Nevada Politicians Preparing New Attempt at Online Gambling Study

Published: Saturday, March 17, 2007 Online-Casinos.com

Possible alliance with Barney Frank initiative mooted

The logical idea of carrying out a thorough investigation to determine whether online gambling can be effectively regulated in the United States has again achieved prominence in American media, with two respected Nevada politicians leading the charge.

Previous attempts have been made to get such an enquiry, which would have the support of the American Gaming Association, off the ground and could provide ammunition for efforts to seek the repeal of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act

The two Nevada lawmakers, Reps. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and Jon Porter, R-Nev., will co-sponsor the legislation, which is expected to be unveiled within weeks. Work has already started on legislation that would require the National Academy of Sciences to conduct an 18-month study of online wagering.

The Nevadans also hope to gain a powerful ally in Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass, reports the Las Vegas Gaming Wire. Frank, chairman of the powerful House Financial Services Committee and a longtime critic of gambling restrictions, has called last year's ban on Internet gambling financial transactions "preposterous" and one of the "stupidest" bills ever passed.

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Neteller's Open and Honest Conspiracy

Anti-gambling crusaders go after online payment processors.

Jacob Sullum
Reason Magazine

Although Stephen Lawrence and John Lefebvre are charged with money laundering, there was nothing sneaky about their "conspiracy." In 1999 the two Canadians co-founded Neteller, an online payment processing company, now based in the Isle of Man, that openly specialized in serving online gamblers.

The FBI's investigation of Lawrence and Lefebvre, who were arrested last month and face a preliminary hearing in New York next week, consisted mainly of reading their public statements and using Neteller to bet on a couple of football games—a vice that in this country has to rank up there with eating a second slice of Mom's apple pie while listening to The Star-Spangled Banner. Yes, the feds really blew the lid off this publicly traded company that never made a secret of who its customers were or what it did for them.

The impressive thing about the case, part of the Justice Department's legally shaky crusade against online gambling, is not the evidence but the government's sinister spin on it. The feds pretend they're pursuing criminals while prosecuting honest businessmen for providing services Americans want.

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Online Poker finds new Ally in former Senator Alfonse D'Amato

Written by Thomas Jensen
Saturday, 17 March 2007

Online Poker finds new Ally in former Senator Alfonse D'AmatoThe Poker Players Alliance (PPA) has enlisted a key ally in the "War on Online Gambling", former U.S. Senator Alfonse D'Amato. Senator D'Amato is joining the PPA as Chairman of the Board and will be leading the efforts of the PPA in Washington D.C. The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), a grassroots organization of more than 160,000 poker enthusiasts.

Alfonse D'Amato is a long time online poker player and he has a distinguished 18 year record serving in the United States Senate. Now he is taking his enthusiasm, tenacity and political savvy directly to Congress to produce results for the Poker Players Alliance. This is welcome news to the entire online gambling industry and Point-Spreads.com looks forward to seeing the type of impact that Alfonse D'Amato will have fighting on behalf of our freedoms.

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