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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers abruptly canceled a vote to block Internet gambling on Tuesday after it became clear the bill did not have enough support to pass the House of Representatives.
House leaders pulled the bill from consideration after two Republican committee chairmen and several prominent Democrats said they would vote against it for a variety of reasons.
The move underscores the difficulties lawmakers face as they try to shut down the offshore Web sites that are expected to take in roughly $2 billion from U.S. residents this year, while not interfering with legal gambling businesses such as lotteries and casinos regulated by the states.
Despite widespread support, attempts to outlaw Internet gambling have stumbled in Congress for years due to infighting among casinos, dog tracks, horse tracks and those who oppose gambling in general.
The bill pulled from consideration Tuesday would block credit-card payments to gambling Web sites, an approach that has found widespread support in Congress and been taken up voluntarily by many credit-card providers.
But squabbles between the House Judiciary and Financial Services committees resulted in three competing versions of the bill. After the Judiciary Committee took out language that would have exempted lawful casinos and state lotteries last month, the Financial Services committee passed another version that removed criminal penalties, a move which enabled the new bill to bypass Judiciary.
The bill was scheduled for a vote under a special process that prohibits any changes, but requires a two-thirds vote for approval. But it appeared unlikely to pass without the support of Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, who wants tougher criminal penalties, and House Democrats who oppose an outright ban on online gambling, House staffers said.
"There were a lot of people who had problems with it," said Judiciary Committee spokesman Jeff Lungren.
House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo said in a letter on Monday that he could not support the bill because he was worried about the impact it could have on American Indian gambling operations.
House staffers said they would try to work out their differences and bring the bill back for a vote, possibly as soon as Thursday.
House leaders pulled the bill from consideration after two Republican committee chairmen and several prominent Democrats said they would vote against it for a variety of reasons.
The move underscores the difficulties lawmakers face as they try to shut down the offshore Web sites that are expected to take in roughly $2 billion from U.S. residents this year, while not interfering with legal gambling businesses such as lotteries and casinos regulated by the states.
Despite widespread support, attempts to outlaw Internet gambling have stumbled in Congress for years due to infighting among casinos, dog tracks, horse tracks and those who oppose gambling in general.
The bill pulled from consideration Tuesday would block credit-card payments to gambling Web sites, an approach that has found widespread support in Congress and been taken up voluntarily by many credit-card providers.
But squabbles between the House Judiciary and Financial Services committees resulted in three competing versions of the bill. After the Judiciary Committee took out language that would have exempted lawful casinos and state lotteries last month, the Financial Services committee passed another version that removed criminal penalties, a move which enabled the new bill to bypass Judiciary.
The bill was scheduled for a vote under a special process that prohibits any changes, but requires a two-thirds vote for approval. But it appeared unlikely to pass without the support of Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, who wants tougher criminal penalties, and House Democrats who oppose an outright ban on online gambling, House staffers said.
"There were a lot of people who had problems with it," said Judiciary Committee spokesman Jeff Lungren.
House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo said in a letter on Monday that he could not support the bill because he was worried about the impact it could have on American Indian gambling operations.
House staffers said they would try to work out their differences and bring the bill back for a vote, possibly as soon as Thursday.
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