a) Election time grandstanding on morality
b) Protecting people from evil online casinos
c) Protecting the lotteries from competition
d) Eliminating something where the government doesn't get its cut
Hint, it's not b.
Protecting Indian casinos from competition. The organized crime finance and run operations, are always good for a few million bucks for the "critters".
You left one out:
Protecting Indian casinos. Lots of payback by Congressmen here.
ROTF!
The legislation is already obsolete, as both the casinos and gamblers will find loopholes big enough for a tractor-trailer to go through. But that doesn't stop the busybodies from beating their chests and proclaiming victory.
I consider myself and my friends to be about as right-wing as they come and I have NEVER EVER heard a single complaint about gambling as an issue that anyone cares about. Our focus areas are primarily abortion, gay-marriage and pornography.
Who are these anti-gambling crusaders?
I suspect the actual number of anti-gambling crusaders are VERY few in number, and that this is really all about c) and d)