It may be a good thing that action on Barney Frank’s bills HR 2266 and HR 2267 has been postponed until the fall.  Initially the House was supposed to debate the bill this summer.  The added time may give the Democrats to continue to get their ducks in a row.

One of the bills, HR 2266, is aimed at postponing the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.  The first great attack on the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act took place this week in the 3^rd US Circuit Court of Appeals.  It does not appear that the attempt will be successful on the part of iMEGA, the other great champion of online casinos other than Frank himself.

Congressman should be able to reflect on this trial and see what argument worked and what arguments do not hold water.  The trial should act as a great study for what is sure to be a hotly debated subject on the floor of the House.

Frank has a really great chance of passing his bills this time around.  The Congress is now overwhelmingly Democrat.  Even his major opponents like Representative Spencer Bachus has recognizes that it will be a steep uphill battle stopping the Democrats from regulating and legalizing online casinos.

There reason for the delay of action on the bills is the current financial crisis plaguing the United States economy.  The House Financial Services Committee simply had more pressing matters that needed to be discussed than online casinos.  Frank not only believes that the bills will be discussed this coming September but he told attendees at the World Series of Poker that he was confident that online casinos would be legalized by the end of the year.