Senator Frist Still Pushing Anti-Online Gambling Bill

Filed in archive Casinos on September 6, 2006

US Republican Senator, Bill Frist is still trying to find a way to pass the anti-online gambling bill - but can't promise it will be before the September break.

There's been little movement in the bill, despite Frist wanting a unanimous response from both parties. The Senate has seen a number of lobbyists opposing the bill and there are reports that both Republicans and Democrats have placed 'holds' on the bill - which will essentially delay or stop any voting before all measures are resolved

The Republican-backed measure has been criticized by some as an election-year appeal to the party's conservative base. Frist, of Tennessee, is widely seen as a potential presidential candidate. Last week, Frist appeared at a congressional field hearing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa -- the state that holds the first presidential nominating contest in 2008 -- to hear concerns about internet gambling.

Supporters of a crackdown on Internet gambling say legislation is needed to clarify that a 1961 federal law banning interstate telephone betting also covers an array of online gambling

Article: Frist still seeks Internet gambling bill: aides