No doubt when Bugsy Siegel built the Flamingo Hotel, he never would have envisioned that some day online gambling take a piece of his action. Well, the tide has turned and it seems that land-based casinos now approve of online gambling. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that they have taken a 360 degree turn on this issue.
Here's a perfect analogy to describe this turnabout. Currently, we are debating new healthcare reform. The insurance companies are pouring billions of dollars into lobbying against it. Why? Because any reform means they take a big cut, and that doesn't sit well with them.
When online casinos first appeared, the land-based casinos were vehemently against them for the very same reason. They knew that eventually they would take a very big cut in profits. And so it has come to pass. Online casinos are not only becoming more popular than land-based casinos, but they are realizing greater profits. With the economic disaster of last year, this just added fuel to the fire that was already burning for land-cased casinos.
If You Can't Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em
As a result of this tug of war between land-based casinos and online casinos, some of the most prominent casinos now approve of online gambling. Moreover, not only do they approve but they have begun to launch their own online casinos. Case in point: Harrah's has launched an online casino in Canada recently. Furthermore, the very same land-based casinos who were against the legalization of online gambling and are for it – big time!
Of course, if the UIGEA Act of 2006 is reversed then most likely most land-based casinos will jump on board to vie for the chance to grab a piece of the pie. In the mean time, online casinos are thriving and land-based casinos are barely holding their own. What would Bugsy Siegel have to say about that? Plenty, no doubt!
