Lotteries a threat to federal Web poker bill?

Oct 3, 2012, 10:16 am (182 comments)

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In the battle for online gambling in cyberspace, Nevada casinos and multiple state lotteries could be close to a showdown — one that will shape the U.S. gaming industry forever.

The lottery, referred to as "the most popular form of gambling in the world" by Illinois Lottery Superintendent Michael Jones, just months ago broke ground on the Web. Jones, who was speaking on a panel at G2E held Monday in Las Vegas, has so far seen about 100,000 people in his state use the Internet to buy tickets.

Lotteries are powerful entities, gaining acceptance from the residents of a state because a large chunk of the money they lose goes to "good causes," as lottery directors say.

In order to generate even greater revenues, lotteries are also eying casino gambling. Some in Illinois want it under the control and supervision of the lotto. In Delaware, which has legalized web gambling, a synergy will be formed between the lotto and the three local casinos. The District of Columbia once had online poker approved under the control of its lotto, but the law was reversed under a cloud of controversy.

On the other side of the aisle are Nevada and California, who have strong casino interests vying for control of the U.S. web poker market. Despite legalizing it for intrastate business, gaming executives in the Silver State want a federal bill. Not surprisingly, Nevada Sen. Harry Reid is behind efforts on Capitol Hill, and he's trying to exclude the lotteries from the game.

In response, the lotteries have talked about lobbying together against a federal bill, according to Scarlet Robinson, an Internet gaming consultant and owner of Rungood Gaming LLC. The lotteries also don't want any legislation to limit games to only poker.

However, unlike the casino giants located in the U.S. pushing for such authorization, state lotteries don't have the lobbying money to oppose a Reid bill with equal force, according to Rick Weil, president of Scientific Games, a maker of lotto systems.

The lotteries' motivation stems from the fear of an aging customer base. The era of Facebook's "social" gaming, as well as a once healthy, but illegal, U.S. web poker industry, has created a fear that younger generations just don't have an interest the lotto.

In an effort to further protect its future, the Illinois lotto will soon launch on mobile devices. The goal is "seductive" front-ends that will one day help replace the baby boomers.

A Nevada casino and a state lotto are now on the cusp of offering similar products.

"The notion that lotteries and casinos are separate industries is outdated," Michael Pollock, managing director of Spectrum Gaming Group, said at the G2E conference.

Once separated by the types of brick-and-mortar joints where the gambling occurred, both will tap into the Internet to appeal to the same demographic.

While lotteries shun web poker run by the feds, some are busy with their own battles on a more local level. In Maryland, the convenient store chain 7-Eleven has "drawn a line in the sand" against Internet lottery tickets, said Stephen Martino, the leader of the state's gambling industry.

According to Martino, Maryland doesn't have a "firm stance" on current federal online gaming efforts, but it wants "states rights" to be preserved. The state recently flirted with the idea of legalizing web casino games for itself.

"States want max profit and more control," Robinson said. "They don't want the feds in gaming."

Nevada, which doesn't have a lottery, also wants power in how it regulates web gambling but only so that its casinos can leverage their exclusive right to intrastate Internet poker by making southern Nevada the hub of a nationwide network. Nevada-based companies also have longstanding relationships with gambling in California and New Jersey.

With widespread Internet lottery sales likely to help escalate jackpots to unprecedented heights, brands will only grow stronger with time. Jones said he envisions a purse reaching $1 billion in the future, which could even attract casino gamblers who wouldn't typically play the lotto.

Card Player

Comments

gocart1's avatargocart1

Wish i could hit the fast forward button to see how this will play out

Littleoldlady's avatarLittleoldlady

Quote: Originally posted by gocart1 on Oct 3, 2012

Wish i could hit the fast forward button to see how this will play out

It will wind up like everything else, the ones who have the most money to promote their side will win.

They need to talk about better games for the players.  Those online poker sites..are sucky at best.

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by Littleoldlady on Oct 3, 2012

It will wind up like everything else, the ones who have the most money to promote their side will win.

They need to talk about better games for the players.  Those online poker sites..are sucky at best.

I Agree!

RedStang's avatarRedStang

This will probably never get solved. Uncle Sam is getting $ from both sides and it would make no sense to favor one side. Nevada should start their own pb/mm game if they lose.

JonnyBgood07's avatarJonnyBgood07

..and the more they dig and dig and root out any competition, you'd better believe the 5 D everyone loves here will be no more...or at least our access to it.

jamella724

Even though Online Gambling is making its way to the top, still a lot of lottery players are playing manually.  They are after the thrill and excitement seeing how their numbers are playing...

