A terrible bet

Bad legislation may be especially common during an election year, but the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act — passed 317-93 last month by the House — is in a class by itself. The bill is simultaneously impractical, hypocritical and just plain confused.

Last year, Britain looked at precisely these issues — as well as rogue betting sites’ involvement in money-laundering — and decided legalizing and regulating online gambling was the logical way to temper its risks. Unfortunately, such a thoughtful approach appears beyond U.S. lawmakers. It’s election year — so problems are to be exploited, not addressed.