The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (H4411) which was re-introduced recently by Rep. James Leach is approved by the House Financial Services Committee says Reuters. The bill now moves on to the House floor for further debates.
H4411 aims "to prevent the use of certain payment instruments, credit cards, and fund transfers for unlawful Internet gambling, and for other purposes."
Another bill currently in the House is the Goodlatte bill (HR 4777). The Goodlatte bill seeks to amend the Wire Act with a clause that specifically prohibits all types of interstate or cross-border online gambling (including online poker) over a telephone line or using the Internet.
Currently the Federal Wire Act from 1961 only states it's illegal to engage in sportsbetting using a wire communication facility. This would exclude online poker and gambling over the Internet, one could argue.
The Goodlatte bill also aims to increase the maximum prison term for violating the act from two to five years.
The Goodlatte bill has been attached to an anti-lobbying bill recently. Similar attempts by Sen. Jon Kyl in the Senate to attach his Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (S.AMDT.2953) to an anti-lobbying bill have failed. Sen. Kyl now is trying to attach his bill to Sen. Trent Lott's Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act.