Libertarian bodies come out against online gambling banning attempt

The Graham-Chaffetz federal bills seeking to resurrect the Wire Act and ban most forms of online gambling (see previous reports) attracted more flak this week as ten free-market libertarian organisations voiced their objections.

Writing to Congressional leaders in the House and Senate, the group claimed that the Restoration of the Wire Act proposal constitutes “…a broad overreach by the federal government over matters traditionally reserved for the states.”

Among the bodies signing the letter was FreedomWorks, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, R Street, the Alliance for Freedom, Taxpayers Protection Alliance, Institute for Policy Innovation and the Institute for Liberty.

Reporting on the letter, the publication The Hill said that it claimed that the Graham-Chaffetz bills would pave the path for more government control over the Internet, and was an “…inappropriate and unnecessary use of federal powers that infringes on the rights of individuals and states.”

The libertarian groups were critical of the bill for “…setting a troubling precedent and providing fodder to those who would like to see increased Internet regulation in the future. This bill allows the federal government to take a heavy hand in regulating the Internet, opening the door for increased Internet regulation in the future.”

“As we have seen in the past, a ban will not stop online gambling,” the letter informed leaders in the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. “Prohibiting states from legalizing and regulating the practice only ensures that it will be pushed back into the shadows where crime can flourish with little oversight.”

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