WASHINGTON – Last week U.S. Rep. Pete King (R-NY) introduced
a bill to legalize online gambling, reports The Hill.
The Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and
Enforcement Act of 2013 would establish a federal regulatory regime for online
gaming. It would allow states like New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada that have
already legalized Internet gambling in some form to continue to do so, writes
the news source.
“A common federal standard will ensure strong protections
for consumers, protect against problem and underage gambling, and make it
easier for businesses, players, lawmakers, and regulators to navigate and
freely participate,” said King in a statement.
King’s bill is in response to a 2011 Justice Department
ruling that the Wire Act only banned online betting on sports, a decision that
has since led many states to legalize Internet gambling.
Specifically, the bill would create a uniform set of
controls and protections to prevent underage and compulsive gambling. It would
also create the Office of Internet Gambling Oversight in the Treasury
Department, which would set criteria for state and tribal governments to
license online gambling operators.
State and tribes would be able to opt out of participating
in the federal interstate system, “and prohibit online gambling or to operate
intrastate gaming within its borders as authorized under state or tribal law,”
according to a statement from King’s office.
The Hill writes that state officials and lotteries have
resisted legislation that could hinder states’ authority over gambling. A
similar opt-out provision was included in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s
(D-NV) online poker bill last year, which some state governments criticized.