
Vehement anti-online gambling proponent Sheldon Adelson is gathering state AG signatures towards Congressional action (Image: Bloomberg)
Sheldon Adelson has more than enough money to wage an one-man campaign against the spread of on the web gambling in the usa if he wants to. But that money also makes the vegas Sands CEO a person of great influence, which means Adelson can find himself in sometimes the company of powerful friends.
Gathering John Hancocks
That seems to be the case this week, as at the least 10 state attorneys general have signed onto a page from Adelson asking members of Congress to just take learning to make online that is sure gambling unambiguously illegal into the usa. And that letter has now gone on to leaders that are congressional as well as both the House and Senate Judiciary committees.
The page is among the first major salvos in Adelson’s lobbying effort, which seeks to explain federal legislation to once again stop states from regulating online gambling on their very own.
‘Online gambling exacerbates problems linked with gambling addiction and we’re proud to be working together with amount of other states to deal with the matter,’ read Sheldon Adelson’s official letter.
The many prominent AGs on the letter include Missouri’s Chris Koster, Nebraska’s Jon Bruning and sc’s Alan Wilson. The letter was initially presented to the Republican Attorneys General Association a year ago by Las Vegas Sands Corp., though the set of AGs on the letter does include Democrats as well (such as Koster). State attorneys general are considered a important group to target in terms of the gambling industry, because they’re the top legal authorities in each state, and would be tasked with enforcing online gambling laws.
PPA Fights Back
However, there’s a lot of lobbying being done against Adelson’s effort, too. The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) is working to target the attorneys general of various states since well, asking their people and supporters to contact their AGs and other officials within their states to be able to show support for state and online that is federal-level gambling. According to PPA executive director John Pappas, supporters have actually sent more than 9,000 letters and nearly as numerous Tweets to convey officials, in a effort to combat Adelson’s voracious lobbying.
‘We’re working overtime to make sure the letters don’t gain momentum among state AGs,’ Pappas said. ‘We understand 10 have actually signed already, so we’re hoping we are able to change their minds as well.’
According to Pappas, Adelson’s ultimate goal is to get Congress to pass legislation that would strengthen the 1961 Wire Act to prohibit all online gambling. It was, in fact, the original interpretation of that statute, but a 2011 reinterpretation by the U.S. Department of Justice determined that regulations only applied to sports betting, rather than to casino games or poker.
This type of change could create a legal nightmare for states like Nevada, nj and Delaware, each of which has already legalized, regulated and launched online gambling, considering current law. It might also stop efforts to push online gambling in other states within their tracks. Even the presence associated with the page might cause states considering online gambling to give pause which is no question precisely the effect Adelson is aiming for.
Adelson’s efforts will also be being opposed by Representative Joe Barton, who has introduced legislation that could manage internet poker during the federal level.
‘Our office is conscious of the letter, but we are nevertheless earnestly working on Mr. Barton’s poker bill that we have one uniform set of rules,’ said a spokesman for Representative Barton because it is the only way to ensure.
Dutch Courts Find that Poker is not Gambling Sometimes
A present ruling by a Dutch court found that poker just isn’t gambling; however the law continues to be obscure (Image: fineartamerica)
Anyone who has ever played poker knows that there is plenty of gambling included in this great game. But it’s different kind of gambling you run into whenever playing blackjack, slots, or just about some other game in a casino.
There’s lots of skill involved, you’re not playing contrary to the house, and better players can not merely expect to make money playing at minimum over the long run but can even make a living away from the game if their skills are sharp enough to do so. That raises some questions that are tricky it comes to gambling regulations in lots of jurisdictions, where games of skill may be addressed very differently under what the law states than pure games of chance.
Courting the Law
These problems have now arrive at a relative head in holland, being an Amsterdam court has ruled that the organizers of poker tournaments in that country are not liable of breaking the country’s gambling laws. This was because of the proven fact that according to the court the game of poker is not gambling as defined under Dutch law.
That determination came after seven years of battling over the full instance, which began in 2007. In those days, the Café de Viersprong Bussum was a regular host of €10 ($13.67) buy-in poker tournaments. When police discovered, the tournaments were shut down, and owners Richard Blaas and Rene Kurver were accused of hosting an illegal gambling competition.
The ruling arrived after substantial research by the court to determine just how skill that is much active in the game of poker. The courts eventually agreed with the defendants that the skill factor in poker was substantial enough for the game not to be considered gambling under current law although there was a long delay.
