Quote:
Originally Posted by TheEngineer
Who cares? Lotteries are not stakeholders. Lotteries are government programs. Asking about what lotteries would get is like asking what Medicare or Social Security would get.
Besides, lotteries tend to operate on an all-or-nothing mindset. If they wanted an opportunity to compete in the marketplace, they'd be in the bill already. Needless to say, such a request has not been forthcoming. I know no lottery officials have reached out to me.
TE, someone posted that all the potential opposition special interests had been "accomodated" in a "great compromise bill". When asked for details or a link to this "great compromise" bill, he went into his usual hissy-fit,
However, it is foolish politically to think that interests such as Social Security or Medicare or the DOJ or the Pentagon, while government programs or agencies do not have supporters or influence on the Hill, whether or not you like it.
Similarly, State Lotteries certainly have the ear of their respective State governments, and the elected officials who make up those entities or are their allies on the Hill. I expect you understand that State and local governments regularly lobby the Hill in their own interests. Hell, even the States Attorneys General were trotted out to promote a ban on online gaming by your opponents.
I take it from your answer, that despite what the Great and Powerful SkOz has proclaimed, the draft legislation he likely has not even seen, does NOT "accomodate" or otherwise co-opt Lottery-driven potential opposition.
Tribal interests also may need better accomodation of their less-than-uniform interests with a "National" solution. Last I heard, the California Poker consortium of tribes and cardrooms was looking at building a big wall around that very large market, for themselves.
FWIW, thw Town Hall discussion and information shared by John Pappas was pretty conservative on the prospects for passage. I sort of recall that he attended a lottery conference on online gaming, so there may have been some outreach in that regard.
Nevertheless, it doesn't matter who reached out or did not reach out, if there is no "accomodation", then there remains potential opposition from Lottery friends and beneficiaries, as well as other potential interested parties. (I am not saying it is sufficient to block passage, just that it should be something of which you are cognizant.)