On Monday morning, the front pages of MSN.com and Google News were littered with stories about online poker proponent Barney Frank (D-MA, pictured) retiring from Congress. Frank will reportedly not seek reelection in 2012, which, according to the Wall Street Journal, “reverses a decision announced earlier in the year, when Frank said he would seek reelection for a 17th term in Congress.”

Frank has introduced multiple bills calling for the legalization and regulation of internet gambling in the United States, although none have passed into law. His latest venture is HR 1174, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, which was introduced in March and has attracted 29 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle. He’s arguably online poker’s most vocal supporter.

Ten days ago, Frank was a witness in a hearing in the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade that discussed legalizing internet gambling.

The lawmaker has largely approached the issue from ideological and financial perspectives, arguing in part two weeks ago, “This is allowing adult Americans to spend their own money as they wish on a form of recreation that they enjoy. I cannot understand why it’s the role of the Federal Government to prohibit them from doing so… It violates a principle of hands-off the internet. We’re putting special restrictions of what’s done on the internet… The great mass of human activity is not the government’s business.”

When asked whether the Federal Government should regulate online poker or all forms of internet gaming, Frank responded, “I don’t think we should ban poker or anything else that’s voluntary and doesn’t hurt anyone else… Adults should be allowed to do on the internet what they prefer to do. There’s a narrow issue on poker and I’m for as much freedom for people as long as they’re not harming others.”

Multiple mainstream news outlets have reported that Frank will announce his retirement and field questions at a press conference at 1:00pm ET in Newton, Massachusetts. He’s been a member of Congress since 1980 and appeared on several editions of the PocketFives Podcast talking about his desire to legalize and regulate online gambling in the United States.

Despite the loss of Frank starting in 2013, the online poker industry still has several major proponents on Capitol Hill. For example, co-sponsoring HR 1174 with Frank is Congressman John Campbell (R-CA, pictured), who noted in the same House Subcommittee hearing, “Millions and millions of Americans enjoy gambling, they want to do it, and they’re doing it. In 2006, we passed the UIGEA and we tried to ban internet gambling. Since that bill was passed, the availability of internet poker has exploded. The actual amount of internet gambling has exploded… By banning it, we have expanded what’s going on.”

Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX, pictured) could also carry the flag for online poker in Frank’s absence. Barton has introduced HR 2366, the Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection, and Strengthening UIGEA Act, which legalizes online poker in the U.S. through a series of state licensing agencies. Barton’s bill has now been touched upon twice in the aforementioned subcommittee and could soon be marked up.

On why Frank will walk away from Congress, CNN speculated, “The reasons for Frank’s largely unexpected decision to retire from Congress were not immediately clear, though some analysts speculated they may be tied to changed boundaries for his 4th Congressional District after Massachusetts’ recent redistricting process.” Frank won his last election in 2010 over Republican challenger Sean Bielat by 11 percentage points.

The Boston Herald gave a little more insight into the redistricting Frank could face in 2012 if he were to run. According to the Massachusetts news outlet, the Commonwealth will be losing one seat in Congress, leading to Frank’s district being redrawn such that the “Democratic stronghold” of New Bedford no longer is included. Bielat told the Herald, “I think the realities of this district are a lot less favorable now and he had a tough time last time.”

Frank is the Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, where he served as the Chairman until Republicans took control of the House last year.

PocketFives has reached out to the Poker Players Alliance for reaction to Frank’s retirement, but our calls were not returned at press time. We’ll keep you posted on the latest.