iMEGA Submits Objections to Treasury Department

This past Wednesday was the last day comments could be submitted to the United States Department of Treasury on the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Comments could be made about the proposed regulations that are being set up for the UIGEA and iMEGA got their comments in just in time.

iMEGA, The Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association, has a current lawsuit against the UIGEA. They have objections to the law and submitted their thoughts accordingly. iMEGA has made it their goal to protect Americans' civil liberties in the online market. They feel the views and beliefs of the UIGEA take away from said liberties.

President of iMEGA, Edward Leyden, made the point that the new system will not keep problem gamblers and children safer and with that it will also hinder citizen's online civil liberties. "While UIGEA is intended to protect minors and problem gamblers, the law ironically makes these groups more vulnerable by targeting US banks and credit card companies, whose identity verification, fraud prevention and credit profiling systems protect online consumers every day. The new law, attached in the waning minutes of the 109th Congress to the unrelated SAFE Ports Act with very little input from Members of Congress, is a misguided and potential harmful attempt to regulate Internet content," said the organization in a release. These proposed regulations will limit Americans' freedom to use the Internet as they see fit in the privacy of their own homes.

Here are a few key points the organization believes that the UIGEA and its proposed regulations will do:

-Establish a dangerous precedent for denying Americans' First Amendment rights -hinder online innovation and commerce
-Inadequately protect children by eliminating the established safeguards offered by banks and credit card companies
- affect the privacy rights of Internet users.

The comments made to the Treasury Department by iMEGA stated that the UIGEA does not exactly define what an "unlawful gambling transaction" is. Also the fact that the financial institution would have to determine which transaction is legal or not. "The Internet is indispensable to our economy and our freedom," said Leyden. "We implore the Congress to join in a bipartisan effort to preserve Americans 'Digital Civil Rights' and to enact legislation that will guaranty these rights and prevent future abuse."