Net Gambling Bill Moves Through Senate

A bill that would ban Internet gambling may be voted on in the U.S. Senate before the August recess, however it faces tough opposition and charges that it is an election year pander to the Republican base. Aides for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Thursday that lawmakers were working on the bill attempting to assure its passage, and had not given up on trying to get the bill through before lawmakers break during the month of August.

The House of Representatives approved a similar bill earlier this month, which supporters say is a reaction to recent court actions against those who run these sites. David Carruthers, CEO of BETonSPORTS, was recently arrested and thrown in jail amid charges of racketeering and conspiracy. Supporters say the bill is needed to add online gambling to a 1961 law that forbids sports betting.