Sheldon Adelson, the boss of Last Vegas Sands is taking a strong influence in Congress and is ready to spend any amount to stop the spread of online gambling in the US.
Next week republican Senators Jason Chaffetz and Lindsey Graham will introduce new bills in Congress, called the companions bill, which aim to add restrictions on interstate and international online gambling.
If passed, it would remove any possibility of interstate compacts and would restrict states to operate only within their borders. This would also stop any attempts to link players from various states to international online gambling pools. The bill could prove to be a fatal blow for the expansion of online gambling in the US. Adelson is trying to pressure congress with donation to election fights, hoping to bring the bill into reality.
John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance said: “There’s no doubt that these bills are being pushed at the behest of Sheldon Adelson.”
Last year, Adelson launched the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling and has vowed to “spend whatever it takes” to stop any spread of online gambling in the US. In his opinion, internet gambling is “a societal train wreck waiting to happen.” The Coalition added: “We support and applaud all efforts to restore the long-standing interpretation that the Wire Act prohibits Internet gambling, it’s common sense that putting a virtual casino in the pocket of every American with a smartphone is bad public policy.”
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