Congressman Introduces Bill To Ban Web PokerLegislation Is The Same As Last Year's Failed Attempt |
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On Wednesday, a bill backed by casino boss Sheldon Adelson that would ban online gaming nationwide was introduced into Congress.
It’s very similar, if not identical, to efforts last year to enact a prohibition on the web card playing business. Currently, three states—Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware— have regulated intrastate web betting industries.
The bill seeks to “restore” the 1961 Wire Act which was re-interpreted in late 2011 by the Department of Justice.
That surprise move provided legal clearance for U.S. states to pursue online gambling, as long as it wasn’t on sports, within their respective borders.
By tweaking language in the decades-old law, Adelson’s camp is seeking to return the ban on online betting. It’s conceivable that existing online gaming industries in the U.S. could be allowed to continue if the bill, introduced by Utah Congressman John Chaffetz, comes to pass.
It seems impossible to cease the existing industries, especially the one in New Jersey, which had Internet gaming revenue of $122.8 million in 2014.
It’s unlikely also because casino giants like Caesars and MGM Resorts are in favor of online gaming. Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands Corp. is the richest casino developer in the world, though.
The Poker Players Alliance, a lobbying group on Capitol Hill, released a statement shortly after Chaffetz’s bill was introduced. The PPA condemned it.
“Every Congress to consider Internet gaming legislation has preserved the right of states to protect its citizens through a system that is accountable to regulators and the government,” John Pappas, executive director of the PPA, said. “Attempting to re-write history through a piece of legislation that prohibits states from enacting these safeguards represents the worst kind of crony capitalism that favors a mega political campaign donor over what’s in the best interest of the states and their consumers.”
“Despite outrageous claims made by opponents of state-regulated Internet gaming, it has not led to the downfall of Western society. […] At best these claims are fear-mongering, at worst they are outright deception,” Pappas added.
Here’s a look at the text of the bill:
Restoration of Americas Wire Act
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