Senator challenges UIGEA jurisdiction

11/03/2008		Senator challenges UIGEA jurisdiction
Home History Games News Dictionary		Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat from the state of New Jersey has presented a bill that may mark the beginning of measures to reverse the legislation set in place by the UIGEA. While the bill currently only addresses those ‘games of skill,’ such as poker, any movement could be considered forward movement. As time passes, more and more legislators are bringing forth bills that are meant to bypass or even repeal the UIGEA. The bill brought forth to the Senate by Menendez, is based off Representative Robert Wexler’s of the House. Wexler presented his bill to the House of Reps in June of 2007; he has since gained the support of 22 other representatives as co-sponsors. The move towards change is another example of how wide-spread the opinion that banning is not nearly as effective in managing online gambling as regulation would be, stacking up additional ammunition against the UIGEA. Poker Players Alliance saluted the bill put worth by Menendez as yet another assault on the UIGEA ban. Chairman of the PPA, a former Senator himself, Alphonse D’Amato made the following statement: “This action by Senator Menendez is yet another example that prohibitions on Internet gambling, and specifically poker, will not work to protect consumers.” Granted this bill is only specifically in relation to those games “of skill” on the internet, it cannot be ignored that the overlap if it were to pass would infringe upon the UIGEA’s territory. Many are hoping that the passing of Menendez’s movement would be a starting point to get the UIGEA overturned, and the beginning the States need to regulate rather than prohibit online gambling in internet casinos. With action circulating in both the House and the Senate, the question of legalizing online casinos changes from one of “if” to one of “when.”

11/03/2008

Senator challenges UIGEA jurisdiction

Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat from the state of New Jersey has presented a bill that may mark the beginning of measures to reverse the legislation set in place by the UIGEA. While the bill currently only addresses those ‘games of skill,’ such as poker, any movement could be considered forward movement. As time passes, more and more legislators are bringing forth bills that are meant to bypass or even repeal the UIGEA. The bill brought forth to the Senate by Menendez, is based off Representative Robert Wexler’s of the House. Wexler presented his bill to the House of Reps in June of 2007; he has since gained the support of 22 other representatives as co-sponsors.

The move towards change is another example of how wide-spread the opinion that banning is not nearly as effective in managing online gambling as regulation would be, stacking up additional ammunition against the UIGEA. Poker Players Alliance saluted the bill put worth by Menendez as yet another assault on the UIGEA ban. Chairman of the PPA, a former Senator himself, Alphonse D’Amato made the following statement: “This action by Senator Menendez is yet another example that prohibitions on Internet gambling, and specifically poker, will not work to protect consumers.”

Granted this bill is only specifically in relation to those games “of skill” on the internet, it cannot be ignored that the overlap if it were to pass would infringe upon the UIGEA’s territory. Many are hoping that the passing of Menendez’s movement would be a starting point to get the UIGEA overturned, and the beginning the States need to regulate rather than prohibit online gambling in internet casinos. With action circulating in both the House and the Senate, the question of legalizing online casinos changes from one of “if” to one of “when.”