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With passage of a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill necessary to pass in Congress in the coming days, some media reports suggest that casino magnate and GOP mega donor Sheldon Adelson intends to have his online gambling prohibition inserted as part of that “must pass” legislation.
The Huffington Post, among other news organizations, contend that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, may be preparing to allow Adelson’s measure to be tacked onto the spending bill in return for the billionaire’s support of Reid back home in the 2016 Nevada Senate campaign. Well, that support (if you want to call it that) would come in the form of Adelson reframing from offering the Republican candidate a significant donation.
As it turns out, the House might be where Adelson’s bill stalls.
Seven sources on Capitol Hill and in the gaming industry told the Las Vegas Review Journal that House Speaker John Boehner has turned thumbs down on provisions sought by Adelson. Boehner even went as far as to call Adelson personally, according to two of those sources. His decision comes after a group of conservatives claimed such a measure would violate states’ rights. Croups opposed to Adelson's measure included the likes of American Conservative Union, Americans for Tax Reform, and the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
House leaders “weighed it and it’s unlikely they will do it in lame duck but we don’t see Adelson stopping pushing this,” said a lobbyist who asked not to be identified.
House leaders “are not excited to throw something into a lame-duck bill that might incite some rebellion by a faction of the party,” said one source who added a caution: “But weirder things have happened, and until they adjourn, people are going to be pretty vigilant” for possible end runs.
Lobbyists for Adelson continued to meet with aides to Boehner, and also with Reid, according to the LVRJ report.
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
