Dodd’s dud

For their part, the card rooms said Dodd was merely ratifying the status quo and, while they weren’t happy with some of the restrictions in the bill, they could live with it. Hearings on the bill were postponed at least until tomorrow, more likely the autumn. As presently structured, Dodd’s bill would allow walk-up sports betting at tribal casinos and horse tracks starting in September 21, in time for NFL play. Dodd even tried to sweeten the deal for tracks and tribes by halving the licensing fee. No dice.

Another tribal/track alliance came justthisclose to qualifying for the November ballot with a rival sports-betting constitutional amendment. “Meaningless window dressing” was what spokesman Jacob Mejia said of the Dodd amendments. “The bill would still repeal tribal gaming rights and hand them to cardrooms that have been raided by the FBI for money laundering and have been involved with loan sharking and other criminal activities.” Mejia’s coalition has given up on the 2020 election and is now looking toward 2022. If voted in, it would be a very sweet deal for the tribes, giving them craps and roulette, in addition to sports wagering. If it were on the ballot this year, S&G would endorse it.

Richard Schuetz argues that it’s time to retire the phrase “back of the house” and his reasoning will make you think.

Here’s a classic case of a solution in search of a problem. Although Internet gambling is illegal in Australia, one do-gooder wants social gaming banned as well. The bluenose in question is Andrew Wilkie, the Independent Australian Member of Parliament for Clark, Tasmania. A bill he has introduced would reclassify social gaming as gambling, levying financial penalties on violators. Wilkie sees social gaming as a ‘gateway drug‘ to real gambling, sniffing that “they normalize gambling behaviours, increase the player’s confidence in winning and make gambling seem more socially acceptable and risk-free.”

He also claims that Australians are the biggest gambling losers in the world, out $1,200 a year per capita. Those gosh-darned “social media effectively prepare children for gambling with real money later in life, because they familiarize underage users with how to play casino games.” He also wants terrestrial casinos to put bet limits on ‘fruit machines’ and give them slower spins. We don’t know if all this moralism will make it through Parliament but rather doubt it.

It’s costing MGM China twice as much to stay in business as it is making at the tables and slots. Revenues in April were a measly $16 million. Even so, the company is going forward with its VIP-oriented South Tower Suites at MGM Cotai. MGM is also “limiting staff on site, implementing a hiring freeze and introducing voluntary unpaid leave.” MGM China will probably be losing money hand over fist for several months yet … but it’s Pansy Ho‘s problem now.