Casino Figure Sheldon Adelson And His Attempts To Influence Online Gambling
Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson may be about to reach the end game with his attempts to have online gambling banned in the USA.
Adelson has been using the millions he has earned from his land based casinos to wage a war against online gambling in recent years, as well as bank rolling the Republican Party (all up to a figure of over 100 million dollars apparently), and the time is drawing near in which we will all see just what Adelson has got for his investment.
The Beginning
It all started back in 2011 when the US Justice Department decided that while online sports betting would remain illegal, other types of gambling such as online slots and poker could become legal in certain jurisdictions if they were regulated by local authorities.
What this meant for the business savvy Adelson was a sure fire drop in his own revenue, as gamers could gamble from the comfort of their own homes without having to place one foot into any one of Adelson’s own casinos.
Adelson Implements His Plans
Sensing the decline of his mighty land based gambling empire, Adelson started throwing his money about like it was Christmas day every day, and in the process he managed to enlist some Republican Party members to his cause to promote a bill which would in effect ban online gambling in America.
It was a comfortable arrangement for everyone. The politicians would receive some most welcome donations and get to keep their well-paid jobs, and Adelson’s gambling empire would remain intact and return to the on-going growth that seems to comfort him so much.
With the new bill in the public sphere and scheduled for debate in December 2014, it was all coming up Adelson, but then things took an unexpected and unwelcome turn for the casino mogul.
Questions Are Asked
It was a former Republican, Ron Paul, who first decided to question whether an attempt at what could be construed as blatant cronyism was underway in the corridors of Washington. The December 2014 debate was canned as the issue gained wider attention, from politicians of all colours, and the mainstream media. It seems the time honoured method of receiving goods for money paid was being questioned in this case.
Adelson’s Big Gamble
As someone who understands gambling better than most, it would seem that Adelson isn’t afraid to make a wager of his own; in this case one that cost him more than 100 million dollars.
But how much control can one person have over the public’s personal affairs and how far can their money go in Washington? We are about to find out.
The End Game
With all now laid bare before us, it will be interesting to see how much Adelson and the politicians think they can get away with; and how prepared Joe Public is to ignore the on-going greasing of the wheel that is the marriage between big business and politics.
If Washington chooses people over power, it will be a win for all, no matter what the actual subject at hand is. Should the politicians yield to Adelson’s significant personal and financial pressure, it would have to be considered as a sad day for America citizens and their personal rights.
