Adelson Keeps on Beating the Drum
In a season that is supposed to be filled with mirth and goodwill toward fellow men, there is one person out there who appears committed to stirring up anger and controversy.
That person is, of course, the 80 year old chairman of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, Sheldon Adelson.
Adelson, a major GOP contributor and staunch supporter of Israel, continues to incite those in the gambling community, having released yet another in a seemingly unending series of editorial pieces decrying the immorality surrounding the expansion of online gambling in the nation.
LVRJ piece carries on similar theme
Critics of online gambling tend to be just as vociferous as those who oppose the spread of land-based casino gaming in the United States, often citing concerns about round-the-clock access to betting by those who suffer from addictive behaviors, access by underage players, and so forth.
Other concerns accompany online gambling, some of which Adelson addresses in his newest op-ed piece, entitled Valid Reasons to oppose Internet gambling.
The article appeared Sunday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and while it has caused quite a stir across poker forums and Twitter, in fact Adelson manages only to reiterate points he has been making for some time now.
Namely, Adelson, whose own company has, in the past, explored the idea of operating within the U.S. online casino space, believes that Internet gambling is a “toxin” that will lead to job loss, problem gambling, and a host of other problems – claims that those who support access by Americans to real money online poker and other games keep swatting down in a now-familiar back and forth that has played out in the media throughout the summer and fall.
Adelson mobilizing an army
Last month, Adelson hired a bi-partisan group of former legislators to combat the regulation of Internet-based wagering at the federal level, and also said he would be seeking out lobbyists to work toward the same end at the state level.
Frequently cited by those who would prefer to see online gambling stopped before it spreads to more states (it is already regulated in three U.S. states – Delaware, Nevada, and most recently New Jersey) is the notion that online gambling web sites can be used to launder money, a claim that proponents of regulation dismiss as ludicrous given that regulated real money online betting sites not only require several steps to confirm location and identity and also require the use of legitimate, fully traceable bank accounts.
In his piece, Adelson noted that “the government has not been able to stop offshore online gambling sites from doing business in the U.S., or worse, operating websites involved in illegal activity,” a point that his detractors have latched onto in the wake of the editorial’s publication over the weekend.
Supporters of regulated betting argue that the government’s struggles with combatting unregulated gaming, a market that leaves the door open to unscrupulous operators and practices, illustrate why online poker and other casino games should be legalized, regulated, and tightly monitored within the United States.
The vast majority of players would prefer to play via regulated rooms, thus squeezing out shady offshore operators from the marketplace, iGaming advocates contend.
Sands head not known for being shy and retiring
It is unlikely, however, that the negative backlash Adelson is receiving from all corners of the gambling community – including from fellow casino tycoon Steve Wynn, who likened the outlawing of online wagering to the prohibition of alcohol – will stop him in his tracks.
After all, Adelson is known for being a highly divisive character, having recently remarked that the United States ought to launch a nuclear attack against Iran.
