Frank to introduce bill.....

[Reef]

haven't gone through the whole thread. Could someone post phone numbers and emails of key people we should be emailing / calling? Also a basic template? thanks

[TheEngineer]

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haven't gone through the whole thread. Could someone post phone numbers and emails of key people we should be emailing / calling? Also a basic template? thanks

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No problem. Check out Support Online Gaming Rights Here! ... plenty of info. Thanks.

[spino1i]

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So when is this bill supposed to be voted? I mean, in around how many days/weeks will we know if this bill passed or not?

Any approximation will do. =)

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[joeker]

It's gotta get out of committee first, and survive any alterations there...sounds like it will with both Frank and Paul on the committee, then it goes to a vote in the house.

[LotteryOrPoker]

It will make it out of committee. Barney Frank is the chairman of the Financial Services Committee. He will have the votes in his own committee to get it in front of the whole House.

The fact that he has revised the bill means that he is wheeling and dealing to try and get something passed. Rep. Frank has been in the House since 1981 and has a LOT of friends. He would not have proposed this bill if he did not think it could get passed.

[David1234]

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It will make it out of committee. Barney Frank is the chairman of the Financial Services Committee. He will have the votes in his own committee to get it in front of the whole House.

The fact that he has revised the bill means that he is wheeling and dealing to try and get something passed. Rep. Frank has been in the House since 1981 and has a LOT of friends. He would not have proposed this bill if he did not think it could get passed.

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bills get introduced all the time, but they get passed at a much much lower rate

[Cooder]

According to Reuters, he doesn't think it will pass.

"The chairman of U.S. House Financial Services Committee, Democratic Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, has introduced a bill to lift the online gambling ban. But he conceded there is not enough support currently to pass it."

Reuters article

This issue is being discussed under the subject of:

"US Admits Defeat in Antigua Gambling Case at the WTO"

[TheEngineer]

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According to Reuters, he doesn't think it will pass.


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I don't think he said anywhere that he doesn't think it will pass. He said, "there is not enough support currently to pass it." Let's work on the "currently" aspect by continuing our efforts to write and call Congress. Let's remember to remind them that the PPA has over 400,000 members. Let's also remind them of what happened to Jim Leach. Finally, remind them that waves of young voters who normally wouldn't vote will show up to the polls to vote this issue.

We don't have to pass IGREA this year (the Frank bill) to claim victory. The mere existence of IGREA allows us to stay on the offensive while building our grassroots effort. People fight back more effectively with clear goals, like IGREA. Also, it's gotten us some positive media coverage. It also shows the fence-sitting politicians that we're here (and why we believe as we do). And, our enemies will learn that we're not punching bags to be used to mobilize their base penalty-free. For example, I doubt we'll see a successful effort to expand the Wire Act to include playing poker this year.

[catcher193]

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For example, I doubt we'll see a successful effort to expand the Wire Act to include playing poker this year.

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I liked your whole reply, and I think this is very important.

[Jeffiner99]

I want poker legal more than anyone. I want it legal for everyone in every state. I want unregulated, feds out of my face, poker that I had a year ago. I know, I know I will be screamed at from every angle, but I have to bring up a few things to this thread that seem to be missing.

1. This is not a repeal of the UIGEA. It is a continuation of it. It strengthens that act, instead of leaving it the limp dog that it currently is. (So far, not one person, or business has been charged with a violation of the UIGEA).

2. Because it is a not a repeal it seems that Barney Frank has been a little manipulative in calling it a repeal. That sends up red flags for me.

3. This bill does not legalize poker. Poker is already legal. In most states. In the states that it is not, then this bill will make it "more" illegal to play there.

4. The requirement that the sites collect all federal and state taxes due on internet gaming winnings may scare off a lot of players and have a negative rather than positive effect on the industry. Players may not like having to give their ss# to sign up to play. They may worry about identity theft. Or they may worry about what it will cost them. Different states have different laws about paying taxes on gaming winnings and a lot of states are not exactly fair to gamblers. Do a search for gaming and taxes on google to see what I mean.

5. This may not bring back PartyPoker and the others. Besides the taxes requirements, there are also licensing fees, an agreement to subject yourself to the jurisdiction of the US (something they may not be not be so keen to do) and it has a host of other licensing requirements that may make it impossible for them to get licenses, I don't know their situations. If so, then we could also lose the other sites that are currently operating here as well.

6. If it costs a lot more to operate a site, then it is possible the rakes will increase. I understand about elasticity, but if the costs of running a site go up too much, then the rakes will have to go up or it won't be profitable to operate a site.

7. Licensing always limits competition in any field. Limited competition always means higher prices.

8. One of the requirements for even attempting to get a license is that the sites open their books for the feds. Will that be good for everyone?

9. This bill gives an unfettered amount of discretion to the Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. This guy gets to personally decide who get a license and who doesn't. He also gets to set up "Such other requirements as the Director may establish by regulation or order."
That is a lot of power to hand over to one guy. Once you hand over the power you can't take it back. What happens to our entire industry if the guy who gets that position decides he doesn't like gambling? He could theoretically make up any rule he wanted that would ruin the industry. And if we are safe with this Director, what about the next guy and the next. The law will stay on the books and the power will stay in this one individual's hands.
I for one don't think that is good for industry.

I think this bill has a lot of problems. It has been designed to pander to the politicians who will make a fortune from it because they are the ones who are handing out the licenses. The right wing loves it because it will tax the hell out of gamblers (potentially) and gives the federal government power over the industry finally. The ones I see losing in this little deal are the poker players. The ones who play on line day after day. I can see a situation where the sites may dry up to almost nothing (if you have a choice to play taxed and watched online by the feds or play in anonymity in a B & M casino, many people may choose the casino).

I also see the potential for a political backlash against it where all sorts of states throw things on their ballots to make gambling online illegal in their states so they can opt out. It will bring gambling to the forefront and people may freak about it. Think about what happened with gay marriage. If that happens then a whole lot of us will be unable to play online who are happily gambling right now.

I think we need to be extremely cautious and really think about how this bill will effect the players and not just jump on it because it sounds good in the soundbites.

I am a libertarian and I think that most government interference is a bad thing. Federal interference is just force and it has a destructive force on markets. I do not think it will help the poker market to pass this bill. I think you may live to regret it.

So please be careful.