• D.C. Council member Michael A. Brown is repeatedly warning that repealing the District’s online-gambling law will put the city in a bind if Congress decides to legalize and regulate Internet gaming, clearing the way for “casino interests” from Nevada and elsewhere across the country to hit the jackpot in a burgeoning market.


  • To be sure, casino giants such as MGM and Caesars would have an easier time entering a nationwide market than wading through 50 states with varying regulatory systems.


  • The decision in the District to kill the existing legislation and start over was primarily based on procedure; namely, a perceived lack of transparency in the iGaming section of the lottery contract and the way Mr. Brown attached iGaming’s legal authorization to a budget bill in December 2010.


  • Among at least three key bills on the Hill is one by Rep. John Campbell, California Republican, that would regulate Internet gambling across state lines and offer consumer protections. Mr. Campbell’s bill would allow Internet gambling only among operators with a federal license.
  • The bill essentially offers states an opt-out clause to bar online gambling within their borders. Utah, for instance, does not have a lottery or allow gambling of any kind.

Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...ure-uncertain/