Computer programmer by day, York resident Rich Shealer, 44, likes to go online in his spare time and play a few rounds of poker.
"Two years ago, I probably spent 15 hours a week playing poker online," Shealer said. Local opportunities to play have popped up in the last year or two, shortening the hours he spends online. But he still frequents sites like Party Poker and Noble Poker where he's spent less than $200 betting online in the past three years.
"I generally just kind of break even," Shealer said.
But many on Capitol Hill do not approve of Shealer's evening gaming, online or otherwise.
Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte, R-Va., proposed the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act in February. It made its way through the House Judiciary Committee late last month.
The bill aims to "crack down on the growing problem of illegal gambling by updating laws to cover all forms of interstate gambling and account for new technologies," meaning the Internet.
"Jack Abramoff's total disregard for the legislative process has allowed Internet gambling to continue thriving into what is now a $12 billion business which not only hurts individuals and their families, but makes the economy suffer by draining billions of dollars from the United States," Goodlatte said in a statement.
Federal law is not clear on online gambling. Goodlatte hopes to remedy that by covering all forms of interstate gambling under the law, while also allowing states to regulate gaming within their borders. Maximum prison terms for violations would increase to five years.
Rep. James Leach, R- Iowa, is putting another bill through that would ban use of credit cards to make online wagers. But the Poker Players Alliance, an organization representing 70 million American players, said the two bills are not the public's best bet.
"If you're going to be genuine about a prohibition bill, you should really prohibit all kinds of gambling," said Alliance president Michael Bolcerek. The Goodlatte bill excludes horse racing, interstate and Internet lotteries, and fantasy sports - which Bolcerek attributed to the strong lobby groups that work on their behalf.
Regulation would mean using banks to block questionable dealings by monitoring debit and credit card transactions of all bank customers to watch for gambling, Bolcerek said. Internet service providers are also being asked to restrict hyperlinks to Internet gaming sites, which he called online censorship.
"We feel the enforcement mechanisms take the federal government into places we don't think they should go," Bolcerek said.
There is a lot of momentum behind the legislation in the House. And while there is no companion bill in the Senate offered in this congress, opponents fear a rider might be offered on some other piece of legislation.
American Gaming Association spokeswoman Holly Thompson said the group is neutral on the Goodlatte and Leach bills, but favors a proposal by Nevada lawmakers to create a nine-member Internet Gambling Study Commission.
The commission would take 18 months to examine "the proper response of the United States to the growth of Internet gambling."
"They're not ever going to be able to ban it because if they can't do it in a certain state, they're still going to have it off-shore," said Red Lion mother of five, Bambi Jaskolka.
After putting her youngest to bed, Jaskolka likes to unwind with a few rounds of Texas hold 'em before heading off to bed herself. She said she's met lots of nice people playing on Ultimate Bet, her favorite poker site.
"When you're a mom and you're on a fixed income and you don't want to spend the big bucks trying to find someone to watch your kids, it's so convenient to (play poker) in your own home," she said.
Every once in a while she bets on the penny tables, but with kids and grandkids she says she can't afford to spend much, and opts to play "the free stuff."
As for trying to save the high-rollers from their addictions, Jaskolka said, "If they're going to gamble they're going to gamble, you know. You can't stop it."
AT A GLANCE
The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act cracks down on the illegal gambling by updating laws to cover all forms of interstate gambling and account for new technologies.
The Act made its way through the House Judiciary Committee late last month.
source : Medill News Service
