The U.S. Senate Banking Committee on July 31 unanimously passed a bill that would prohibit the funding of Internet gambling-related financial transactions in the United States.
The bill, S. 627 is headed for debate in the full Senate, but despite the unanimous vote in committee, it will more than likely face significant opposition. This latest version of the bill includes an amendment eliminating language that would have enabled states to regulate Internet gambling within their borders. A second point of contention will be the inclusion of carve-outs for racing in the absence of similar carve-outs for Indian gaming and casinos.
A similar bill passed in the House in June.
Click the following links to view the introduced and amended versions of S. 627:
S. 627 - Introduced (3/13/03)
S. 627 - Amended (7/31/03)