The weekend internet rumour that Las Vegas Sands land gambling mogul and long-time enemy of online gambling, Sheldon Adelson, is supporting a new poker-only federal legalisation drive by Nevada Sen. Harry Reid (see previous report) has been roundly denied by a Las Vegas Sands spokesman, Andy Abboud.
Responding to the widespread reports on the alleged political alliance, Abboud made a Facebook post claiming: “This article is not accurate. Sheldon Adelson has not changed his position.”
Veteran Las Vegas reporter Jon Ralston confirmed that view on Twitter, claiming that Adelson staffers had informed him that the land casino mogul notorious for his antipathy to online gambling was as committed as ever to his negative view.
Three different and usually reliable Web news resources independently published the Reid-Adelson story over the weekend, creating wide ripples of interest and comment.
Because the rumour spread on the heels of other unconfirmed reports that Sen. Reid was intent on passing a federal online poker-only bill and would tighten the Wire Act to exclude all other forms of internet gambling, the Adelson speculation achieved some initial credibility.