SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal

(Washington, D.C.) — Attorneys general from 43 states have come out against a bill to roll back a ban on Internet gambling.

In a Nov. 30 letter to congressional leaders, the National Association of Attorneys General expressed "grave concerns" about a bill by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., that would repeal the 2006 ban and appoint the Department of Treasury to regulate online wagering in the United States.

The attorneys general praised the ban, saying it has driven many illegal gambling operators from the American marketplace.

"But now, less than a year later, (Frank's bill) proposes to do the opposite, by replacing state regulations with a federal licensing program that would permit Internet gambling companies to do business with U.S. customers," the letter said.

The attorneys general also voiced skepticism about "opt-outs" in the bill, which would allow states to continue prohibiting Internet gambling within their borders.

Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto did not sign the letter. Other states with attorneys general who did not sign the letter were Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska and New York.

Frank said he would be willing to work with the attorneys general who signed the letter to address their concerns, but he also said the letter puzzled him.

"It seems inconsistent that conservatives would want states to regulate the Internet," Frank said.

In addition, the current federal ban on Internet gambling does not give states a regulatory role, Frank said.

Despite the concerns of the attorneys general, Frank acknowledged his bill remains stalled and is unlikely to advance in 2008.

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