31 U.S.C. § 5361 — Congressional findings and purpose

(a) Findings.— Congress finds the following: (1) Internet^* gambling is primarily funded through personal use of payment system instruments, credit^* cards, and wire transfers. (2) The National Gambling Impact Study Commission in 1999 recommended the passage of legislation to prohibit wire transfers to Internet gambling sites or the banks which represent such sites. (3) Internet gambling is a growing cause of debt collection problems for insured depository institutions and the consumer credit industry. (4) New mechanisms for enforcing gambling laws on the Internet are necessary because traditional law enforcement mechanisms are often inadequate for enforcing gambling prohibitions or regulations on the Internet, especially where such gambling crosses State^* or national borders. (b) Rule of Construction.— No provision of this subchapter must be construed as altering, limiting, or extending any Federal or State law or Tribal-State compact prohibiting, permitting, or regulating gambling within the United States.