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Senator introduces anti-online gambling bill to Congress

Sep 12, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; A general view of the DraftKings sign board during the match with FC Dallas playing against New York City FC at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Judicial and political systems at the state level continue to take up online gambling and daily fantasy sports. We’ve seen multiple instances in the past where online gaming itself has been banned at the state level.

The most recent examples of this include daily fantasy sports in New York, Delaware and Nevada, among other states.

It now looks like the federal government might want to involve itself in the hot-button topic.

Senator Tom Cotton (R- Arkansas), introduced a bill to Congress that would outlaw online gambling, daily fantasy sports included, nationwide.

The wording of this specific bill is rather interesting (via Casinoscamreport.com).

“To ensure the integrity of laws enacted to prevent the use of financial instruments for funding or operating online casinos are not undermined by legal opinions not carrying the force of law issued by the federal government lawyers.”

Also interesting is the fact that Cotton himself is seen as a major proponent of Las Vegas gambling power player Sheldon Adelson, who is currently attempting to work with the Oakland Riaders on a new stadium in the desert metropolis.

This isn’t a coincidence. The casino lobby in Nevada had a major role in the state making daily fantasy sports illegal. It’s now on the verge of being legalized using casinos themselves, not DFS websites, as the hosts of such contests.

Adelson himself reportedly also gave $20 million to a political action committee with close ties to Senate Republicans, Cotton himself included.

You can really do the math from here.

Some will say it’s about the regulation of the growing fantasy sports entity. And that’s fine. But once something of this ilk starts raking in the cash, we all know the government is going to want its slice of the pie.

Unfortunately for Cotton, this seems unlikely to pass through the government at a federal level.

Similar cases have been brought to a vote, primarily looking at online gambling as a whole. Those cases were thrown out quicker than Cotton himself at a government ethics meeting.

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