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by gocart1 on Oct 3, 2012

Wish i could hit the fast forward button to see how this will play out

The Republican Party platform calls for a ban on all Internet gambling including state lotteries so it depends on who wins the Presidential election next month.

LottoBoner

Quote: Originally posted by Stack47 on Oct 6, 2012

The Republican Party platform calls for a ban on all Internet gambling including state lotteries so it depends on who wins the Presidential election next month.

Thanks Stack, I guess I am now no longer undecided on who to vote for.

As for online poker, i think thats stupid.  How can you trust the computer programs?  Although the same can be said of RNG's i suppose, but i wouldn't trust it.  Good thing New York still has good ole fashioned balls.  But i would really prefer the option of buying tickets online.

If 7-11 is so intent on drawing a line in the sand then maybe they should have some sort of freebie offer for buying in store, such as a BOGO offer.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by Stack47 on Oct 6, 2012

The Republican Party platform calls for a ban on all Internet gambling including state lotteries so it depends on who wins the Presidential election next month.

The Justice Department, through its interpretation of the Wire Act, has already virtually opened the door to internet gambling and it's extremely doubtful with the mess we're in from the current administration that the new administration would waste any time acting on one obscure sentence added to the Platform to assuage a special interest group when Platforms are routinely ignored.

No one swears any oath to uphold or enforce any item in any Platform and very few even pay any attention to it. Dam* few read it or have any idea what's in it. It's largely ceremonial and soon forgotten. Most people know what each party's general principles and core values are and don't have to look up chapter and verse to find out.

And even if it were a looming threat (which it isn't), anybody who would cast their vote to ensure a convenience in lottery playing over the survival of the nation in one of the most dangerous times in world history would have to be a complete imbecile.

LottoBoner

Quote: Originally posted by Stack47 on Oct 6, 2012

The Republican Party platform calls for a ban on all Internet gambling including state lotteries so it depends on who wins the Presidential election next month.

If you are undecided and dont know who to vote for than just think who of the two candidates is the lesser of the two

 

Manchurians.

 

If you are a lottery player,

Vote Democrat

Not repugnikan.

 

Besides the only sane vote is for ron paul.

But the insane establishment would never let a sane man on the ballot.  Who would of thunk?

 

P.S.  With all the turmoil in the Middle East and world wide It seems that Democrats and Republicans cant stop their murderous ways and blood lustRed Devil, but please please, please

 

dont murder Big Bird.Turkey

LottoBoner

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Oct 8, 2012

The Justice Department, through its interpretation of the Wire Act, has already virtually opened the door to internet gambling and it's extremely doubtful with the mess we're in from the current administration that the new administration would waste any time acting on one obscure sentence added to the Platform to assuage a special interest group when Platforms are routinely ignored.

No one swears any oath to uphold or enforce any item in any Platform and very few even pay any attention to it. Dam* few read it or have any idea what's in it. It's largely ceremonial and soon forgotten. Most people know what each party's general principles and core values are and don't have to look up chapter and verse to find out.

And even if it were a looming threat (which it isn't), anybody who would cast their vote to ensure a convenience in lottery playing over the survival of the nation in one of the most dangerous times in world history would have to be a complete imbecile.

Sorry to break it to you Ridge, but there is a slight chance, maybe the odds of winning the PB chance, that you or anybody can do anything to save the nation. 

We dont have enough money.

We dont have enough guns.

We dont have enough love.

And we cant agree on what it takes to even win the lottery.

I know ridge, if you and your conservative cronies had their way they would ban chocolate milk in the cafeterias at school. 

Of course if you were in office they would replace it with Baileys.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by LottoBoner on Oct 8, 2012

Sorry to break it to you Ridge, but there is a slight chance, maybe the odds of winning the PB chance, that you or anybody can do anything to save the nation. 

We dont have enough money.

We dont have enough guns.

We dont have enough love.

And we cant agree on what it takes to even win the lottery.

I know ridge, if you and your conservative cronies had their way they would ban chocolate milk in the cafeterias at school. 

Of course if you were in office they would replace it with Baileys.

"Sorry to break it to you... but there is a slight chance... that you or anybody can do anything to save the nation."

So said King George and all his yeomen.

 

"We dont have enough money. "

Oh, we have plenty of money.

 

"We dont have enough guns."

Oh, we have plenty of guns.

 

"We dont have enough love."

"What's Love Got To Do With It?"

-Tina Turner

 

"And we cant agree on what it takes to even win the lottery."

That don't matter a hill o' beans.

 

"I know ridge, if you and your conservative cronies had their way they would ban chocolate milk in the cafeterias at school."

I can see you don't follow politics after that remark.

