Details are sketchy, but reports say Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Charlie Dent is attempting to attach language to ban online gaming to an omnibus spending bill before Congress.
Dent supports the online gambling ban proposed in the Restore America’s Wire Act bill supported by Las Vegas casino owner Sheldon Adelson. That bill has failed repeatedly to gain traction in the house and supporters, including Dent, tried to attach anti-gambling language to an appropriations bill last year. That effort also failed.
Little details about Dent’s plan have emerged and the congressman has not commented. The appropriations bill is not expected to be voted on until September.
RAWA is supported by Adelson and has gained backers in Congress such as Senator Lindsey Graham and Congressman Jason Chaffetz. However, the bill has drawn stiff opposition from conservatives who see it as trampling on state’s rights and political patronage for Adelson, who is a major republican donor.
If Dent is behind a move to insert the language, it also comes as his home state continues to debate legalizing online gambling. Three states currently allow legal online gambling—New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware.
In a related story, the New Jersey General Assembly passed a unanimous resolution calling for President Donald Trump to reject a federal online gambling ban.
The resolution says New Jersey, “Urges United States President Trump, members of his administration, and Congress to oppose measures and actions to prohibit states from authorizing and conducting Internet gaming.”
While a symbolic resolution, it does buoy the opinion that New Jersey will move quickly to challenge any proposed online gambling ban in court.
