Indian Gaming > Abramoff blamed for killing Internet gaming ban

February 15, 2006

Abramoff blamed for killing Internet gaming ban

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia) plans to re-introduce the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act to ban online gaming, blaming Jack Abramoff for the bill's death in 2000.

Goodlatte said Abramoff engaged in a "campaign of misinformation" to block the bill. But with the disgraced lobbyist out of the way, the congressman hopes the measure will pass this time around.

According to news reports, Abramoff's lobbying effort occurred on behalf of two of his clients -- the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and eLottery, a non-Indian gaming company. As part of the campaign, Abramoff hired Republican activist Ralph Reed as a subcontractor to fight the bill. Reed denies knowing that he was paid with gaming funds.

When informed of the connection, Goodlatte was surprised. He said that Reed, the former head of the Christian Coalition, had supported his bill. "We were not aware that Reed was working against our bill," a spokesperson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last October.

Get the Story:
After Abramoff, Internet Gambling Ban Returns (Roll Call 2/15)
Online gaming shares plummet as US lawmakers threaten clampdown (The Independent 2/15)