November’s American mid-term elections are widely expected to produce substantial changes in the composition of the Senate and the House of Representatives, but anyone expecting positive change in federal online gaming law is bound to be disappointed. That’s the message being put out by eGamingBrokerage.com’s Sue Schneider, who told Mississippi’s SunHerald.com that the much-anticipated about-face on federal prohibition is “not going to happen in this calendar year”, but she does expect to eventually see policy changes in some of the individual state legislatures.
This message echoes the opinion long held by Calvin Ayre that changes to the American online gaming landscape are infinitely more likely to occur on a state-by-state basis than at the federal level. Even then, sportsbetting will not be a part of any such changes due to the strenuous objections of the NFL and other pro leagues. Other notable gaming industry figures have voiced similar views, including Las Vegas lawyer Anthony Cabot and California legal professor I. Nelson Rose. Those expecting favorable changes at the federal level seem to be basing their opinions more on what they wish to see occur, rather than on the realities of the situation.
Speaking of ignoring realities, be sure to check out the SunHerald article’s comments by the Mississippi Gaming Commission’s Larry Gregory, who warns that his state will most definitely not be in the vanguard of states adopting favorable online gaming laws. Gregory believes that online gaming is a ‘complex’ issue — so complex, that he’s under the impression a successful international online gaming site can be effectively run by a staff of as few as five people. We’ll go out on a limb and suggest that other issues that Gregory finds ‘complex’ might include telling his head from his ass.
