submit News!