AGA just released a statement in support of the \”Prohibition of Internet Gambling, Internet Poker Regulation and Strengthening UIGEA Act of 2010\”, or, as I like to call it -> the PIG-IPRSUA. Catchy, right?
Surprising? No. Except the time it took for them to come forth with an official press release.
Frank Fahrenkopf, AGA chieftain, had the following to say:
“This is tough law-and-order legislation that puts in place a solid regulatory framework and legal oversight that will prevent illegal activity and protect the estimated 15 million Americans who already are playing poker online. Ours is a unique industry in that it wants tough regulatory control and strict law enforcement oversight, which ensures the integrity of our business and protects consumers. Current online gambling laws do not provide these safeguards, leaving players and the system open to fraud, cheating and other illegal acts.â€
“Without this legislation, players will remain unprotected, law enforcement oversight will remain murky, illegal offshore operators will continue to reap billions from U.S. bettors, and the U.S. will continue to lose out on the significant tax revenues and thousands of jobs that could be generated by this already popular activity. The millions of Internet poker players need and deserve the protections of a strong regulatory structure and law enforcement oversight that this legislation would provide.â€
Nothing new here. Yes, consumer protection is a positive. But what about this (emphasis added)?
The proposed legislation ensures that Federal and State authorities will now have the ability to control what has, until now, been unfettered access to all forms of Internet gambling.
My takeaway? AGA is letting *everyone* know they are behind this legislative horse. Gotta wonder what Fahrenkopf and crew think about Jersey, California, and the District of Columbia\’s push to legalize iGambling on their own.
