Lawmakers press U.S. Attorney General over online gambling

[The Buzz]

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) is pressing U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to review a controversial Department of Justice opinion from 2011 that changed its long-held stance on online gambling.

According to The Hill, Warner wrote in a letter to Sessions dated July 5 that online gambling sites “are especially fertile platforms for the facilitation of money laundering, collusion and other illegal activities,” citing FBI findings.

He argued the “potentially predatory nature of online gambling represents a heightened threat to economically vulnerable populations.”

Sessions questioned the validity of the Office of Legal Counsel's opinion during his Senate confirmation hearing, which stated that the 1961 Wire Act only applied to sports betting. Sessions told lawmakers he was “shocked” by what he called the “unusual” memo and pledged to take a look at it as attorney general.

He opposed it as a Republican member of the Senate when it was issued five and a half years ago.

“I would revisit it or make a decision about it based on careful study,” he said during his confirmation hearing.

Lawmakers are ramping up pressure on Sessions in hopes the department will reverse the 2011 opinion, which has opened the door to legalized online gambling in various states.

“The OLC opinion appears to be based on legal interpretation alone and does not provide background on the extent to which consideration was given to social, economic and law enforcement implications,” Warner wrote.

Read the entire report here: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3...nline-gambling

[PROFRBcom]

Well, I'm torn. On the one hand, if online poker is legalized on a Federal level in the USA, I, as a poker player, will have the opportunity to set up shop in the USA and make huge incomes for years grinding on the tables. I already do this now on the offshore poker sites, but it's not the same as a nation-wide US market would bring.

From an affiliate standpoint I'm torn as well. I'll have to get all new poker partners for our website as we deal exclusively with the offshore sites. The NJ DGE sent out a letter years ago to many affiliates warning them strongly against offering offshore sites and regulated sites side by side. As such, we can't pursue the regulated states without ditching all our income producing properties.

I wonder if the US opened up poker to all states if we could even compete? Sure, we do well advertising the offshore sites, but in a fully regulated market, the big money marketing firms will jump in. I don't think we could compete with such people.