"BetBug.com Not Intimated by Kyle Anti-Gaming Bill"

The key piece of legislation being cited by the United States Government to justify its position regarding online gambling is the Wire Act of 1960. The Government has used this legislation to support its position that online gambling is illegal. This is also the law that is being used by government authorities to prosecute those in the online gambling industry. As a rule though, government officials have not pursued individual Internet gamblers. The target has been Internet casino owners and their operators. This all may change however, if the Senator from Arizona Mr. Kyle gets what he wants. Senator Kyle is behind a bill that targets Internet gamblers directly rather than overseas operators. If Kyle’s bill, The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2005 passes, it will bar the use of banking services for online gambling purposes.

The bill has little likelihood of passage however, since online gambling’s enormous popularity is a strong indication that there will not be a lot of support for the bill. The main source of opposition to online gambling and gambling in general is the religious right. In spite of the fact that the religious right is quite vocal and powerful for its size, there is little chance that they have sufficient influence to utterly do away with online gambling.

Still, it is for certain that those in the Internet gambling industry will rest easier when they know that the bill has fold to pass. Even BetBug.com, which is an Internet gambling company that may actually stand to benefit from Kyle’s bill, does not want to see it pass. This is because they know that it would be detrimental to the industry as a whole. According to co-founder and CEO of BetBug.com John O’Maylia, BetBug.com could benefit from Kyle’s bill because it is the only company that offers a betting platform that does not violate the Wire Act. Unlike other Internet gambling sites, BetBug.com’s platform allows bettors to make private wagers. It does not in any way act as the bookmaker. If appears then that Kyle’s bill were to pass, BetBug.com might be the only legal option available for those who want to gamble via the Internet. Nevertheless BetBuc.com supports its position that if it is bad for the industry as a whole, they are against passage of the bill.