A group of political and industry heavyweights have come together to create an organization that aims to combat the anti-online gambling crusade being waged by billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson.

The Coalition for Consumer and Online Protection (C4COP) was created in direct response to Adelson’s campaign and will push for online gaming regulation as a means to safeguard online gamblers from the dangers of offshore sites that operate outside of US law.

The newly founded coalition has hired a crack team of well-known politicians and political operatives to ensure its message is heard. Former Rep. Mike Oxley (R-Ohio) will serve as the spokesman of the group, while Democratic adviser Jim Messina and former Rep. Mary Bono (R-Calif.) have signed on as consultants.

C4COP’s advisers will go toe to toe with Adelson’s own bipartisan dream team, which includes former Republican Gov. George Pataki, former Democratic Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln, and Wellington Webb, the former mayor of Denver.

That organization, dubbed the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling (CSIG), has wasted no time in making noise in the media since being founded by Adelson in January. In response, C4COP will begin running pro-online gambling ads aimed at the Washington DC and Nevada markets. It has also commissioned a poll of its own, which found that 74% of voters prefer state-by-state legalization compared to a nationwide ban.

Adelson remains a dangerous opponent due to his propensity to spend lavish amounts of cash towards causes he favors. “In my 15 years of working with him, I don’t think I have ever seen him this passionate about any issue,” said Andy Abboud (pictured), Adelson’s top political adviser.

“He is using that, and he is going to use that, and we have to argue the facts on our side,” MGM’sAlan Feldman told Politico. “He’s not making a secret of his positions. We shouldn’t be secretive about ours.”

C4COP’s new website makes those positions clear, arguing that a ban on i-gaming will have a severely negative effect on society in a variety of ways. “With its prohibition on consumer protections or regulation, a ban on internet gaming would allow [the]black market to keep growing,” it argues. “Prohibition won’t stop Americans from playing online games, it will just make those games less safe.”

Furthermore, the organization believes that an online gaming ban would be a “slap in the face” to states like Delaware, New Jersey, and Nevada, along with other states with online lotteries to meet consumer demand. “These responsible programs are regulated to ensure safety and provide revenue to fund priorities like education and health care.”

Bono believes that trying to squash online gambling is a futile exercise. “I try to compare it to the similarities we witnessed the film and television and music industries go through,” she said. “I think the lessons we’ve learned now is it’s impossible to stand in the way of the internet and it’s best to embrace it and try to shape it.”

John Pappas, Executive Director of the Poker Players Alliance, believes that i-gaming regulation is unsustainable in the long-run and that Adelson’s huge donations can carry too much weight with lawmakers. “The concern is that a lot of money can buy you traction, and Adelson has a lot of money,” he said.

“They are trying to deliver a message that misrepresents the issue, and for those of us who have been following this issue for a long time, we see through the blatant hypocrisy and misrepresentation. The average American may not be familiar with this issue at all and can be taken by some of the PR push that they are making.”

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