Additional Opposition To Internet Gambling Bill Of Goodlatte

Reports that have been appearing in the various Utah media suggest that Rep. Goodlatte may expect additional opposition to his proposed Bill banning Internet gambling, from an unsuspected source, if after last week's trouncing in the Judiciary Committee sub-committee hearing, it were to again surface.

Rep. Chris Cannon, an ardent anti-gambling politician, said he would once again forcefully resist a bill to prohibit Internet gambling, fearing it might become a "back door" for the legalization of some online gambling in Utah. It is speculated that Cannon is disturbed by the fantasy sports, horse racing, and lottery carve-outs that are being kept in the proposed legislation.

Cannon says that he is an ardent opponent of gambling, who does not want to see an opportunity for gambling pre-empting state law. If it becomes legal, he says, he does not want to see Utah get bombarded with gambling if it were to become legal.

Utah is one of only two states along with Hawaii, that outlaws every form of gambling.
However, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., the bill's sponsor, says that opponents are claiming that the bill will give special treatment that will allow for the expansion of horse betting and other forms of gambling enterprise, which he considers absurd.

Goodlatte said that he strongly disagrees with anybody who is saying that this legislation will add a carve-out for the horse racing industry. Horse racing is already regulated by another federal law, he said, and that this bill wouldn't change anything.

Goodlatte said that during the five years in which the various versions of the legislation have been debated, Internet gambling has quadrupled in scope so that today there are in access of 2,300 gambling sites with over $12 billion a year being bet online.

Cannon has been against the Internet gambling ban every time it has been offered, in spite of the fact that he has repeatedly called gambling an abhorrent and pernicious vice. He has several times tried to amend the bill in order to remove the horse racing portion, in spite of the fact that backers of the legislation are saying that Cannon's changes will cost the bill the support that it needs in order to pass.

The horseracing provisions are also opposed by the National Center Against Legalized Gambling.

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