Gambling Headlines

US Billionaires Anticipate Online Gambling Legalisation & Regulation

Online gambling in the United States of America has been a source of online casino news articles over the years. And while the United States remains closed to online gambling activities, millions of Americans are eagerly awaiting the day when legislation will be passed that will allow the regulation of online gambling and once again allow players from the country to enjoy playing at online casinos and sportsbooks.

A recent article in Forbes Magazine highlighted the reasons why 11 American billionaires are eager to see online gambling legalised in the country and how they are contributing to making this come to pass. The list reads as follows:

  • Donald Trump: Already a casino mogul, Trump is lobbying for changes to federal laws which currently outlaw gambling. He is quoted as saying that regulation of online gambling has to happen as other countries are already doing it and as usual the US is missing out on the opportunities this brings.
  • Marc Lasry: Already a hedge fund prodigy and owner of Avenue Capital which manages in excess of $12 billion in investments, Lasry already has plans to launch a joint online casino venture with Donald Trump as soon as new legislation is in place.
  • Owner of Apollo Global Management as well as a share of Harrah's Entertainment Leon Black is pushing for the group to move into the lucrative online gambling market as soon as the US opens up.
  • Las Vegas billionaire and casino mogul Steven Wynn has long been a strong supporter of online gambling. He lost out when a deal with Poker Stars went south after the Department of Justice raided online poker room operators in 2011 but is determined to see legislation change and online gambling, especially poker room legalized.
  • Real Estate Tycoon, Steven Roth and Herbert Simon recently invested in entrepreneur Richard Branson's US Digital Gaming in anticipation of legislative changes.
  • Part owner of Caesars Entertainment David Bonderman actively backs lobbying efforts to legalise online gambling.
  • The Fertitta Brothers, Frank and Lorenzo, founders of Fertitta interactive are both pro online gambling and recently acquired CyberArts, an online gambling software provider as they ready themselves for federal regulation of online poker in the US.
  • CEO of Las Vegas Sands, Sheldon Adelson has always been very outspoken about online gambling and will probably have his piece of the action when the time comes.

Whether online casinos and poker rooms will be legalized and regulated in the United States still remains a huge point of debate, with backing like this, it seems to be a matter of time until we see changes in legislation that is sure to make millions of Americans very happy once again.