U.S. American Lawmakers Getting All Anti-UIGEA and Stuff

Unlike our ice-fishing Nickelback-loving Eskimo neighbors to the north who are now considering UIGEA-like legislation, some U.S. American lawmakers may actually be coming to their senses.

Last week, Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), an ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a woman, (D-Calif.), signed on as a co-sponsor to the legislation of Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass), a homosexual, who last year introduced a blanket repeal of UIGEA legislation.

Some in Congress are beginning to recognize the potential financial windfall of legalized online gaming. According to the Politico, House Ways and Means Committee member Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) "introduced a new version of his legislation this week to legalize, regulate and tax some forms of Internet gambling."

So in a time when all of Canada feels like rubbing in our face the fact that their dollar is stronger than ours despite the fact that by almost every imaginable measure we've totally pwned them for 200 years, it looks like we got a leg up on you guys again.*

Read the full UIGEA article here.

* We actually love Canada and Canadians but they're really fun to pick on cause they take it so personally. It's kind of cute, actually.

UPDATE: Want a t-shirt with the above image on it, sure to put a smile on all your Canadian friends' faces? Click here.

Comments

[Tray]

The truth is online players won't rise up because the law hasn't really affected their interests as they are still playing online, despite the UIGEA. The people who should be fueling the fight are the ones behind the online sites and even the Harrahs of the world who have a significant economic interest at stake. Until they truly step up with major, heavily funded lobbying efforts, we won't see anything close to a repeal of the UIGEA.

[Art]

The money paragraph in the UIGEA article is ..."A coalition of gambling interests, financial institutions and outside trade groups has been working with backers of the original law to tweak the current rules, but most legislation on Capitol Hill remains stalled due to a lack of broad interest in the issue."

And from the lack of comments to this posting it is apparently right on the money.

It is election time coming up. If every one of the reported 33 million American poker players would write their Congressional Reps, and State Senators, as I did, perhaps we could get this ugly thing repealed.