US Hearing On Internet Poker Yields Balanced Debate

This story was published more than 10 years ago.

A hearing held yesterday in the US Congress to debate the merits of legalizing online poker in the United States saw a balanced debate by both those in favor and against legalizing online betting on a federal level.

The debate brought both sides of the argument to the Congressional Committee overseeing the hearing, with the highlight being a Congress member questioning whether betting magnate Sheldon Adelson was being hypocritical in his opposition to online gambling.

The key exchange happened when the senior committee member asked Adelson employee Andrew Abboud whether or not his boss was being hypocritical in his opposition to online gambling, seeing as how the Las Vegas Sands Venetian (Adelson's Vegas casino property) showcases a mobile sportsbetting app that allows for wagers to be placed anywhere within the state of Nevada.

Abboud went on to point out that land casino owners have invested billions of dollars in their facilities, which led many observers to opine that they feel Adelson and Las Vegas Sands are afraid of the competition online poker would bring.

Other opponents came to the forefront in their arguments against online poker, including Stop Predatory Gambling National Director Les Bernal, and Professors Kurt Eggert and Rachel Volberg, who all expressed their worries over legalizing online gambling in the US.

On the side of legalizing online gambling, US Representative Joe Barton, American Gaming Association Geoff Freeman, and American Gaming Association Executive Director John Pappas all voiced support for the act, making a point of the positives that regulation would bring.

A video of the full hearing has been posted online and can be viewed below:

About the author

Dustin Jermalowicz // News Editor
Dustin Jermalowicz
Dustin has a long-standing passion for gambling. He has been writing professionally on the subject and breaking industry news for Casino Listings since 2011. His favorite casino games include Blackjack, Poker, and Hi/Lo. A proud native of Detroit, Dustin currently lives in Michigan.