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Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming

03-30-2014 , 08:21 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gzesh
FYP.

Seriously, Did I miss the Rand Paul sponsored bill to repeal the Wire Act entirely or the Rand Paul bill to safeguard property rights from harassment by his home State, the Commonwealth of Kentucky which is STILL trying to shut down any online gaming websites and seize domains from anyone it thinks have any chance of being extorted of funds ?

When he does one of those things, then you "might" say he "supports online poker". Otherwise, whatever you might want to believe about your favorite Senator is wishful thinking, nothing more.
Poker is a very small niche issue. When I say support, I mean he won't vote to outlaw poker and would almost certainly veto any law that would at the Federal level. I kind of doubt he cares about poker one way or another.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-01-2014 , 02:18 PM
They spent several minutes last night on The Daily Show highlighting Sheldon's influence over potential Republican candidates and lampooning the influence an old casino mogul cruising around in a scooter can have on national politics.

Hopefully there's more of a general pushback against Sheldon generally, due to the vast amounts of $$ he's throwing around and the visible influence this (very) old man wields.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-01-2014 , 03:28 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by GJS70
Online Gaming Ban Bills Drop this week. "The bills were written by the staff of the Coalition to Stop Online Gambling, the advocacy group funded by Adelson, who has pledged to “spend whatever it takes” to see the legislation passed."

http://www.humanevents.com/2014/03/2...rop-this-week/
If anyone is at a campaign stop by the politicians behind these bills, I'd put them on the spot by asking them who wrote the bills.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-01-2014 , 07:29 PM
Is it just me, or does anyone else see a resemblance between Adelson and the evil villains in the James Bond movies? Even his riding around on a scooter fits the mold.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-02-2014 , 09:52 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sailor40
Is it just me, or does anyone else see a resemblance between Adelson and the evil villains in the James Bond movies? Even his riding around on a scooter fits the mold.
More like an evil villain in an Austin Powers movie:

Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-02-2014 , 12:39 PM
Robert Reich talks about Adelson in a column printed in my local paper today. I'm going to use that hook to do a letter to the editor and point out that Adelson is behind a online gambling ban bill cosponsored by my representative.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-03-2014 , 05:26 AM
Adelson can afford the stiff price to get access to the full copy of this research paper. I doubt he will bother though as it shows that access to online gambling does not cause problem gambling!

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/...5#.Uz0oCqhdXrA

Quote:
Abstract
Studies of Internet gambling have consistently shown that online gamblers are more likely to report disordered gambling behaviour than offline gamblers. However, little research has focused on whether this is a causal relationship or whether this risk factor is capturing a relationship with one or more missing variables. To address whether there is a strong causal argument for the effect of online gambling participation on problem gambling severity, we use a secondary data method that corrects for potential omitted variable bias. Once this issue is addressed, we find that past-year participation in online gambling is related to a decrease in problem gambling severity, which is the opposite of the popular view in current literature. The estimates in this study are found to be robust to various forms of online gambling, control variables and problem gambling measurement instruments. The findings were also consistent when using a representative sample from the United Kingdom and when using an online research panel from Ontario, Canada. As a primary force against the widespread adoption of Internet gambling has been public health concern over problem gambling, this study provides evidence that such decisions should be more closely considered by policymakers.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-03-2014 , 03:23 PM
Thank you for that link. I especially liked the way that they cite the availability of 1c/2c poker as potentially protective in terms of problem gambling - given that problem gambling is weighted to financial harm. Letting people participate but at far lower, indeed trivial, stakes should be much more in the campaign.

if Adelson wants to prevent 1c/2c poker then when will he deal it to let us have it as a protection from his higher stake games?
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-03-2014 , 03:27 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richas
Adelson can afford the stiff price to get access to the full copy of this research paper. I doubt he will bother though as it shows that access to online gambling does not cause problem gambling!

