As a co-sponsor of a bill that was signed into law two weeks ago by
President Bush, Jon Kyl, the Republican Senator from Arizona, has worked
hard over the years to abolish online gambling utilizing the “family values”
front. The current law would look to severely cut off some forms of online
gambling via credit card transactions, though the banking sector has already
condemned the law, claiming it would be close to impossible for the banks to
monitor online gambling transactions. Gambling911.com has also learned from
top government sources that President Bush almost didn’t sign the internet
gambling legislation. Bush reportedly told key members in his
administration that he did not want to sign off on an “unrelated” internet
gambling provision that arrived to his desk as an attachment to a much more
important port security bill. While hopes were high, the President
ultimately signed off on the entire package though making no mention of the
measure pertaining to online gambling. That measure was spearheaded by
Senator Jon Kyl and forced through Congress on the coat tails of the port
security bill (courtesy of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist) during the
final Friday late night session before Election Day recess early this month.
Both Frist and Kyl have claimed that online gambling is like “crack cocaine”
that gets in the way of a family’s well-being, yet they ensured carve-out
niches for horse racing and state lotteries, something viewed as highly
suspect among the online gambling community. Other politicians likewise
expressed dismay over the attached piece of legislation that appeared
without warning and could not get passed on its own. Some, like Nevada
Representative Shelley Berkley, voiced outrage over the internet gambling
provision’s inclusion while Senate Republicans removed other measures from
the “port bill” that would help bolster rail and mass transit security.
Even the original sponsors of the port security bill spoke out against the
internet gambling provision add-on. In the coming days, the online gambling
community is planning a massive protest against Senator Jon Kyl in the state
of Arizona. Dozens of websites focusing on the sector will be publishing a
message alerting Arizona voters and online gambling enthusiasts as to
Senator Kyl’s role in trying to abolish internet poker, sports betting an
online casino games while ensuring the protection of his own state lottery.
Many of these sites, including prominent online gambling establishments that
operate outside the United States, will be sending the powerful message to
all of its Arizona customers. One large sports betting firm has disclosed
that based on last year’s numbers they had just over 5000 registered users
in the city of Phoenix alone.
“The industry as a whole must take a stand to show how powerful we are and
that politicians with their own self-agendas need to be held accountable for
their actions,” said a prominent member of the online gambling community who
is one of many organizing the campaign against Jon Kyl.
It is a campaign that can work. Internet gambling has become a billion
dollar industry that, contrary to popular opinion among some political foes,
fuels the US economy through ad deals, sponsorship events and most notably
works in conjunction with Las Vegas.
“The Vegas casinos once despised our industry. This year they lobbied
heavily to prevent the passage of the internet gambling legislation. It was
once believed that online casinos would negatively affect Las Vegas since
gamblers could now play casino games without leaving the comfort of their
homes. Quite the opposite has occurred. Online gambling has only helped to
fuel interest in Vegas as the ultimate casino gaming experience. It’s
really no different than being able to rent movies two or three months after
a film’s release. That hasn’t stopped the box office from realizing record
breaking numbers year after year.”
Over the past few weeks, Jon Kyl has watched a solid lead evaporate.
Democratic challenger Jim Pederson has now closed within 6 percentage points
of Kyl.
“The online gambling community will narrow that gap even further and anyone
who underestimates our influence is in for quite a surprise,” predicts the
prominent industry representative. “Nine percent of Arizona voters said
they were undecided and we believe many of these are individuals who love
gambling online and will be inclined to vote against anyone looking to take
away their rights.”
The effort on behalf of the internet gambling sector also looks to address
concerns over prohibition that stretches beyond the gaming landscape.
