UIGEA Deadline Passes

Thursday, 12 July 2007

Nine months ago the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed and the US treasury was given that time to set out a series of regulations that would prevent banks from dealing with offshore gambling sites.

Nine months ago the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed and the US treasury was given that time to set out a series of regulations that would prevent banks from dealing with offshore gambling sites.
However, the treasury has now said that it hopes to publish these regulations later in July. One website has reported that laws passed ten years ago are still waiting their regulations. Many are asking where this leaves the unpopular law, as the campaign to end this prohibition gathers pace.
The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) has done some serious signature-gathering, and now has 600,000 names supporting its protest against the UIGEA. Amendments and repeals have the backing of a number of politicians most notably Barney Frank who has issued an alternative bill to regulate poker.
The law is criticised for being both un-democratic and un-constitutional. The UIGEA has also been called a double standard as it violates World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, and the entire fiasco is damaging lawmakers’ legitimacy – not least because many are simply ignoring the law.
Lee Russo is suing the state over the gambling ban and hopefully he will have the same success as the WTO – though on the current showing, it might not do him much good.



Tags: Poker News, UIGEA, Deadline, Passes