46th Congressman Co-Sponsors IGREA: Regulation of Online Poker & Online Gambling in USA

The signature of US Congressman George Miller to co-sponsor Barney Frank's Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act (IGREA) marks the first political support in 2008 for bill HR 2046 that aims to license and regulate online poker and online gambling in the United States.

Representative Miller is the 46th Congressman to co-sponsor the bill.

Miller is a very respected and distinguished member of Congress, starting his tenure November of 1974. He is currently serving his 17th term. He is chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee and chairman of the House Democratic Policy Committee.

Congressman Miller is the author of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act - the single largest expansion for federal financial aid for college since the GI Bill. He is also one of the four original authors of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001 and is leading the effort to review the law to make it more fair, flexible and better funded.

His interests include furthering Innovation and Technology, Science and Education, Retirement and Health Benefits for Americans, and strengthening America's economy to create good jobs that stay in the country.

"The endorsement of this key legislation by Congressman Miller, one of the most influential leaders on Capitol Hill, further demonstrates the growing support for regulated Internet gambling," Gambling911 quoted Jeffrey Sandman, spokesperson for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative as saying.

"We expect continuing momentum in Congress as more people realize that the current approach to prohibit Internet gambling is a failure. Rather than leave consumers vulnerable in an underground, uncontrolled marketplace, regulation of Internet gambling would protect consumers and generate billions in revenue needed for critical government programs," Sandman added.

According to a tax revenue analysis prepared by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, taxation of Internet gambling is expected to generate between $8.7 billion to $42.8 billion in federal revenues over its first ten years.

Here are the 46 Congressional co-sponsors of HR 2046 to date:

DO YOU KNOW YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REP?

MORE IMPORTANT- HAVE YOU CONTACTED THEM?

Barney Frank repeatedly stresses the importance of poker players contacting their congressional representatives and asking them to support IGREA (HR 2046), as the biggest factor for getting sponsorship and support of the bill.

The Poker Players Alliance website offers a contact list and letter template for writing your congressperson (by zipcode) making it quick and easy to even add highly valued personal comments (click here for it).

Alternately click here for a complete contact list and informative profile of all current members of Congress: Senators and members of the U.S. House of Representatives, by zipcode or State.

If you do not know which senators represent your state, or who represents your district in the House of Representatives, you can enter your state and zip code to the left of the map, then you'll be shown the list for your location. Or you can click on your state on the map to see a complete list (good if you know your district number).

For a complete list of the current (110th) members of Congress by STATE, click here.

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