Attack on Internet gambling ban

Will the ill-conceived federal ban on Internet gambling survive? Not if a few House Democrats have their way.

Last month, Rep. Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat who chairs the Financial Services Committee, offered legislation that would overturn the ban and require the Department of Treasury to regulate Internet betting sites.

Then on Thursday, Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., introduced a measure that would exempt poker and other "skill games" from the Internet ban. "Poker is a game, not a crime," he said.

That same day, Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., proposed legislation to tax online gambling sites if they are licensed and regulated in the United States.

Rep. McDermott's bill was met with skepticism from the American Gaming Association, which opposes the Internet gambling ban but isn't ready to concede that Washington should levy a tax on gaming companies.

That view was echoed by Nevada Rep. Shelley Berkley, a Las Vegas Democrat. "A federal tax on gaming is the camel's nose under the tent," she said.

(If only she felt as strongly about scores of other federal taxes. Oh, well.)

At any rate, these three bills offer a glimmer of hope to those who believe that the federal government has no business telling adults whether they can play poker or blackjack on their laptops or PCs.

Unfortunately, it's only a glimmer. As Rep. Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican instrumental in generating support for the current ban, noted this week, "Three hundred and seventeen members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ... voted for an even stronger ban on Internet gambling than was passed by Congress."

He continued, "Proponents of repealing the ban will have a very tough time overturning that act."

Sadly, he's correct. But the more that supporters of freedom bang away at their representatives, the better the odds become.