House panel OKs Net gambling bill

A House of Representatives committee has approved a second version of an anti-Internet gambling bill, clearing the way for a floor debate and vote in the near future. On May 6, the Judiciary committee voted for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act, and the Financial Services committee followed suit on Tuesday.

Because the two versions differ and each has strong supporters, it's likely that any floor debate would include hotly contested amendments. The Financial Services version does not include criminal penalties, does not immunize Internet service providers against liability, and relies exclusively on federal, not state, regulators for enforcement.