Home / Poker News January 2014 / Still At It: Adelson Drafts Internet Gambling Control Act
Still At It: Adelson Drafts Internet Gambling Control Act
Posted by: Randy Williams - Fri, 2014-01-17 05:01
Billionaire and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson is a well-known opponent of online poker, and his concern for the financial well-being of the gambling public knows absolutely no limits apparently. A while ago, Adelson, who owns numerous casinos all over the Nation and in Macau, and who has built quite a fortune on the misfortunes of those playing away in his establishments, has announced an anti-
online poker crusade, stating that he would spare no expense in an effort to stop the phenomenon of state-by-state legalization (currently in full swing) in its tracks.
The exact reasons behind why Adelson is so hell-bent on stopping online gaming are unclear at best, and while there are several theories and speculations in this respect out there, they all converge towards the conclusion that it all has to do with the lining of his own pockets one way or another.
The first target of Adelson’s crusade is the DoJ’s 2011 clarification regarding the Wire Act, a move which essentially gave the green light for individual states to begin considering the prospects of legalizing online poker and gambling and to begin to flirt with the promise of potentially massive revenues. Together with his own Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling, Adelson has drafted a bill called the Internet Gambling Control Act, the goal of which is to amend the above said Wire Act so that its provisions apply to online gaming as well.
While the Internet Gambling Control Act is only a preliminary draft in its current shape or form, with no sponsors, it is only a matter of time and a matter of how many lawmakers Adelson’s dollars can buy for it, till it hits the legislative scene in all its menacing and outrageously negative glory.
Much of the bill is focused on the potential use of online gambling for cyber crimes, terrorist activities, money-laundering and fraud.
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