Online Gambling Bill Now Satisfies NFL
Written by Roger S | Saturday, August 14th, 2010
One of the most powerful sporting organizations in the United States, the National Football League has changed its former opposing stand on Barney Frank’s HR 2267 and announced this week that it the wording of the amended bill now satisfies the group enough to withdraw its opposition.
This softened stance will give the bill a major boost as it continues through the legal channels until it, hopefully, becomes law in a bid to legalize and regulate online gambling in the United States.
When the bill was first introduced to the House Financial Services Committee, there was no clarification regarding the status of sports betting, and whether it would be included in the bill. However, when it came for markup last week, the wording of the bill was amended to emphasize that HR 2267 would not include any type of sports betting except horse racing.
As such, this satisfied the NFL enough to issue the following statement through its Vice President of Communication, Brian McCarthy: “We don’t oppose HR 2267 since it now includes language we had hoped for and we are pleased with the outcome.”
The NFL’s opposition to the bill was seen as a significant hurdle in the bill’s passage, as the group has influence at the highest levels. So much so, in fact, that the NFL was highly influential in getting the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) introduced in 2006. At the time, the NFL fought to keep fantasy football exempted from the legislation, and when they succeeded, they were actively involved in pushing the legislation through.
The NFL’s softened approach is seen as a major victory for online gambling proponents who need every inch of support available to get through major hurdles still awaiting the bill.
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· Written by Roger S · Filed Under Poker Gossip · Comments Off
