[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 153 (Wednesday, October 10, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2112-E2113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CONTINUED PROHIBITION OF INTERNET GAMBLING

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                            HON. TOM FEENEY

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 10, 2007

  Mr. FEENEY. Madam Speaker, last year, I cosponsored legislation with 
Congressman Bob Goodlatte to help stop the widespread growth of 
gambling over the internet. Though Federal law already prohibits 
gambling over telephone wires, the passage of this legislation was 
necessary to maintain the original intent of the law while also 
bringing it up to speed with the explosion of current and future 
technology. However, this update of the law made clear that it would 
only affect interstate commerce, respecting the rights of states by 
leaving to them the decision whether and how to regulate gambling 
within their own borders. New legislation before the Financial Services 
Committee attempts to undo all of this previous work, instead granting 
the federal government the expansive and exclusive right to regulate 
all online gambling. This new legislation would represent the first 
time in history that the Federal Government would be given power to 
issue gambling licenses, and it

[[Page E2113]]

marks a significant shift away from allowing states to determine for 
themselves what type of policy is best. Proponents of this legislation 
state that the bill offers states the right to ``opt out'' of this 
regulation, but the truth is that the states already have the right to 
determine their own policy towards gambling without any broader federal 
regulation that threatens to undermine their control over licensing 
standards and enforcement actions.

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