By Keith Furlong
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When Rep. Shadegg decries "unregulated online gambling," he is more accurate than he realizes.
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Regarding Rep. John Shadegg's commentary on March 12 ("Online Gambling Is Society's Issue"), I understand and respect his opposition to all forms of gambling, but millions of Americans--for whom gambling is harmless entertainment--would disagree with him. It's a tragic fact that some people cannot control their gambling. It's also tragic that some people cannot drink alcohol responsibly. But we all know what happened when America made alcohol illegal. Prohibition simply doesn't work.
Rep. Shadegg invokes the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal as another reason to support the attempted prohibition of Internet gambling. These two issues have nothing to do with each other. It is a strange assumption on the part of some Congressmen that passing a bill that Abramoff opposed will be a satisfactory substitute for real lobbying reform.
When Rep. Shadegg decries "unregulated online gambling," he is more accurate than he realizes. The emphasis should be on the "unregulated." Like all forms of gambling, Internet gambling should be licensed and rigorously regulated. This is the only way to protect American consumers against unscrupulous operators, to ensure that minors are denied access to gambling Web sites, that problem gambling dangers are mitigated and that online financial transactions are monitored and kept legitimate.
Keith Furlong is a partner with the Catania Consulting Group, Inc., a government relations and consultancy firm with extensive experience in gaming issues. He also serves as the deputy executive director of the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC), a trade association established to promote strict government regulation and fair and responsible trade guidelines in the interactive gaming industry.