RAWA Hearing Rescheduled to March 26

The congressional subcommittee hearing on the Restoration of America's Wire Act (RAWA) that was set for March 5 and subsequently postponed due to a winter storm has been rescheduled for Thursday, March 26.

The House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security will listen to expert testimony from four invitees, three of whom will be speaking against online gambling and only one from the pro side. Though the deck appears to be stacked against proponents of igaming at the hearing, there remains plenty of opposition to the Sheldon Adelson-fueled RAWA proposal.

One of bill's sponsors, Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz, recently incensed lottery officials from almost two dozen states during a conference call pertaining to the bill. The anti-online gambling lawmaker reportedly snapped at his detractors during the call, suggesting that they propose a bill of their own if RAWA is not to their liking.

As it's currently framed, RAWA would make online state lotteries illegal. You can pretty much bet the farm that RAWA will never find approval among lawmakers with such language included in the bill.

Also surprising many during the past week was RAWA's Senate sponsor, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who admitted to never sending an email in his entire life. One can certainly surmise that Graham is out of touch with technology and the Internet as a result of his lack of familiarity with emails and such, yet is proposing Internet-related legislation that could shape society for years to come.

For those who may be enthralled by eerie coincidences, March 26 was the date in 2014 that Graham and Chaffetz first proposed RAWA. The hearing will now go forward on the 1-year anniversary of its introduction.

The list of groups and organizations that have spoken out against RAWA is a long one and includes the National Conference of State Legislatures, Democratic Governors Association, and the Americans for Tax Reform. They are up against Adelson and his clout among Rebublican lawmakers, made possible by the billionaire's excessive donations to members of the GOP.