Adelson’s law draft published

Coincidentally with former Denver mayor Wellington Webb’s Denver Post op-ed on the subject, Sheldon Adelson’s idea of what a revamped Wire Act might look like surfaced over the weekend, thanks to poker blogger Marco Valerio.

It must be emphasised that the document (see below) is still very much a mere three-page draft, but it confirms Adelson’s intention to spend big money to ensure that the changes to the Wire Act effectively impose a federal ban on internet gambling.

http://agentmarco.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Wire-Act-Fix-113th-Congress.pdf

Adelson’s intention is to have the final version of the revamp, which he has titled the “Internet Gambling Control Act” introduced through the US House of Representatives in this year’s session.

The rationale for re-imposing the formerly flawed Justice Department interpretation of the Act as embracing internet casino and poker action as well as sports betting, is to allow the US Congress time to fully evaluate the negative impact of legalised online gambling.. of course with certain politically engineered exceptions like horse race betting and fantasy sports as enshrined in the UIGEA.

To assist Congress in arriving at a decision he appears intent on influencing, Adelson suggests that the FBI be given the task of carrying out a study with a two-year timeframe; how impartial that would be is anyone’s guess.

With re-elections looming this year, Adelson may be hoping that his timing is right, and that lawmakers with one eye on the religious right may be persuaded to support his bill, but it still has a mountain to climb.

Three states have already legalised and implemented intrastate online gambling, and a growing number of others are eyeing the significant revenue raising possibilities of following suit.

This, as AGA chief exec Geoff Freeman recently observed, is a genie that will be virtually impossible to put back in the bottle.

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