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By TONY BATT
STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON -- On the first day of the new congressional session, Rep. Jim Leach, R-Iowa, re-introduced a bill to ban Internet gambling.
Meanwhile, the 15-member House Gaming Caucus on Wednesday named Rep. Jerry Weller, R-Ill., to succeed Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., as its new chairman.
Leach's bill would prohibit the use of credit cards, wire transfers or any other bank instruments to pay for online gaming transactions.
Leach re-introduced the bill Tuesday night. The House passed the ban by voice vote last September, but the Senate adjourned without taking action.
"Congressman Leach has been told that the House Financial Services Committee plans to make his bill a high priority early in this session," said Bill Tate, Leach's chief of staff.
The American Gaming Association, the casino industry's lobbing arm, has not taken a position on the Leach bill. Last year, some gaming companies expressed concern that payment restrictions in Leach's bill might be applied to brick and mortar casinos as well as online wagering sites.
Leach issued a statement saying Internet gambling is a potentially powerful vehicle for criminals to launder money and evade taxes.
"Internet gambling serves no legitimate purpose in our society," Leach said. "It is a danger to family and society at large. It should be ended."
Rep. Mike Oxley, R-Ohio, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, is an aggressive advocate of an Internet gambling ban. He pressured House leaders to schedule a floor vote on Leach's bill last year.
A former FBI agent, Oxley said in a news release Wednesday that the Internet gambling ban should be passed without delay.
"The (Leach) bill protects families and gives terrorists one less place to hide their illicit funds," Oxley said.
In another gamlng development, Weller, whose district includes the riverboat casino community of Joliet, Ill., becomes chairman of the 13-member House Gaming Caucus. The chairmanship is rotated every two years.
The newest member of the Nevada delegation, Republican Jon Porter, announced he has joined the Gaming Caucus.
"I look forward to being another voice in the caucus, not only to fight for Nevadans but to help educate members about issues that are vital to our state," Porter said in a statement.
The caucus was founded in 1995 to protect gambling interests in legislation pending before Congress.
STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON -- On the first day of the new congressional session, Rep. Jim Leach, R-Iowa, re-introduced a bill to ban Internet gambling.
Meanwhile, the 15-member House Gaming Caucus on Wednesday named Rep. Jerry Weller, R-Ill., to succeed Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., as its new chairman.
Leach's bill would prohibit the use of credit cards, wire transfers or any other bank instruments to pay for online gaming transactions.
Leach re-introduced the bill Tuesday night. The House passed the ban by voice vote last September, but the Senate adjourned without taking action.
"Congressman Leach has been told that the House Financial Services Committee plans to make his bill a high priority early in this session," said Bill Tate, Leach's chief of staff.
The American Gaming Association, the casino industry's lobbing arm, has not taken a position on the Leach bill. Last year, some gaming companies expressed concern that payment restrictions in Leach's bill might be applied to brick and mortar casinos as well as online wagering sites.
Leach issued a statement saying Internet gambling is a potentially powerful vehicle for criminals to launder money and evade taxes.
"Internet gambling serves no legitimate purpose in our society," Leach said. "It is a danger to family and society at large. It should be ended."
Rep. Mike Oxley, R-Ohio, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, is an aggressive advocate of an Internet gambling ban. He pressured House leaders to schedule a floor vote on Leach's bill last year.
A former FBI agent, Oxley said in a news release Wednesday that the Internet gambling ban should be passed without delay.
"The (Leach) bill protects families and gives terrorists one less place to hide their illicit funds," Oxley said.
In another gamlng development, Weller, whose district includes the riverboat casino community of Joliet, Ill., becomes chairman of the 13-member House Gaming Caucus. The chairmanship is rotated every two years.
The newest member of the Nevada delegation, Republican Jon Porter, announced he has joined the Gaming Caucus.
"I look forward to being another voice in the caucus, not only to fight for Nevadans but to help educate members about issues that are vital to our state," Porter said in a statement.
The caucus was founded in 1995 to protect gambling interests in legislation pending before Congress.