New Ads Launched in Support of U.S Online Gaming Bill

In an effort to garner much needed support for Congressman Frank's bill to legalise and regulate online gambling in the United States, the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative has launched a new online advertising campaign to appear on the websites of leading publications such as the Washington Post as well as several Capitol Hill newspapers.

Congressman Frank's H.R 2267 bill, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2009, was introduced in May of this year, which would establish a federal regulatory and enforcement framework under which Internet gambling operators could obtain licenses, authorising them to provide online gaming services to individuals in the United States (more).

The new advertising campaign by the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative advocates regulating Internet gambling to protect the millions of Americans who continue to gamble online, despite government attempts to prohibit the activity, and collect between $48.6 billion and $62.7 billion in new revenues for the federal government in the first decade.

The ads will appear on the websites of leading publications such as the Washington Post, The Hill and Politico, as well as on the Huffington Post, Political Wire and Talking Points Memo.

"As Congress searches for ways to pay for health care reform and other worthy programs, it should end the unsuccessful prohibition of Internet gambling and start collecting taxes on the billions in revenue currently lost to unlicensed, offshore gambling operators," said Jeffrey Sandman, spokesperson for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative.

Since its introduction in May, 54 bipartisan co-sponsors have signed onto the bill. Supporters include senior ranking representatives such as George Miller, chairman of the Committee on Education and Labour, John Conyers, chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, Charles Rangel, chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, Edolphus Towns, chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Pete King, ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee and Ron Paul, vice-chairman of the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee.

Congressman Frank has announced his intent to hold a hearing and mark-up on his bill this autumn.