Observers Say Frank Online Gambling Bill Not Far Enough

Business and academic leaders surveyed by a think-tank say Barney Frank's bill legalizing and regulating online gambling should have stopped at the legalizing point if freedom were the true objective.

A survey of social observers finds many consider Barney Frank's bill a watered-down version of what online gambling law should look like under the Constitution. Several academic and business leaders say the move to repeal the UIGEA shouldn't replace that system with a federal taxing and regulating authority over Internet casinos.

Frank has defended his bill legalizing Internet gambling as designed to increase personal freedom, saying, "The government should mind its own business." But Frank's bill would create another arm of the federal bureaucracy, and place the national government in the middle of every gaming transaction.

Many who have observed Barney Frank's past fondness for federal intervention in private affairs have been surprised by his pro-liberty stance in regards online gambling. Some are still questioning whether freedom can be served by a bill that expands the federal government.

Bartlett Cleland, director of the IPI Center for Technology Freedom, told opposingviews.com that the hyped aspects of the revenue production from Frank's bill bothers him. He doesn't see that liberty is sefved by greatly increasing federal involvement.

“The notion that any activity should be legalized simply as a means to raise revenue seems poor justification,” Cleland said. “Certainly from a liberty point of view, there is no change. Either the behavior is outright illegal or the government layers the activity with regulation and heavy taxation. Neither approach seems a hallmark of liberty."

Harold Krent, dean of the Chicago-Kent College of Law, agrees, saying any regulation should be up to individual states. Both men think the federal government should remove itself from the online casino question and leave the matter to the states.

“The proposal would seem to create a new federal regulatory body, especially given that each state regulates gambling in its own way with its own gaming commissions or outlaws it to varying degrees,” stated Cleland.

“It is up to each state to determine whether to permit lotteries, poker, and the like. That’s the nature of our federalist system,” said Krent.