Sam Gibbons: “I rise today to state how deeply disappointed I am that the conference report for H.R. 4954, this vitally important bill…”

“I rise today to state how deeply disappointed I am that the conference report for H.R. 4954, this vitally important bill that is meant to secure our ports and protect our nation from terrorists, has been amended to include internet gaming language. Internet gaming has nothing whatsoever to do with port security. It is irresponsible to insert this non-germane language into a homeland security measure. This Congress should not overreact by restricting the growing industry of online gaming without giving serious review to the potentially negative impacts of such a rash decision. We know that current efforts by states and the federal government to regulate internet gaming have pushed online consumers to illegal, black market sites that have little to no regulation. Online gaming is a potential economic opportunity for the State of Nevada and the entire country. Current estimates of online gaming revenues range from $7 billion to $10 billion for 2004 alone, with U.S. bettors providing at least $4 billion or more of that amount. Many nations, including England, are in the process of legalizing, regulating, and taxing online gaming. I, along with my colleagues from Nevada, Congresswoman Berkley and Congressman Porter, have introduced a bill, H.R. 5474, that would establish a nine-member commission to undertake a complete study of the internet gaming issue.”