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A
bill introduced by Rep. Barney Frank, Massachusetts
Democrat, and John Campbell, California Republican,
in March would legalize and regulate Internet gambling,
yet it does not apply to state and tribal lotteries.
Attorney
General Eric H. Holder Jr. has said publicly that
he would not support efforts to legalize online gambling,
a position taken by many state attorneys general.
Any
effort to implement online gambling would have to
comply with the federal Johnson Act, which generally
prohibits the manufacture, possession, use, sale or
transportation of any gambling device in the District
of Columbia.
While
serving as D.C. attorney general, Peter J. Nickles
argued that the District's gambling law would need
to clear multiple federal legal hurdles before online
gambling could start. The current attorney general,
Irvin B. Nathan, has declined to comment on whether
he has undertaken a legal review.
Despite
questions over its legality and the uncertainty over
how or whether members of Congress may intervene,
the rules published on Friday appeared to signal the
first movement on actual games in the District.
"That's
exactly what it is," Mr. Brown, at-large independent,
said Monday.
The
demo games are expected to go live in four to six
weeks ahead of pay games this fall, Mr. Brown said.
They will be free, employing a point system in lieu
of wagers, and designed to let players get accustomed
to the games while officials iron out any bugs in
the system.
"It's
important to make sure the technology is correct,"
Mr. Brown said. Security systems, for instance, must
ensure "that people can't hack in from outside
D.C."
.
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