Bono Mack says DOJ memo has muddied waters for online gambling

The Department of Justice's recent reversal on the Wire Act and interstate betting has created considerable uncertainty for the legal future of online gambling, according to House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Manufacturing Chairwoman Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.).

The Department of Justice released a ruling last month clarifying that the Wire Act’s ban on interstate transactions related to gambling applies only to sports betting, opening the door for states to offer online gaming to their citizens.

Bono Mack's subcommittee held several hearings on legalizing online gaming last year and has been considering a bill from Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) that would legalize and regulate online poker at the federal level.

On Tuesday she told reporters the most likely next step is a hearing featuring the DOJ and other law enforcement officials during a preview of the subpanel's 2012 agenda.

The subcommittee's top priority for 2012 remains data breach legislation, the final details of which are still being hammered out. Bono Mack also plans to hold three more hearings on privacy legislation and could hold a hearing on the use of helmets and Human Growth Hormone by professional athletes.

Bono Mack's SAFE DATA Act is still awaiting a markup by the full committee while she works to address concerns from fellow GOP lawmakers. An aide said she is also working to gain the support of Democrats like Rep. Henry Waxman (Calif.) but having some difficulty addressing their concerns.

The first of three privacy hearings before this fall's election will focus on emerging technology, facial recognition and geolocational tracking; Bono Mack said she was pleased by the Supreme Court's decision Monday that using a Global Positioning System device to track citizens requires a warrant.

The second hearing will focus on the upcoming privacy report from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, expected to be released in the coming days. A final hearing will wrap up the findings of the previous sessions, at which point Bono Mack will decide if privacy legislation is needed.

Bono Mack also said she's eager to ensure the country is doing everything it can to promote tourism, which she said could drive job creation and is crucial to her home district.

Bono Mack is also personally invested in the fight to cut back on drugged, drunken and distracted driving, and hopes to hold a hearing on the topic featuring Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. She said teenage abuse of prescription drugs is an epidemic that deserves more scrutiny on Capitol Hill.

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