AGA drops support for online gambling

The American Gaming Association has dropped its support for legalizing online gambling in the U.S., citing a nasty split among the major casino operators over the issue, according to a story yesterday in the Wall Street Journal.
Geoff Freeman, chief executive of the AGA, told the Journal’s Kate O’Keeffe that the disagreement among casinos has made online gambling “an issue that the association cannot lead on,” so it has withdrawn from the fight.
Sheldon Adelson, CEO of Las Vegas Sands, has been the most outspoken critic of online gambling, spending his own funds to lobby against it. Major casino companies MGM International and Caesars Entertainment, which operates an online casino in New Jersey, are two of the largest proponents.
Outside the United States, online gambling generates over $35 billion in revenue, according to reports.
Currently, only three states, Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware, have online gaming, but Pennsylvania, New York and perhaps several others are giving it serious consideration.