Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson is continuing his assault on internet gaming in the U.S. by ramping up a campaign against the idea in Colorado—which is only rumored to be considering online gambling—and drafting his own update to the federal 1961 Wire Act.
The federal bill he is drafting would overturn a 2011 Department of Justice decision that found the 1961 Wire Act applies only to sports betting and states can legally offer intra-state online gambling.
Adelson’s Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling has created a bill that would amend the Wire Act so that online gaming would be prohibited. The bill is still being drafted. A copy of an early draft was made public by iGaming blogger Marco Valerio at agentmarco.com.
The proposal would outlaw games “predominantly determined by the skill of the players” in addition to “games in part or predominantly subject to chance.” The provision would cover online poker, which proponents say is a game of skill and not gambling.
The bill would “restore long-standing United States policy that the Wire Act prohibits Internet gambling to give Congress and the public time to fully examine the issues surrounding Internet gambling, including the potential for money laundering, fraud, terrorism financing, cyber-crimes and participation by minors,” according to the proposal.
Meanwhile, the coalition has taken aim at stopping Colorado from considering starting intra-state online gambling.
A guest commentary written by former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb entitled “Internet Gambling Will Kill Jobs in Colorado,” recently appeared in the Denver Post.
Colorado legislators drafted a bill to allow online gaming in the state last year, but it gained no traction in the state Legislature. There have been reports that some legislators are planning to attempt another bill this year.
