The U.S. Senate subcommittee on consumer protection has scheduled a Wednesday hearing on what Nevada Republican Dean Heller described as the “patchwork of state laws and regulations for online gambling.”
He said the concern is whether those laws, now enacted in 20 states, may put consumers at risk and undermine law enforcement.
The Justice Department has opened he door for individual states to authorize online gambling for intrastate wagers. Nevada lawmakers passed this state’s internet gambling law as an emergency measure in the 2013 session.
“As a result, numerous states are actively pursuing the legalization of Internet gaming,” Heller said. “However, gambling is regulated at the state level, so the lack of uniform standards and protections may pose increased risks to consumers and obstacles to law enforcement.”
The hearing chaired by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., will begin at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.