Haven't delved too deep... the angle i was looking at was the 25 year compact and the way the gov is trying to 'strike first' and get the money 'before the feds do'. It looks like a mess, and has been for a long time.
It all affects online, imo. Every one is trying to get their piece and lock it up... and what created the fever? Online.
It's probably going to get worse before it gets better. And no, I don't believe that semi-un-regulated casinos are an acceptable alternative. The Glory of Vegas is just that ( and I do play in reno... but it's nevada damn it
) and AC and Tunica may be good... I dunno.
BUT having a thousand half-assed gaming venues scattered across the US will never replace a few good gambling towns and the freedom to play and win/loss on line.
Every deal like this weakens the online player's position or at least our hopes; if one hopes for an online scenario with Microgaming and other platforms with payouts in the high 90's, and the occasional road or airtrip to an
Experience.
There has never been a 'true' competition between online and landbased, but there were, for me at least, two viable alternatives. I could play online with no fear (was lucky to choose reputable casinos) or I could pack my bags and go to a REAL casino.
I see the State's laws getting as ugly or uglier than the Deval's MA proposal, while the poker players sell their souls (our freedom) for a uigea carve-out, (and LOSE) a complete proliferation of half-assed casinos with a federal Casino Czar overseeing them, states continuing to sacrifice our freedom for their fat pockets, and MGM and Harrah's keeping alll international competition away while they implement airport security-like measures for us to play online. (did I forget to mention all the old arguments of the poor going to the races and Grandma spending her dogfood money on lottery tickets in the hopes she could buy some burger?)
But I havew a problem with my eyes, sometimes I see Hope.... just not when I read stories like this one.