RAWA hearing criticized by PPA, anti-igaming claims get airing

For John Pappas however, the hearing “was about one thing — checking the box to advance Mr. Adelson's bill," he told Pokernews.com. "While the PPA has always encouraged a national discussion on the value of regulating online gambling, constructing a hearing at the behest of a political donor is an unfortunate waste of everyone's time. This bill should die today, so members of the Committee can focus on more pressing matters, and not on legislation that will deny states the ability to protect its citizens."

RAWA would ban all forms of igaming in the US and is financed by casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. The hearing saw a range of opponents of online gambling and cyber safety and pro-state rights spokespeople provide their take on the sector.

Long time critic of gambling John Kindt said online gaming was ‘the crack cocaine of gambling’ and quoted from the Adelson-financed advertising clip: “With ease people can "click your phone, lose your home" or ‘click your mouse, lose your house’.”
Les Bernal, national director of Stop Predatory Gambling, claimed that prohibition does work in containing gambling and that there is no evidence illegal gambling decreases due to state-sponsored gambling, while US Assistant Attorney Michael Fagan said there were reports that internet gambling was being used to finance terrorism.

However Parry Aftab, executive director cyber safety advice group WiredSafety, recognised that regulation of online gambling would better protect American consumers, families and problem gamblers; while Andrew Moylan, executive director of R Street Institute, said he opposed RAWA for overstepping state rights.

Kindt and Fagan put forward their view that online gaming could not be regulated in a safe and efficient manner while Aftab said there was in fact evidence that the well-constructed regulation of online gambling does work around the world and is working effectively in the US in New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware.

She added that WiredSafety had surveyed regulators in these three states after nearly two years of online gambling regulation and operations. "The verdict is in — with the exception of a handful of incidents which were quickly addressed, all stakeholders are safer and minors are being locked out of online gambling sites," Aftab said. "It is much easier for them to get fake IDs and wander into a brick-and-mortar casino than get past the levels of age-gating used by online casinos. If you can't prove that you are an adult, the site is closed to you. Period."

For Bernal of R Street Institute, "citizens are not clamoring for these extreme forms of gambling. States, in partnership with commercial gambling operators, are forcing these gambling games onto the public. If not the federal government, who will step in to protect the rights of individuals, your constituents, against these practices by an active, predatory state?"

RAWA is not expected to make it onto the statute book a number of disparate and powerful lobbies oppose it, although Sheldon Adelson has repeatedly said he is prepared “to spend whatever it takes” to prevent the regulation of online gaming in the US.