Or current events.

The Democrats and Liberals (redundant, I know) have already banned chocolate milk in school cafeterias along with soda and candy.

They are forcing the kids to take vegetables they don't want now with the school lunch and the kids dump them in the garbage.

Now they are installing cameras by the garbage cans to see who is not eating the food that the government has ordered them to eat.

That is the kind of world the Democrats want us to live in.

That is the kind of world that "me and my Conservative Cronies" have always stood against.

 

"Of course if you were in office they would replace it with Baileys."

I'm glad to see that you're not totally without redeeming qualities.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by LottoBoner on Oct 8, 2012

If you are undecided and dont know who to vote for than just think who of the two candidates is the lesser of the two

 

Manchurians.

 

If you are a lottery player,

Vote Democrat

Not repugnikan.

 

Besides the only sane vote is for ron paul.

But the insane establishment would never let a sane man on the ballot.  Who would of thunk?

 

P.S.  With all the turmoil in the Middle East and world wide It seems that Democrats and Republicans cant stop their murderous ways and blood lustRed Devil, but please please, please

 

dont murder Big Bird.Turkey

"...the only sane vote is for ron paul."

You said "sane" and "Ron Paul" in the same sentence, lol. That's rich. The guy who wants to dismantle our military in today's dangerous world.

Isn't Obama dismantling it fast enough? Hell, our navy is already down to the size it was in 1917 and he's going to cut another half trillion dollars out of the military across the board on January 1st when Sequestration starts. 

 

"If you are a lottery player,

Vote Democrat

Not repugnikan."

Yeah, base your vote on a rumor about the lottery, not the fate of the nation.

Makes perfect sense.

Maybe the lottery will survive after the economy collapses.  Crazy

 

"With all the turmoil in the Middle East and world wide It seems that Democrats and Republicans cant stop their murderous ways and blood lust..."

Yeah, we're the bad guys, us d*mn Americans.

We should stop hijacking their planes and flying them into their buildings and killing their innocent people with all our murderous ways and blood lust.

 

"...dont murder Big Bird.Turkey"

Nobody's out to murder Big Bird. But he's a big enough bird to support himself like all the other kiddie shows that don't get the luxury of confiscating money from people's paychecks every week to keep them on the air along with a bunch of liberal yappers who couldn't make it in the free market.

If there's a big enough audience for Big Bird and the lib yappers to attract advertisers they'll survive like every other show does. But to force taxpayers to donate money to keep them all on life-support is ridiculous. Especially when we have to borrow the money from China to do it.

LottoBoner

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Oct 8, 2012

"...the only sane vote is for ron paul."

You said "sane" and "Ron Paul" in the same sentence, lol. That's rich. The guy who wants to dismantle our military in today's dangerous world.

Isn't Obama dismantling it fast enough? Hell, our navy is already down to the size it was in 1917 and he's going to cut another half trillion dollars out of the military across the board on January 1st when Sequestration starts. 

 

"If you are a lottery player,

Vote Democrat

Not repugnikan."

Yeah, base your vote on a rumor about the lottery, not the fate of the nation.

Makes perfect sense.

Maybe the lottery will survive after the economy collapses.  Crazy

 

"With all the turmoil in the Middle East and world wide It seems that Democrats and Republicans cant stop their murderous ways and blood lust..."

Yeah, we're the bad guys, us d*mn Americans.

We should stop hijacking their planes and flying them into their buildings and killing their innocent people with all our murderous ways and blood lust.

 

"...dont murder Big Bird.Turkey"

Nobody's out to murder Big Bird. But he's a big enough bird to support himself like all the other kiddie shows that don't get the luxury of confiscating money from people's paychecks every week to keep them on the air along with a bunch of liberal yappers who couldn't make it in the free market.

If there's a big enough audience for Big Bird and the lib yappers to attract advertisers they'll survive like every other show does. But to force taxpayers to donate money to keep them all on life-support is ridiculous. Especially when we have to borrow the money from China to do it.

Actually I do keep up with some current events.  I did see the 7 year olds having their hands scanned at the cafeteria line. ( NWO Indoctrination)

As far as the military goes.  It doesn't matter how big your military is if as on 9-11, the brass in charge yells "STAND DOWN!!"

You can have the most HUMONGOUS military in the world.  Its still not gonna protect you from false flag attacks.

Apparntly you dont remember your history.  The gulf of tonkin and the reichstag?

I thought you were a Republican?  Ron Paul is not a good enough patriot for you?  Go ahead vote for Obama again.

But I am totally for Carolans at lunch time.  It would give me something to look foward to after all those teachers put me to sleep.

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