It’s hard to know what to make of this. The Republican Jewish Coalition is coming to Las Vegas and its headliner is Jeb Bush. Now, if there is anyone more anti-gambling in the GOP than Jeb, you’d be hard-pressed to find them. Ask the Seminole Tribe, which got flat-out stonewalled by Bush when it sought a casino compact. Stranger still, J.B.’s host is none other than Sheldon Adelson, the richest man in the casino biz. The dinner will be held — where else? — in Adelson’s private airplane hangar at McCarran International Airport, adding a touch of surrealism to the whole affair. (All that Sands Expo showcase space and this was the best Sheldon could do?)
After the Friday-night revelry, if the visiting GOPers can crack an eyelid, they can see pro-casino Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ), who’s got the early slot, along with somewhat pro-gaming Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI), still slowly making up his mind about that Menominee Tribe casino. (His argument: The federal government needed nine years to take the land into trust so what’s the big deal if he needs 18 months?) Then the architect of Ohio‘s racino land rush, Gov. John Kasich, turns up for lunch. If nothing else, this get-together shows that — when it comes to commercial gambling — the GOP presents anything other than a united front.
This little meeting underscores how Adelson has become the Daddy Warbucks of the GOP, though. He has no interest in Ohio or New Jersey. He’d like a big piece of Florida but Bush hasn’t been The Man there in a long time. However, Adelson would surely want to know where all these dignitaries stand on a little thing known as Internet gaming. He and Christie are certain to disagree, but the others … maybe not so much.
It’s a sad day when the Nevada Gaming Control Board has to be defended against the charge of “being some Gestapolike police force.” (S&G thinks the NGCB tends to err on the sign of leniency.) However, with the regulatory violations becoming more brazen in nature, what’s the Control Board to do to inhibit other potential bad actors but crack down hard?
Last, but far from least, Las Vegas visitors in 2013 budgeted 10% more for gambling than in 2012. (The record is $652, set in 2006.) “We look at the gaming budget more as a psychological indicator of visitor mindset,” Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority Senior Director of Research & Analytics Kevin Bagger told Bloomberg News.
