«Sheldon Adelson Against Online Gambling

The whole Internet is buzzing after Sheldon Adelson’s statement published in Forbes magazine. Sheldon Adelson is a CEO of Las Vegas Sands – a network of hotels and casinos in Las Vegas and Macau. After reviewing his position against online gambling in sharper words Adelson stated that the “click your mouse, lose your house” phrase must not become a marketing mix of online gambling industry, as everything is going down the drain. Basing on his different roles in his life (as a leader of casino gambling, as a father and a grandfather, as America’s “citizen and patriot”) Mr Adelson is “adamantly opposed” to further spread of online gambling which he specified as a toxin, everyone should avoid.

Adelson’s position concerning online gambling became clear in December, 2011, and he was strengthen his conjectures till April, 2012. At that time American Gaming Association informed that Las Vegas Sands was searching for some special way to legalize online poker, but Adelson’s statement in the magazine left no place for such questions: “There is no difference whether it is a multi-faceted online casino or a poker room, or anything alike, it all means a societal train wreck waiting to happen”. In case the American Government is going to approve any of the bills, concerning local gambling business and stipulating for online gambling legalization, Adelson is going to tighten restrains and apply hard coercive measures towards international operators of online gambling, which are still providing their services for American users.

Adelson fights back critics, saying that he is defending his own citadel. He insists that he is not afraid of competing with any casino. Adelson has his own ideas concerning online gambling. Adelson is sure that Las Vegas Sands has always been a worthy competitor to any representative of this sphere.

Sheldon Adelson is more worried about the possible fact that online gambling may lead to “possible death” of classy, land-based casinos, horse race tracks and commercial operators who suffer from a lack of profitable Asian branches, like Las Vegas Sands’ branch in Macau, which is the main source of its profit (That’s why Galaxy Entertainment is intensely expanding in Macau), in connection with absence of online gambling market as such which will not be legalized in the nearest future if it is going to be legalized at all. Adelson quotes: “Recent researches in several European countries” shows 20 percent decrease in visiting to land-based casinos because of online gambling market growth.

In December, 2011 Adelsonfor the first time made his mentions of that European tendency of casinos popularity decline, referring to his conversation with Ron Goudsmit, a European Casino Association representative. However, information, given by Goudsmit, has a quite sporadic character. Adelson asked Goudsmit if he could quantity the casino popularity decline. Goudsmit answered that he didn’t know exactly, so Adelson tried to guess and named 5 percent, 10 percent. Goudsmit stopped at 20 percent.

Apart from mentions of casino popularity decline Adelson is also worried about plague of online gambling, which is going to overtake the society. It even seems unimportant that actual research, held in Great Britain (where gambling got legalized long ago), shows that activity of online gambling have increased by 8 percent since the beginning of the year.

Adelson recommends considering possible scenarios of situation development, when children, used to Internet games, can easily move to wagering from credit cards of their parents. Sheldon Adelson also states that it is impossible to check if online gamblers are betting under the influence of alcohol or drugs, unlike land-based casinos, where gamblers’ behavior can be checked. It is possible to provide safety of gamblers and employees at classical casinos.