Sheldon Adelson accused of crony capitalism over RAWA

The Restoration of America’s Wire Act, an attempt to ban online gambling supported by land casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, came in for some heavy criticism in a Huffington Post op-ed article penned by legal expert Bruce Fein this week.

Fein claims that crony capitalism in the USA has become an epidemic, with federal regulation a “carrier of the disease,” and gives as an example Adelson’s funding and support for political efforts to ban instead of licence and tax.

“Finding amusement in internet gambling is no less worthy of protection as a feature of personal liberty as is squandering fabulous sums on jewelry or tens of thousands of dollars on designer dresses,” he claims in the piece, which also takes an oblique shot at the morality of some high profile politicians.

Fein points out that federal law endorses various forms of gambling, such as horse racing, bingo games, or state lotteries, and Nevada enjoys special exceptions. Accordingly, a congressional ban on interstate gambling would be like the “Never on Sunday” prissiness of a strumpet, he claims.

“There is a role for uniform federal rules in matters that concern fundamental rights of citizenship or equality, for example, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, or the National Labor Relations Act,” Fein observes, adding: “But RAWA is well outside that universe.”

He goes on to comment on the federal assault on online gambling through RAWA, noting: “Congress is flirting with making internet gambling a federal offense and diverting the scarce resources of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from thwarting international terrorism to snaring internet users betting on the outcome of the next presidential election, the World Series or otherwise.”

Fein says that the current federal interest in online gambling can be attributed to Adelson’s crony capitalism, pointing out that the multi-billionaire has contributed huge sums of money to politicians such as those sponsoring RAWA, and recalls that presidential candidate and RAWA sponsor Marco Rubio recently held a meeting in Adelson’s offices at the Venetian Las Vegas, to curry his support.

“RAWA should die an unmourned death,” Fein recommends. “The FBI has better things to do than to chase down internet gamblers.”