Pro Online Gambling Barney Frank Announces Retirement

This week supporters of legalised online gambling the United States received some bad news, with an announcement that Congressman and renowned proponent of regulated online gambling, US Rep. Barney Frank, will retire at the end of 2012.

Frank, a friend and the official political face of the cause to legalise and regulate online gambling in the United States, announced this week that he will not be seeking re-election at the end of next year, when his term in the US House of Representatives is scheduled to come to an end.

The seasoned 71-year-old politician told a leading daily New York paper that one of the reasons for his decision was that he had grown weary of the regular and often 'heated partisan battles' of modern politics, that were not around when he entered office way back in 1981. Another was the often tedious and tiresome campaigning.

Said Frank, 'By the end of next year, I will have been doing this for 45 years with one six-month sabbatical. It's been a privilege to fight for the quality of [other] people's lives, but I'm ready to put a little more quality into my own life.'

Although throughout his long and illustrious career Frank has taken on many notable political causes, the one he'll no doubt be remembered for the most in the latter stages of his career, is his well-documented support for the legalisation and regulation of online gambling in the United States.

Frank Aimed to Decriminalise Online Gambling in US

Just a few short years ago, when 'online gambling' were particularly dirty words on Capital Hill, Frank was there waving his banner high to have the popular internet activity decriminalised on a federal level, which between then and now has and continues to be an uphill battle, as most US politicians still perceive online gambling as a problematic pastime.

Over the years, Frank attempted to introduce many bills designed to legalise online gambling in the US, but none of them ever made it through. That said, he still has just over a year left in politics, so perhaps between now and the end of next year, he can convince his colleagues in Washington DC that a legalised and regulated online gambling in the US is the right way to go - for all.