A Democrat in Congress, his position on Internet Gambling Prohibition

[MS Sunshine]

Below is my Congressman's response about his views on the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act. There are four cardroom/casinos in his district. They have been tying up a local Native American tribe's casino plan for years that in partnership with one of the Conn. tribes wants to build a mega-casino 20 miles north of Portland. So they have political clout locally. I'm willing to bet my lunch money that they support his campaign and have given input about this bill.

MS Sunshine


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September 11, 2006



Dear Friend :



Thank you for contacting me regarding the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.



First, I want to be clear that I recognize a person's right to choose to gamble. However, as a former clinical psychologist, I have seen the devastating effects when people abuse that right. I have significant concerns with how easy it is to gamble on the Internet and worry about the extent to which Internet gambling contributes to the despair of those addicted to gambling. I am also concerned that Internet gambling is frequently carried out by entities that are located offshore and have no obligation to share profits with our local communities.



In addition, many websites require credit card as well as social security information before play can begin. Many online users, especially young adults, may not be aware of the potential for fraud and will willingly hand over important information. Beyond that, there are limited barriers to prevent children from accessing these gambling sites.



The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act would crack down on illegal gambling by updating the Wire Act to cover all forms of interstate gambling. The bill also prohibits a gambling business from accepting certain forms of payment, including credit cards, checks, wire and Internet transfers, in illegal gambling transactions.



As you may know, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act was added to the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act (H.R. 4411) and the combined bill was passed by the full House on July 11, 2006 on a 317-93 vote. In addition to the provisions of the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, the bill amends the criminal code to prohibit persons engaged in a gambling business from knowingly accepting credit, electronic funds transfers, checks, drafts or similar financial instruments in connection with unlawful Internet gambling. The bill awaits further action in the Senate.







Thank you again for writing to express your views on this issue. Please visit my website at http://www.house.gov/baird/IMA/email.shtml to sign up for periodic email updates about my work in Congress.

Sincerely,

Brian Baird

Member of Congress



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