Poker players and fans can relax…for now. After speculation that anti-online gaming measures might be added to Congress’ must-pass omnibus spending bill this week, it turns out that the coast is clear for the rest of 2014 and nothing having to do with banning online poker is in the bill.
It is no secret that Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson has wanted to ban online gambling in the U.S. for some time now. He was the force behind the Restoration of American’s Wire Act (RAWA) bill which would do just that and he was able to get it introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate by dangling money in front of politicians who would do anything for his support. Adelson has not actually been able to gain much traction, though, and not much, fortunately, has happened with the bill.
The Huffington Post reported over the weekend, though, that Adelson was attempted a last-minute end-around, looking to an unlikely potential partner to try to get his measure passed. HuffPost said that Adelson actually reached out Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D – Nev) to help him out, offering a sort of “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” scenario. But why on earth would Reid, one of the nation’s leading Democratic politicians and a supporter of Nevada’s gambling industry and online gambling, want to play ball with the country’s top Republican financial backer?
Senator Reid is on his way out as Senate Majority Leader since the Republicans gained control of the Senate in the mid-term elections, but he still fully intends to continue his career as a Senator. Up for re-election in 2016, he will likely be going up against Nevada’s Republican Governor Brian Sandoval. Word is that in exchange for Reid’s support in getting RAWA passed, Adelson would simply not shower Sandoval with money during his Senate campaign. Adelson certainly could not publicly support Reid, but by not helping Reid’s opponent, something he would otherwise normally do, Adelson would give Reid’s political career a boost.
At any other time, this would be concerning, but not necessarily outright frightening because, after all, RAWA would still need support from many lawmakers to get through Congress. But the omnibus spending bill HAD to be completed and approved before Thursday to stave off another government shutdown. At the Huffington Post explained, “Given the size and complexity of omnibus bills, they are typically crafted behind closed doors by congressional leaders, who often engage in horse-trading over pet projects until the very last minute. This kind of process is perfect for moving Adelson’s online gaming ban.”
It would have been just like when the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) was passed. Anti-online poker measures were snuck in at the eleventh hour on a must-pass bill. If RAWA had gotten into the omnibus, it would have stayed in there. There was no way that legislators would have wasted time debating over something most of them couldn’t care less about and risk shutting down the government.
So this is most certainly good news, as the worst-case scenario was avoided. This does not mean, however, that RAWA won’t be able to rear its ugly head in 2015. We’ll just have to wait and see.