Internet Gambling Bill Delayed In Senate

Two Republican aides have forecasted that the Internet gambling bill is unlikely to win US Senate passage before senators begin a month-long recess on August 4.

The bill was not among the priorities outlined by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, during a session with reporters on Tuesday in which he laid out measures he hopes will be in place before the August vacation.

Backers of the legislation had hoped to swiftly push it through the Senate this month after the arrest of David Carruthers, the former chief executive of UK-listed BetonSports, on charges of racketeering and conspiracy.

However with other priorities on the schedule, aides believe the bill will face delay. ‘I don’t expect it (Senate passage of the Internet gambling bill) to happen in the next two weeks,’ one Republican aide said, whilst another commented, “It’s always a possibility, but right now it is not on the schedule.”

However there are other reports emerging that some Republican senators have broken ranks and placed “holds” on it.

“The House-passed bill is not going to pass the Senate,” said one source, adding that changes must be made to win sufficient support.