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U.S. Congress Passes Anti-Gambling Legislation
On September 30, the U.S. Congress passed an amended version of H.R. 4411, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, after it was attached to an unrelated Homeland Security bill entitled the Port Security Improvement Act (H.R. 4954). The bill is expected to be signed into law by President George W. Bush by mid-October.
The amended version prohibits Americans from using U.S. financial institutions and their banking tools, including credit cards, cheques or funds transfers, when depositing or withdrawing funds at Internet gambling sites. If the law is enacted, it will become illegal for online gambling companies to accept monies from U.S. financial institutions.
Leading Internet gambling sites based in Britain, have said they will probably pull out of the United States, their biggest source of revenue, and warned of lower profits. Amid increasing uncertainty over whether U.S. Congress would outlaw online gambling, British bookmaker William Hill stopped accepting casino and poker bets from online customers in the United States on September 27, just a few days before the legislation was passed; read below for more details.
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