The Internet Gambling Study Act was proposed last May

In United States, a bill sponsored by Nevada Representative Shelly Berkeley that would commission a full and independent study into online gambling and its implications for American citizens has been shelved until at least next month.

House of Representatives Bill 2140, also known as the Internet Gambling Study Act, was set to be marked up last week before the House Judiciary Committee but it became one of a dozen pieces of legislation put on hold so that members could debate a resolution on Karl Rove.

The former Deputy White House Chief of Staff is alleged to have revealed that identity of a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent in retaliation for her husband’s criticism of the Bush Administration’s handling of the war in Iraq. Time constraints following the extensive discussions on whether Rove should be placed in contempt meant that other bills did not make the cut before Congress adjourned for its August recess.

“We knew the Bill was scheduled to come up but probably wouldn’t be voted on,” said John Pappas, Executive Director for the Poker Players Alliance. “It was a combination of other priorities of the House Judiciary Committee and that they weren’t 100 percent confident of the vote count.”

The Internet Gambling Study Act was proposed last May and has the support of the American Gaming Association along with many politicians as a practical way to understand the pros and cons of regulating and possibly taxing online gambling. It has, so far, received 73 co-sponsors in Congress, the most of any piece of Internet-related gambling legislation.