Senator Dean Heller Concerned About Online Gambling

Senator Dean Heller recently called a meeting with other Senators and experts to discuss the dangers of online gambling.

Heller recently met with the Senate Commerce Subcommittee involved with Consumer Protection to give his opinion and said that federal legislation needs to be passed in order to stop terrorists and money laundering operations.

Those present at the meeting were unanimously in favour of the UIGEA and critical of the re-interpretation of the Wire Act of 1961 which allowed states to offer online gambling.

Heller said, “The reason the administration changed this was so their friends in Illinois and New York could put their lottery tickets online.”

He went on to say “With one decision, the DOJ effectively rendered all laws that have been on our books, put together by members of Congress over 50 years…useless to regulate and stop Internet gambling.”

It seems that it will be a fight for Rep. Joe Barton’s Internet Poker Freedom Act to be passed this year. Many of the senators are worried about problem gamblers and underage gambling and it will take a lot to assure them that both issues can be dealt with.