Online Pressure Group Launches US Advertising Campaign – September 18th, 2009

The Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative has kicked off an online advertising campaign in support of the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act (H.R. 2267), legislation introduced by Chairman Barney Frank that would establish a framework to permit licensed operators to accept wagers from individuals in the U.S.

The ads, which appear on the Web sites of the Washington Post, The Hill and Politico as well as on the Huffington Post, Talking Points Memo and Political Wire, highlight the opportunity, in a regulated environment, to capture up to $48.6 billion over the next decade – desperately-needed revenue that could be used to help fund policy initiatives such as health care reform.

They highlight the Frank bill ahead of hearings he has announced that he intends to conduct later this fall. H.R. 2267, introduced by Chairman Frank, would establish a framework to permit licensed gambling operators to accept wagers from individuals in the U.S. and mandates a number of significant consumer protections, including safeguards against compulsive and underage gambling, money laundering, fraud and identify theft.

Additional provisions in the legislation reinforce the rights of each state to determine whether to allow Internet gambling activity for people accessing the Internet within the state and to apply other restrictions on the activity as determined necessary.

The legislation also would allow states and Native American tribes with experience in regulating gambling to play a role in the regulatory process.