A bill that would outlaw most forms of Internet gambling looks unlikely to pass in the U.S. Senate before the month-long recess that begins August 4. The bill was not among the priorities laid out by
Senate Majority leader Bill Frist. "it's always a possibility, but right now it is not on the schedule," he says. Backers of the gambling legislation were trying to push the measure through swiftly
after the former chief executive of BETonSPORTS, David Carruthers, was arrested on charges of racketeering and conspiracy. The Senate bill--which is nearly identical to legislation that easily passed
through the House--makes it illegal for banks and credit-card companies to make payments to online gambling sites. There's not a lot of room left this year on Congress' vacation-filled schedule:
Lawmakers return from vacation in September for a few weeks, adjourn before the November elections, and then return in December. Democrats have criticized the bill as an election-year appeal to the
party's conservative majority.
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