National Football League drops oppostion to Barney Frank's HR 2267 bill

After several years lobbing against the legalization and regulation of online gambling activities in the U.S, the National Football League (NFL) has soften its position and announced that it will not oppose Congressman Barney Frank's proposal to license online poker operators in the U.S territory.

The HR 2267 bill, known as The Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act, was voted and passed two weeks ago by a 41-22 vote in a session held at the House Financial Services Committee. The bill would bring down the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) legislation approved in 2006, which bans online gambling activities in the country and forces banks, credit card processors and financial corporations to block "illegal gaming" transactions.

According to several poker news sites, the NFL cited a series of amendments made to HR 2267 as the main reason to revert its position. The amendment introduced by co-sponsor Peter King (R-NY) during the recent House Financial Services Committee mark-up session, prevents sports betting activities, with the exception of pari-mutuel horse racing, from becoming legalized in the U.S. In addition, companies applying for a federal license will have to fulfill a series of requirements and regulations, including safety measures to identify and prevent identity theft, compulsive gambling and underage gambling.