Adelson Crony Push to Ban Internet Gambling a Threat to Gun Owners
Casino billionaire and GOP mega donor Sheldon Adelson’s attempt to pass legislation that would ban most forms of Internet gambling in the U.S. continues to not only frustrate proponents of regulated Web gambling, but has also managed to anger the far right.
The latest party to express dismay over Adelson’s efforts just happens to be among the most highly regarded within the GOP.
RedState.com, the most widely read right of center site on Capitol Hill, blasted Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA) as a not-so-subtle form of cronyism noting that “Rather than laugh him (Adelson) out of their congressional offices, a handful of GOP members, led by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)69% (R-UT) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)47% (R-SC), are carrying the Vegas casino kingpins’ water. “Their legislation, which Chaffetz reintroduced last week and Graham intends to drop shortly, creates a dangerous precedent for both Internet freedom and the Constitution.”
RedState.com warns that, should RAWA pass, it would set a dangerous precedent that could ultimately interfere with one’s Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
From RedState.com:
For over a decade, anti-gunners have attempted to outlaw certain pro-gun websites on the Internet. Sen. Chuck Schumer (R-NY) and others attacked the Internet as the “wild west” and demanded websites like Gunbroker.com be outlawed, despite the fact they meet every requirement of federal law relating to firearms sales. The latest iteration of the Internet gun ban was included in the recent anti-gun Manchin-Toomey scheme. Efforts by Las Vegas gambling king Sheldon Adelson to prevent states from legalizing online gaming could easily open the door to the further government restrictions on the Internet, including Schumer’s efforts to outlaw websites he disdains.
Mr. Adelson is in a panic over states legalizing online gambling, thinking it will financially damage his brick and mortar casinos. He is funding a multi-million dollar campaign to have Congress overturn the decisions of at least three states making online gambling legal. In short, Adelson is seeking to trample on the Tenth Amendment to regulate the Internet to outlaw his potential competition.
RedState.com also noted that Chaffetz last week condemned the Internet as the “wild west” — the same language the anti-gunners use to condemn Internet pro-gun websites.
Dan Schneider, the Executive Director of American Conservative Union recently noted, “Conservatives don’t have to agree on the value of gambling, but we should agree that it is unwise to use the brute force of the federal government to try to stop states from making their own decisions on this activity, especially if the reason for this action is to support gambling entrepreneurs in Las Vegas. Unfortunately for them, what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas; it should be up to the states to determine if they want to reject or accept Vegas.”
A handful of conservative and libertarian groups have come out against RAWA, a piece of legislation that failed to gain any muster last year despite Adelson spending millions on ads and lobbying efforts.
- Alejandro Botticelli, Gambling911.com
