Mid-July Sees Additional Cosponsors for Anti-UIGEA Bill

Gambling News - July 21st, 2009 - Written by Glen

July of this year has had some trials and tribulations for online gambling. Poker pay outs were frozen, casino workers have been threatening strikes, and Asia's gambling market has becoming more dominant. Despite the trouble online gambling has seen with the recent seizure of poker funds, clear skies remain on the horizons as our government begins to work against its earlier blunder. As of the 17th of July, 5 more cosponsors have signed up to aid Barney Frank in his crusade to fix the online gambling industry in America.

The gambling industry is in a transitional phase, and problems are cropping up in many sectors - online and on land. Land gambling has been seeing low revenues, causing labor cuts and possible closures in some parts of the United States. In states that had previously not seen gambling venues, things are also beginning to change. Gambling locations are springing up in several states, adding to the available options for players, giving them even more of a reason to avoid Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

Ever since the UIGEA landed, several different online gambling sources have pulled from the US market to avoid a conflict of Interest. Party Poker and Microgaming, two of the largest gambling sources on the Internet, are amongst those that pulled from the US. Other poker sites may also pull the plug, due to the recent account seizure from their payment processors.

Frank is not alone in his quest to liberate our right to gamble unopposed on the Internet. Several groups, both foreign and domestic, have joined to fight the good fight.  The European Union has been applying pressure through the World Trade Organization, under the pretext that the United States is violating trade agreements. The Poker Player's Alliance has been lobbying and petitioning as well, pushing Obama and his Congress to fix the issue. Last, but not least, the five new cosponsors that have signed on should help to make an impact. The total number of cosponsors on Frank's H.R.2267 online gambling regulatory act has reached 47 in total.