The Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative launched a new online advertising campaign yesterday in support of the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2009 (H.R. 2267), legislation that would establish a framework to permit licensed gambling operators to accept wagers from individuals in the U.S. The ads advocate regulating Internet gambling to protect the millions of Americans who continue to gamble online despite government attempts to prohibit the activity and to collect up to $62.7 billion in new revenues for the federal government in the first decade.
“As Congress searches for ways to pay for health care reform and other worthy programs, it should end the unsuccessful prohibition of Internet gambling and start collecting taxes on the billions in revenue currently lost to unlicensed, offshore gambling operators,” said Jeffrey Sandman, spokesperson for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative.
House Committee of Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) has announced his intent to hold a hearing and markup on the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2009 this fall. Since introduction of the legislation by Chairman Frank in May, a bipartisan group of more than 50 co-sponsors have signed onto the bill. Supporters include many senior ranking representatives such as George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, John Conyers (D-MI), chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, Charles Rangel (D-NY), chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, Edolphus Towns (D-NY), chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Pete King (R-NY), ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee and Ron Paul (R-TX), vice-chairman of the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee.
The ads will appear on the Web sites of publications such as the Washington Post, The Hill and Politico, as well as on the Huffington Post, Political Wire and Talking Points Memo.
