The United States Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance held a hearing last week on consumer protections with regards to Internet gambling. Several members of the committee felt the need to address the issue, as two bills were recently introduced to Congress to legalize online games, and states like Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware already did so. Despite the detailed regulations that the states have passed and that the federal bills propose, many Senators expressed concerns about criminal activities and citizen dangers that linger in the world of Internet gaming.

Senator Dean Heller was one who specifically pointed out that poker is a game of skill, as opposed to other games. Witnesses pointed out the need for new laws to address any type of Internet gambling, as the Wire Act no longer applies to online gaming. While the president of the Catholic Advocate testified that no expansion of the industry should be allowed at all, others focused on the potential problems, but most seemed to agree that a comprehensive federal law would be the best way to ease their fears.