The debate about online gambling ratcheted up a few notches when Sheldon Adelson of Las Vegas Sands announced his campaign to stop online gambling. He has opposed online gambling for a long time -- and this is nothing new. On the surface it makes perfectly good sense that the operator of brick and mortar casinos should want gamblers to play in his establishments and not play at home in their underwear. Allowing players in his brick and mortar casinos to play in their underwear is probably not an option.

Of course there are those who favor online gambling including some of the other operators of brick and mortar casinos including just about ever other brick and mortar casino operator there is. They all have taken steps to operate their own online casinos.

Even here in California the Indian casinos and the card casinos and poker rooms have made various efforts for online gaming.

Here is an article giving ten reasons why Sheldon Adelson is wrong and I think everyone should read it: http://online.casinocity.com/article...issue=11-22-13

But I would like to think that Sheldon Adelson may be right. I don't think online casinos are the right solution for government or for the casino industry that is looking for a new avenue of growth.

When I play online poker it is on free sites that pay small prizes that come from advertising revenue. To date, my online poker winnings are less than $25. But I don't play online poker to get rich... I play because there is nothing worthwhile on TV to watch and playing free online poker tournaments is fun. It beats playing Pong or Pac Man or some of the new puzzle games.

If full online casinos were made legal I wouldn't play craps for money on them, nor would I play video poker or any other casino game. When you play in an online casino you don't get the comps for the shows, you don't get the comps for the dinners, and you don't get the comps for shopping events.

Online gaming is also nothing "special" because you can do it anytime. Going to a casino is a special time -- and there is fun in just getting there and planning to get there, and checking into the room, and sightseeing and cocktail waitress watching, and checking out the other ladies. (Yes, get real that's the other "game" in a casino.)

When you play online the atmosphere doesn't change much, does it?

I also don't understand how online gaming is supposed to increase revenue and the number of players for brick and mortar casinos. I think online gaming will rob the brick and mortar casinos of players and revenue and the automation that is online gaming will lead to fewer jobs for people in casinos.

Every casino player who objects to automated blackjack tables with cartoons of dealers dealing cards on a video screen should also object to online casinos.

I would be very happy if Sheldon Adelson is successful and stops online gaming dead.

Keep gaming in the casinos. That doesn't mean stop online gaming but keep it at low limits, keep it advertiser supported, and keep it small so that when players really do want the "Vegas experience" they really will have to go to Vegas to get it.

Sheldon Adelson, I'm on your side.