Don't fold on Internet gambling ban

[Commentary] Powerful and wealthy political forces are pushing Congress to repeal the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. They even hope to slip a repeal measure quietly into a bill as Congress rushes to pass legislation this month. In addition, a few cash-strapped states are moving toward legalizing this highly addictive type of gambling within their borders.

Momentum to overturn the act picked up steam last year when major casinos, which once feared any competition from the Internet, jumped on board. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) also flip-flopped. Since then, a powerful lobby for legalization has grown larger, even hiring a former FBI director and a former Homeland Security chief. The monied interests behind legalization know that Internet gambling would come with many social problems – especially among teens, who could not easily be deterred from using such websites. Hearings in the House this fall revealed the extent of the potential problem and how Internet gambling would require extensive regulation. Simply stopping Internet gambling is the best course. And now the Justice Department is fully on board.