Bet on net study

Here’s a welcome story for those who like to gamble online–and those who just want to study it. From the LVRJ:

Two Nevada lawmakers, hoping to repeal a crackdown on Internet gambling, are working on legislation that would require the National Academy of Sciences to conduct an 18-month study of online wagering.

Reps. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and Jon Porter, R-Nev., will co-sponsor the legislation, which is expected to be unveiled within weeks.

The Nevadans also hope to gain a powerful ally in Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.

Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and a longtime critic of gambling restrictions, has called last year’s Internet gambling ban “preposterous” and one of the “stupidest” bills ever passed.

Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., attached the ban to a port security bill that passed in the waning days of last year’s congressional session.

Frank has said he is considering proposing a repeal of the ban, which aims to shut down 2,300 Internet gambling sites producing about $12 billion per year.

Berkley said she talked to Frank on Wednesday on the House floor about Internet gambling and they plan to meet again “in the very near future.”

reviewjournal.com — Business - Nevada lawmakers to push for Net betting study

Needless to say, I think this is a great idea, as we need to know more about Internet gambling.

I’d like to modestly add that the National Academy of Sciences needs to enlist the help of a historian who’s written a book on gambling prohibition and the Internet in the 18-month study.