One politician wants to turn back time :(

[john39]

Just saw this news story

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[nisosbar]

Not a surprise, considering they are Republican. Legislating the Bible into law. This is what Republicans do. What they've always done. Like cows mooing, or seasons changing.

 

[rockycatt]

there issue is that they aren't getting the money im sick of these blood suckers

 

[jetset]

I believe a lot of this is connected with Las Vegas Sands owner Sheldon Adelson - prior to this Lindsey had little interest in online gambling legislation, and these politicians have all received campaign donations from Adelson at some point.

Adelson says he has strong moral objections to online gambling (those objections appear to be fairly selective, because he's into wagering on the horses via the internet and in the past has flirted with Pokerstars in running live tournaments at his land casinos)

He also believes that online gambling poses a danger to brick and mortar casinos, where he continues to make billions, despite the growing empirical evidence that internet gambling enhances rather than detracts from land casinos.

If you read Casinomeister News every Friday you'll see how this guy is pouring a great deal of cash into getting his way in the United States - he's behind the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling and its high-profile frontmen, one of whom (former senator Blanche Lincoln) has just scored a lobbying contract with LVS.

He's also using PR companies to push an orchestrated opposition to online gambling across a wide range of media, especially those with a political readership. He has launched anti-online gambling advertising in print and on television, and his spokesmen have been appearing at many speaking engagements and media interviews - it's clearly a big, well-funded and organised campaign and he's on record as saying he will spend whatever it takes to get online gambling banned.

The man has massive resources and is reportedly the eleventh richest man in America, and one of the biggest - if not the biggest - Republican Party donors, handing out around $100 million in the last presidential race.

For me, this guy is a chilling illustration of how much influence a very wealthy and unelected individual can have on the political scene. Just yesterday there were reports that four US Republican governors with presidential ambitions are to be his guests in May as he decides who to back for the next political race for power.

 

[john39]

Reminds me of the movie Casino Jack. Still think that exposed a lot bit not many care

 

[bigjohn]

It's the other Golden Rule, he who has the gold makes the rules. These politicians are not representing their constituents and probably couldn't care less about on-line gaming, they are representing Adelson. That Jason Chaffetz is another POS that has to go.

 

[cpdnd31]

You know I read that if the white house receives enough signatures they have to look at the request. I say we sign up and send it to every online casino and poker forum. Let them see how many Americans actually do want to gamble online. Let them see the billions they can make. Then they can actually be educated on what we want.

 

[bigjohn]

You know I read that if the white house receives enough signatures they have to look at the request. I say we sign up and send it to every online casino and poker forum. Let them see how many Americans actually do want to gamble online. Let them see the billions they can make. Then they can actually be educated on what we want.

That's a good idea but too many people are afraid to sign their name to anything serious. The petitions to deport Justin Bieber or release the 'secret UFO files' get plenty of signatures.

 

[john39]

True some craziness

 

[rena35]

Land of the free my censored behind

 

[P.V.]

States have Rights!

The guy is only worried about his land based casino's where he's made billions. What a joke and when is enough, enough for him? IMO states will continue to have their rights, unchanged by congress or this guy.

 

[jetset]

The Chaffetz and Graham bills create major problems for individual states - they seek to ban all online gambling except horse racing (in which Adelson is interested through his empire's online ADW interests) and that implies an impact on individual state lotteries as well...one analyst estimated this week that $20 billion could be at stake there.

Then there's the already established online gambling services in Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey, where millions have been invested by operators and tax revenues are at stake - at present there's no carve-out or grandfather provisions for that, either.

There's also the impact on online poker, which is at present also in danger if these two measures seeking to turn back time succeed. Adelson has sidelined the AGA by persuading its chairman to "dial back" the increasingly pro-online gambling rhetoric of the new CEO Geoff Freeman, but influential proposers of a ban on internet gambling that includes an exemption for online poker like Senators Harry Reid and Dean Heller are unlikely to vote for these Graham and Chaffetz bills unless there is a carve-out for poker.

That's a lot of balls to juggle, but my gut feel is that this misinformed and apparently mercenary duo have launched the toughest proposal, but will be prepared to horse-trade on the issue further down the line.

If they don't, these bills could be in trouble.

 

[vinylweatherman]

The pre 2011 interpretation didn't do much to kill online gambling, it just meant it was even more "wild west" than it is now. If anything, legal online casinos are likely to drive the offshore ones out of business because they can compete on quick and easy payments. The post 2011 interpretation is also not allowing a free for all, offshore operators are still being hounded under anti money laundering legislation. It is ONLY the individual states that benefit from this post 2011 interpretation because it allows them to legislate at state level over online casinos, the very activity that is likely to have the biggest effect over the offshore operators ability to attract and retain customers.

If this bill goes through, it will turn back time to the early 2000's, when despite the wire act, the US provided 90% of the customer base for the online gambling industry.

 

[jetset]

Interestingly, that's the conclusion that the US police association Fraternal Order of the Police has come to as well - in an op-ed in The Hill Friday president Chuck Canterbury says the Graham and Chaffetz bills will shut down legal, well regulated and honest operations in states like Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey, forcing an estimated one million US players to use less regulated and more integrity-challenged offshore operators.

 

[chuchu59]

What a cheap guy. Only acting on behalf of vested interests. If he really thinks its the vWild West out there he should support regulation of the industry.