Barney Frank (D-MA) has been poker’s biggest proponent ever since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed back in 2006. His bill, Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act (HR 2267), was passed in front of the House Financial Services Committee on July 28th. It was the first step towards the licensing and regulation of internet poker since the egregious UIEGA changed the gambling landscape as we knew it.
Frank appeared Tuesday night on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to discuss the issue at hand, which was met with considerable opposition from Leno. A very composed and articulate Frank stood his ground and convictions, as the horse reared in all sorts of directions, across ill-fated promises made by state lotteries to benefit public schooling and the legalization of marijuana.
The debate begins at 3:50.
Leno’s argumentative nature was probably inspired by California’s stance on internet gambling, which is fueled by the combative views brought forth by the local brick-and-mortar casinos such as the Bicycle Casino, Hollywood Park, and the Commerce Casino who are afraid of what internet poker’s legalization will do to their profits. It is estimated that Californians gamble $13.4 billion at their casinos.
In truth, anyone who wants to play poker online already does, so how would this change anything at all? With so many state benefits to be had from internet poker’s taxation, this is why the argument against it is so mind-numbing.
The bill still has a long way to go, needing to passed by the House of Representatives, the Senate, and then Obama’s John Hancock. It will undergo further review later this fall.
