Internet gambling bill faces delays
Thu Jul 20, 2006 12:14 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bill to ban Internet gambling is facing some opposition in the U.S. Senate and will not come up for a vote before the chamber takes its August recess, an aide to the U.S. Senate majority leader said on Thursday.
Backers of the legislation had hoped to push it through the Senate quickly this month following the arrest in the United States of David Carruthers, the chief executive of BETonSPORTS , on charges of racketeering and conspiracy.
Carruthers is scheduled to appear at a hearing in U.S. district court in Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday to determine if he must remain in jail until his trial.
However, an aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said that lawmakers were still working on the bill and would not be able to hold a floor vote before the Senate recesses for its August vacation.
The Senate bill is virtually identical to legislation overwhelmingly approved earlier in July by the U.S. House of Representatives. It would prohibit most forms of Internet gambling and make it illegal for banks and credit card companies to make payments to online gambling sites.
The Republican-backed bill has been criticized by some as an election-year appeal to the party's conservative base.
Supporters of a crackdown on Internet gambling say legislation is needed to clarify that a 1961 federal law banning sports betting also covers an array of online gambling.
Thu Jul 20, 2006 12:14 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bill to ban Internet gambling is facing some opposition in the U.S. Senate and will not come up for a vote before the chamber takes its August recess, an aide to the U.S. Senate majority leader said on Thursday.
Backers of the legislation had hoped to push it through the Senate quickly this month following the arrest in the United States of David Carruthers, the chief executive of BETonSPORTS , on charges of racketeering and conspiracy.
Carruthers is scheduled to appear at a hearing in U.S. district court in Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday to determine if he must remain in jail until his trial.
However, an aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said that lawmakers were still working on the bill and would not be able to hold a floor vote before the Senate recesses for its August vacation.
The Senate bill is virtually identical to legislation overwhelmingly approved earlier in July by the U.S. House of Representatives. It would prohibit most forms of Internet gambling and make it illegal for banks and credit card companies to make payments to online gambling sites.
The Republican-backed bill has been criticized by some as an election-year appeal to the party's conservative base.
Supporters of a crackdown on Internet gambling say legislation is needed to clarify that a 1961 federal law banning sports betting also covers an array of online gambling.
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