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Online Gambling Becoming a CatfightOK, I want a clean fight. No blows below the belt, and most of all no hair pulling!

There is a battle going on in our government that is as divided as the Jets and the Sharks – the battle over the continuation of legalized online gambling on one side and the abolishment of it on the other.

Now the disagreement has escalated so much that some Vegas companies are stepping in and providing more than just their two cents, but the full weight of their pocketbooks. According to VegasINC, “The proposed ban, contained in a measure championed by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), has helped trigger hundreds of thousands of dollars in spending from the gaming industry. One side, led by Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson, is in favor of the prohibition. Others, including Caesars Entertainment, are fiercely opposed.”

So where will this likely end? It was only in 2013 that online gambling was legalized in Delaware and New Jersey, while Nevada legalized online poker. Govtrack.us, a website that monitors congressional actions, “Gives the Senate bill a 1% chance of being enacted and its House counterpart an 8% chance.” Tom Russell, director of the Coalition for Consumer and Online Protection told VegasINC, “That a ban wouldn’t prevent people from gambling online.” He said, “There are places where online gaming is illegal and people just use risky unregulated sites instead.”

So what’s the big deal? Well, two of the biggest concerns are the loss of good jobs and the plausibility of underage gambling. A representative from the FBI cautioned the government what could happen if online gambling continues…a rise in money laundering and more preying on the vulnerable.

So what is going to come of this? For now, nothing as the House and Senate are on summer recess. When they come back to session, we shall see. Cue the Rocky music!

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