Senator Lindsay Graham and Representative Jason Chaffetz’s bill to toughen the U.S. Wire Act and ban online gambling in the country has set off a whirlwind of lobbying efforts, even as the bill seems to be going nowhere in Congress.
According to recent lobbying filings, casino magnate Sheldon Adelson—who has been financing a drive for a nationwide ban—through his Las Vegas Sands has paid out $290,000 during the second quarter to lobbyists and a total of $460,000 for the year.
Caesars Entertainment—which opposes the ban—spent $980,000 on lobbying efforts against the bill in the second quarter and almost $1.8 million for the year.
Some other groups also oppose the ban including Churchill Downs, Inc., a conglomerate of horse tracks and casinos which spent $95,000 lobbying against the ban in the second quarter and Boyd Gaming spent $230,000 fighting the bill.
MGM Resorts reported spending $240,000 so far this year on several issues including lobbying for online gaming.
The figures represent money paid for lobbying in Washington and do not reflect money spent on advertising or on a state level.
