Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Rep. Chris Cannon is again opposing a bill to ban Internet gambling, contending it could lead to legalize some online gambling in Utah.
"While I am an ardent opponent of gambling, one of the things I don't want to see is an opportunity for gambling because we pre-empt state law," the Utah Republican said. "I don't want Utah to get bombarded with gambling if it becomes legal."
Utah and Hawaii are the only states that outlaw all forms of gambling.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said opponents' claims that the bill would give special treatment expanding horse betting or any gambling enterprise, are absurd.
"I strongly disagree with anybody that says this legislation adds a carve-out for the horse racing industry," said Goodlatte, who was quoted by The Salt Lake Tribune. He said horse racing is already regulated by another federal law, and his bill would not change that.
Goodlatte said that during the five years that various versions of the legislation have been debated, the scope of Internet gambling has quadrupled. Today there are more than 2,300 gambling sites and $12 billion a year bet online, he said.
This year, the debate takes place as Congress deals with fallout from a scandal involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who lobbied for online gambling interests and Indian tribes.
Cannon's former chief of staff, David Safavian, who also lobbied for online gambling interests before joining Cannon's staff, has been charged with misleading investigators probing a trip to Scotland he took with Abramoff after he left Cannon's office and went to work at the General Services Administration.
Cannon has tried several times to amend the legislation to take out the horse-racing language.
Supporters of the legislation said Cannon's change would cost the bill the support it needs to pass.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
