The deadline to fall into full compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Enforcement Act (UIGEA) is December 1st for all companies in the financial services industry.

In the meantime, the Poker Players Alliance is working hard on delaying the deadline. Bill HR 2266 was introduced by Congressman Barney Frank in May of this year and this piece of legislation aims to push back the compliance date to December 1st of 2010.  The bill suggests that lawmakers on Capitol Hill could find a method for taxing and regulating the internet gambling activities in the US.


The bill was successful with 48 cosponsors. “We are working with Barney Frank and others for a non-legislative solution to clarifying or delaying the UIGEA regulations. Given everything on the Chairman’s plate, one thing off of it is a good thing. We’re hoping to see a delay.”

The PPA ahs also gathered efforts to use the Administrative Procedure Act which allows individuals and organizations to weigh in with the Department of Treasury and ask for a delay of a proposed rule. It has been hard though as poker is probably, and reasonably, not the main concern of the US government administration at the moment.  “The reality is that our country is facing a lot of challenges. From a poker player’s perspective, the UIGEA may be the top priority, but it’s not the top priority of Congress. Until Barney Frank can solve the issues facing his Committee, ours is not going to take precedence.”

Barney Frank also introduced HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. It attracted 60 cosponsors and it wasintroduced on the same day as HR 2266 and establishes a complete licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. Hopefully we will see some results soon as the deadline is approaching.

This article is also available in the "news" section above.

Democrat calls for regulation instead of prohibition on Internet gambling
 
In an op-ed article published this week in the Washington publication Roll Call, Representative Jared Polis (D-CO) argues that regulating Internet gambling in order to protect consumers and generate up to $42 billion in new revenue is a "sensible approach."
 
Based on his experience of having started and managed several Internet-based companies, Rep. Polis says Congress should "...scrap the ineffective attempt to ban Internet gambling in the U.S. and, instead, replace it with a regulated environment where adult consumers can elect to place a wager online with assurances that they are protected from fraud and abuse."
 
"Regardless of what one thinks of the proper public policy approach to gaming in general, it's time to acknowledge that this incidence of ill-conceived prohibition has failed, is failing and will continue to fail because it completely ignores the reality of the Internet," states Rep. Polis.
 
"A new policy approach is needed to address this issue and protect Americans and the freedom of the Internet."
 
Rep. Polis further encourages support for the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act (H.R. 2267), introduced by Rep. Barney Frank, which would "replace the current, ineffective ban on Internet gambling with a strict regulatory environment where operators must be licensed and required to implement safeguards to protect against compulsive and underage gambling, money laundering, fraud and identify theft."
 
Readers can find the complete article here: http://www.rollcall.com/issues/55_54/guest/40373-1.html