Rep. Conyers’ Bill to Study the Regulation of Internet Gambling is Far More Sensible than Trying to Prohibit It
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 12, 2003 – The Interactive Gaming Council heartily supports the Internet Gambling Regulation Study Commission Bill introduced today in the
U.S. Congress. The IGC applauds the initiative shown by Rep. John Conyers Jr. and his co-sponsors: Representatives Chris Cannon, Joe Baca and Shelley Berkley.
The legislation would create a commission to study how to regulate online gambling to protect consumers and keep criminal elements out of the industry. It would study whether state regulation can effectively address issues of money laundering, underage gambling and compulsive gambling.
“Rep. Conyers’ bill is the most rational response yet seen from the U.S. Congress regarding Internet gambling,” said Rick Smith, executive director of the IGC. “Plain common sense tells us that consumers who gamble online should be entitled to the same safeguards that apply to consumers who walk into a traditional casino".
“The IGC has long advocated regulation and licensing of this new industry. For the sake of the millions of Americans who enjoy online gambling, and for the well-being of the industry itself, I hope that Congress gives serious consideration to Rep. Conyers’ bill".
The direction laid out in the Conyers bill holds far more promise for dealing with the social issues related to online gaming, the IGC believes, than futile attempts to ban the industry, such as the legislation proposed by Rep. Jim Leach.
The Leach bill attacks online gambling by the precedent-setting tactic of deputizing financial institutions to target the industry’s financial underpinnings. As Rep. Conyers stated today, however, “Prohibition will simply drive the gaming industry underground, thereby attracting the least desirable operators who will be out of the reach of law enforcement. A far better approach is to allow the States to strictly license and regulate the Internet gambling industry, to foster honest merchants who are subject to U.S. consumer protection and criminal laws.”
“Rep. Conyers and his co-sponsors appreciate the totalitarian implications of proposals to block Internet access by Americans,” Smith said. “They note that Prohibition was a failed experiment. And they also realize that licensing and regulation of online gambling carries the potential of badly needed tax revenue for the states.”
Frank Catania, a former Assistant Attorney General and Director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, said, “The idea of creating a federal Internet Gambling Study Commission is wise and timely. Policymakers everywhere are struggling with the challenges of new technologies, and Congress should carefully consider this new form of gambling before it attempts to prohibit it, an effort that is doomed to fail anyway.”
Experts estimate that 50 percent to 60 percent of Internet gambling is done by residents of the U.S.
One of the charges to the commission outlined in the Conyers bill would be to study opportunities for international cooperation in the licensing and regulation of online gambling.
“That’s an exciting and important component of this bill,” Smith said. “Because as more countries, such as the United Kingdom, move toward the regulation of this industry, international cooperation will be critical.”
CONTACTS:
Rick Smith, Executive Director,
Keith Furlong, Deputy Director,
| Phone: 732-687-0880
