David Scott is at least paying more attention to the issue:
Dear Mr. Pierce:
Thank you for contacting me regarding internet gambling and H.R. 1174, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. I appreciate your thoughts on this issue.
On April 15, 2011, the Department of Justice issued an indictment against the owners and founders of the three largest internet gambling websites: PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker. These three companies were charged with bank fraud, money laundering, and illegal gambling offenses. Restraining orders were issued against over 75 bank accounts used by the poker companies and their payment processors in 14 countries, and five internet domain names. Eleven individuals were also charged regarding their involvement in operating the internet sites.
According to the indictment, the companies' owners sought methods to circumvent restrictions placed on U.S. banks that prohibited them from handling financial transactions connected to online gambling. The indictment alleges the poker company owners "relied on highly compensated third party payment processors who lied to United States banks about the nature of the financial transactions they were processing and covering up those lies through the creation of phony corporations and websites to disguise payments to the poker companies." The charges filed against these online gambling companies are quite serious, and I will be monitoring this situation as it develops.
Currently pending in the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 1174 would regulate internet gambling activity and would require licensed operators to adopt safeguards to combat compulsive and underage gambling, money laundering, fraud, and identity theft. This bill strongly resembles H.R. 2267, which was approved by the House Financial Services Committee in July 2010, but it did not receive any action by the full House or the Senate before the end of the 111th Congress. The legislation would implement new technologies to prevent underage play and problem gambler abuse. H.R. 1174 expands consumer protections not included in the current Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, and contains provisions to investigate potential licensees, set deposit and loss limits, and combat cheating, fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering.
Like, H.R. 2276 in the 111th Congress, H.R. 1174 has been referred to the House Committee on Financial Services, of which I am a member. In addition, the bill has been referred to the House Committee on Judiciary and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. If I have an opportunity to consider legislation on this subject again, I will certainly keep your views in mind.
Again, I thank you for sharing your views with me. I hope you will continue to give me the benefit of your opinion in the future. In addition, I encourage you to visit my web site at
http://davidscott.house.gov, where you can view the latest news and obtain information on issues and legislation that is important to you. You can also sign up for my electronic newsletter, and receive periodic updates on my activities as your representative in Washington. Thank you again for contacting me, and I look forward to continuing to serve you.
Sincerely,
David Scott
Member of Congress