Mulling over two seemingly contradictory bits of news–that the Justice Department had labeled Full Tilt Poker a “global Ponzi scheme” and that the AGA was launching a renewed push for the legalization of online poker–I got to thinking. It’s a dangerous pastime, I know, but in this case it led me to my latest column for the Las Vegas Business Press:
Gambling online and by mobile devices seems to be on the march. Despite a still-simmering online poker scandal, it now appears that its only a matter of when Internet poker is legalized, and last week the Nevada Gaming Commission approved two expansions of sports betting. To some, this is a surprise, but it shouldnt be: Smart players are just adapting to the latest technology, as they have been for millennia.
Gambling shifts to suit the times arent just inevitable — theyre a smart response to changing conditions.
via Las Vegas Business Press :: David G. Schwartz : Tectonic shift for gaming seems poised to come.
The Nevada legislature–which doesn’t exactly have a sterling reputation as a forward-thinking, pro-active body–first addressed online gaming ten years ago. I wonder how much longer it will take for Congress to do the same.