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/...5#.Uz0oCqhdXrA
This is pretty huge IMO and probably deserves its own thread. This study should go to the top of our talking points list.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-03-2014 , 03:50 PM
If Sheldon represents any villain it for sure is emperor palpatine.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-04-2014 , 01:32 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richas
I especially liked the way that they cite the availability of 1c/2c poker as potentially protective in terms of problem gambling - given that problem gambling is weighted to financial harm. Letting people participate but at far lower, indeed trivial, stakes should be much more in the campaign.
The authors also state that the convenient access of online gambling, which is usually stated as a danger (casinos "invading" our homes), may actually be protective. I hadn't considered this before but it makes sense. If someone travels x number of hours to a casino then they're likely to ensure they get enough gamble in to make the trip worth it.

Maybe this is the real reason Adelson wants to stop iGaming. If more studies like this appear then before long there will be bills before Congress to shut down Adelson's predatory land-based casinos.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-04-2014 , 06:59 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by justsayin
This is pretty huge IMO and probably deserves its own thread. This study should go to the top of our talking points list.
I cover the same issue - that the Uk proves Adelson is wrong in this guest appearance on PokerXanadu's site. Apologies if this is bad etiquette but I can't get the graphs I spent too much time on in a post..Warning a bit TLR but the graphs are nice...

http://pokerxanadu.com/adelson-case/
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-04-2014 , 09:11 PM
Someone needs to respond with a commercial incorporating these FACTS:

Quote:
Originally Posted by sba9630
After he wins jackpot, underage Sands Casino patron has to give it back [mccall.com]
Sands has been fined three times for underage gambling or drinking violations. In 2010, it paid a $48,000 fine for allowing six incidents; it paid another $48,000 fine in 2012 for four incidents; and earlier this year it paid a $68,000 fine because of six underage patrons who did not gamble but were served alcohol, according to Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board spokesman Doug Harbach.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sba9630
Venetian agrees to $10,000 fine over underage gambling [Las Vegas Sun - Friday, Jan. 21, 2005]
The Nevada Gaming Commission has been asked to discipline the owner of the Venetian resort over a 2004 incident in which a minor was allowed to gamble and was served alcoholic beverages in the casino.
Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem fined $48,000 for six underage gambling, drinking incidents [The Express-Times - June 10, 2010,]
On Nov. 30, a 20-year-old patron gained access to the gaming floor on two separate occasions and placed wagers on slot machines for a total of five hours and 40 minutes.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-04-2014 , 11:53 PM
Any idea on the timing when the federal online gambling bill would be voted on?
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-05-2014 , 07:24 AM
It may never be voted on, it still has to make it through committee first. That looks like a long shot at this point, but things are always changing.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-07-2014 , 12:21 AM
I am writing a letter to my congressman, Jason Chaffetz. I believe that Sheldon Adelson at one point supported online poker and was going to have a partnership with one of the sites. I cannot find anything about it. Can someone refresh my memory on what that site was and some of the particulars.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-07-2014 , 04:26 AM
Venetian Interactive itself held a license from Alderney for online gambling.

Sharpen your Google skills, there is a nice news article about it from 2003, all about how regulation makes it safe:

"The company hasn't yet determined when it will launch the as-yet unnamed site but expects to finalize operational plans within the next several months, said David Friedman, assistant to the board chairman of Las Vegas Sands Inc., The Venetian's parent company.

"An Internet gaming license in Alderney provides Venetian Interactive with some of the highest regulatory standards and controls in the industry, which supports our goal of providing a user-friendly gaming and entertainment experience in a totally secure and trusted environment," Richard Depew, chief executive officer of Venetian Interactive, said in a statement.

The company decided to apply for a license with Alderney regulators because the island has developed stringent regulations that are in harmony with federal and Nevada laws relating to Internet gambling, Venetian spokesman Kurt Ouchida said"

...

The Venetian is controlled by businessman Sheldon Adelson.

Adelson's Venetian Interactive is only the second major Las Vegas company to introduce an Internet casino.

...

Last fall, MGM MIRAGE, introduced an Isle of Man-based Internet gambling site for U.K . and European bettors ..."


http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2003...ernet-gamblin/

Clearly, something has changed the Venetian's mind on the topic since then.

