Senators Send Anti-Online Gambling Letter To Attorney General

Three US senators have sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Justice (DoJ) seeking support for the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA), which aims to reinstate the pre-2011 interpretation of the Federal Wire Act of 1961. Currently, the Act has been revised to permit all types of online gambling, except sporting betting, but senators Lindsey Graham (R), Diane Feinstein (D) (photo) and Kelly Ayotte (R) not only want to see all internet gambling illegal in the USA, but also to pull the plug on the three states already with regulated industries, namely Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey.
Interestingly, the three senators had previously shown little appetite for the whole regulated iGaming debate, but surprisingly have now come out firmly in favour of a blanket ban on the issue, even striking an alarmist tone in their letter. In fact, Graham, Feinstein and Ayotte suddenly seem to have adopted a tone remarkably similar to that of Sheldon Adelson, warning of a the dangers of money laundering and the targeting of vulnerable individuals as criminal elements gain access to households across the United States. As a part of their letter, states:
“Left on its own, the DoJ opinion could usher in the most fundamental change in gambling in our lifetimes by turning every smart phone, tablet, and personal computer in our country into a casino available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We note that a number of states are now considering authorizing Internet gambling, which poses a significant threat to states that have banned or limited gambling.”
Needless to say, many see Adelson’s hands behind the latest swipe against online gambling, as the billionaire has already spent $460,000 this year alone lobbying against iGaming, which he has termed “fool’s gold” and “a threat to our society.”
Lindsey Graham, for instance, is believed to have received $20,000 from Adelson and his supporters by way of campaign contributions, while Kelly Ayotte’s greater federal government control on the issue seems to fly in the face of her Tea Party beliefs. Finally, Diane Feinstein’s stance is perhaps the strangest of all as Californian’s have generally shown themselves to be in favour of regulated online gambling.