As reported by the Bloomberg News: “A House panel has approved legislation
to toughen laws criminalizing Internet gambling, a preliminary step that may
lead to enactment by Congress. “A Judiciary subcommittee voted unanimously
Wednesday to endorse the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, sponsored by two
Virginia representatives, Bob Goodlatte, a Republican, and Rick Boucher, a
Democrat. Bush administration officials in the Justice Department support
the proposal. Online gambling’s legal status in the United States is unclear
under present law. “The measure would force U.S. financial institutions to
cooperate with federal law enforcement authorities in shutting down illegal
gambling sites based outside the United States.”