Over the weekend, respected poker industry reporter Marco Valerio shared details of legislation reportedly being championed by Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson (pictured) to rid the US of internet gambling. According to Valerio, it’s called the Internet Gambling Control Act and weighs in at a brief three pages.

The legislation addresses the Wire Act’s applicability to the internet, saying, “The term ‘wire communication’ includes the internet, and any activity which involves the use, at least in part, of the internet.” The Wire Act, if you’ll recall, was passed in 1961, long before the invention and adoption of the “series of tubes.” Its focus was primarily on betting over telephone lines.

Adelson’s bill also addresses whether the Wire Act applies to online poker by saying, “The term ‘any sporting event or contest’ includes games in part or predominantly subject to chance, including games in which players compete against each other, and not against any person, entity, or fellow player hosting the game, the outcome of which, over any significant interval, is predominantly determined by the skill of the players, and the purchase of a chance or opportunity to win a lottery or other prize (which opportunity to win is predominantly subject to chance).”

As Valerio put it, the latter clause “is very clearly meant to address online poker and games of skill in general.” In December 2011, just two days before Christmas, the US Department of Justice released an opinion saying the Wire Act only applied to online wagering on sports. That moment spawned the growth of regulated online poker and internet gambling in the US in states like Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware.

The bill also calls for a law enforcement study centered on areas like the potential for use of internet gambling sites for money laundering, the relationship between participation in legal and illegal sites, and the potential use of internet gambling sites for cyber crimes.”

When asked about the possibility of the bill actually gaining traction on Capitol Hill, Valerio replied, “I have no idea, but I don’t think so. But, it’s never good to get complacent.” Adelson has previously stated that he’ll spend “whatever it takes” to amend the Wire Act.

In December, Las Vegas Sands Vice President of Government Relations and Community Development Andrew Abboud testified in front of a House Subcommittee and called for a ban on internet gambling in the US. In response, the Subcommittee’s Ranking Member called him “a little bit hypocritical” since the Venetian promotes mobile sports betting on property.

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