Good point about the anti freedom, and buying politicians angle. On the other hand I strongly disagree with those who say nobody gives a damn. There are countless entertainment celebrities and sports figures who are into the game. Even John McCain was seen playing poker during a Senate hearing, and Obama's a player also.

If we're going to crowdfund protesters then I'd pitch in some money, but I worry about the effectiveness of paid protesters. For one, we'd be showing our hand and Sands would definitely know our plans ahead of time and be ready with a response. Two, it gives Adelson a chance to get out ahead of us with talking points like questioning who's pulling the strings of these paid protests and what theoretical motives they might have. I'm sure he'd happily supply some theories.

Definitely . . . online poker is irrelevant in the large scope of politics but bought-out politicians are huge. Here in Jersey we got mad when Christie was riding Adelson's jet. It wasn't because he's anti-online poker, it's because it's another example of Christie being bought up by a rich, conservative moralist. (a hypocritical one at that!)

I think what you want is content to post, not a real "collective action" with hopes of impacting the Venetian. If you get to video it, that is about as "effective" as you can hope for ....

Why not just leverage the existing cadre of superhero street performers on the Strip ? Corral a bunch of them and offer them $25/hour each to picket for one hour, carrying signs that you supply. Pay them only if they perform.

Then, someone can video it and post it in social media, as suggested above ....

QED, except someone would actually have to DO it.

What about the people who made "Bet Raise Fold". If anyone is passionate about online poker, it's them. They might even do a documentary if the picketing/protest movement gathers steam.

I don't really think a video of protesters on youtube is going to go viral. Even if it did Adelson would just have a team go out and shoot a video of all the "protesters" doing their street performances and show that it was all an act and conclude that online gambling websites put on a show but no real citizens want online poker. That would kill the whole thing and probably have the reverse effect of making the people we reached think that we were trying to manipulate them.

Online poker will never come back until Mr Adelson is dead. Period.

Nobody made a rule that it would have to be all street performers or any for that matter. I have to believe that if a definite time was set for a picket/protest and signs were made available, there would be a decent number of real poker players (upset by Black Friday and Adelson's actions) show up.

And if there were a lot of signs available, there might even be a few tourists who also want internet gambling pick up a sign and join in.

If it really matters to you, why not just send in spies to see which notable poker players are playing at the Venetian, then start a campaign to harass them on social media, taking a page from the GamerGate playbook in terms of coordinating efforts?

You don't even have to limit it to notable poker players. Just do your best to identify anyone who steps into the Venetian to play poker. Look up anyone on a list of people who cash at a tournament there, for example. Hunt down anyone who posts a trip report on any poker forum out there.

If you build a movement, people won't necessarily come. Your goal shouldn't be publicity. It's not like this is an issue where you would get overwhelming support if people just knew what you knew. Your goal should be pain for everyone who opposes you. Otherwise, you're just like a bunch of Occupy Wall Street types LARP-ing at being a protester and it's a waste of time for anyone to join you if it means giving up hours at the poker table.

I strongly disagree, we want as much publicity as possible. We want people to know we think it is unfair and an outrage that the personal freedom of millions of card players to play a game we’ve enjoyed for years in the privacy of our homes was suddenly and without warning snatched away from us on tax day, April 15. And if some people don’t care, fine, but we do have a right to
picket and protest in front of the Venetian and Palazzo (7000 rooms +), on the most famous street in America, if we want to.

11 reasons to picket the Venetian and Palazzo hotels.


1) Will get our cause more publicized especially if news stories of the picketing start appearing in the newspapers, on TV, and in social media.

2) Could cost the “Las Vegas Sands Inc.” money if some people do indeed not gamble or stay at the Venetian and Palazzo after reading the flyers, the signs, and after talking to picketers. The “Las Vegas Sands Inc” is a publicly traded company (of which Adelson is a founder and CEO) and owns the Venetian and Palazzo hotel/casinos.

3) Could hurt the reputation of the Venetian and Palazzo causing less people to stay there in the future.

4) If the reputation of the Venetian and Palazzo starts to decline as our cause and efforts becomes more publicized, and if less people start gambling and staying there, this imo will definitely hurt the stock price of Sands Inc.. Adelson is so rich he might not care much but the other stockholders at the Sands Inc. will care because it will affect them.

5) Sands Inc. stockholders could start complaining to Adelson about his actions due to reason #4.

6) Poker players’ morale and feeling of unity will increase if more players, poker celebrities, and possibly even entertainment celebrities become involved in the protesting and picketing.

