Online Gambling and the US Presidential Race

As a long-shot for president, South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsay O. Graham needs all the help he can get.

In this Corner

One of the boosters Graham has called upon as a mega-donor is Las Vegas casino magnate and online opponent Sheldon Adelson.

Adelson has spearheaded the efforts to block online gambling, saying he will spend “whatever it takes" to ensure the US citizens and children will be safe from what he calls “corrupting influences” such as being able to gamble on phones.

Adelson is actually ignoring the high level of encryption and security checks that go into ensuring the identity of all adult gamblers. The land-based Las Vegas Sands CEO faces increasing competition from every new entry of Web poker and slot machines onto the market.

Campaign Donor Power

At any rate, Adelson's stature as a political donor is sufficient to position him for a potential victory. And Graham, while a long shot to win the Presidency, nonetheless represents a powerful political ally.

Currently, three states allow online gambling: Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware. Further consideration is being bandied about in an estimated 10 more.

Concurrently, Graham has provided support for Adelson's fight through the introduction of a bill in March 2014 to ban online gambling across all states.

Of course, blocking online gambling would not stop the practice, just return it to the black market.

Federal Stance Leaves Field Open

The original nebulous nature of the federal stance on gambling concluded with the Department of Justice leaving it to the discretion of the states.

Recently, Graham's bill and a related one in the House of Representatives came close to passing in a catch-all budget package in December as the 113th Congress closed down. Graham announced plans to reintroduce when Congress reopens.

Adelson's Presidential Race Donations

This would not be the first heavy investment in a Presidential race for Adelson: in 2012, he kept former House speaker Newt Gingrich's candidacy afloat with a donation of $15 million.

Graham entered the White House race before reintroduction of the online gambling bill: his stance on the issue moving forward will likely play a direct role in the duration, and extent, of his viability.