Casino Magnate Finds Legislators to Support His War on Online Gambling

Death to the competition! For the children, of course.

Credit: JohnSeb / Foter / CC BY

As casino magnate Sheldon Adelson promised last fall, efforts to restore a federal ban on Internet gambling (and eliminate his competition) are pushing forward. Rep. Jason Chavetz of Utah and Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, both Republicans, are introducing legislation to make Internet gambling illegal. From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

A draft that has been circulating on Capitol Hill declares the legislation would "restore longstanding United States policy that the Wire Act prohibits all forms of Internet gambling." Its goals are consistent with the highly publicized campaign by billionaire casino owner Sheldon Adelson to outlaw Web gaming.

In recent years, Congress has been unable to sustain momentum for any piece of gambling legislation, pro or con.

But lobbyists say a wild card this time is Adelson, the megadonor to Republicans and their causes who believes online gambling is unsafe and bad for society and who has vowed to spend "whatever it takes" to stop its spread.

Online gambling is unsafe and bad for society, but the legislation apparently excludes betting on horse races, so if anybody thought the legislation wasn't cynical nonsense, there you go. Matt K. Lewis at The Daily Caller speculates that exemption is there as a way to get Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on board.

Adelson's competitors in the casino business, many of whom are fine with the growth in online gambling, have started their own activist group to oppose Adelson's:

GM Resorts and the American Gaming Association have launched a competing group, the Coalition for Consumer and Online Protection, with former Republican Reps. Mary Bono, R-Calif., and Michael Oxley, R-Ohio, as spokespersons. It advocates legalized online gaming, regulated to protect gamblers.

"Banning all online gaming nationwide, as this bill effectively does, would put American consumers at serious risk," Bono said in a statement Wednesday. "It is impossible to stand in the way of the Internet; instead, we should embrace and shape these new technologies in a way that is safe for consumers."

Lots more on America's absurd attempts to block online gambling (even though a majority of the public supports allowing at least online poker) here.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Its goals are consistent with the highly publicized campaign by billionaire casino owner Sheldon Adelson to outlaw Web gaming.

One would almost think the transparently cronyist purpose would queer the legislative effort.

[DEATFBIRSECIA]

"One would almost think the transparently cronyist purpose would queer the legislative effort."

Or at least sissify it!

[Old Man With Candy]

Feature, not bug.

[DEATFBIRSECIA]

OT: It looks like we're getting like one 24/7 blurb per day. What's up with that?

[SIV]

Phasing out a failed click farm business model.

[Stormy Dragon]

Online gambling is unsafe and bad for society

[citation needed]

[Will Nonya]

"Online gambling is unsafe and bad for society" unlike real life casinos which offer artificial sunlight, cheap buffets and plenty of free drinks.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Yeah, who the fuck would want to piss away money without even having the opportunity to ogle the busty cocktail waitress who is feeding you Jack and Cokes?

[Agammamon]

Yer doing your online gambling wrong. In the next 8 open tabs are funny videos of squirrel catapults, Reason Magazine, and 7-8 different types of porn (for some people there's overlap with the squirrel thing).

[Andrew S.]

But lobbyists say a wild card this time is Adelson, the megadonor to Republicans and their causes who believes online gambling is unsafe and bad for society and who has vowed to spend "whatever it takes" to stop its spread.

For the record, nobody actually believes that's why he's on this crusade, right?

[Will Nonya]

I don't know which is worse, having something banned to promote cronyism or allowing it as long as its "regulated and protected".

[Riven]

Por que no los dos?

[Francisco d'Anconia]

As if I needed another reason to hate that little statist elf Lindsay Graham?

[Big Chief]

It's like he and Feinstein are having a contest for worst Senator. Hard to pick a winner, but the loser is all of us.

[Sevo]

'Casino Magnate *Pays* Legislators to Support His War on Online Gambling'

I'm betting that's more accurate.

[MonikaHanzen]

It was a great relief when he fail to set foot in Europe. He was closed to have a deal for a casino resort in Spain but the government refuse as he asks changes in the Spanish work regulation to close the deal.

[Agammamon]

. . . the legislation apparently excludes betting on horse races, so if anybody thought the legislation wasn't cynical nonsense, there you go.

But its *ponies*! Everyone knows that ponies are wholesome so this is completely justified.

Now *dog racing*, that's just for losers.

[Homple]

Not a wholesome trottin' race, mind ya, no,

But a race where they Sit Right Down On The Horse!

[BakedPenguin]

I loved my SportingBet account, until the shits in DC started throwing Internet sports gambling website CEOs in prison. Shits.

Somehow I managed not to piss away all my money, but rather, have fun betting on the outcomes of sports.

"Wow. It's like, it's like, gambling brings a lot of people just a little bit of joy and, and you get to take that away from them. You are so awesome."

[SIV]

Somehow I managed not to piss away all my money, but rather, have fun betting on the outcomes of sports.

Degenerate

[PH2050]

Hurr durr, this is why we needz moar regulashunz!!!1

Damn, disappointed that Chavetz would support such blatant crony bullshit.

[RishJoMo]

Sometimes man you jsut have to roll with it, thats all man.

http://www.Anon-Works.com

[Emmerson Biggins]

huh ... I thought Jason Chavetz was just barely "good", in the sense that he was at least better than the median team red hack. But this shows he just doesn't get it. Screw him.