Sheldon Adelson confirmed as a keynote speaker for the annual Global Gaming Expo (G2E), along with Wynn Resorts Ltd Chairman Steve Wynn, in what could turn out to be a rather interesting volley aimed at the online gambling industry.
Sheldon Adelson has the perfect stage from which to pour forth his scorn on the online gambling industry after being confirmed as a keynote speaker for the forthcoming Global Gaming Expo (G2E).
Not that it should come as much of a surprise. The annual event is held in his own backyard – The Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas – and to give it a much greater nepotistic feel, the Chairman of Wynn Resorts Ltd, Steve Wynn, will also be speaking, and the American Gaming Association (AGA) is also one of the organizers of the event.
Adelson created the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling (CSIG) back in November, in a bid to keep the world’s gambling money in his own brick and mortar world. Since creating the faction, Adelson, his family and the Las Vegas Sands Corporation have invested $460,000 into political lobbying, amongst which is the urge to push the Restoration of America’s Wire Act through the halls of power.
If you hate online gambling, or love it, and have some rotten fruit at your disposal, then the soon-to-be 81-year old will be hobbling onto the stage in the Titian Ballroom 11am-12 noon, Thursday Oct 2.
The other star of the show will be Steve Wynn. A man who was perilously close to hooking up with a pre Black Friday PokerStars, and whose digital division applied for a transactional waiver to get stuck into the New Jersey online gambling market, in a relationship with 888 Holdings All American Poker Network (AAPN), before Adelson grabbed him by the sideburns.
The man who once called Barack Obama an ‘asshole’ (you can blame George Clooney for that quote), will take the stage in the Titian Ballroom 4.30pm – 5.30pm, Tuesday, Sep 30.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) are one of the key event organizers, and you can find Geoff Freeman on YouTube talking about how wonderful it is to be the Prez and CEO of the mighty outfit.
When asked how the AGA would evolve under his leadership Freeman said that moving forward they would be incredibly active ‘facilitating growth in the industry,’ that they would be busy ‘removing barriers;’ figuring out ‘how to help the industry grow, attract new customers, removing legislation that is over burdensome,’ and that the business was all about ‘innovation.’
Quite strange then, that the AGA has reversed its decision to put it’s weight behind the American online gambling movement to one of standing idle on the matter. Particularly, when you consider the innovation and new customer base that is currently being shut out because of the tightening umbilical chord of ‘over burdensome legislation.’
And why the change of heart?
Oh yeah, that’s right, Mr. Adelson threatened to withdraw his AGA membership, and keep his hands tightly in his trouser pockets.
Looking at the Monty Python side of life we do have the man of the moment David Baazov to shout out the virtues of online gambling. The CEO of Amaya Gaming, and now chieftain in charge of the biggest online poker tank in the world, will be taking center stage to try and take a more Rational approach to all things cyber based.
Just make sure you take your own food and water David.
