Letter from DGA Chairs Governor Steve Bullock (MT)

D E M O CR AT I C G O V E R N O R S AS S O C I AT I O N
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W W W . D E M O CR AT I CG O V E R NO R S . O R G
March 17, 2015
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Harry Reid
Minority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Vice Chair
The Honorable John Boehner
Speaker of the House
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Dear Senators McConnell and Reid, Speaker Boehner and Leader Pelosi,
Gov. Steve Bullock
Montana
Chair
Gov. Dan Malloy
Connecticut
Chair-Elect
Gov. Maggie Hassan
New Hampshire
Gov. Alejandro Garcia-Padilia
Puerto Rico
Gov. Jay Inslee
Washington
Finance Chair
Gov. Jack Markell
Delaware
Gov. Peter Shumlin
Vermont
Elisabeth Pearson
Executive Director
Peter O’Keefe
Treasurer
On behalf of the Democratic Governors Association, we are writing to express our
opposition to the “Restoration of America’s Wire Act 2015,” as introduced by
Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT).
We believe strongly that the issue of Internet gaming, as has historically been the case
with other forms of gaming, is best left to the states to decide and regulate. This
approach is consistent with the congressional intent related to online gaming as stated
in the “Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006,” decades after the Wire
Act was enacted.
State legislators, working in tandem with governors and executive branch agencies, are
best positioned to decide if and how online gaming works in their communities.
Furthermore, a well-regulated online gaming industry could provide a significant
revenue source for state governments while allowing our law enforcement agencies to
better deter and prosecute dangerous criminal activity – including fraud, money
laundering and terrorist financing.
As you consider the issue of Internet gaming, we hope you give strong consideration to
the importance of preserving these state rights and the opportunity that embracing a
state-by-state regulatory approach could provide.
Sincerely,
Governor Steve Bullock
Chair, DGA
State of Montana
Governor Maggie Wood Hassan
Vice Chair, DGA
State of New Hampshire
Paid for by the Democratic Governors Association.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.