As expected, House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) today, unveiled a new bill that would enable Americans to freely gamble online without fear of government interference. 

This new bill, H.R. 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act of 2009, (a summary of which can be found here) "will establish a federal regulatory and enforcement framework under which Internet gambling operators could obtain licenses authorizing them to accept bets and wagers from individuals in the U.S., on the condition that they maintain effective protections against underage gambling, compulsive gambling, money laundering and fraud, and enforce prohibitions or restrictions on types of gambling prohibited by states, and Indian Tribes."

H.R. 2267, is the most recent legal attempt by Frank to circumvent the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA), a controversial law which was originally tacked onto a must-pass security bill during the last administration and is set to go into effect no later than December 1, 2009.  Along with the unveiling of H.R. 2267, Frank also announced plans today to introduce separate legislation, that would delay that implementation deadline until the US Congress has a chance to openly decide national policy on this issue.

For more information and reactions to H.R. 2267, visit the Poker Players Alliance (www.pokerplayersalliance.org), poker's leading grassroots advocacy group.


Story by Mark Anderson