Expert: Internet ban a boon to gambling industry (thanks to Frist)

[NVMojo]

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - Advocates of a bill targeting Internet gambling wanted it passed so badly that they "sold their souls" in agreeing to numerous exemptions that will generally help rather than hinder the gambling industry, an expert said Wednesday.

Attorney Tony Cabot, founding editor of the Internet Gambling Report and coeditor of the Gaming Law Review, said in an interview that the bill, long sought by congressional conservatives opposed to online gambling, "opens up huge opportunities" for the industry.

The measure had appeared dead, but Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., had it slipped into a port security bill that passed the House and Senate early Saturday. President Bush plans to sign the measure, a White House spokeswoman said.

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2006/oct/04/100410086.html

[lfairban]

1. Poker is not illegal gambling.

"Some gambling foes have said the 1961 Wire Act, which prohibits making bets on sporting events over the phone, should be applied to Internet betting. Cabot said the Justice Department has contended that the act does apply to nonsports betting, but that argument has been successfully challenged in federal court."

See also:

Legal Landscape of Online Gaming Has Not Changed