Sheldon Adelson, CEO of Las Vegas Sands, took a big swing today with his editorial in Forbes – and completely missed the ball. It was a whiff of epic proportions. His position – that online poker and online casino-style gaming should be banned across the U.S. – ignores all of the available data that proves that internet gaming can be effectively and safely regulated and already is in many jurisdictions throughout the world. It seems that, despite his claims to the contrary, Mr. Adelson does seek to restrict competition and that this is about business. He does not wish to compete with others in the online space and, even worse, he wishes to deprive consumers of having that option.

In his column, he makes certain claims as if they were fact. However, there is no evidence whatsoever that the introduction of an online gaming regime would negatively affect the offline casino industry. The financial data shows quite the opposite. In the United Kingdom, where online gaming is not tied to the land-based industry and has become a multi-billion dollar industry, the brick-and-mortar industry has shown strong year on year growth. The gross gaming yield of the offline casino industry has risen from £597.7 million in 2001 to £803.4 million in 2011.

Mr. Adelson should also know that consumer protections, especially for underage and problem gamblers, are far greater in a controlled online environment where every wager and every customer are tracked in real-time. Compare that to the live casino experience, where throngs of people – of all ages – enter and leave a casino and wager unlimited dollars on a variety of games without ever even needing to identify themselves.

Today’s level of consumer protections online is far superior to what is available in the live setting. If there really were a need to protect ourselves from what Mr. Adelson (pictured) deems a “societal train wreck,” then every American would still be better served through regulation than this certain-to-fail prohibitionist scheme that relies on us putting our collective heads in the sand.

Like it or not, internet poker is here to stay. States are already regulating it and, in Nevada, people are already playing on an authorized site. Responsible members of the gaming community and reasoned state and federal lawmakers want it licensed and regulated. Sadly, there are still a few people who, like Mr. Adelson, think prohibition equals a solution. Prohibition does not solve problems. Prohibition creates problems.

Times are changing. It is time for Sheldon Adelson and his company to move forward or be left behind.

John A. Pappas is the executive director of the Poker Players Alliance. Connect with the PPA via theppa.org, twitter.com/ppapoker, and facebook.com/theppa