When Barney Frank visited the Main Event at the World Series of Poker, he reiterated his view against UIGEA supporters. He assured everyone that he would move forward with the bill that suspends the UIGEA. He urged the poker players at the event to write to the Congressmen and Senators about repealing it. He made known how he was going to get it out of the law books during a press availability after the Main Event.

Frank commented, “By the way, it is odd that we say no gambling, because the country is in a terrible economic hole because of gambling. The difference is the law that passed by the Republicans stops individuals from gambling in the thousands with their own money. At the same time, they were allowing other institutions to gamble in the billions with other people’s money.”

Frank says that the new financial regulation should be done by September and that he will start working o the online gambling legislation in the fall.

Frank stated that, “I did not further push the bill (that passed in the House Financial Services committee) last year because it was clear President Bush would have vetoed it.”
“So it is my intention this fall to bring up in the committee bills that I’m sponsoring. I think they’re going to pass. I am really optimistic we’re going to get this repealed,” he added.

He continued, “It’s a wedge issue for the Republican party. It puts the Republicans in a bind between hardened conservatives and another strong group of theirs. If you look at people who say keep the government out of my business, say don’t interfere with my personal freedom, don’t over regulate business and let’s have freedom on the Internet, this bill is the worst example of a violation of all of those.”