Barney’s online gambling bill a lame duck

Last we heard things were going swimmingly for Barney Frank’s online gambling bill, HR2267.  The bill had passed House Financial Services Committee by a majority vote of 41-22 back in July, and Barney was talking up its prospects of having it getting onto the House of Reps floor for consideration before the end of the year.

This now looks very unlikely.

A busy House schedule and looming mid term elections (November 2) look like scuttling the proposed bill’s hopes of getting a look-in this year.  Barney Frank does not have any commitment from House officials and he told the The Hill earlier this week “I’m not optimistic” of the bill hitting the floor this year.

A Senate Democratic aide did say that there is a small chance it might move in the lame-duck session as an attachment to a jobs bill but this also appears a long shot.

So it looks like the industry is going to have to wait a little longer for the most watched piece of legislation to become law.