270 Day Deadline for Online Gambling Regulations Nearly Up

270 days is equivalent to approximately 9 months.  President George W. Bush signed a bill into law - the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act - that mandated banks to have a policy in place detailing how they could go about preventing online gambling transactions via credit cards (checks were exempt from UIGEA due to feasibility issues). 

For argument's sake, the new stipulations should be in place by the end of June, with July 9 the absolute latest.

Card Player Magazine's Barry Shulman points out some of the obstacles standing in the way.

"Basically, the Department of Justice was given 270 days to come up with a set of rules for banks to use as guidelines. That 270-day period ends on July 9.

"The making of those rules and guidelines falls under the purview of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' responsibility. However, Gonzales has been under fire for many months now. On Thursday, April 19, senators of both parties challenged Gonzales' candor about the dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys and questioned his fitness to remain in office.

During the inquiry, Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), one of the original cosponsors of the UIGEA, closely questioned Gonzales on how the Justice Department plans to implement the regulations needed to carry out the UIGEA."

Expert impressions of Gonzalez's reaction to Mr. Kyl (right) was one of indifference.  On one had you had an Attorney General who wanted to appease the Arizona Senator.  On the other hand, you had an Attorney General who didn't seem to place Internet gambling as a top priority.  And why should he?  Gonzalez is fighting for his life.  And quite frankly, Kyl's law serves as a perfect example of what is wrong with the current adminstration.

Gambling attorney Lawrence Walters:

"In summary, it appears as though Sen. Kyl is meeting some resistance from the Attorney General’s Office in developing the kind of regulations he envisions as most effective in implementing the UIGEA. The Attorney General obviously has a lot on his mind these days, and online gambling may not be the most important issue on his plate. However, Gonzales has significant motivation to keep the Senators happy – particularly those on the Oversight Committee. But the practical reality involved in identifying and blocking specific accounts known to be used for online gambling transactions is rearing its ugly head, forcing the Attorney General to wrestle with the real world implications of this effort."

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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com

Originally published April 23, 2007 1:16 am ET