New Pro Internet Gambling Group To Combat Adelson’s CSIG Coalition

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Tuesday, February 11th, 2014 | Written by Adam Brown

Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson (photo) has become the face of anti-online gambling across the USA as he systematically seeks out lobbyists and public relations experts to help oppose online gambling at either a federal or state level.

Coalition for Consumer & Online Protection Take On Adelson

In order to assist his crusade against what he terms “a toxin which all good people ought to resist,” the 80 year-old billionaire helped form advocacy group the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling (CSIG). Now, however, his coalition faces stiff opposition from a newly formed team of political and industry heavyweights which have taken it upon themselves to directly combat Adelson’s CSIG. In addition to being well supported by MGM Resorts International and the American Gaming Association (AGA), the Coalition for Consumer & Online Protection (C4COP) has also hired a crack team of political operatives to make sure its message is heard, including former Rep. Mike Oxley (R-Ohio), who will now serve as the group’s spokeman, and newly appointed consultants Democratic adviser Jim Messina and former Rep. Mary Bono (R-Calif.).

In spite of the government’s best efforts, online poker players still continue to play at US-friendly poker sites, which has lead lawmakers from all across the country to realize that the most prudent way forward would be to regulate online gambling as a protection for consumers. There is also the benefit of having online gambling tax revenues added to the various states’ ailing economies, and as Rep. Mary Bono, explains:

“Congress can neither legislate the Internet away, nor consumer demand for online products. We need to do all we can to make sure that the Internet is a safe place for businesses, consumers, families and children. I am proud to be a part of the Coalition for Consumer and Online Protection to make sure that people know the risks behind implementing such a ban.”

C4COP Begins By Launching 3 Week Ad Campaign

In late-2011, the US Department of Justice re-interpreted the 1961 Wire Act to apply only to sports betting, thus allowing states like Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware to launch online gambling within their own state boundaries. Recently, Sheldon Adelson made a bid to revise the DoJ’s re-interpretation by getting 15 state attorney general to sign his Internet Gambling Control Act to include online poker, as well as online casino games.

Consequently, as part of its initial move to counteract Adelson’s well-publicized message about the ills of online gambling, The Coalition for Consumer & Online Protection has initiated a three-week long ad campaign costing $250,000 and focused on Washington and Nevada. As American Gaming Association (AGA) CEO Geoff Freeman, explains:

“This new entity is dedicated to creating a regulated Internet gaming marketplace and preventing a federal ban of online gaming. The coalition will operate exclusively at the federal level — encouraging Congress to embrace regulation as the best means to protect minors, detect money launderers and eliminate a dangerous black market.”

PPA Director John Pappas Attacks Adelson’s Hypocrisy

Since Black-Friday Americans have continued gambling online at US-friendly poker sites, thus exposing themselves to the potential hazards of playing in an unregulated market without a legitimate framework. All the while, the USA government is missing out on a lucrative opportunity to tax an industry which in 2012 generated $3 billion in revenues from unregulated offshore online poker operators, alone.

Therefore, more and more politicians, such as Iowa Senator Brian Schoenjahn, are coming to the realization that if people are going to gamble online anyway, then maybe they ought to stake their claim to a piece of the pie and regulate the industry. Concerning Sheldon Adelson’s crusade against internet gambling, John Pappas, Executive Director of the Poker Players Alliance, had this to say about the Las Vegas Sands chairman:

“The concern is that a lot of money can buy you traction, and Adelson has a lot of money. They are trying to deliver a message that misrepresents the issue, and for those of us who have been following this issue for a long time, we see through the blatant hypocrisy and misrepresentation. The average American may not be familiar with this issue at all and can be taken by some of the PR push that they are making.”

In fact, John Pappas, who says he doesn’t usually “make a habit of picking fights with billionaires,” says that all of Adelson’s anti-internet gambling arguments are the same ones used in the past to discredit brick and mortar casinos ahead of US expansion. Pappas also further highlighted the point that internet gambling prohibition won’t stop Americans playing online, but will instead create a black market and simply make those games less safe.