Internet Gambling : Barney Frank Urges Americans to Call RepsFollowing the hearings in the House Financial Services Committee held on Friday, Democratic Congressman Barney Frank this week has been out on the interview circuit in order to promote his new Bill that would legalize and regulate Internet gambling. In the interviews his general message to American citizens who would like the new law to pass has been a strong one.
"Call your representative and your senators and tell them to get out of your life!"
When asked about whether his bill will be one that takes decades to pass, like the pro-marijuana campaigns that are still running unsuccessfully across the country, or a couple years to pass, he chooses the latter option.
He explains that "it really depends on the citizens whose rights to gamble were infringed upon."
Once they realize the intrusion, he says, "the citizens will say 'hey wait a minute what are you doing? you can't do this ... stop bothering me,'" and he explains that the more representatives hear this "some of them are starting to change (their position on legalizing Internet gambling)."
Frank emphasizes that his Bill, that essentially repeals the Internet gambling ban passed late last year in the United States, can be passed soon, but it needs help from the American people.
"It really depends on the citizens," Frank explains "as the average American understands what's happened, my colleagues are going to be told, 'listen you made a mistake and you butt out of my business', and at that point I think we may be able to change it."
To the opponents of the bill who say the language of the Bill forms a new government agency, Frank says that is just not true. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network would be responsible for being sure money laundering does not occur and "that network already exists in our committee, so we just give them this other thing to track."
He goes on to explain that he only put certain parts in the bill because the people who passed the Internet gambling ban last year stated certain reasons for banning it, so he had no choice but to address those issues in his legislation.
"They were worried about gambling through the Internet for a cover for drug running and money laundering I can't ignore those things because some people are going to pay attention... I don't think those are the real reasons (they passed the bill), but they were in there so we had to face them."
Campaigns are currently being promoted by sites such as Casino Gambling Web to urge Americans to call their representatives, but the appeal by such sites has to be much stronger for quick change in the law to occur.
At a conference over the weekend current online casino operators were asked why they have not sent out emails to their player databases that could reach millions of American citizens urging them to call their congress people for a repeal. The replies were non-existent.
Some in the conference speculated that the Internet casinos that left the US market once the law passed last year would gain no advantage over new US gambling regulation because the American land based casinos would enter the market and they would not be able to compete.
"Call your representative and your senators and tell them to get out of your life!"
When asked about whether his bill will be one that takes decades to pass, like the pro-marijuana campaigns that are still running unsuccessfully across the country, or a couple years to pass, he chooses the latter option.
He explains that "it really depends on the citizens whose rights to gamble were infringed upon."
Once they realize the intrusion, he says, "the citizens will say 'hey wait a minute what are you doing? you can't do this ... stop bothering me,'" and he explains that the more representatives hear this "some of them are starting to change (their position on legalizing Internet gambling)."
Frank emphasizes that his Bill, that essentially repeals the Internet gambling ban passed late last year in the United States, can be passed soon, but it needs help from the American people.
"It really depends on the citizens," Frank explains "as the average American understands what's happened, my colleagues are going to be told, 'listen you made a mistake and you butt out of my business', and at that point I think we may be able to change it."
To the opponents of the bill who say the language of the Bill forms a new government agency, Frank says that is just not true. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network would be responsible for being sure money laundering does not occur and "that network already exists in our committee, so we just give them this other thing to track."
He goes on to explain that he only put certain parts in the bill because the people who passed the Internet gambling ban last year stated certain reasons for banning it, so he had no choice but to address those issues in his legislation.
"They were worried about gambling through the Internet for a cover for drug running and money laundering I can't ignore those things because some people are going to pay attention... I don't think those are the real reasons (they passed the bill), but they were in there so we had to face them."
Campaigns are currently being promoted by sites such as Casino Gambling Web to urge Americans to call their representatives, but the appeal by such sites has to be much stronger for quick change in the law to occur.
At a conference over the weekend current online casino operators were asked why they have not sent out emails to their player databases that could reach millions of American citizens urging them to call their congress people for a repeal. The replies were non-existent.
Some in the conference speculated that the Internet casinos that left the US market once the law passed last year would gain no advantage over new US gambling regulation because the American land based casinos would enter the market and they would not be able to compete.
uppy:
