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Saturday, February 12, 2022

Your state is attempting to pass the biggest expansion of gambling in its history


While much of the public attention has been focused on the presidential campaigns, there is a stealth, powerful lobbying campaign underway by commercial gambling operators in more than 20 states where legislatures are currently in session. 

Their purpose is to legalize online gambling, including a bid to turn every American child’s video game console like PlayStation, Xbox and Wii into a Las Vegas casino.

At least 15 states are facing bills with almost the exact same language (AL, GA, IL, IN, MD, MN, MO, MS, NE, NM, OK, SC, VA, WV, WI.) So far, the bill has advanced the furthest in Virginia.

If your state is not mentioned above, you can be almost certain that a pro-online gambling lobbying campaign has been launched or is being planned  A gambling industry news site has provided a useful legislative bill tracking link to tell you the status of online gambling bills in your state.

The implications of these bills are enormous and merit far more public scrutiny and legislative consideration than they have currently received.

We sent a letter today  to the Virginia Legislature regarding their bill. Below is a press release about our letter. I urge you to read the letter itself so you can better understand what is happening and why it is essential for you to participate in your state.

I also urge you to modify the letter and the media release to fit your state and put it out there. If you want us to work with you (and any like-minded organizations in your state) to send a similar letter, let us know.

Thanks.

Les

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      CONTACT: Les Bernal
February 25, 2015                                                                               (202) 567-6996

Virginia Legislature Misled Into Passing the Biggest Expansion of Gambling in State History
Bill allows gambling operators to turn every Virginia child’s video game console into a Las Vegas casino

(RICHMOND, VA) – In a letter to Virginia legislators today, a national government reform group declared that legislators were “misled” when they recently passed a bill legalizing online gambling in the state.

“This bill represents the biggest expansion of gambling in Virginia history and legislators were misled into supporting it,” said Les Bernal, the National Director of Stop Predatory Gambling (SPG) which sent the letter. “If it becomes law, gambling operators will be able to turn every Virginia child’s video game console like PlayStation, Xbox and Wii into a Las Vegas casino. The issue deserves far more public scrutiny and legislative consideration than it’s received.”

In its letter, SPG’s letter points to several examples of the misinformation campaign around the legislation:

1) The bill allows far more forms of internet gambling than constituents, legislators and state media have been led to believe, relying on cookie cutter language found in proposed DFS bills in 14 other states.

2) The bill legalizes “eSports,” allowing gambling operators to turn every Virginia child’s video game console like PlayStation, Xbox and Wii in the State of Virginia into a Las Vegas casino. Users will be allowed to wager on the results of video games;

3) As written, the bill allows wagering on non-sports fantasy contests like awards shows, political debates, and even spelling bees;

4) Despite cloaking the bill’s intent as “consumer protection,” there are virtually no new consumer protections for Virginians

5) Lobbying campaigns have presented these online gambling operators as vibrant, sound businesses but recent media reports have spotlighted how they are on shaky financial ground;

6) To give the appearance that more support for online gambling exists than there really is, proponents are deliberately blurring the amount of participants in “daily fantasy sports” with traditional season-long games already played by Virginians.


“We strongly urge the members of the Virginia Legislature and the Governor to take immediate action to halt the lobbying effort to legalize online gambling in the state,” Bernal said.

To read SPG’s letter, please download it here or by visiting the link: http://stoppredatorygambling.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2016-VA-Legislature-letter-on-DFS-bill.pdf

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Les Bernal

National Director

Stop Predatory Gambling

Build a more humane and just society: end government-sponsored gambling because it is dishonest, financially damaging to citizens and contributes to rising inequality of opportunity.

If you support our mission and work, please become a member by contributing $10 or more today to help sustain it. 






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