February 11, 2009 (CAP Newswire) — In an article published by the San Jose Mercury News this week, the Associated Press's Brendan Riley addresses the recent speculation that the U.S. state of Nevada may attempt to regulate online gambling.
According to the article, Nevada House Rep. Shelley Berkley "has proposed a comprehensive study of the issue. Berkley has said the Bush administration embarked on a 'prohibitionist crusade against Internet gaming" that led to the flawed rules being issued "at the very last minute.'"
The study will likely focus on the central complaint against the UIGEA: That it does not clearly define "unlawful Internet gambling", with banks and financial institutions concerned about the legal burden it places upon them.
It's also likely to address the financial implications of UIGEA, which effectively prohibits U.S. players from gambling online. "U.S. bettors have been estimated to supply at least half the revenue of the estimated $16 billion yearly Internet gambling industry, which is largely hosted on overseas sites," the article states.
According to the article, though, it may be difficult for one state to take on the burden of national regulation. "Dennis Neilander, chairman of the [Nevada] state Gaming Control Board, told the Senate Judiciary Committee that without clarification from the courts or Congress he believes Nevada is precluded from adding Internet gambling to the many games it regulates.
Read the original article here.