Gamblers Hope Dems Will Undo Internet Gambling Ban

The CEO of, um, "brick and mortar" gambling organization MGM Mirage is against the ban.

I never figured the provision was actually corrupt, intended to benefit physical gambling joints; I always figured the more gambling, the easier it was to gamble, the better for them -- hey, more gamblers equal more potential customers.

But it always smelled like a corrupt deal to many. So it was lose-lose-lose all the way home.

MGM Mirage Inc. chief executive Terry Lanni said Wednesday that the measure is "ridiculous" because it was signed into law Oct. 13 as part of a larger port security bill — and because it exempted horse races and lotteries, and online bets placed while on American Indian land.

"It makes no sense whatsoever," Lanni told gambling industry officials attending the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. "Prohibition didn't work, this isn't going to work."

Later, Lanni said he hoped Congress would commission a study into the effect of online gambling.

"We're looking even in the lame-duck session to reintroduce this bill with some of our compatriots in the House and Senate to study (Internet) gaming," said Lanni, who directs the world's second-largest casino company.

"We think it can be taxed, we think it can be regulated, we think it can be licensed," Lanni said. "With the new leadership, with the Democrats winning the House and the Senate, we think we're going to have a much better opportunity to do that."

posted by Ace at 05:25 PM

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