No Action in Maine
In betting legislation news, if you are a resident of Maine with an affinity for sports betting then you won’t be fond of Governor Janet Mills’ decision to veto a bill proposed by State Senator Louis Luchini to regulate sports betting in The Pine Tree State. Although parimutuel wagering on horse racing, a state lottery, and casinos are all part and parcel of the state’s gambling landscape, wagering on sporting events remains taboo thanks to the governor’s red pen.
The Maine Senate tabled addressing the governor’s veto of sports betting bill, which could be a good thing in giving more time to acquire override votes. The sponsors say they are working hard trying to get the votes. https://t.co/sk97SahiYa
— Matthew Kredell (@MatthewKredell) January 14, 2020
Hell’s Kitchen Slots
Whether or not you have enjoyed a sumptuous repast of Lobster Crudo, followed by an American Wagyu filet, and topped off with a Sticky Toffee Pudding at one of Gordon Ramsay’s fine dining establishments, the Scottish born firebrand would like everyone to take a spin at one of his potentially even more lucrative endeavors – Hell’s Kitchen slots!
If you have ever wondered a casino floor and ventured into the sprawling rows of slot machines, then you have no doubt seen Playboy, Michael Jackson, Elvis, and the ubiquitous Wheel of Fortune machines wooing you to play. Well, if Gordon Ramsay has his way, he will be the latest entrant into the world of one-armed bandits. According to The Sun, Ramsay has filed paperwork and applied for a trademark with the UK Intellectual Property Office for computer software which will be used for “playing casino, gambling and betting games.”
Although Ramsay has not commented, it is assumed his brand will be an integral part of what could be online and/or casino games with the most notable, Hell’s Kitchen, being the most prominent. Stay tuned, there will be more to come!
Do As I Say, Not As I Do
One would think that a man who has made a fortune from the gambling habits of his patrons would be the last person to express moral outrage concerning the gambling habits of those who are not. Well, in that case, you haven’t met Sheldon Adelson and his lobbying group, the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling. The crux of the matter is that online gambling is bad for business unless you’ve got a piece of that rather expansive pie.
To wit, Adelson’s mouthpiece, Jon C Bruning, has jumped aboard the US Department of Justice’s bandwagon in protecting the Wire Act from being rendered impotent, vis a vis online gambling, in state’s that have given the green light to its legality. If Adelson’s proxy railed that internet gambling would potentially erode business from the brick and mortar gambling palaces built by Adelson and his contemporaries then that would be fair. But according to Bruning, the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling is doing it – and I paraphrase – to protect the children.
The last time we checked Las Vegas hotel/casinos have no such prohibition against welcoming guests under the age of 21 into their opulent establishments. And although the casinos themselves are verboten for these underaged patrons the allure of the bright lights beckoning from the slot machines and high rollers tossing dice is within plain view for all to see…including the children. It’s a straw man’s argument but one that is being waged to stymie the efforts of internet gambling throughout the United States.
Sports Betting Thrives in Pennsylvania
There’s plenty of action in The Keystone State as evidenced by the latest report on sports gambling which reveals that overall wagers have topped one billion dollars since it became law. The Hollywood Casino in Grantville was the first location that accepted sports wagers but the sports betting scene has exploded with a whopping 80 percent being effectuated through online apps. You don’t have to be a resident to wager but you do have to be physically within state lines in order to do so.
Online sportsbooks like DraftKings, FOX Bet Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook PA, SugarHouse Sportsbook, Unibet Sportsbook, BetRivers Sportsbook, to name a few have been licensed to accept wagers in Pennsylvania and the early returns appear to be reflective of the nation’s insatiable appetite for betting on the games instead of simply watching them. There are few who doubt that these numbers won’t continue to soar in Pennsylvania, and in other legal jurisdictions, which bolsters the state’s revenues and is a win-win all the way around.
