Friday, September 15, 2006

SENATE MAJORITY Leader Bill Frist is trying to use a bill authorising US
military operations, to prohibit people from using credit cards to settle
Internet gambling debts. Frist, who might be having a crack at the
presidency in 2008, wants to make it illegal for punters who gamble online
to use US credit cards to pay any gambling debts they might incur
online.Online gambling is apparently a vote winner in the politically
important state of Iowa and Frist was hoping to get a few votes by managing
to kill the industry off.Apparently Frist realises there will be no time
left in the Senate session to ever have the gambling laws ever voted through
unless it is tied to a law which essentially designed to send US troops
aboard.He does not have much hope. A number of banking lobby groups opposes
banning online gambling by tinkering with credit card rules. In the US,
banks are an important source of campaign funds and senators are not that
keen to annoy them right about now.