In a letter issued this week, the leadership of the Democratic Governors Association urged House and Senate leadership to oppose Sheldon Adelson’s legislation to ban online gaming preceding a hearing in the House of Representatives next week.

In the letter (see below), DGA Chair Governor Steve Bullock (MT) and Vice Chair Governor Maggie Wood Hassan (NH) stated, “We believe strongly that the issue of Internet gaming, as has historically been the case with other forms of gaming, is best left to the states to decide and regulate. This approach is consistent with the congressional intent related to online gaming as stated in the “Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006,” decades after the Wire Act was enacted.”

Now, it’s no surprise that Democratic officials would rail against something backed by major Republican party campaigner Sheldon Adelson, the Las Vegas casino mogul and billionaire. But the online industry no doubt will take the support.

From the group’s press release:

“Next week the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary will be debating Sheldon Adelson’s bill, an ill-advised piece of legislation that would implement a sweeping nationwide ban on online gaming that would trump individual states’ ability to implement a well-regulated state based system.

This legislation would not only trample on states who currently have safe and regulated online gaming programs and lotteries in place, but also make for an unsafe, unregulated online environment and push players to dangerous black-market sites.”

In the letter, see it here, the group tosses a lure at Republicans on the “state’s rights” issue: “As you consider the issue of Internet gaming, we hope you give strong consideration to the importance of preserving these state rights and the opportunity that embracing a state-by-state regulatory approach could provide.”

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