Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is one of two Republican senators - and Presidential hopefuls - who proposed legislation last week that could ban online gambling in the United States.Graham managed to convince Senator Marco Rubio of Florida to co-sponsor the reintroduction of the Restoration of America's Wire Act. The legislation calls for a reversal of the Department ofJustice's 2011 decision to give the green light to intra state online gambling, with a ban only on sports betting.
Before this turnabout decision, the authorities used the Wire Act to ban all forms of online gambling, including those related to sport. In 2002, Assistant Attorney General Michael Chertoff said: "The Department of Justice believes that federal law prohibits gambling over the internet, including casino-style gambling."The policy was reversed in a letter issued by the DOJ just before Christmas in 2011.
In a statement put out by Senator Graham, he said that because of the decision by the Obama administration to reverse the 1961 Wire Act, "virtually any cell phone or computer in South Carolina could becomea video poker machine."
He said that a major rewrite of a long-standing federal law such as the Wire Act should be made by the people's elected representatives in Congress and should be signed into law by the President of the United States.
Co-sponsor Senator Mario Rubio had strong words to say to the current president. He said that expanded gambling, ie. on the internet, presented many challenges where it was difficult to safeguard people from fraud and addiction. He blamed the Obama administration, saying that it had "completely bypassed Congress and unilaterally decided to open the door to a widespread expansion of online gambling." He urged the government to restore existing prohibition on i-gambling before it was too late.
Much opposition was heard against the senators' call to reinstate the Wire Act. One particularly harsh response was heard by the director of the pro-poker group, the Poker Players Alliance. John Pappas said that Graham's timing of introducing this legislation while the funerals of the Charleston shooting victims were taking place, was unfortunate. He also said that Lindsey was a puppet to major Republican donor, Sheldon Adelson's almost manic opposition to online gambling.
Adelson made it his mission last year to torpedo any attempts to see the expansion of online gambling in the United States. It is believed that he is a sponsor of Senator Graham's proposal, and the coalition he finances lobbies incessantly against igaming.
Before this turnabout decision, the authorities used the Wire Act to ban all forms of online gambling, including those related to sport. In 2002, Assistant Attorney General Michael Chertoff said: "The Department of Justice believes that federal law prohibits gambling over the internet, including casino-style gambling."The policy was reversed in a letter issued by the DOJ just before Christmas in 2011.
In a statement put out by Senator Graham, he said that because of the decision by the Obama administration to reverse the 1961 Wire Act, "virtually any cell phone or computer in South Carolina could becomea video poker machine."
He said that a major rewrite of a long-standing federal law such as the Wire Act should be made by the people's elected representatives in Congress and should be signed into law by the President of the United States.
Co-sponsor Senator Mario Rubio had strong words to say to the current president. He said that expanded gambling, ie. on the internet, presented many challenges where it was difficult to safeguard people from fraud and addiction. He blamed the Obama administration, saying that it had "completely bypassed Congress and unilaterally decided to open the door to a widespread expansion of online gambling." He urged the government to restore existing prohibition on i-gambling before it was too late.
Much opposition was heard against the senators' call to reinstate the Wire Act. One particularly harsh response was heard by the director of the pro-poker group, the Poker Players Alliance. John Pappas said that Graham's timing of introducing this legislation while the funerals of the Charleston shooting victims were taking place, was unfortunate. He also said that Lindsey was a puppet to major Republican donor, Sheldon Adelson's almost manic opposition to online gambling.
Adelson made it his mission last year to torpedo any attempts to see the expansion of online gambling in the United States. It is believed that he is a sponsor of Senator Graham's proposal, and the coalition he finances lobbies incessantly against igaming.
