Online Gambling Suffers Setback

The group representing the US casino industry has dropped its support for legalizing online gambling in the US, citing a nasty split among the major casino operators over the issue.

The disagreement among casinos has made online gambling "an issue that the association cannot lead on," so it has withdrawn from the fight, American Gaming Association Chief Executive Geoff Freeman said. US casino giants have taken sharply different views in the debate over whether and how to regulate online gambling. Nevada heavyweights including MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment favor legalizing online gambling while Las Vegas Sands, which makes most of its money in Macau and Singapore, wants the practice banned. Casinos favoring legalization say US residents are gambling online anyway so the regulations are needed. Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson is leading a national lobbying effort against the practice, which he has said hurts society because it lets people gamble from home.