Rep. James Leach, R-Iowa, is soliciting support for his anti-Internet gaming bill via a letter sent to members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The letter is dated Feb. 5 and is signed by Leach as well as Rep. Michael Oxley, R-Ohio, who is chairman of the Financial Services Committee, and Rep. John LaFalce, D-N.Y., the committee's ranking Democrat.
In the letter, Leach invites other Congress members to become co-sponsors of H.R. 556, the bill he proposed in February of 2001.
After the Sept. 11 attacks, H.R. 556 was reintroduced by Oxley and LaFalce as part of the Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001, which was fast-tracked without the Internet gambling provisions and approved by the full House of Oct. 17. On Oct. 31, the Net betting section, introduced again as H.R. 556, was considered and approved by the Financial Services Committee by a vote of 34 to 18. It is now awaiting a vote by the full House.
Leach's proposal, also known as the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act," is competing for legislators' attention with a bill that was proposed on Nov. 1 by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va.
The letter asks members of Congress to support H.R. 556 over other bills that have been introduced that would ban online gambling.
"Gambling on the Internet is fast becoming one of the most critical issues confronting thousands of American families," the letter states. "A number of legislative approaches have been advanced to deal with this problem, but we would like to bring your attention to a straightforward approach to address the social, economic, and criminal consequences on Internet gambling."
Leach's bill would make online gaming illegal by way of prohibiting Internet gambling businesses from accepting bank instruments such as credit cards and electronic fund transfers as payment for online wagering.
Goodlatte's bill would update the 1961 Interstate Wire Act to make Internet gambling illegal. It would also forbid online gambling merchants from accepting payments in the form of credit cards, checks and Internet transfers.
The letter explains that Leach's proposal is based on the recommendations of the National Gambling Impact Study of 1999 and that it is favored by the Christian Coalition and the NCAA.
Leach's bill presently has two co-sponsors, Rep. Mark Green and Thomas Petri, both republicans from Wisconsin. Goodlatte's proposal, on the other hand, has 155 co-sponsors, according the Las Vegas Review Journal.
The letter does not say specifically that H.R. 556 should be favored over Goodlatte's bill. However, it does mention that regardless of Goodlatte's actions, H.R. 556 would make an adequate law to fight online gambling.
"We personally believe greater definitional restrictions on gambling are in order and support the efforts of Bob Goodlatte and others to tighten law in this area," the letter states, "but whether or not such efforts reach fruition, H.R. 556 creates a workable enforcement mechanism under current law or future law to allow Federal and State authorities to combat the effects of illegal Internet gambling."
Click here to view a copy of the letter.