While countries in Europe and Canada are able to take advantage of all the perks that come with internet gambling, there is still a debate going on in the United States regarding whether or not the law should be amended to make it possible for regulated gambling to be conducted at the national level. The business publication Forbes recently published an article that examined the motivations of eleven billionaires who support efforts to regulate and tax online gaming.
Some of the names that are pushing for marijuana to be legalized include well-known billionaires like Donald Trump,
Steve Wynn, and Steven Roth, to name just a few. First on the list is real estate mogul Donald Trump, who asserts that “this has to happen because many other countries are doing it, and like usual, the United States is just missing out.” Trump stands to profit from the legalization of internet gambling given his extensive investments in the gambling industry and his Trump Casinos & Resorts properties. If he does make the decision to run for president, wouldn’t it make sense for him to tackle this issue right away? Marc Lasry, genius hedge fund manager and owner of Avenue Capital, is in favor of making online gambling legal. This is especially true given that he intends to create an internet company in partnership with Donald Trump in the near future.
Following the Department of Justice’s raids on online poker rooms in 2013, Steve Wynn,
the billionaire owner of casinos in Las Vegas, lost money on a deal he had struck with Poker Stars. Wynn is a staunch supporter of online gambling and poker, and he is strongly backing the change in legislation that is being proposed. Leon Black, the owner of Apollo Global Management, is a shareholder in Harrah’s Entertainment and stands to profit if the company expands into the lucrative field of internet gambling. The same can be said about David Bonderman, who is said by Forbes to be a strong supporter of lobbying activities and who also controls a portion of Caesars Entertainment. The Forbes Pro Gaming List features a large number of different names, all of which are individuals who take an active interest in online gaming and who recognize the advantages of online gambling. These individuals include Steven Roth, a billionaire in the real estate industry who, along with Richard Bronson and Herbert Simon, is an investor in US Digital Gaming.
The Fertitta brothers, Frank and Lorenzo, are the co-founders of Fertitta Interactive. Their company just bought CyberArts, which is a company that develops software for online gambling, thus they also have an active interest in legislative changes. Sheldon Anderson, a mogul in the real estate industry who had been opposed to gambling online in the past, has made the decision to switch his stance on the issue. It’s possible that he’s come to the conclusion that it’s preferable for him to show his support for the newest movie rather than risk losing out on a piece of the action. You may have noticed that every billionaire has some sort of financial stake in either online casinos or land-based casinos. The next stage for the United States is to enter the world of internet business, which is an opportunity for them to broaden their reach into the digital cosmos. Expect a lot more from them as they continue to advocate for the legalization of online gambling because it is a move that they don’t want to lose out on.