Hey all,

Today I actually got a response from my Congress-woman here in WI about the H.R. 1174 (Gambling regulation act). Figured I would post it here for you all to see. Frankly, I was impressed I received any feedback at all...

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Thank you for contacting me about Internet gambling. It is good to hear from you and I apologize for the delay in my response.



As you may be aware, in 2006, the House passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act (UIGEA). This law prohibits the use of payments by U.S. financial institutions to handle the processing of any form of Internet gambling that is illegal under U.S. federal or state law. While I voted against this bill, it passed the House by a vote of 317 to 93. UIGEA was later included in the SAFE Port Act, which President Bush signed into law on October 13, 2006.



Traditional forms of legalized gambling already exist in nearly every state. Outlawing Internet gambling pits the freedom of the Internet against regulating the addictive and dangerous habit of gambling. While I believe we must address the ills of gambling as a society, implementing UIGEA leaves Americans who choose to gamble online without meaningful consumer protections.



On March 17, 2011, Rep. John Campbell introduced the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, H.R. 1174. This measure establishes a federal regulatory and enforcement framework to license companies to accept bets and wagers online from individuals in the United States to the extent permitted by individual states, Indian tribes, and sport leagues. All licenses include protections against underage gambling, compulsive gambling, money laundering and fraud.



H.R. 1174, in effect, would allow Americans to lawfully bet online. The bill has been referred to three House Committees, including the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on which I serve. Please know that I will keep your thoughts in mind as legislation affecting Internet gambling is considered by the House of Representatives.



Again, thank you for sharing your views. Your opinion matters to me. If I can be of service to you in any other way, please do not hesitate to let me know. As a security precaution, all mail sent to Congress is first irradiated. This process causes significant delays. To ensure the fastest response, I encourage all constituents who have access to the internet to contact me through my website at Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin | Representing the 2nd District of Wisconsin.


Sincerely,

Tammy Baldwin
Member of Congress

P.S. I regularly send out email updates on federal issues and opportunities. These reports also include regular surveys through which you can express your opinion. If you would like to receive these email updates, you may sign up by visiting my website at: http://baldwin.congressnewsletter.ne...action=profile