A bill introduced in the House of Representatives by Mike Rulli proposes to fund ICE using funds collected from gambling taxes.
The bill, named the “Giving Alien Migrants Back through Lawful Excise Redistribution (GAMBLER) Act,” seeks to establish a Border Enforcement Trust Fund within the U.S. Treasury, which would receive an estimated $300 million annually.
Rulli plans to use federal excise taxes to fund ICE. The federal wagering excise tax applies to legal bets at a rate of 0.25% of the wagered amount. It is estimated that the tax brings in over $1 billion annually.
Many states have also been increasing taxes on gambling recently, with Maryland, Louisiana, and Illinois all approving increases. Illinois’s move to tax every bet was met with strong opposition from sportsbooks, who claim the increase will drive users away. FanDuel announced it will pass the additional costs onto the customer by adding a $0.50 surcharge to every bet in the state.
State and local governments collected $15.66 billion in gaming taxes, an increase of 8.5% year-on-year. New York, with the highest rate in the country at 51%, collected over $1 billion alone.
Rulli wants to bring law and order
Commenting on the bill, Rulli, who represents Ohio, stated, “We’ve all witnessed the blatant disregard for law and order in Los Angeles — and frankly, enough is enough. Working-class Americans are paying the price while blue states and sanctuary cities harbor millions of illegal aliens who wave foreign flags in our streets, vandalize property and drain resources meant for our own citizens.”
Rulli added: “Our neighborhoods are being overrun, our laws ignored and our voices silenced by an out-of-touch elite that refuses to act. In any other country — or any other time in history — this would be called exactly what it is: an invasion. And the American people are done being ignored.”
Rulli, whose district includes all of Mahoning and Columbiana counties, said, “ICE needs every resource available to secure our laws,” and his bill would do so “without asking for one more penny from American families.”
Ohio has also proposed an increase in betting taxes, with lawmakers suggesting a tax on betting handle as well as revenue.
Protests against Rulli
Rulli has faced backlash over his policies and a group protested outside his grocery store business on Wednesday in Austintown. The protestors called for a boycott of the Rulli Bros. business, citing Rulli as serving only the elite and not the people of Ohio.
The group is quoted in local news as saying, “Rulli’s continued support for billionaire interests over the needs of everyday Ohioans. His actions do not reflect the will of the people. They reflect the agenda of the wealthy elite.”
Protestors also gathered outside Rulli’s district office in Canfield recently and turned up at a fundraiser he held. As well as objecting to his policies, there is also anger that he does not host town halls, which protestors argue shows he does not represent the interests of the people.
Given the intense protests against ICE in LA, which are spreading to other parts of the country, the proposal to increase funding for the group is likely to spark further anger against Rulli. He was elected to office in June last year in what is said to be a safe Republican district.
Adam is an experienced writer with years of experience in the gambling industry. He has worked as a content writer and editor for five years on sites such as Oddschecker, CoinTelegraph and Gambling Industry News, bringing excellent knowledge of the world of sports betting and online gambling. Adam focuses on emerging stories in the ever changing landscape of betting in the US. Read the latest on prediction markets, changing legislation, and sweepstakes.
