Sheldon Adelson / Venetian backing PA effort to criminalize playing online poker

[TheEngineer]

Sheldon Adelson & Venetian / Las Vegas Sands are in full support of a Pennsylvania scheme to criminalize playing online ‪‎poker‬: www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/PA_lawmaker_seeks_to_penalize_online_gaming.html

As Pennsylvania studies the potential of legalizing online gambling, state Rep. Mario Scavello wants to set up a road block to web-based wagering.

The Monroe County Republican on Tuesday outlined a plan to penalize people who gamble online, which is illegal but not punishable in Pennsylvania. Scavello believes online gaming poses a threat to children who could easily find the sites and especially dangerous to problem gamblers who could go all-in and lose from the comfort of their living rooms.

The Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling voiced immediate support for Scavello’s proposal, pointing to a recent Quinnipiac University poll that found 62 percent of Pennsylvania voters oppose the legalization of online gambling.

The national co-chairpersons — former New York Gov. George Pataki, former Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln and former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb — released a joint statement that called criminalizing online gambling “a step in the right direction.”

“We call on the Pennsylvania Legislature to vote in favor of this bill and send a powerful message that online gaming has no place in American society,” they said.

[backdoorb]

What implications do you think his has for Pennsylvania residents making an income from online poker?

[TheEngineer]

If it were to pass, players could feasibly be arrested. Hopefully that would be as unlikely as it's been in Washington state, where there have been no arrests. However, it could impact things like child custody cases and issues of explaining one's employment. Authorities and judges would treat it as a decision made by the state.

Passage would also, obviously, halt progress toward licensed poker in Pennsylvania.

On the other hand, the threat does offer press coverage of the matter. It also gives the poker community a platform from which to advocate for our position.

[lvpkr1009]

I find it hard to believe there will be any traction on this bill. Now that party has thrown it's hat in the ring sponsoring the 76ers and obviously wanting to make a push in Pennsylvania they will not just lay down. Of course theres buzz that the 76ers want to move to Newark anyways so that point could be moot. Pennsylvania falls into basically two parts Pittsburgh and Philly. Both cities lean left and both have gambling roots and footholds as it is, so I find it hard to believe they could get a lot of support for this.

[TheEngineer]

Besides Scavello, PA State Rep. Mike Tobash proudly announced his support in his newsletter.

Since then, the poker community inundated Rep. Scavello and Rep. Tobash’s Facebook pages with their thoughts on why this is a bad idea. Rep. Scavello, to his credit, apparently gave this serious thought and replied on Facebook with the following statement:

Good morning all! I believe I have given everyone an equal opportunity to vent...Some have polite some have been down right nasty. I have made my notes. The Pa Senate is in the process of doing a complete study of all types of gaming which includes online gaming.

I will hold off pushing my legislation until the study is complete. If anyone of you would like to stay in touch and communicate in a rational way about this issue send me an e-mail at mscavell@pahousegop.com. I will leave these posts on for another day....."

While Reps. Scavello and Tobash have certainly not become poker supporters, this is certainly welcome news for the Pennsylvania poker community.

[Dan Druff]

Besides Scavello, PA State Rep. Mike Tobash proudly announced his support in his newsletter.

Since then, the poker community inundated Rep. Scavello and Rep. Tobash’s Facebook pages with their thoughts on why this is a bad idea. Rep. Scavello, to his credit, apparently gave this serious thought and replied on Facebook with the following statement:

Good morning all! I believe I have given everyone an equal opportunity to vent...Some have polite some have been down right nasty. I have made my notes. The Pa Senate is in the process of doing a complete study of all types of gaming which includes online gaming.

I will hold off pushing my legislation until the study is complete. If anyone of you would like to stay in touch and communicate in a rational way about this issue send me an e-mail at mscavell@pahousegop.com. I will leave these posts on for another day....."

While Reps. Scavello and Tobash have certainly not become poker supporters, this is certainly welcome news for the Pennsylvania poker community.

That's good to see. Definitely not common for politicians to do an about-face (or even consider it) on things like this. I guess state reps are more open to public suggestion than "higher" elected officials such as Congressmen and US Senators.

Thanks for posting these updates here.