I received this e-mail today. Funniest thing about it is that
Michigan has gambling splattered all over my state. Just about every bar, store, gas station, and restaurant has some type of Michigan gambling in it. Our state is soooo financially strapped that they found it necessary to add fancy lighted instant ticket display cases in some places, self serve ticket machines, and about every store and gas station has what I can describe to be a 19inch computer screen advertising their product.
Dear Ms. Boyea:
Thank you for informing me of your support for legalizing financial transactions through internet gambling websites. Your thoughts on this important matter are most welcome and appreciated.
As you know, Internet gambling is a 24-hour a day activity, which oftentimes undercuts a player's perception of the value of cash leading to addiction, severe debt, and illegal activity. And, because age verification is difficult to measure online, Internet gambling creates a major risk for minors who may not understand the seriousness behind the transfer of electronic funds. Still, Internet gambling is more than a social problem; it is a national security concern as well. According to the Department of Justice, Internet gambling not only damages communities, but also is used to launder money. In 2006, Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) under title VIII of the SAFE Port Act (P.L. 109-347), which prohibits gambling businesses from accepting checks, credit cards charges, electronic transfers, and similar payments in connection with illegal Internet gambling.
To provide for the licensing of internet gambling activities, on May 6, 2009, Representative Barney Frank (MA) re-introduced H.R. 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. If enacted, this legislation would allow the Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN) to adopt a framework for legal internet gambling. Specifically, FINCEN would be authorized to license online gambling sites annually and require the sites to use age identification technologies and pay the appropriate licensing fees, which would cover the cost of monitoring online gambling sites. Importantly, online gambling sites which are not licensed by FINCEN would be considered illegal and would be subject to the penalties incurred by the Internet Gambling Prohibition Enforcement Act. I opposed this legislation because it would drain resources from our Michigan during a difficult economic time; the technology which would be used to deter young people from gambling has not been proven to work; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has expressed concerns about internet poker sites being used as a conduit for money laundering. On July 28, 2010, despite my opposition the House Financial Services Committee passed this legislation by a bi-partisan vote of 41-22. Presently, H.R. 2267 awaits action on the House Floor.
Rest assured, your thoughts on this important issue will be remembered during the 111th Congress. Again, thank you for all you do for our community and our country. Should you have any further comments or questions on this or any other issue, please contact me at the Livonia or Milford district, or Washington, D.C. office.
I work for you
Sincerely,
Thaddeus G. McCotter
Member of Congress
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