I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2140 
To provide for a study by the National Academy of Sciences to identify 
the proper response of the United States to the growth of Internet gambling. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 3, 2007 
Ms. BERKLEY (for herself, Mr. PORTER, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. 
CROWLEY, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. HELLER of Nevada, Mr. WALZ of Min-
nesota, Mr. COHEN, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, 
Mr. BERMAN, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. 
YARMUTH, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. PASCRELL, 
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. CLAY, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. 
LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Ms. LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of 
California, Mr. WEINER, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, 
Mr. WEXLER, Mr. MEEK of Florida, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. PETERSON 
of Minnesota, Mr. MELANCON, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. HILL, Mr. TAY-
LOR, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Ms. WATSON, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, 
Mr. CONYERS, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. COSTELLO, Ms. 
LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Ms. CORRINE 
BROWN of Florida, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. NADLER, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. 
HONDA, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. LANGEVIN, 
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. HINCHEY, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. GONZALEZ, 
Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. COSTA, and Mr. CLYBURN) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, 
and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services and Ways and 
Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for a study by the National Academy of Sciences 
to identify the proper response of the United States 
to the growth of Internet gambling. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act shall be known as the ‘‘Internet Gambling 
Study Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as follows: 
(1) Gambling is regulated primarily by State 
and tribal governments and Federal statutes gov-
erning the interstate placement of wagers are out-
dated. 
(2) Over the past decade, the number of Ameri-
cans gambling on the Internet has risen dramatically 
to several million, accounting for over half of a 
multibillion dollar worldwide market. 
(3) Many observers and industry analysts be-
lieve that it is impossible to stop the sale of most 
products or services over the Internet. 
(4) Congress recently approved the Unlawful 
Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which imposes 
civil and criminal penalties for the acceptance of any 
financial instrument by those engaged in the busi-
ness of unlawful Internet gambling. 
(5) Congress must focus on establishing safe-
guards against gambling by minors, compulsive gam-
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bling, fraud, money laundering, and other forms of 
abuse. 
(6) Although interpretations of a recent ruling 
of the World Trade Organization’s appellate body 
differ, legal experts agree that it calls into question 
whether certain of Federal and State gambling laws 
violate the commitments of the United States under 
the General Agreement on Trade and Services. 
(7) While only the United States and Antigua 
and Barbuda are parties to that dispute, the ruling 
could have ramifications for all interested parties, 
from the European Union to Australia. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to provide 
for a detailed examination by the National Research Coun-
cil of the National Academy of Sciences of the issues posed 
by the continued spread and growth of interstate com-
merce with respect to Internet gambling, as well as the 
impact of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement 
Act on Internet gambling in the United States. 
SEC. 3. COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF INTERNET GAMBLING. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The National Research 
Council of the National Academy of Sciences shall 
enter into a contract to conduct a comprehensive 
study of Internet gambling, including the existing 
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legal framework that governs such activities and 
transactions and the impact of the Unlawful Inter-
net Gambling Enforcement Act on Internet gam-
bling in the United States. 
(2) ISSUES
TO
BE
CONSIDERED.—The study 
conducted under paragraph (1) shall include— 
(A) a review of existing Federal, State, 
tribal, local, and international laws governing 
various forms of wagering over the Internet, the 
effectiveness of such laws, and the extent to 
which such provisions of law conform or do not 
conform with each other; 
(B) an assessment of the proliferation of 
Internet gambling, including an analysis of its 
availability and use within the United States; 
(C) a determination of the impact of Inter-
net gambling on minors and compulsive gam-
blers and the availability of regulatory and 
technological safeguards to prevent or mitigate 
these impacts; 
(D) a determination of the extent to which 
terrorists and criminal enterprises are utilizing 
Internet gambling for fraud and money laun-
dering purposes and the availability of regu-
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latory and technological safeguards to prevent 
or mitigate these impacts; 
(E) an assessment of the impact of the 
Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act 
on the availability and use within the United 
States of Internet gambling, and on the adverse 
effects of Internet gambling identified in sub-
paragraphs (C) and (D); 
(F) an assessment of recent technological 
innovations and the practices of other nations 
and international bodies that license and regu-
late Internet gambling, and the practicality of 
using similar systems to establish a legal frame-
work in the United States; 
(G) an analysis of the issues of federalism 
that are presented by legislative and adminis-
trative proposals designed to address the pro-
liferation of illegal Internet gambling, given the 
interstate and international character of the 
Internet as a medium, and the potential for 
State and tribal governments to create a legal 
and regulatory framework for online gambling 
within their jurisdictions or among those juris-
dictions where online gambling is legal; 
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