Received this from McCaskill finally.
December 18, 2014
Dear Mr. [My Last Name],
Thank you for contacting me regarding online gambling. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.
Gambling includes activities such as bingo, card games, slot machines, lotteries, casinos, and horse racing. Once outlawed, these activities are now primarily regulated at the state level. In our state, the Missouri Gaming Commission is the chief regulator, and you can visit the agency's website at
http://www.mgc.dps.mo.gov/.
In recent years, more and more gambling has taken place over the Internet. Internet gambling companies are often located offshore, making it difficult for state and federal prosecutors to enforce gambling laws. As a result, many in Congress have advocated for stronger regulation of online gambling. In 2006, before I was elected to the Senate, Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which prohibits gambling-related businesses from accepting payments in connection with unlawful Internet gambling activities. The Department of Justice has begun enforcing this law, but critics hold that the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act is too vague to be effective and does not have a mechanism to stop gaming operators from using offshore financial institutions to process payments.
You may be interested to know that, on July 17, 2013, I chaired a hearing of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance about the impact of online gambling on consumer protection and whether a patchwork of state regulations adequately protects consumers. During the hearing, we also discussed possible technological solutions to some issues surrounding an increase in online gambling, such as fraud, underage gambling, and money laundering.
Online gambling is inherently an interstate matter and Congress has an important role to play in overseeing its expansion. I understand that some have concerns that making online gambling more accessible could have negative consequences. Others are law-abiding citizens who just want to be able to participate in this form of entertainment over the Internet. Please know, I will keep your views in mind should relevant legislation be considered in the Senate.
Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance to you on this or any other issue.
Sincerely,
Claire McCaskill
United States Senator