Billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson does not like online poker; he does not like online slots; and he does not like mobile sports betting. Adelson has long been of the belief that online gambling will somehow siphon business from his lan-based casinos and the very idea of regulated online gambling in the United States keeps the poor billionaire awake at night.
This is something that must be remembered whenever a member of Congress, whether it be the Senate or the House of Representatives, introduces any piece of anti-online poker or slots legislation. Almost without exception, the member of Congress who introduces that bill is bought and paid for by Adelson in the form of campaign contributions.
That appears to be the case with S. 3322, a piece of legislation recently introduced by Adelson acolyte and conspiracy theorist, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas). Cotton’s bill would require the US Treasury to both create a report on the use of cartoon-like characters in online slots sites, as well as information about how those sites are complying with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
The bill would also require a similar report from the Federal Trade Commission on the use of cartoon-like characters on online slots.
Cotton’s stated purpose for the bill is as follows, “To prevent the unlawful use of financial instruments in the United States for online slot machines, lotteries, table games, and similar offerings, including games and applications that are deceptively marketed or designed to be attractive to children, and for other purposes.” This is probably because “Adelson wants me to,” is a bit blunt for the official record.
Cotton frequently goes to bat for Adelson’s interests but, so far, hasn’t been successful in stopping the spread of online gambling in the United State.