Online Gambling Ban Bill Dead through Elections

The National Right for Online Gaming (NROG) confirmed yesterday that Senator Bill Frist's attempt to push through an online gambling ban before Congress breaks for elections has failed.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source close to the Senator told NROG that "the efforts, including an attempt to attach to the DoD (Department of Defense) bill, have failed and he (Frist) will not be moving forward with gambling legislation before elections."

Congress will return for a 'lame duck' session in mid-November where this issue may take center stage again. "The Senator has made Internet Gambling a priority before he exits the Senate and I will confirm that he is actively searching for a way to succeed," added the source.

NROG Director of Development, Jay Bailey, commented, "If Senator Frist wishes to make this an issue then he should do what the House did in July and bring HR-4411 to the floor of the Senate for debate. Hiding legislation in other bills to further one's own political agenda is not what our citizens deserve. These games in Washington must stop."

Founded by businessmen Brian Jakusik and Bailey, the NROG is a 501(c) non-profit focused on informing and educating the public, through mass media and marketing, about congressional attempts to take away the right to play poker, sports books and other casino games online. More information about the NROG is at www.nrog.org.

Also, be sure to visit another Poker-specific watchdog group: the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), at www.pokerplayersalliance.org.

Poker notables Howard Lederer, Chris Jesus Ferguson, Mike Caro, and 2004 Main Event WSOP winner Greg "Fossilman" Raymer have supported many efforts by PPA to educate Congress how poker as a skill game and a non-house banked game, and that is should be treated differently than other forms of gambling.

The PPA website has templates poker players can use to contact their Senators to show they do NOT want the Senate to pass Bill HR-4411, which is the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act bill that was passed by the Unites States House of Representatives on July 11th.

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