UIGEA

The Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association may not have achieved all of its objectives in its last constitutional clash with the US government over the UIGEA, but it was given legal standing by the court and it plans to launch a further attack before the end of September 2008.

The Poker Players Alliance was active this week in urging US players to promote the rights of citizens to play poker online, using the Republican Platform Committee's official Internet message board. The purpose of the website is to obtain public comment and suggestions on what should be included in the party's campaign platform for the coming presidential elections.

The Poker Players Alliance might not support Representative Pete Sessions's HR6663 but the Remote Gambling Association - a trade association embracing most of the major UK online gambling companies - certainly does.

The US enforcement regime has been urged by two US legislators to halt its pursuit of European online gambling companies active in the US market prior to the promulgation of the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

The chairman of the one million member Poker Players Alliance, Former Senator Alphonse D'Amato says that the Alliance cannot support Texas Representative Pete Session's Bill HR6663 because it confuses a clear judicial understanding of the status quo of online poker.

Yet more legislation on Internet gambling was introduced to Congress by Representative Pete Sessions this week in the shape of HR6663, titled the UIGEA Clarification Act.

The recent tied vote failure of Barney Frank's HR5767, which sought to halt the implementation of the UIGEA regulations pending proper definitions and drafting precision, has not stopped other Capitol Hill politicians from voicing their disquiet.

Industry observers have been saying for some time it that it would not be long before the U.S. Department of Justice caught up with the Bodog online gambling group founded by high profile Canadian entrepreneur Calvin Ayre (47), and this week it happened.

The recent defeat of Congressman Barney Frank's HR5767 which sought to halt implementation of the controversial UIGEA regulations was due in no small measure to the vociferous attacks on Internet gambling by Spencer Bachus - the Republican representative from Alabama and a longtime foe of the industry.

Rep. Jim McDermott's Human Resources Act of 2008 (H.R. 6501) launched earlier this week has already attracted opposition from Nevada politicians despite offering the opportunity for the state to garner up to $336 million in Internet gambling taxes in the future, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal.