Barney Frank critic of banning Internet gambling
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) has asked Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to postpone issuing regulations opposed by banks and other financial groups that would implement a ban on Internet gambling. Frank, a critic of banning online gambling, wrote that he was *deeply disappointed* that Treasury was proceeding with what I consider to be unseemly haste in issuing the regulations, which implement the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006.
In April – representatives of the American Bankers Association and the Financial Services Roundtable, among other groups, raised their opposition to proposed rules implementing the gambling ban. They argued the rules would not prevent Internet gambling and would force banks to determine what kind of transactions constituted illegal internet gambling.
Professional sports leagues, including the National Football League, lobbied for the Internet gambling law. Last week, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) asked White House Counsel Fred Fielding to detail the role a former NFL lobbyist had in the administration’s decision to move forward with the rules. In a letter, Cohen said Deputy Director of Public Liaison William Wichterman, a former NFL lobbyist, *had been a source of considerable political pressure to speed this regulation through.*
The Bush administration’s proposed rules on gambling would go into effect on Jan. 19, 2009 according to Frank.
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