Negotiators from the Republican-led House and Senate reached a deal on the legislation Friday and attached it to unrelated legislation to bolster port security, which the Congress approved.

The final bill dropped earlier provisions opposed by some gaming interests that would have clarified that a 1961 federal law banning interstate telephone betting also covers an array of online gambling.

"The Washington Post is reporting that the House passed a measure that makes it illegal for banks in the US to handle online gambling transactions."
There's still no such move in the Senate, but it's a step towards banning online gambling nonetheless. Since this bill isn't expected to affect the usual, legal ways of gambling domestically, one wonders if such legislation would be sought after, were online gambling to be headquartered here in the states, rather than overseas.

Online Gambling Bill Passes - But Still 270 Days Left to Play Online Poker
Onlinecasino.org News | 30.09.2006 | 15:37:07 | Views: 124 | Casino News
The online gambling poker bill was passed on friday. The bill would ban some forms of internet gambling over the Internet, here under poker, through use of other new technologies and stiffen penalties for gambling businesses that settle Internet wagers with financial instruments like credit cards, checks, or fund transfers.


The online poker bill however seems says nothing about third part payment options like NETeller, so hopefully payment options like this will still be possible.

The online gambling bill is giving huge caveouts to horseindustry and lotteries. Now it will be OK to gamble on horseraces and lotteries online, but online poker will be banned. what an insane bill! This law seems more and more as a support and gesture to the horseindusty than anything else.

The good news is that sources in the online gambling casino industry say that litigation against the bill is on the way. So maybe there is hope that this unjust law will never come into force. And under all circumstances, there are still 270 days left before the bill comes into force, which means probably at least 270 days left to play online poker in USA.

It was a minor victory for gaming companies, in that Frist dropped the important Wire Act part (as he knew this COULD NOT go through) and went underhand to put in place "toothless" legislation that is face saving for him.

This will have no effect on gaming, given what it says and how its going to go, and in fact should REMOVE a lot of the uncertainty, in that Frist and his Wire Act clarifications (which could effect the gaming world) had to be removed and is likely not to surface for a long time again.

Celebrate that this is a minor victory for the gaming companies, and their future is now a bit more secure IMO.



Measure to curb internet gambling falls short of applying existing laws to web

http://www.gambling911.com/internet-gambling-093006.html

Even House Homeland Security Committee Peter King Chairman Peter King, R-N.Y., who headed House-Senate negotiations on the port security bill seemed taken aback by the internet gambling measure.


The bill falls short of adding clarity to an already existing 1961 Wire Act that prohibits betting via phone across state lines and failed to apply that law to gambling on the web. This is being viewed as a slight victory for the online gambling community as it is now unlikely such revisions will ever be added in the future.

Internet gambling bill could get tied up in litigation...

http://www.gambling911.com/internet-gambling-bill-093006.html