Federal online gambling ban is job-killing

[vixen777]

HUFFINGTON POST SOURCE

The chatter on the Hill is that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is considering a federal ban on state-regulated online gambling.

That’s despite a lack of any public support for such a ban, concerted pushback from states’ rights advocates, and overwhelming opposition from the National Governors Association.

Banning states from making their own choices on regulated online gambling is a terrible idea that represents federal politics at its very worst.

A ban would kill jobs and lead to tax increases
New Jersey has realized over $80 million in tax revenue in the last three years from regulated online gambling. Regulation has created or supported some 3,300 new jobs in the state.

The flagging casino industry in Atlantic City has been resuscitated by the introduction of online play. As the Associated Press recently reported:
“There’s no longer much of a debate about it: Internet gambling is helping to save Atlantic City’s casinos.”

Pennsylvania is one of a half-dozen other states looking to regulation to solve budget gaps without raising taxes.
The Keystone State is set to take in nearly a half a billion dollars in revenue over the next five years through legalizing online casino and poker.

Any move by the federal government to tamp down on this dynamic industry would:

- Immediately threaten thousands of high-quality American jobs.

- Stop the creation of tens of thousands of additional jobs across America.

- Leave states with little choice but to take the economy-killing step of raising personal or business taxes to close budget gaps.

A ban would erode consumer safety while fueling threats to American security
Americans will gamble online regardless of what the federal government does.

A simple Google search for “online casino” reveals the hundreds of offshore casinos, poker sites, and Sportsbooks happily - and illegally - allowing Americans in all 50 states to bet with their credit cards.

State-regulated online gambling in New Jersey has been a resounding success story in terms of providing safeguards, responsible gaming tools, and other key protections to those consumers.

Without regulated sites, consumers are left to play at illegal offshore gambling sites that may funnel money to criminal organizations and national security threats.

A federal ban on regulated online gambling would be a tremendous loss for consumers and states.

It would be a massive victory for the illegal, offshore betting industry, which has no interest in competing with state-regulated sites.

 

[dani3839]

hopefully this does not pass!!! it is totally crazy!!

 

[sorcer3ss]

Yes that's for sure, thanks vixen

 

[twobears]

Efforts to enact a federal online gambling ban are believed to largely be the work of Adelson. But attempts to pass such legislation have languished in Congress, gaining only modest support in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
With RAWA unable to gain traction, the supporters of a federal ban started looking for an alternative path to achieve their agenda. They turned their attention to the 2011 OLC opinion.
Sessions could reverse this opinion in much the same way it happened in 2011: through the Department of Justice at the behest of the attorney general.
But this would require an attorney general willing to take some heat, since overturning the decision would almost certainly lead to a legal battle, which even Sessions may have doubts the government could win. Such reversals are also exceedingly rare.
At his confirmation hearing, Sessions said he was “shocked at the memorandum” and would revisit it. But he also noted that even though he may not agree with it, the OLC opinion is likely on solid legal ground.
“Apparently there is some justification or argument that can be made to support the Department of Justice’s position,” Sessions said.
Scholars and lawyers who have looked into the matter agree: The OLC opinion is the correct interpretation of the law. Courts, in the couple of cases that have come before them, also agree. (See, for instance, In re Mastercard International Inc., 2002, United States Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit; U.S. v. Lyons, 2014, United States Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit.)
In the end, an attempt to overturn the 2011 OLC opinion could bring some closure to this debate. But it’s unlikely to turn out the way Adelson and online gambling ban proponents hope.

 

[CareyG]

That sounds a lot better twobears!!

 

[vixen777]

We all need to be on the look out and voting so this does not happen