Senator Rockefeller Wants to Regulate Online Gambling

July 14, 2011 | News Category: Gaming Law

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Senator Jay Rockefeller has announced 18 different ways that he proposes that the United States can remove $1.29 trillion from the budget deficit on a federal level over a 10 year time period. One of these measures includes regulating and taxing online gambling in the United States.

Senator Rockefeller is a West Virginia Democrat, and is also the Senate Commerce Chairman. He has been known to call the Internet the "number one national hazard" and has already written a bill suggesting that the US government, or at least the US president should be allowed to shut down Internet access at any time that something on the World Wide Web could be a threat to national security. While there are many that do not agree with his position on this issue, there are many that feel he is correct with some of his other suggestions regarding ways to remove the United States' huge budget deficit.

Although Sen. Rockefeller currently refers to online gambling as an "illegal market" this has not been clarified by US law. Either way, he is in support of regulating the online gambling market in order to protect consumers and in order to make sure that a portion of the online gambling income, in the form of US tax dollars finds it way to the federal coffers.

He said: "Establishing online gambling regulations will protect consumers, state's rights and state sovereignty, and eliminate a huge illegal market that today benefits only countries and companies overseas." When he mentions protecting "state sovereignty" he is most likely referring to the opt out clause that many have suggested be available for those states that do not wish to offer online gambling.

When releasing his suggestions to help cut the budget deficit by trillions of dollars over ten years, Sen. Rockefeller noted the following in a statement: "There's lots of talk about reducing the deficit and cutting spending, but we have seen very few specific ideas, especially when it comes to revenues. The American people are willing to make some sacrifices to help secure a better future by reducing the deficit, but those who are already struggling cannot shoulder the bulk of that burden themselves and it's shameful to suggest otherwise. Big corporations and the very wealthy must start paying their fair share."

Rockefeller is of the opinion that banning online payment processing simply makes it harder for US online casino players to gamble online, and it does not bring any more funds into the federal coffers, and that taxation of online casinos and other forms of online gambling is what is needed.