On-line gaming bill passes

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 317-93 Tuesday in favor of legislation that would prevent gamblers from using credit cards to bet online, but contains exceptions for horse racing and state-run lotteries. The bill—which now goes to the Senate--would also allow authorities to work with Internet providers to block access to gambling websites.

A proposed amendment to the bill, which would have not excluded horse racing, was not passed. Reportedly, Republican Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, one of two co-sponsors of the bill, called it “a poison pill amendment.”

Horse racing would be exempt in that betting operators would not be prohibited from any activity allowed under the Interstate Horseracing Act, which was written in the 1970s.

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