Internet Freedom Site Pushes Forward With Online Gambling AgendaThe Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association launched its new site this past weekend after announcing request for a temporary injunction to halt enforcement of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) and resume online gambling.
Speaking to Gambling911.com last week, Joe Brennan Jr. said that the Supreme Court will at least have to consider whether the UIGEA policies should go into effect. Brennan's organization is prepared to bring forth a number of Internet experts and those involved with online gambling to support their position.
"We wanted to keep everything quiet. If the US Justice Department had found out about this, they might have accelerated the process. The DOJ may have begun targeting those involved. It was a strategy to get into court without tipping the DOJ."
Brennan and his colleagues had to act fast in getting their request for an injunction filed in the courts as a deadline for the policy enforcement is looming in the next few weeks. As such, the website had not yet been completed at the time of the announcement that IME&GA had asked for the injunction.
"We got there before they could accelerate the policy enforcement," Brennan told Gambling911.com.
Brennan believes that both Jon Kyl - the UIGEA's co-author - and the Focus on Family were tipped off that thus far the enforcement has been "heavily watered down".
"Clearly the opposing side wants things beefed up."
Gambling911.com has since learned that the banking sector is heavily opposed to this legislation.
A source tells Gambling911.com: "The banking sector does not want the UIGEA with its millions of dollars that must be incurred. It's an unfunded mandate."
The Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association will focus broadly on the Internet as a whole.
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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com
Originally published June 13, 2007 12:43 pm ET
