Utah Supports Regulating Online Casinos to Protect Consumers

Mark Shurtleff said in a radio interview that Utah, one of only two states with no forms of legal gambling, would back Frank's proposal in order to guard citizens against dishonest and shady casino sites.

Online casino industry insiders received a suprise yesterday when Utah's Attorney General voiced support for Barney Frank's upcoming bill to legalize and regulate Internet gambling. Mark Shurtleff said in a radio interview that Utah, one of only two states with no forms of legal gambling, would back Frank's proposal in order to guard citizens against dishonest and shady casino sites.

Shurtleff told KSL Radio that working the law so that it would not open loopholes to allow tribal gaming in Utah would be a necessity. But the AG admitted that banning online gambling has not prevented US  residents from playing at Internet casinos.

The Utah official showed a refreshing acceptance of reality and genuine desire to care for his constituents. Rather than harp on ideological principles, Shurtleff expressed concern for those players left out in the cold by the US ban against online casinos.

"These sites are unregulated, so there's all kinds of unscrupulous behavior going on," the AG told the radio station.

Shurtleff met this weekend with representatives from the gaming industry, seeking for ways to craft the law so as to protect Utah from inadvertently approving Native American casinos. Federal law allows tribes to operate any form of gambling available elsewhere in the same state.

Online Casino Advisory gaming analyst Sherman Bradley noted, 'Even Utah realizes the importance of regulation in meeting the goals of consumer and child protection and preventing money laundering and scams. The feeling among industry experts is that the Frank bill may be reaching unstoppable momentum."