Congressman and online gambling patron saint Barney Frank’s bill to do away with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act continues to pick up supporters, now up to 50 as of Monday. Mike Thompson, a state representative from California is the latest to join the ranks, the tenth to do so since the beginning of July. More are expected to follow in August.

“Reaching this milestone illustrates that momentum is growing for a shift in U.S. Policy and a rewrite of U.S. Internet gambling laws,” said Jeffrey Sandman, of the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative. “The list of supporters will continue to grow as more representatives are educated on the subject and increasingly hear from their constituents that Internet gambling regulation presents the only viable way to protect consumers, since attempts to prohibit the activity have completely failed. We also expect an increased spotlight on Internet gambling as a way to augment federal revenues and help cover the cost of necessary policy initiatives.”

In the past, Republicans had done the most to thwart efforts to legalize online gambling. But with Democrats making up the overwhelming majority of the congress and Republicans still in time out after George W. Bush flushed their reputations down the political toilet, the possibility is ripe for this to really happen.

“These lawmakers are starting to realize just how out of touch previous lawmakers were when they adopted the UIGEA,” said observer Mark Freely, “the new administration seems much more in tune with what people in the US want, and clearly people want the right to gamble online legally.”

Tags: Barney Frank, online casino, online casinos, online gambling, online poker, UIEGA, Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act

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