[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 87 (Friday, June 13, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           UNLAWFUL INTERNET GAMBLING FUNDING PROHIBITION ACT

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                               speech of

                           HON. BRAD SHERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 10, 2003

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2143) to 
     prevent the use of certain bank instruments for unlawful 
     Internet gambling, and for other purposes:

  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise to express my support for H.R. 
2143, the Internet Gambling Prevention Act of 2003, passed by the House 
on June 10, 2003.
  I am a strong believer of the simple principle: ``You should have to 
leave your house to lose your house.'' Thus, I believe we should 
prohibit Internet gambling except when the gambler is known to be 
physically present in a location the ``sovereign'' of which authorizes 
the particular gaming. This does take steps to prevent unlawful 
Internet gambling, especially gambling through websites based off-
shore, outside of the regulatory jurisdiction of the United States.
  During consideration of H.R. 2143, I voted for the Sensenbrenner/
Conyers/Cannon amendment which would have removed language from the 
bill that would have excluded transactions with businesses licensed by 
a state from the definition of ``bet and wager.'' There are at least 
two problems with this provision which unfortunately (due to the non-
adoption of the said amendment) remains in the bill.
  First, the provision does not assure that the gaming is legal at the 
location where the gambler is actually located. Second, the loophole 
does not provide parity for tribal governments running casinos. Because 
tribes that run casinos enter into compacts with the State to offer 
these facilities, they are not licensed by the state.
  Mr. Speaker, as H.R. 2143 moves to the Senate and ultimately to a 
conference committee, I am hopeful that we can remove this loophole 
from the legislation.

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