Barack Obama Petitioned by Online Gambling Supporters
President-elect Barack Obama has continued his innovative use of the Internet he began during the campaign, using the tool to communicate directly with citizens. On the website Change.gov, Obama has provided the resources for ordinary people to address and react to issues that he will confront as President, and players at online casinos have responded in force.
Among the most popular topics on the site is a suggestion to "Boost America's Economy With Legal Online Poker." Over 45,000 have responded to the idea, and nearly 1500 have written individual comments, which are almost unanimous in reviling the UIGEA and demanding Internet freedom for US citizens, including the right to visit online gambling sites.
While the ongoing economic crisis is sure to take up the lion's share of the new President's attention after being sworn in this coming Tuesday, the vocal response by irate citizens who feel the government has denied them basic liberties cannot help but draw Obama's notice. The added plus of potentially creating a vast new revenue stream through regulation of Internet gambling should make the concept an even easier sell to a friendly Democratic Congress.
Representative Barney Frank, head of the House Financial Services Committee, has already been the primary leader in Congress in the fight to repeal the UIGEA and allow US residents the choice to play at online casinos. The new, larger majorities in both Houses by Democrats, along with increasing defections from the Republican party line, make legalization and regulation of Internet gambling a distinct possibility.
The framing of the statement at Change.gov also recognizes the need to protect US consumers from shady operations, one of many positive effects of regulation denied in the US by the failed UIGEA ban. Considering the popularity of the topic and the one-sidedness of the response, the new administration may be challenging the UIGEA sooner than anticipated.
