Use Internet gaming revenues for healthcare reform, urges US senator
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Democratic senator Ron Wyden has introduced an amendment to the pending Internet Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act, which would funnel Internet gambling tax revenues into the America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009. A study by accountancy firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers has suggested that collecting taxes on Internet gambling could raise as much as $62.7bn for health spending over the next ten years.
The proposal was backed by the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative whose spokesman Michael Waxman said, “We applaud Senator Wyden’s proposal to collect and put to good use tens of billions in Internet gambling revenue that would otherwise be lost in the underground marketplace. The Senate Finance Committee should approve this resolution, finally putting to an end a failed prohibition on Internet gambling that leaves Americans unprotected and unlicensed offshore operators as the only beneficiary in a thriving marketplace.”
Senator Barney Frank proposed an Act earlier this year that would enable licensed (and strongly regulated) gambling operators to operate legally. Fellow Democrat Jim McDermott introduced a companion Act that would allow the US Treasury to raise revenue through taxes and licence fees.
The political climate regarding online poker does appear to be changing for the better. Whether it will ultimately lead to its legalisation remains to be seen.
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