This Week in Gambling

No one could have foreseen the Internet in 1961. And yet, that year an act was passed to prevent organized crime from taking sports bets over the telephone. Now, nearly 60 years later people wonder if the Wire Act will always be a roadblock to interstate online gambling in America. Whether the Act applies to all forms of gambling (or only sports betting) is currently the subject of a court in the First Circuit. But even ignoring the potential broader ramifications, the antiquated law has already proven itself detrimental to the sector’s growth. So what are the chances of getting…

We have a love-hate relationship with the owner and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands… and most of the time it’s more ‘hate’. But during this pandemic crisis we must admit that the Sheldon Adelson Coronavirus help has been more than any other corporation in Las Vegas… or America, for that matter. He has paid more of his employees more money than most… and now this. Mr. Adelson’s private plane delivered a donation of two million surgical masks recently. His plane first stopped in Albany, New York, where it delivered 500 boxes holding one million masks from China for health…

Many of us are waiting for Sin City to reopen, but when they do what Las Vegas Coronavirus changes can we expect? Some things will certainly change, like the way people check-in to hotels, rooms are sanitized and games are cleaned. But what about restaurants and nightclubs? What about big ticket shows? Those Coronavirus casino changes could hit everything from Uber to the hotel swimming pool!   Whether you’re a mother or whether you’re a brother, welcome to This Week in Gambling! And if you’re anything like me this whole shelter and place thing is getting pretty frustrating… even though…

As well all wait for the Coronavirus to subside and our lives to return to (somewhat) normal, you may be wondering how casinos may change one the pandemic is over. Certainly, things will be different… some for the short term and some much longer. But not all of the changes possible will be negative. The days of buffets and large production shows are probably over, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be entertainment. It just won’t be on the scale that it used to be, which could mean big troubles for Cirque du Soleil and others. Nightclubs and public pools…

The threat of massive casino job losses from the Coronavirus pandemic is a very real danger. Actually, the fear of crowds and a lack of expendable money could shut down the entire tourism industry across America for years. In Nevada, where casino companies reign, an estimated one in three workers is directly or indirectly employed by the leisure and hospitality industry, according to analysts. States like Nevada, Hawaii and Florida could be devastated. However, under the new Coronavirus stimulus package signed by President Trump, some casino workers may actually earn more money from unemployment benefits than what they earned before…

With no casinos open and no sports being played, it appears that political betting in West Virginia is on the radar. If approved, they would becoming the first state to allow betting on politics. The state lottery recently stated that officials initially approved plans to allow FanDuel and other sports book operators offer bets on politics, but said they needed more time to “fully work through the implications and research it further.” If the plan goes forward, it raises a number of questions, including whether other states will follow, and what the federal government may say about it. The Commodity…