The Financial Services Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday marked up H.R. 556, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act. The bill passed the committee by a vote of 34 to 18.
The bill was introduced by the committee's chairman, Rep. Michael Oxley, R-Ohio, and Rep. John LaFalce, D-N.Y. Originally introduced in February by Rep. James Leach, R-Iowa, the bill was inserted into anti-money laundering legislation two weeks ago. The anti-money laundering bill moved ahead without the I-gaming provisions and was passed by both houses of Congress.
The I-gaming section, which would ban the use of bank instruments such as credit cards and checks as payment for Internet gambling, is being voted on separately from the money-laundering bill. Now that it has passed the committee on financial services, it will be voted on by the entire House.
While the bill was marked up Wednesday morning, Oxley offered an amendment to the bill. The amendment was passed by a voice vote. Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, and Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., proposed short amendments to the Oxley amendment; both were approved.
Amendment offered by Oxley
Amendment offered by Rep. Ney
Page 5, strike lines 23 and 24 and insert the following new clause:
(ix) any transaction authorized under State law with a business licensed
or authorized by a State.
Page 6, line 12, insert ", or any interactive computer service or
telecommunications service" before the period.
Page 12, line 17, insert ", or any interactive computer service or
telecommunications service," after "in such network."
Amendment offered by Rep. Watt
Page 12, line 7, add "illegal" after the word "making."
Click here to view the full bill, as introduced by Rep. Leach in February.