US Gambling Takes Two Small Steps Forward

The last couple of weeks has seen the online gambling community take several setbacks on the chin. But the latest news is looking rosy for the online gamers.

The first is that Rep. Barney Frank’s two bills, HR2266 and HR2267, are going to be heard in legislative hearings before the House Committee on Financial Services on April 16^th. HR2266 is seeking to postpone implementation of the provisions of UIGEA for one year. HR2267 is aimed at establishing a regulatory and licensing framework on online gambling.

The hearings are supposed to be dealing with governmental perspectives of the regulatory and licensing process and the problems the banks will have attempting to implement UIGEA’s provisions. On the down side, these bills had similar hearings in December 2009. Plus the fact that there is no mark up scheduled. Are we making any progress? Or are we just treading water? Only time will tell.

Secondly, the expected move by the National Indian Gaming Association to block Barney Frank’s bills from being passed has been put on the shelf for the moment. The resolution to block the bills was initiated by the Morongo Indians of California in an attempt to be the exclusive provider of internet poker in California. But the debate in the National Indian Gaming Association conference was very divisive. So much so that the decision was made to delay the action. The tribes of Southern and Eastern U.S. view the legalization of internet gambling as an opportunity to grow their markets. But the California tribes see it as a threat to their livelihood. The tribes of the Midwest and the Southwest have taken no stand as of yet.

Update: Just came in.

Postponed: Committee Hearing on Internet Gambling Regulation

Washington, DC – Due to a conflict in the Chairman’s schedule, the hearing entitled “H.R. 2266, Reasonable Prudence in Regulation Act and H.R. 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act-Governmental Perspectives” scheduled at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 16, will be postponed to a date and time to be announced later.