US Internet Gambling Regulation Hearing on Friday

[gordonprice1947]

US Internet Gambling Regulation Hearing on Friday...

http://www.casinogamblingweb.com/gam...day_46396.html

[GPWA Aaron]

It's an interesting list of witnesses for the hearing ...

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/heari...ht060807.shtml

Howard Lederer is a very capable spokesman for the PPA, and Radley Balko is an outspoken libertarian voice. Both will do well in this setting.

The two CEOs will likely be pimping their services, no surprise there.

Greg Hogan, whose son robbed a bank to pay back friends who loaned him money that he later lost playing Internet poker, is probably going to be the only witness that would prefer prohibition to regulation.

Will have a story up later this morning.

[GPWA Aaron]

Here's our story about the hearing ... we'll be watching intently on Friday morning and will have a full report.

House committee to hold hearing on Internet gambling regulation

June 05, 2007
by Aaron Todd


The House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing entitled "Can Internet Gambling Be Effectively Regulated to Protect Consumers and the Payments System?" on Friday, June 8 at 10 a.m.

Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) introduced H.R. 2046, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act, in April. He has long been a critic of attempts to prohibit Internet gambling, calling the UIGEA "one of the worst laws we've ever passed."

The witness list for the hearing includes Howard Lederer, a member of the Poker Players Alliance Board of Directors, and Radley Balko, senior editor of Reason Magazine. Both have strongly disagreed with the UIGEA's approach and are in favor of regulating Internet gambling in the U.S.

Gerald Kitchen, CEO of SecureTrading, a UK-based Internet payment service provider, and Jon Prideaux, chief executive of Asterion Payments, will also speak during the hearing. SecureTrading's Web site claims that it is able to "virtually eliminate risks such as underage gambling, money laundering and abuse by organized crime and fraud against consumers."

Baptist minister Greg Hogan will likely be the only witness arguing against Chairman Frank's legislation. Hogan's son, also named Greg, is currently serving time in a Pennsylvania state prison for robbing a bank to pay off debts to his fraternity brothers who helped him fund Internet poker accounts.

Greg Hogan Jr. was the president of his class at Lehigh University when he robbed the bank on Dec. 9, 2005. His story has become a rallying cry for Internet gambling opponents, and Greg Hogan Sr. is one of the leaders of the movement to further restrict Internet gambling.

This will be the first Congressional hearing on Internet gambling since the UIGEA became law in October. The law bars U.S. financial institutions from processing transactions with Internet gambling firms.

The IGREA is not the only Internet gambling legislation that would address the current sitution, however. Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) has introduced a bill that would commission a study on the issue, and there are rumors that Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) will introduce a bill that would create a carve-out for "games of skill" — including poker — in the UIGEA.

[gordonprice1947]

I spoke with Kelly Larkin today who works for the Financial Service Committee as a scheduler and also for Barney Frank, she explained that Frank would really appreciate it if we could start a campaign to get people to call their congress people in their state to express support for his bill before they have the hearing in Friday.

She said Frank sent out a letter to congressman on Monday and if that was followed by all of these congressmen getting phone calls in support, he could get congress people to really get on board with the bill.

http://www.casinogamblingweb.com/gam...ort_46410.html

[ck8795]

Baptist minister Greg Hogan will likely be the only witness arguing against Chairman Frank's legislation. Hogan's son, also named Greg, is currently serving time in a Pennsylvania state prison for robbing a bank to pay off debts to his fraternity brothers who helped him fund Internet poker accounts.

Greg Hogan Jr. was the president of his class at Lehigh University when he robbed the bank on Dec. 9, 2005. His story has become a rallying cry for Internet gambling opponents, and Greg Hogan Sr. is one of the leaders of the movement to further restrict Internet gambling.

This really bothers me. You have people who are claming that someones actions are a result of online gambling.

So when a person robs a bank to pay off debts..regular everyday debts because they are on the sysytem and the system is not working for them, do we go after welfare as the cause? When the hold a store owner up at gun point because they need money to provide for the family who should we blame?

Do we blame the government for not providing enough financial assistance that it made someone rob a bank?

No of course not because that person has to take responsabilities for their actions. Because they had a choice.

A person who developes alcoholisim is no different than that of the above mentioned cases. They have a (could be) debilitating disease yet the government feels it's ok to continue to sell it.

Should we start blaming the government for all the other issues that people use as an excuse to remove them from any recourse for their actions

These are the biggest cop out reasons I have heard next to helping terrorists with money laundering schemes.

I seriously hope that the panel listens to reason and can see through the non sense.

[onestopgamblingguide]

Right on Kaus! Greg Holden apparently didn't use his brain. Even if gambling online was his problem a normal person wouldn't go commit a crime. There is such a thing as Gamblers Anonymous. They'll probably also bring up the many prominent people who have stolen funds from others (lawyers, office workers) to continue their gambling addiction. And let's not forget how many people have filed bankruptcy for gambling debt. Regardless, it seems there are many other gambling online supporters who will put a damper on the negatives. I already wrote my congressmen/women (all 3 of them) but they are not in favor of online gambling and all voted to pass UIEGA. At least I tried.

[bb1web]

Hi all (K),

nice post! well said and point should be taken .... but probably won't knowing our idiot reps.

[kenonut]

Well at least with all these hearings going on, we still have hope. If enough reasonable people who have the ablity to make a change just think about how stupid this bill is, then I think we just might be able to get somewhere.

[bb1web]

If enough reasonable people

don't mean to bust anybody's bubble ....specially K's .... but reasonable and people in the US govt aren't two words you often see in the same sentence. unless of course .... its them talking.

sad to comment

[Fergie]

To quote something from bash.org,

"The problem [we're facing here] is stupidity. I'm not saying there should be a capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?"