The 6th of May 2009, Barney Frank, who is the U.S. House Financial Services Committee Chairman, introduced a new online gambling bill into the U.S. Congress.
This new legislation reserves the UIGEA of 2006 and establishes a legal regulatory framework to allow the internet gambling in the United States.
Frank is also planning to introduce a separate piece of legislation that would “freeze” the implementation of the UIGEA.

(more…)

In Massachusetts, online gambling is forbidden. Three casinos should be opened, but according to the fact that 106 voted against it, the bill was defeated. Online poker players risk very strict penalties such as 2.5 years prison and a 25,000$ fine.

A big demonstration followed, some of the demonstrators wanted to fight the bill and others to fight the strict penalties instead. Many of the demonstrators couldn’t accept the fact that the penalty for an online poker player was higher than the one for a drunk driver, who actually can kill other people. That’s why they consider it as a prejudice against online gamblers.

Now the bill will be reviewed and hopefully there will be done some changes. The Governor office assured that the measures won’t be that strict and maybe they will be even removed. The reason for such changing is the awareness that the casinos would give a job to many people and it would also bring much money to the state of Massachusetts.