 Online
Gambling Operators
Cheer Barney Frank
Bill Failure to go
Through
Most like working in
the "grey area" and
even the "dark
area". That's
the consensus from
online gambling
operators based
mainly in Costa
Rica, the hot spot
for targeting the
North American
market. Costa
Rica is the largest
single domicile for
such businesses in
the world.
While European
Internet gambling
firms have been
showing politicians
with money through
their lobbying
efforts, Costa Rican
operators continue
to balk at the idea.
"Our business is
better than ever,"
one Costa Rican
operator laughed.
Barney Frank
attempted this week,
unsuccessfully, to
push through a bill
that would halt the
effectiveness of a
piece of online
gambling prohibition
called the Unlawful
Internet Gaming and
Enforcement Act.
That law calls for
banks to regulate
the burgeoning
billion dollar
industry without
specifying how to
determine which are
"good" Internet
gaming transactions
and which are "bad"
one's. Some
sectors, such as
horse racing, were
provided exemptions
from the UIGEA.
Frank's bill was
shot down Wednesday
and will require the
Congressman to start
from scratch next
year.
And though the UIGEA
stipulates that a
"black list" of
"bad" operators must
be developed for
bank references,
Barney's bill
explicitly calls for
a "white list" of
"good" online
gambling operators.
His requires that no
operator with a
prior conviction can
be licensed by the
US Government.
That all but
eliminates
approximately 10
percent of the Costa
Rican businesses
since most were
started by "old
school" bookmakers
with rap sheets
related primarily to
their trade.
Instead, The
Interactive Media
Entertainment &
Gaming Association
has gained the
endorsement of most
Costa Rican based
betting firms.
iMEGA
is currently
challenging the
Constitutionality of
the Unlawful
Internet Gaming
Enforcement Act in a
US Supreme Court.
Part of the US
Government's
argument related to
iMEGA's case is that
none of the trade
organization's
members will be
adversely affected
by the UIGEA.
iMEGA's biggest
blunder to date has
been shelling out
thousands of dollars
to a high end public
relations firm,
Ogilvy, that
has done little to
educate the public
about the well
intentioned Internet
freedom movement.
Case in point, the
Safe and Secure
Internet Gambling
Initiative, which
promotes Barney
Frank and other
pro-Internet
gambling
initiatives, is
quick to send out
releases within
minutes of breaking
news related to
their cause.
iMEGA's smart moves
have included
working closely with
the Costa Rican
online gambling
community, often
ignored by the
illicit industry
elements, and
assembling a strong
legal support team
which has helped
push iMEGA's
challenge into a
Supreme Court.
----
Christopher
Costigan,
Gambling911.com
Publisher
CCostigan@CostiganMedia.com
Originally published
June 27, 2008 12:24
pm EST
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