Adelson Renews Efforts to Ban Online Gambling

Reports recently surfaced that Sheldon Adelson, the renowned Republican casino magnate, held a private briefing in the second week of January with Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee. The meeting signifies that Adelson, who has been the driving force behind the opposition to federal legislation of online gambling, is not planning on curtailing his efforts any time soon.

At this point, it is unknown whether the briefing was arranged by Adelson’s lobbyists or through the House leadership itself. An aide who has direct contact with the House Judiciary Committee denied that the briefing was officially organized through the committee, and sources close to Adelson said that the meeting was regarding both updates and future strategy.

Who Is Sheldon Adelson?

Adelson is one of the biggest contributors to Republican candidates in the United States, having donated more than $90 million to Republican party candidates and causes in 2014. The irony of making his own fortune through land-based casinos seems to be lost on Adelson; he has been one of the most outspoken opponents of the federal regulation of online gambling, and even formed the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling in 2013. He has promised to “spend whatever it takes” to make sure that Congress does not approve any online gambling legislation.

Federal and State Online Gambling

While the issue of federal online gambling legislation remains a hot one, a parallel controversy is taking place at the state level as well, with state legislatures finding themselves in need of taking a stance within their own jurisdictions. As of now, three states have legalized online gambling: Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware. Other states such as Pennsylvania and California are seriously considering passing their own legislation, but it is a lengthy process with many bureaucratic, as well as moral, lines to cross.