Last edited by DonkeyQuixote; 04-07-2014 at 04:35 AM.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-07-2014 , 10:36 AM
Opinion Piece on CNN:

For Adelson, Koch brothers, buying a politician is good business

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/07/opinio...tml?hpt=hp_bn7

"But the problem's not just that Adelson is writing blank checks to the candidates of his choosing. The problem is that Adelson and other super-wealthy Republican donors are directing their largesse to buy elected officials who support policies that benefit their bottom lines at the expense of middle-class American families."
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-07-2014 , 12:20 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by DonkeyQuixote
Venetian Interactive itself held a license from Alderney for online gambling.

Sharpen your Google skills, there is a nice news article about it from 2003, all about how regulation makes it safe:

"The company hasn't yet determined when it will launch the as-yet unnamed site but expects to finalize operational plans within the next several months, said David Friedman, assistant to the board chairman of Las Vegas Sands Inc., The Venetian's parent company.

"An Internet gaming license in Alderney provides Venetian Interactive with some of the highest regulatory standards and controls in the industry, which supports our goal of providing a user-friendly gaming and entertainment experience in a totally secure and trusted environment," Richard Depew, chief executive officer of Venetian Interactive, said in a statement.

The company decided to apply for a license with Alderney regulators because the island has developed stringent regulations that are in harmony with federal and Nevada laws relating to Internet gambling, Venetian spokesman Kurt Ouchida said"

...

The Venetian is controlled by businessman Sheldon Adelson.

Adelson's Venetian Interactive is only the second major Las Vegas company to introduce an Internet casino.

...

Last fall, MGM MIRAGE, introduced an Isle of Man-based Internet gambling site for U.K . and European bettors ..."


http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2003...ernet-gamblin/

Clearly, something has changed the Venetian's mind on the topic since then.
Thank you.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-07-2014 , 05:38 PM
Found this in an SEC financial filing from ~2004...

This notes a figure at this time of "$1.3 million in development costs of an Internet gaming site."

Quote:
Internet Gaming and Other New Business

The Company is actively pursuing the possibility of developing and operating an Internet gaming site and is currently exploring other business opportunities for expansion and the possibility of operating casino resorts in certain foreign jurisdictions, including in the United Kingdom. The Company has hired consultants to assist it in exploring gaming opportunities in the United Kingdom. The Company has entered into agreements in principle subject to the successful negotiation of final documentation with two prominent football clubs in the United Kingdom to build entertainment and gaming facilities. During March 2003, a subsidiary of the Company received an interactive gaming license and an electronic betting center license from the Alderney Gambling Control Commission but has not yet established any operations. Alderney is part of the Channel Islands located between Great Britain and France. Alderney is a self-governing member of the British Commonwealth. The Company’s Internet and other projects are in developmental or exploratory stages and there can be no assurance that any of these ventures will prove to be attractive opportunities, or that if implemented they will be successful. The Company intends to continue to explore similar new business opportunities.

...

The Company is assessing the feasibility of, and developing, an Internet gaming site. Through December 31, 2003, the Company had invested $1.3 million in development costs of an Internet gaming site. The Company received an interactive gaming license and an electronic betting center license from the Alderney Gambling Control Commission during March 2003, but has not yet established any operations. The Company has entered into agreements in principle subject to the successful negotiation of final documentation with two prominent football clubs in the United Kingdom to build entertainment and gaming facilities.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-08-2014 , 10:47 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willyoman
Found this in an SEC financial filing from ~2004
Nice find. Could be used to show Adelson is a hypocrite or he might just claim that he used that investment to do research which helped him understand the social cost of internet gambling. Could be something. Could be nothing.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-08-2014 , 10:52 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrMickHead
Nice find. Could be used to show Adelson is a hypocrite or he might just claim that he used that investment to do research which helped him understand the social cost of internet gambling. Could be something. Could be nothing.
Thanks and agreed.

I think it's absolutely nothing at this point.

Just a very minor footnote that's easily defensible, just like you said.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote
04-08-2014 , 11:25 AM
In politics, all such items are useful.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson escalates effort to ban online poker & online casino gaming Quote

      
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