Frank Predicts Legal Online Gambling By Next Year

Barney Frank has voiced his optimism that online gambling will be legalized in the US by next year.

Visiting Las Vegas for the start of this year's World Series of Poker No limit Hold'em Main Event, Frank spoke before an audience of almost 2000 poker players and told them he was confident that his online gambling bill would be passed by next year.

It will repeal the UIGEA, and put a new licensing and regulatory regime in place allowing US and foreign based operators to offer their product to US players without fear of prosecution.

Frank said that he viewed Internet gambling as a right that must be protected. Poker legend Phil Helmuth chimed in by saying that the US Government's legal stance with regard to online gambling, even if unchanged will not slow the industry's growth.