State lawmakers’ group to meet on Internet gambling issue
The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States will gather on June 2 in Boston, Massachusetts, to discuss Internet gambling and to review the status of the international gaming industry, which is illegal in the United States.
Experts from private and public sectors are expected to debate the pro and cons of Internet gaming and the legal and regulatory concerns surrounding it.
The proposed Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, sponsored by Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia), was introduced in the United States House of Representatives on February 16. The bill, which would expand and modernize the prohibition against interstate gambling, contains an exemption for horse racing.
“[The council] believes that Internet gaming is a states’ right issue,” said Florida State Senator Steven Geller, president of the organization. “States should ultimately have final say over its existence in the U.S.”
Geller added that the council would review its current stance on Internet gaming.
“[The council] at present opposes Internet gaming on numerous grounds, among them that states cannot properly ensure a fair marketplace and protect their constituents against fraud, states have no mechanism to adequately allocate Internet gaming taxes, states should have the ability to decide what types of gambling is legal within their state and Internet gambling prevents states from doing so, and [the council] is also concerned about under age and compulsive gambling on the Internet,” Geller said.
The council will consider recent relevant activity, including the World Trade Organization findings, Department of Justice rules, state initiatives regarding the Internet, and new technology, Geller said.
The hearing, which will be held by the council’s executive committee, will commence at 3:30-5:30 p.m. EDT at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Towers, and in conjunction with the council’s summer meeting, June 2-4.
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