Gamblers Take Aim at Internet Ban

By NewsFactor Network | November 17, 2006

Casino executives and a poker lobby group said that they hope a change in power brought by the midterm elections will help them overturn an Internet gambling ban rushed through Congress while Republicans were still in control.

MGM Mirage Inc. chief executive Terry Lanni said Wednesday that the measure is “ridiculous” because it was signed into law Oct. 13 as part of a larger port security bill — and because it exempted horse races and lotteries, and online bets placed while on American Indian land.

“It makes no sense whatsoever,” Lanni told gambling industry officials attending the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. “Prohibition didn’t work, this isn’t going to work.”

Later, Lanni said he hoped Congress would commission a study into the effect of online gambling.

“We’re looking even in the lame-duck session to reintroduce this bill with some of our compatriots in the House and Senate to study (Internet) gaming,” said Lanni, who directs the world’s second-largest casino company.

“We think it can be taxed, we think it can be regulated, we think it can be licensed,” Lanni said. “With the new leadership, with the Democrats winning the House and the Senate, we think we’re going to have a much better opportunity to do that.”

Lanni hinted that the promotion of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., to majority leader might help the industry’s cause, but Reid said Wednesday that he opposed Internet gambling.

“I have said on many occasions that I don’t believe in Internet gambling,” Reid said in a meeting with reporters, adding he’d be open to looking at the results of a study on it.

“I know that people say it can be controlled, I just have extreme doubts that it can be. But I’ll be happy to look at the study. I’m not going to turn my head and say never, never.”

The Internet gambling…

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