On Monday, it was a sad day in the online gambling world. Barney Frank announced his retirement from Congress. Despite his many achievements over the years, Frank decided to step away from the political scene due in large part to the difficulties associated with running for re-election in a newly organized district.
Why is this such a big deal to the online gambling industry? In short, Frank has been pushing for the legalization of online gambling for many years. He has argued time and time again that this could not only increase tax revenue but also create jobs. And of course, it would benefit the millions of Americans who enjoy virtual gambling.
In 2006, Frank, along with many others, opposed the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act as well as the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.
Despite great resistance from others, he stood his ground in 2007 by sponsoring H.R. 2046, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act. With this, he was hoping to establish the licensing of online gaming sites while also adding protection for compulsive gamblers as well as age verification.
For a guy that does not gamble, Frank has repeatedly put his reputation on the line in an effort to legalize the online industry. As a result, he has received praise from online gamblers across the country – many of whom are republicans (Frank is a Democrat).
Since 2006 when online gambling was officially laid to rest in the United States, Barney Frank has worked tirelessly to overturn this matter.
Players and affiliates see Frank as a hero for not backing down and continuing on his quest to legalize online gambling. Although these people may benefit in many ways directly related to gambling, Frank was primarily interested in legalization for what it could do for the United States as a whole.
Although Barney Frank has stepped down, the online gambling community will always be grateful for the efforts he made. Hopefully, he can stay active in this capacity well into the future. It is safe to say that he is one of the biggest political allies of the industry.
How do you feel about Barney Frank? Leave a comment below.