Obama’s Administration and Online Gaming
Many Americans are thrilled with the prospect of a new administration taking the reins of power in 2009 and the online gaming industry is no exception. For the last 8 years anti gaming politicians have had their way and have had the backing of the Bush administration. There are some politicians who have stood up for individual rights but their cries have fallen on deaf ears.
Rep, Barney Frank and Ron Paul are two such politicians. Mr. Frank, a Democrat, has done everything in his power to try to overturn the unpopular Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act but has been unsuccessful. Mr. Paul, a Republican, has opposed the legislation because of his strong belief in individual liberties.
The current administration, in an astounding display of hubris, has issued last minute regulations to make it harder for the incoming administration to undo the damage done by UIGEA. They have also issued other regulations pandering to a tiny minority of social conservatives. This has affected such popular games as online bingo, online slots, and poker.
Online gaming is hardly likely to be a priority in these hard economic times. Legislators will have their plate full trying to deal with the ongoing recession. Once the work is complete, legislators can get back to the business of undoing the damage done by the Bush administration. Hopefully online gaming will be one of the issues up for discussion and change, especially with the amount of people that love playing online poker and online slot games.
