Minnesota State drops bid to regulate online gambling | IXGAMES
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) has abandoned its effort to force local Internet service providers to block gambling Web sites. John Willems, director of the department’s Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division (AGED), will withdraw the letters he sent in April to 11 ISPs including Comcast, Verizon Wireless, and AT&T. The letters included a list of 200 gambling sites Willems wanted the ISPs to block, though Willems said that list could eventually include thousands of sites. The move comes after the Interactive Media & Gaming Association, Inc (iMEGA) sued the department on May 6 for declaratory and injunctive relief, citing their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. Several of the sites mentioned in Willems’ notices are member companies of iMEGA. State officials say they aren’t giving up. “We have not folded our hand,” said Andy Skoogman, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, where gambling regulators are housed. He said he expects new strategies for regulating Internet gambling to emerge. 
“The action raised awareness of the broader issue about who is policing the Internet and protecting the consumer,” he said. “At this point, we don’t feel there is anybody. This is an issue that every state is going to face sooner rather than later.” Have fun gambling online 🙂 Regards ixgames.com