Lame Duck Session Opportunity for Online Gamblers

Now may be the time for people in favor of online gambling to have their voices heard. The current legislative session has only a month left and some say that since this is a lame duck session, now may be the best opportunity to contact your local Representative to have the US online gambling laws changed.

It was this same lame duck situation in 2006 that got the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act passed. It was the Republicans that got this act attached to the port security bill knowing that no matter what that bill had to pass. Adding to it the fact that the port security bill was put through at the last minute and lawmakers were forced to vote for it without time to remove all the added amendments.

Since that time many Democrats have been working to get this law overturned and implement some sort of online gambling regulation. Most notably has been the chairman of the Financial Services Committee, Representative Barney Frank. His bill has actually passed through mark up and is ready to be presented to the whole House.

It seems the situation is exactly the opposite of where it was in 2006. Taunting the revenues production and job creation of his bill, Rep. Frank has put the Republicans in a position to where voting against this bill would produce a lot of negative publicity which they are trying to avoid. Rep. Frank, so far, has had little to say on what his strategy is pertaining to getting his bill passed.

Though it is most likely a good idea not to let the opponents of regulating online gambling know when this bill will come up for a vote, it is not time for online gamblers to wait till the last minute. Now is the time and maybe the only time in the near future, to contact your Representative and speak up for online gambling regulation. If we speak loud enough, maybe we will see the UIGEA get overturned in the same way it was passed.