More opposition for U.S. online gambling ban

The conservative US Council for Citizens Against Government Waste has joined the growing number of conservative organisations strongly opposed to Sheldon Adelson’s proposed Restoration of America’s Wire Act, an attempt to federally ban most forms of internet gambling in the United States (see previous reports).

The leading federal spending watchdog stepped up this week to denounce RAWA in a letter to Speaker John A. Boehner and the three other top Congressional leaders.

Thomas A. Schatz, the president of the watchdog, wrote:

“On behalf of the more than one million members and supporters of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, I am writing to urge you to reject any consideration of S. 2159, the Restoration of America’s Wire Act or its companion House bill, H.R. 4301 during the lame-duck session of Congress.”

Shatz put law makers on notice that CCAGW is tracking RAWA legislation as a key vote that will be reflected in its scorecard ratings.

“The Wire Act was enacted in 1961 to constrain interstate or foreign commerce relating to bets or wagers on sporting events over the telephone. Subsequent court cases and Department of Justice enforcement of the Wire Act have limited its coverage to only sports betting,” Schatz wrote. “The misleadingly-named RAWA would therefore amend, not restore, the Wire Act, since it would expand its coverage to all forms of gambling or betting, including Internet gambling.”

The CCAGW is also keeping an eye on which politicians support or vote for RAWA, and has flagged what has become known as a cromnibus bill, a complicated bi-partisan political deal centred on budgetting

The fear among Capitol Hill conservatives and libertarians is that the cromnibus bill with be loaded up with legislative proposals – including the RAWA – that would only pass both chambers in the lame duck session with Democrats still in control of the Senate.

At least ten other influential conservative associations have expressed opposition to the RAWA amid growing fears of encroachment on the Tenth Amendment of the US Constitution, which guarantees states’ rights.

Schatz addresses such federalism concerns in his letter, along with his association’s understanding that “…pressure to consider this legislation is restricted to either a single company or individual, or a few companies or individuals,” possibly a veiled reference to the political funding activities around RAWA by land casino multi-billionaire Sheldon Adelson.

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