With such a swing in momentum for the legalization of online gambling in the United States in recent weeks, it should be no surprise that those who vehemently oppose online gambling are now making an extra effort to make their voices heard. And no, I’m not talking about Jon Kyl, who has actually shown a little more willingness in making online poker an exception of late. I’m talking about wannabe Senator’s who think that just because you’re conservative means you’re opposed to gambling.
Case in point is Congressman Stephen Sandstrom of Utah. A Republican candidate for Utah’s new Fourth District, Sandstrom has amended a bill that would effectively forbid all forms of gambling whatsoever. And not that House Bill 104 didn’t do so already. Utah is one of only three U.S. States that does not permit any forms of gambling..
House Bill 104, aka the Alcoholic Beverage Licensees and Gambling-like Activities bill, was actually passed back in 2007 as a preventive measure against the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which made Utah a contender for Indian casino gambling. Sandstrom was there to help get House Bill 104 passed, and now he’s updating the bill to include online gambling, which apparently, wasn’t a threat back in 2007.
And perhaps it wasn’t. The UIGEA was about to go into effect at that time – And although it was already being eyed with skepticism, nobody really knew just how ineffective the UIGEA would be in deterring US citizens (no doubt including a large number of Utah residents). Contingent on the stipulation that transferring funds for online gambling was only illegal if a federal law was violated, when the Wire Act was updated to only cover sports betting, the UIGEA essentially became null and void as far as all other forms of online betting are concerned.
Speaking out against President Obama, Sandstrom believes that the recently issued legal opinion on the Wire Act is a “desperate attempt to try and fix today’s recessive economy”, and that legalizing gambling will do nothing but harm Americans both economically and socially.
