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 US Representative Barney Frank spoke out against the US Justice Department's recent crack down on online poker calling it "an incredible waste of resources." He told The Hill that the Justice Department should be focusing on prosecuting those responsible for the mortgage crisis and financial meltdown instead of, "protecting the public from the scourge of inside straights."
"Go after the people responsible for empty houses, not full houses," he said. "I'm not saying violate the law, but to give this priority in law enforcement over some other things I think is a terrible idea and I think the administration is wrong on this."
Frank has long been an advocate for legalized and regulated online gambling. He has been trying to repeal the UIGEA since it first piggy backed its way into law back in 2006. For the past few years he has attempted to pass a bill known as the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act but every year it seems to end up on the back burner.
Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, and Absolute Poker, took estimated $16 billion in wagers from U.S. players last year. Had Frank's bill been successful the US government could have collected millions in taxable revenue from the industry.
The backlash from recent events has definitely been felt by legislatures. Over a million players across the US have been cut off from their favorite online poker rooms and the thousands of online players who relied on online poker for part or all of their income are in a panic.
Frank told the paper that he hopes the events will be just the catalyst he needs to build momentum for his legislation and finally give players the freedom to play online without fear of persecution.
As always, stay tuned to Casinofan for more news and updates.
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