VOA慢速英语20061006a

ECONOMICS REPORT - Congress Acts to Limit Internet Gambling¹ by AmericansBy Mario Ritter

Broadcast: Friday, October 06, 2006

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

Congress has voted to ban most financial exchanges that involve gambling on the Internet by people in the United States. The measure threatens to cut the business of several foreign companies.


A game of paigow poker² for Asian customers at a casino in Connecticut

Almost every American state has lottery³ games. Casinos, often operated by Native American tribes, are also common. And a number of states permit other forms of gambling, such as placing money on horse races.

Some forms of electronic gambling based in established centers, like a casino, are legal under federal, state or local laws. But gambling for money on the Internet is in most cases illegal in the United States.

The new legislation led to a big drop in the value of shares in PartyGaming and some other Internet gambling companies. PartyGaming of Britain is the largest online gambling company based on stock value. Almost eighty percent of the money it earns comes from the United States.

Congress passed the act as part of an unrelated bill on port security. President Bush is expected to sign the bill soon.

The Internet gambling act would ban the processing of electronic payments from the United States for online gambling purposes. It would affect credit card companies, banks and other businesses.

Researchers at Christiansen Capital Advisors⁴ estimate that Internet gambling worldwide reached twelve thousand million dollars last year. They estimate that almost twenty-three million people gambled online, including about eight million in the United States.

Internet gambling is a fast-growing industry. The American Gaming Association says the number of gambling Web sites is estimated at well over two thousand. These offer sports betting, casino games and other activities.

Representative Jim Leach⁵ of Iowa proposed the new legislation. He says many American families have been affected⁶ by large losses from Internet gambling. He says it is also a national security concern because it can be used to finance criminal and terrorist activities.

Some countries, however, see the act as a way to keep foreign companies out of the American gambling market. In two thousand three, the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda brought a dispute to the World Trade Organization. Antigua said American restrictions⁷ on Internet gambling went against W.T.O. rules on free trade. At first the W.T.O. took the side of Antigua, but the issue has not yet reached a final settlement.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.

1 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

2 poker   

n.扑克；vt.烙制

参考例句：

• He was cleared out in the poker game.他打扑克牌，把钱都输光了。
• I'm old enough to play poker and do something with it.我打扑克是老手了，可以玩些花样。

3 lottery   

n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事

参考例句：

• He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
• They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。

4 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

5 leach   

v.分离，过滤掉；n.过滤；过滤器

参考例句：

• Liquid water can leach soluble materials from the interface.液态水能够从界面溶解出可溶性物质。
• They believe that the humic materials are leached from decaying plant materials.他们认为腐植物料是从腐烂的植物体浸沥而来。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制