Senate Staffers Views On Online Gambling Bill

Published: Friday, July 21, 2006 Online-Casinos.com

SENATE STAFFERS HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS ON ONLINE GAMBLING BANNING BILL'S CHANCES

Senate majority leader's office seems confused

Trying to get a sensible snapshot on the likely U.S. Senate progress of the online gambling prohibition bill recently passed by the House of Representatives proved to be a little difficult Thursday as staffers in the Senate majority leader's office gave conflicting information.

One early report from Reuters, quoting an aide to majority leader Senator Bill Frist revealed that the bill is already facing some opposition in the U.S. Senate and will not come up for a vote before the chamber takes its August recess. The aide told Reuters that lawmakers were still working on the bill and would not be able to hold a floor vote before the Senate recesses for its August vacation.

Later in the day Reuters issued an update which contradicted this information. Quoting a more senior Frist aide, the wire service reported that the bill faces opposition, but that its backers still hope to win passage of it within a few weeks.

"We are trying to get something done before the August recess," set to begin on August 4, said Eric Ueland, Frist's chief of staff.

Ueland rejected the earlier opinion, saying Frist had not given up on getting a vote before the August recess.

The Senate bill is virtually identical to legislation overwhelmingly approved earlier in July by the U.S. House of Representatives. It would prohibit most forms of Internet gambling and make it illegal for banks and credit card companies to make payments to online gambling sites.