The Decision Has Been Made – HR 2267 Passes

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) [3] has issued a press release stating that the HR 2267 has passed at the House Financial Services Committee, by a vote of 41-22-1.

HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act introduces a licensing and regulatory rule for online gambling in the US. The main aim of the Bill is to protect children and gambling addicts. Using modern technology as a tool, the Bill replaces the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGE), which has not been effective enough in solving gambling problems in the United States.

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Unlicensed operators will face serious problems and will not be able to provide their services anymore. The new bill will also help the US collect taxes on Internet gambling, similarly to the recently introduced French laws [5].

“The fact is, online poker is not going away. Congress has a choice – it can license and regulate it to provide government oversight and consumer protections, or our lawmakers can stick their heads in the sand, ignore it, and leave consumers to play on non-U.S. regulated websites in all 50 states. I’m glad the Financial Services Committee today overwhelmingly chose to act and protect Americans as well as preserve the fundamental freedoms of adults and the Internet” said Alfonse D’Amato, chairman of the PPA.

D'Amato does not only talk about poker

“This is a great day not only for poker players, but for proponents of Internet freedom and individual liberty,” continued D’Amato. “We thank Chairman Frank for his leadership on this bill, and look forward to working with him to bring this bill through the legislative process.”

According to PokerAti [6], the main goals of the bill include the following:

• Thorough vetting of potential licensees and creation of an OFAC-style list of illegal operators;
• Mandatory implementation of technologies to protect against underage gambling using the commercial and government databases used for online banking to verify age and identity
• Requirements for operators to set daily, weekly or monthly limits on deposits and losses to monitor and detect individuals with excessive gaming habits;
• High standards to thwart fraud, abuse and cheating to ensure fair games for customers;
• Regulation to prevent money laundering; and,
• Processes to prevent tax avoidance