Two Democrat Congressmen from Missouri, William Lacy Clay and Russ Carnahan, have jumped on board as co-sponsors of Barney Frank’s Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, which outlines the licensing and regulation of online gambling in the US.

The two lawmakers strongly disapprove of the UIGEA, the US’s current ban on online gambling, saying it is foolish of the law's supporters to believe the ban will stop US citizens from visiting online betting sites. Clay notes, “We should not be so naive to think that we are going to do away with gambling by passing that (UIGEA) law.”

They compare the ban to an ostrich-with-his-head-in-the-sand type of approach to dealing with online gambling. According to the Congressmen, internet gambling is the new reality in the gaming industry. “It's the kind of thing that requires clear rules and regulations so that it functions well,” Carnahan added.

The representatives also want the US to take advantage of the massive revenue that could be generated by regulating online gambling.

Clay referred to a study by Price Waterhouse that estimated the revenue potential from online gambling and said, “I think $42 billion is a significant sum that the federal government needs to fund some of the programs that are worthy and that Americans benefit from.”

Miss B says: This is great news! The total number of co-sponsors for Barney Frank’s bill is now 66.