For several years, Congress has been trying to get a grip on the Internet, trying — without success — to keep this valuable fount of information from becoming a sewer. The Senate’s recent vote to shut down the billion-dollar on-line gambling industry suggests lawmakers at last have found the place to grab on is at the retail level.

Interactive, pay-to-play casino games are the latest digital plague, joining pornography and hate sites as reasons parents increasingly become uneasy when the kids log on. Internet gambling is utterly unregulated, accessible by minors, often fraudulent and evades state and federal laws.

The Senate’s ban, passed through an amendment to a spending bill for the Commerce, Justice and State departments, contains a couple of provisions that are just for show. Since Internet gambling mostly takes place in the home, a small fine and a few months in jail for individual gamblers will be imposed only upon those stupid enough to turn themselves in. A stiffer fine and longer term for gambling Web site operators will be largely ineffective, as most originate overseas.

The provision that could make a difference is the one requiring Internet service providers (the folks with the local phone number you write a check to each month for access) to pull the plug on illegal gambling sites. Those who don’t could be slapped with a court order shutting down their business until they comply.

After several failed attempts to control illegal material on the Internet, including child pornography, pornography made available to children and hate sites that incite violence, the Senate appears finally to have figured it out — place responsibility upon those who profit. The technical challenge of blocking illegal material that could originate anywhere in the world may not be easy, but if anyone can do it, it just might be those who collect $20 to $30 a month per subscriber.

This provision also suggests that a growing number of lawmakers are beginning to see through the tiresome argument of technophiles that the Internet is so new, so special, that it must not be hampered by any restrictions. There’s a lot of worthwhile information available on the Internet, but the more worthwhile it is, the more likely it would be available without the Internet, just not as quickly or conveniently. Speed and convenience are wonderful things, but they do not give anyone license to sell porn to kids, to preach violence or to open a casino.