UIGEA Gets Ugly: 1

It is no longer a secret that the United States outgoing administration is being accused of pushing through last minute regulations against online casinos. News has been hitting many media outlets which have been saying that the bush administration is abusing its power during its final days in office. One perfect example of how they have been abusing the power that they have, while they have it, is their undwindling support for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. The political publication, Politico, recently reported that there may be a light at the end of the tunnel for those who do not have the same views on the online casino industry as the current administration does,

The article in Politico makes a pretty interesting observation that refers to an Act that was instated back when Bill Clinton was President. The Congressional Review Act of 1996 (CRA) basically states that the incoming administration has the right to reverse any and all “midnight” rules that the outgoing administration may have tried to sneak into law before their term ended. Currently, the Democrats have control of the US Presidency as well as the House and the Senate. This may be the silver lining that online casino supporters have been waiting for. Online casinos are not the only thing that are on the agenda, things like the environment and the economy obviously would need to be looked at first before anything.

There is a possibility that the CRA may apply to the UIGEA online casino regulations that were recently rushed through the legal system. The CRA is in place to have the incoming President to look at anything that was finalized 60 days prior to his first day as President. The new administration would then have 60 days to review the ‘midnight’ rulings and reverse them if they see fit.