Florida Governor states his opposition to online gambling

The Miami Herald reports that whilst Scott is currently mulling the expansion of land gambling in Florida through the Seminole Tribe, he apparently takes an opposite view when it comes to internet gambling.

This week Scott wrote to US Congressional leaders in the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, urging them to reinstate the Wire Act, through legislation which seeks to ban most forms of internet gambling…including state lotteries.

The three-page letter claims:“Allowing Internet gaming to invade the homes of every American family, and be piped into our dens, our living rooms, our workplaces, and even our kids’ bedrooms and dorm rooms is a major decision. We must carefully examine the short and long-term social and economic consequences before Internet gambling spreads.”

Florida’s governor urged Congress to ‘step in now and call a time-out’ by restoring the1961 Wire Act, which in a policy change in December 2011, the US Department of Justice said applied only to online sportsbetting.

The Herald notes that Adelson is a major Republican Party donor and asked Scott to write the letter as part of his nationwide campaign to persuade federal politicians to institute a ban.

Along with three other presidential hopefuls, Scott was recently in Las Vegas for consideration before political funding is made available, according to widespread US press reports.

Read a full copy of Scott’s letter here:  http://miamiherald.typepad.com/files/internet-gaming-letter.pdf