The bill will make it illegal for US-based banks and credit card firms to make payments to online gambling sites. The gambling industry is concerned that earnings will suffer if the US government does clamp down on online gaming, with estimates suggesting the online gaming industry generates $12bn (£6.4bn) a year worldwide, of which around 50 per cent comes from US gamblers.
The bill wouldn’t block online gambling on horseracing, which is legal under a separate US statute governing the horseracing industry. The bill will now go before the US Senate. It is unclear whether the Senate will back the proposals ahead of elections in November.
