Anti-Online Gambling Former Mayor Comes Out Swinging

The former Mayor of the US city of Denver has come out with an op-ed piece in the Denver Post, wherein the politician and Sheldon Adelson ally claimed that internet gambling would cost Americans jobs.

The piece was written by former Mayor of Denver Wellington Web, who claims that online gambling would target low income areas and be dangerous as it would provide easy access for underage players. Additionally, Webb goes on to state that the legalization of online gambling would cost American jobs, all without providing any evidence for his claims.

"While it's dressed up as fun and easy - full of color and action - Internet gambling ends up destroying lives, and our most vulnerable citizens become ensnared. It presents a nightmare scenario for parents already fending off graphic materials, predators roaming the Internet, and other illegal or inappropriate content," Webb wrote.

Casino Listings readers will recall that Mayor Webb was hired by gambling magnate Sheldon Adelson to help push through his anti-online gambling agenda. Adelson wants to have the 1961 Wire Act amended to include online gambling, but faces an uphill fight as several states are passing their own legislation to legalize the act within their borders. Other politicians on Adelson's payroll include Blanche Lincoln and former New York Governor George Pataki.

Webb goes on to state that Congress needs "...act now to restore the long-standing interpretation of the Wire Act, and put up a firewall to guard against the offshore illegal Internet casinos that are up and running already."

Webb goes on to end his piece by saying: "Law enforcement lacks the tools to crack down on these rogue operators, often controlled by criminal enterprises. Given this momentum, we must act now. Otherwise, Internet gambling will be unleashed nationwide."