Ex-Congressman Blames Online Casino Fans for Election Loss

April 24, 2009 | News Category: Gaming Law

0 Comments A former Republican Representative from Iowa, Jim Leach, has blamed the loss of his seat on Capitol Hill on his opposition to online casinos. He has acknowledged that part of what cost him his seat was his vociferous opposition to online gambling. Leach said "I realized that support for the bill jeopardized my re-election."

Jim Leach was one of the politicians who had a hand in forming the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) which showed a clear opposition to online gambling, but did not clearly state how the law should be carried out.

As one of the first major political opponents of online gaming, Jim Leach was challenged by a number of groups to give support to the freedom to choose to gamble on the Internet. In 2006, he lost his re-election bid. Some say that poker players grouped together against him because he had been involved in the crafting of the UIGEA.

Leach has been known to make statements as if they are facts without necessarily having the research to support his position. He specifically attacked Internet gambling when there have been studies that show that online gambling is less addictive and also less harmful than land-based gambling.

Two studies that showed similar results came from two very different countries. Firstly, in the United States, the Harvard Medical School's Division of Addictions, under the guidance of Dr. Howard Shaffer, and secondly the director of research for South Africa's National Responsible Gaming Program, Professor Dan Ross have agreed that online gambling is less problematic than land-based gambling.

A statement made by Leach said that online gambling "is so seductively habit-forming that individuals can in short order lose their homes and jobs and, indeed, their families and futures." He also said that the negative effect of online gambling can "rebound into society" causing more widespread problems. These statements are not backed up by the studies that were performed.

Leach has also said that although there are calls for freedom as far as online gaming is concerned, this does not take away from the social ills of online casinos. Currently, there is much work underway to present a new bill to Congress in order to amend or change the bill that Leach helped to author.

At present, Jim Leach is a Professor of Public and International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Princeton University. As a Republican, he represented Iowa for 30 years in the US House of Representatives.

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