The Real Reason Online Poker is Not Regulated in America

For many, the rational though as to why online gambling is still not legal in the United States is because of moral issues. With centuries of the government telling us what we can and can't do, it's only natural to think the same when it comes to online gambling. This is after all, the main rhetoric we hear when politicians speak out against online gambling and gambling in general. They fear it will wreck families and destroy cities. granted, gambling is not for everyone, and it does have its downside. But, this is not the real reason politicians don't want to legalize online gambling. Over the years, we have seen a few speak out more than others against online gambling. One of the main opponents is a man named Sheldon Adelson. Adelson is a casino mogul who owns a casino. Think about that. A casino mogul, who owns a casino and is getting rich off gamblers does not want online gambling. So much so, that he has dumped millions in to the fight against it. When we look at many of the bills being introduced to legislation, the main roadblocks, and amendments concern the states casinos. Which ones will have the ability to own an online casino, how much will they make, etc…. In California, a bill was shut down because the Indian Tribes feared the race tracks would monopolize online gambling and they would lose money. The same held true in Pennsylvania when an original bill was shot down, but later passed once amendments were made as to where local slot machines would be added. In short, we can see that the real reason for moving slowly with regulating online gambling is not for moral reasons. It's not so politicians can do what's best for “Us”. It's simply because they need to figure out who is going to get the money. If a casino owner fears another casino will earn more if they have online gambling available, they will not allow that to happen. And believe me, these casino owners have their money in many politician's pockets. This is fact, not opinion. So, the next time you hear someone say that online gambling will destroy families and communities, understand that this is code for – We need to figure out who stands to make the money off online gambling.