Barney Frank to Target Ban on Credit Cards

Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat who is to present a bill to challenge the UIGEA within the next two weeks, has stated that he may not be able to tackle the entire online gambling issue due to the jurisdiction of his committee.

According to sources at Reuters, Frank claimed yesterday, “My committee only has jurisdiction over credit cards. I can't do more than repeal the ban on the use of credit cards. We don't have jurisdiction generally over the Internet or other aspects of this.'

The announcement followed confirmation from Frank that a bill to challenge the ban on online gambling would be presented within the next two weeks, although he also stated that it needed time to garner support.

'I think a reconsideration among my colleagues is beginning but it's not far enough along yet. If the storm of public unhappiness is great enough then I will try to substantially revise that ban,' added Frank, according to the Reuters source.

That storm of public unhappiness will inevitably swell amongst US poker players, who have already lobbied for an exemption (for poker) from the ban, to which Frank replied, “I am not going to draw a distinction between poker and blackjack.'

Frank concluded that no major progress on the bill was imminent.