AGA considering support for online gambling study

Next month, the American Gaming Association (AGA) will decide whether to lobby the newly elected Congress for an independent study of U.S. online gambling policy.

Though the AGA has opposed online gambling in the past, president Frank Fahrenkopf said it may be time to consider ways of regulating and taxing Internet gaming.

In an interview with Reuters news service, Fahrenkopf said the goal of last month's Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act - a bill that disallowed banks from processing financial transactions from U.S. customers on gambling Web sites - was to protect American citizens. Instead, he said, the act caused many legitimate operators to pull out of the U.S. leaving behind less responsible companies.

If it were to call for the study, the AGA would support an independent report to ensure results are free from the influence of lobbyists, Fahrenkopf said.

The AGA's board of directors - which includes CEOs of some the biggest casinos in Las Vegas - is expected to make a decision on the matter December 6.