Reiterates Past Advice
This is the time that is second recent memory that a Dutch court has made such a determination. In 2010, defendant Steven van Zadelhoff was also found not responsible after he hosted poker tournaments. The courts also found that poker as a game of skill was exempt from Dutch gaming laws in that case.
In a meeting having a PokerNews, Dutch lawyer Peter Plasman said that despite the 2 similar verdicts, there is still no certainty when it comes to poker that is hosting in the Netherlands.
‘The issue is the fact that Dutch gambling law is not yet determined also it will not offer a exact meaning of which games should be viewed of opportunity and those that cannot,’ Plasman said. ‘Now, the court ruled that poker is maybe not [a game of chance], and things are meant to change once the court has the past word.’
However, Plasman added that there’s no guarantee that future tournament organizers wouldn’t be targeted by police.
‘ The prosecutor has got the right to intervene, to stop the tournament and to sanction the organizer,’ Plasman said. ‘There continues to be much to be performed before we can think about this an issue that is closed. There might be another judge, someplace, governing that poker is really a game of chance.
‘The fact that two different courts found the conclusion that is same make the prosecutor say that it’s time to halt bringing people right in front of criminal court…but I can not be sure,’ the attorney added.
In the meantime, prosecutors are still determining whether or not they desire to attract the ruling in this case. Holland is also likely to implement brand new gambling laws in 2015, which could help better define what is legal and exactly what is prohibited when it comes to gaming in that country.
Caesars Harrah’s Philadelphia Under Fire for Racetrack Conditions
The racetrack connected to Harrah’s Philadelphia casino in Chester, PA has been shut straight down by racing authorities until it resolves track issues (Image: Harrah’s Philadelphia)
Nobody ever said running a casino conglomerate was easy. The CEO of any major casino company better have a firm grip on ways to keep calm and carry on, as the modern vernacular says whether facing budget deficits, collapsing partnerships, or regulatory scrutiny.
And Caesars Entertainment Corp. has truly experienced more than its reasonable share of all for the above: whether carrying the largest debt load of any casino company ever sold, walking away on a prospective Suffolk Downs alliance in Massachusetts, or getting taken to task by that state’s Gaming Commission for a six-degrees-of-separation alleged connection to someone whom the commish didn’t see as entirely kosher.
Shape Up or Else
Now you can add ‘potential casino closure’ to that list of dreaded happenings, after Pennsylvania authorities turn off Harrah’s Philadelphia’s adjoining harness race track due to unresolved issues with the track’s racing surface. And with just a little over a month before the track’s 2014 official racing period begins on March 8, this will be considered a closure of no inconvenience that is minor.
A lot more problematic is the reality that Pennsylvania gaming regulators could shut the casino down it self if the racetrack issues are not put to sleep.
The suburban Philadelphia-area racetrack’s problems started whenever the Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission suspended the casino’s racing tasks, noting that the company had maybe not only didn’t resolve the track area issues, but had consistently missed possibilities to tell racing commissioners how they intend to resolve the problems. A racetrack should have a ‘written live racing agreement with a horsemen’s organization’ in order to keep their gaming license valid, according to Pennsylvania law.
After a severe crash resulted in a track driver being tossed out of sulky and later trampled by another horse when he hit the ground, drivers began to publish complaints about the track conditions with racing authorities. Now the Harness Racing Commission which runs under the auspices associated with the Department of Agriculture has threatened to suspend the entire 2014 racing season until they have more information that is concrete the issue from the track’s administration.
More Fines for Violations
This is simply not the problems that are only’s Philadelphia has been facing of late, either. The casino was fined $90,000 by state regulators $70,000 for credit issuance violations and $20,000 for allowing an underage woman to enter, gamble on slots, and drink alcohol in April 2013 at the start of the myfreepokies.com new year. The credit violations revolved around a lack of protocol for regulations and internal controls that occurred between July 2010 and January 2013.
As far as the racetrack dilemmas are concerned, while Caesars Entertainment vice that is senior Jan Jones said in a message the ‘issue will be solved,’ the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s spokesman Doug Harbach states they are still watching and waiting, and ‘will continue to monitor the problem closely.’
There’s plenty at stake in the matter; as you of Caesars Entertainment’s Eastern Division properties (included with their four Atlantic City casinos) Harrah’s Philadelphia rated # 4 out of 12 of Pennsylvania’s gambling enterprises, pulling in $310.87 million in gaming revenues last 12 months. The Chester, Pennsylvania casino’s racetrack is one of five that are licensed in the state.