Focus on the Family – the evangelical Christian coalition headed by James Dobson – has announced its support to the National Football League’s actions in opposition to proposed legislation in Congress that would legalize sports and online betting.
The proposal, which was introduced by powerful Democratic Congressman Barney Frank, would effectively remove the prohibitions against the foreign betting industry that composed last year’s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and shut out foreign gaming from the multi-billion dollar American marketplace.
A ghost-written letter sponsored by Focus on the Family was circulated to Conservative Christian groups by NFL lobbyist Bill Wichterman – who previously served as a top adviser to former Senate leader Bill Frist. The letter encouraged groups to vote against Frank’s proposal and be wary of “foreign gambling interests”. The Christian Coalition and American Values co-signed the letter.
The NFL, for its part, stated that it did not author the letter and reiterated that the mutual objection to the bill brought the two groups together. While Frank’s bill does include an “opt-out” clause for individual sports leagues such as the NFL, the coalition is steadfast in its belief that it would threaten “to undermine the integrity of American sports,” noting its potentially “corrosive” effect on football.
Former New York Senator Alfonse D’Amato – a lobbyist for the pro-gaming Poker Players’ Alliance – sees the NFL’s lobbying as being at once a vindication of the support behind Frank’s bill, but also as a major issue that might scare off potential supporters, adding that the league won’t “want anyone betting on their games unless they can control it.”
