WASHINGTON - Congress may deliver a blow to gamblers who prefer going online to going to Las Vegas.
The House is debating a bill that would clarify existing law by spelling out that Internet gambling is illegal. The legislation would forbid credit cards and other forms of payment from being used to settle online wagers and would allow authorities to work with Internet providers to block access to gambling Web sites.
Critics say policing the Internet is impossible and that it would be better to regulate the $12 billion industry and collect taxes on it.
The American Gaming Association, the industry's largest lobby, has opposed online gambling in the past but recently backed a study of the feasibility of regulating it.
The Internet gambling industry is headquartered almost entirely outside the United States, though about half its customers live in the U.S.
The House is scheduled to vote Tuesday on the bill sponsored by Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Jim Leach, R-Iowa. Some of the debate is expected to focus on whether the bill truly amounts to a ban.
Critics point to exemptions that they say would allow online lotteries and Internet betting on horse racing to flourish while cracking down on other kinds of sports betting, casino games and card games like poker.
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