Former US Representative Writes Pro-Online Betting Op-Ed

For US Representative and Chairwoman of the House Commerce Subcommittee on Trade Mary Bono wrote an Op-Ed in a publication named "Roll Call" in which she she came out in support of online gambling regulation and blasted anti-gambling groups.

Writing in Roll Call Bono claimed, "Congress should tread extremely carefully before it even thinks about banning lawful activity on the Internet. Whether you gamble or not - and whether you participate in Internet games or not - it is clear that the prohibition of Internet gaming is a bad idea for Americans."

Bono went on to claim that a federal ban on internet gambling would "...put Congress in the position of banning technological innovations the public has already widely embraced."

Bono stressed that a large number of US citizens are already gambling online, and that any blockade on legalized online gambling would put punters in a position where casinos could take advantage of them. "There is no question whether Americans are gaming online. More than a million are. Instead of trying to put the Internet (genie) back in a bottle, and ignoring technological and consumer demand, Congress should be focused on making it safe for all Americans", she wrote.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal also wrote an op-ed on the topic of internet gambling, although his viewpoint is in stark contrast to Rep. Bono's. In his piece Jindal said that online gambling is ripe with organized crime, underage gambling, and money laundering, although he provided no proof to back up his points.

In his piece, Governor Jindall wrote: “I will do everything I can to stop Internet gambling from spreading to Louisiana."