Land gambling mogul wants online gambling declared illegal
News on 20 Jun 2013
News on 20 Jun 2013
Las Vegas Sands land gambling mogul Sheldon Adelson, well-known for his opposition to legalised online gambling in the United States, apparently remains behind the times in his latest Forbes business magazine article.
He uses the hopelessly inaccurate, timeworn but emotive cliché ‘click your mouse and lose your house’, and appeals to US lawmakers to declare online gambling illegal throughout all states.
Writing in Forbes, Adelson says: “I strongly urge Congress to either rewrite the Federal Wire Act, or pass new legislation making internet gaming illegal nationwide.”
On the face of it such a statement would appear to ignore the very sensitive issue of states’ sovereignty and rights, and the fait accompli of legalised online poker that has already taken place in Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey, in moves that will no doubt soon be followed by other states.
Adelson argues that the loss of jobs in US brick and mortar casinos, and the possible demise of Native American and racetrack based land casinos is his concern, speculating that 400,000 job losses in the US either directly or indirectly could be triggered due to reduced land casino business.
The staunch Republican businessman, who is not averse to spending large sums of money on lobbying for causes close to his heart, claims that the growth of internet gambling in Europe has resulted in a 20 percent decrease in visitation to brick and mortar casinos, and he says that research also shows that internet gambling revenue has increased by “26 to 28 percent” over the past ten years.
He goes on to list other frequently raised negative factors such as the allegedly uncertain exclusion of underage, problem or intoxicated punters (disregarding the fact that his casinos, like most, serve free drinks).
Labelling online gambling as a toxin to be resisted, Adelson rather grandly and perhaps hypocritically claims that the pastime is a threat to US society.