7) Vegas tourists are for the most part people who like to gamble. If more of them learn about Adelson and what he is up to, it could piss them off and more people will join and support our cause. Remember Adelson’s actions will not only hurt poker players who like to play on the net but also people who like other forms of gambling and would like to play those games on the net.

8) If Adelson’s reputation starts to decline with more people, then more politicians and other casino owners might try to distance themselves from him no matter how much money he has.

9) If other casino owners like Steve Wynn see picketers at the Venetian and Palazzo, they might begin realize that they too will be taking risks by supporting Adelson’s agenda.

10) Adelson himself might begin to realize there is some risk to the reputation of the “Las Vegas Sands Inc.” because of his actions. As of today, he probably has seen little risk. But a highly visible picketing movement in front of his Venetian (even an on again off again picketing movement over time) might change all of that as the public becomes more aware of what’s going on. Of course at 81 yrs. old he might not care, but once again the Sands Inc. stockholders will surely care about the future reputation of the Venetian and Palazzo. A company’s reputation (and brand name) is very important and most executives know that. The stockholders wouldn’t want the Venetian and Palazzo’s names to be tarnished. That could cost them money.

11) Picketers, and financial supporters of the picketing, would at least be trying something new. This might make them feel a little better after having a game they’ve enjoyed and loved for years to be suddenly and without warning snatched out from under them by mostly unseen forces on tax day April 15.

I never argued against your right to be stupid. I'm just arguing that you'll be even less effective than the nutjobs who protest outside the Federal Reserve.

LOL if you claim that your ability to play online poker was snatched away without warning. Plenty of people were aware that there was a chance it would happen and cashed out at least part of their funds.

For the record I will change the wording of reason 7 in post #61 to this

“Vegas tourists are for the most part people who like to gamble. If more of them learn about Adelson and what he is up to, it could piss them off and more people will join and support our cause. Remember Adelson’s actions could not only seriously hurt poker players who like to play on the net but could also seriously hurt people who like other forms of gambling and would like to play those games on the net.”
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Frankly, in my opinion, I believe all the money he has spent and the people that have been hired to try to ban internet gaming has already done harm to the legalization movement. But I do believe a turnaround is possible with things like picketing/protesting and the PPA’s emailing campaign.

Also, I want to say that I don’t live in Nevada and I don’t plan on visiting there any time soon. But I would send financial help if a fundraising site was set up by a trusted individual to buy signs and flyers. So if this thing is going to get off the ground it’s probably going to either take a passionate Vegas local to organize things or maybe some wealthy individual to buy about 15 signs to use. The best thing that could happen is if some poker big name or entertainment
celebrity stepped up to the plate and got involved.

The problem with picketing out front of the Venetian is you'll bring attention to all the poker players going outside to smoke their marijuana.

BTW, Givemeliberty, is that you, Nolan?

The Poker Players Alliance needs to support this in light of Adelson's continued efforts. I suggested this and other things to the PPA years ago. Now is the time to ramp up the pressure.

I'd agree that protesting would outside the Venetian would very likely do nothing to move the needle at all on online poker. What is would be likely to do, however, is annoy Adelson when he heard about it. This is a man who worships power and accrues it at all costs. He is a control freak that throws his billions around to control the whole damn country. Someone standing outside his place that says, "Sheldon Adelson is a fat, greedy, bastard" would definitely annoy him, and that's why I'd be willing to kick in a few bucks. Anything to stick a thumb in his eye. What's the downside, a bunch of people are down $10?

i would be up to do this if he had any casinos in NJ.

If you're going to pay people to stand outside the Venetian, hire a bunch of big, scary black guys to look menacing and make some people afraid to walk in.

Me I wish I invested in his business. It was like $2 a share in ~2009 and now it's $65.

The tall guy with the pointy nose standing with these picketers might be effective:

https://www.google.com/search?q=1st+...2F%3B500%3B333

Does anyone know if that McDonalds is still there right between Harrahs and the Venetian. That would be a good place for picketers to take breaks. Harrahs also has a decent buffet.

If that is true then I can just see him peering down from atop his hotel at these "protesters" looking like puppets with their strings attached to his hands. "Look what I can make these idiots do!" he'll exclaim as he laughs at their impotent efforts.

The PPA should consider paying people to walk the line. I bet you get 100-200 dealers tht would rather walk the line for 8hours and 200$ than go to work. You fight $ w/$ . you go for 50 k a day and get 250 ppl and give them a lunch for a few weeks during the wsop. Whattausay chainsaw?