A coalition of U.S.-based family and religious groups have sent a letter to Congress calling for the preservation of family values by upholding anti-online gambling laws in the United States.
The letter, dated Aug. 1, 2007, thanks members of Congress for protecting American families from Internet gambling by passing the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
The letter also urges the U.S. government to ensure the integrity of the UIGEA by pushing for robust regulations, which include creating a system of reporting illegal gambling Web sites to the U.S. Department of Justice, adding a list of illegal gambling Web sites to government lists and continuing to block transactions from gambling sites.
Furthermore, the group is asking for Congressional support for U.S. withdrawal from WTO commitments because it threatens the UIGEA.
The coalition, led by Focus on the Family, said there are three pieces of contrary legislation that threaten the integrity of the UIGEA and should therefore be opposed by Congress.
The group would like to see Congress turn its back on Barney Frank's, D-Mass., Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act (IGREA), which would establish a licensing and regulation regime for online gambling in the United States. They also asked lawmakers to oppose Rep. Jim McDermott's, D-Wash., accompanying Internet gambling taxation bill and Rep. Robert Wexler's, D-Fla., Skill Games Protection Act, which would exempt skill games from the UIGEA.
"Internet gambling represents the most invasive and addictive form of gambling in history," the letter stated. "Speed, accessibility, availability and anonymity make Internet gambling the perfect storm for gambling addiction. Internet gambling also creates fertile ground for criminal activity and threatens homeland security by potentially funding terrorist activity."
Click here to view a copy of the letter.