Return of the US Wire Act Thwarted

News reports have gradually revealed that Utah’s state representative Jason Chaffetz presented the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA) on Wednesday 4 February 2015. However, four political groups quickly rejected RAWA, with speculators believing that staunch Republican and global gambling magnate Sheldon Adelson was behind the formation of the bill.

In explaining his supposed moral objection to online gambling, Rep. Chaffetz made a sweeping generalisation: “Putting an app on every phone that allows people to gamble wherever they are is not a good idea,” incorrectly adding that “minors can sign up and start placing bets without their parents even noticing.”

Understanding RAWA

The flaw with RAWA is that it would have determined online gambling legislation to the entire country. In 2014, it was also met with widespread opposition for attempting to cede state control of the issue to the federal government. By attempting to remove state-to-state control over gambling, opponents of RAWA argued that the bill would be a violation of their Tenth Amendment rights, which dictate that the power of the nation is determined by the powers bestowed upon it from each state.

Political groups that opposed the return of RAWA included the American Conservative Union, Campaign for Liberty, Taxpayers Protection Alliance, and the Competitive Enterprise Institute. They simply could not accept RAWA because of the people behind it, the withdrawal of state control over gambling, and the inclusion of exceptions that could benefit Sheldon Adelson.

Curiously, RAWA would have seen online gambling exceptions made for sports betting, horse racing, and fantasy sports, while banning all other forms.

Critics of RAWA have also claimed that Sheldon Adelson is overreaching as a businessman by working closely with Republicans to try and shape federal legislation. The motives of Adelson have been questioned because of the millions of dollars he has earned from his Las Vegas casinos.