In a recent editorial in Forbes magazine gambling mogul Sheldon Adelson of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation said that he is ‘morally’ opposed to online gambling. The backlash from the online gaming industry was predictable. In the editorial titles “Online Gambling Is Fool’s Gold” Adelson expressed his opinion about current efforts in congress to legalize internet gaming and the efforts of individual states to pass their own online gaming legislation. Adelson called the drive for industry regulation “a societal train wreck waiting to happen.” Adelson said that online gambling will not affect his casinos and claimed that “(smaller) commercial casinos, Native American casinos and racetrack-casinos” would be hurt by legalization efforts.
In an astounding display of hypocrisy Adelson called online gaming and poker a “plague “on society. Adelson wrote “When gambling is available in every bedroom, every dorm room and every office space, there will be no way to fully determine that each wager has been placed in a rational and consensual manner.” Adelson claimed that the age of players could not be verified even though the technology to verify the age of players has been in place for years in Europe. Adelson believes the only way to combat underage gambling and other problems is an outright ban on internet gaming.
Adelson would also like to see stronger laws banning online gambling. In the op ed Adelson wrote “I strongly urge Congress to either rewrite the Federal Wire Act or pass new legislation making internet gaming illegal nationwide,” he wrote. “I encourage greater enforcement of the laws currently prohibiting off-shore internet gaming companies from engaging in transactions with U. S. citizens. (Online gaming) is a threat to our society,” Adelson finished, “a toxin which all good people ought to resist.”
Since the publication of the article the outrage from the online poker and gaming community has been posted on gaming blogs worldwide. At one popular blog every comment has taken issue with Adelson’s remarks. One comment said “Mr. Adelson, if you’re so concerned about how poker players spend their money, close down your casinos and maybe I’ll listen to what you have to say. Another player said “Typical 1%er wants to corner the market and keep out all competition. He’s petrified that people will burn all their gambling money on the internet and then won’t show up to his casinos…this is supposedly a free nation, we should have the right to choose!”
Adelson is also known for his political activism and backing of far right causes. Adelson would ban all online gambling including innocuous games like online bingo. On the Venetian’s Facebook page several people said they would no longer patronize casinos owned by Adelson. One person wrote “I haven’t stayed at any of his properties…I have played at them, however. I will now never stay or spend money at properties related to him (Adelson).”
