Utah legislators are eager for the repeal of the UIGEA, and it's not for the reasons you might think. They want to see online casinos legalized and regulated too-though probably not for the same reasons you do. Utah, a state that does not want online gaming made available to their residents, is wary that eventual federal regulation of online gambling would take away their right to control it within their borders.

They see the handwriting on the wall ... lots of it, and lots of pressure from the European Union, the World Trade Organization, Internet anti-censorship activists, political and civil libertarians, and the even the US banking system-never mind online gaming advocates-to kill off UIGEA and to have the United States regulate online gaming at the federal level.

Utah is considering House Joint Resolution 1, which would ask the federal government to leave decisions about gambling to the states. For Utah, and any other state to regulate Internet gambling within their own borders, UIGEA would have to be eradicated. If this were to come about, each state could make its own decisions about online gaming, just as states did about liquor after Prohibition was repealed.

Because Utah permits no gambling at all, they would not be guilty of unfair trade practices, or guilty of discriminating against foreign firms offering online gaming services. Utah would be in compliance with our trade treaties, and would not be required to allow, permit, or license a service that is illegal in their state. Only states offering gambling would be forced to accept competition from the free market according to trade treaties agreed to under the framework of the World Trade Organization.