Las Vegas Casino Owners, Gaming Commission Seek To Legalize Dog Fighting
Â The steady decline in revenue affecting many casinos across the country has forced many gaming houses to seek other sources of income. Â As a result, the gambling industry has been quietly seeking a controversial betting offshoot â legalized and industry regulated dog fighting.âThink of the images of Michael Vick and everything else that comes to mind when you mention dog fighting,â said Roger Kenny, administrator with the Nevada Gaming Commission. In a press release he stated, âIf we regulate dog fighting, promote it as a sport, eventually people will come to accept it, and it will be as common as blackjack or prostitution. Â Weâd like to change the negative perception that certain groups have put out there about the activity,â he said.Itâs going to be an uphill battle. Â After the Commissionâs press release was made public, animal rights groups, including PETA, the ASPCA, and the World Wildlife Foundation all reacted with condemnation of the proposal.Dog trainer and television host Cesar Millan said, âThis is the most inhumane act that I can think of. Â Dogs are our companions and are among the most intelligent creatures on Earth.Â  Something like this with cats, now that I could understand,â continued Millan.Â  âPut a couple of cats in a boxing ring, maybe with little gloves and helmets â nobodyâs going to give a crap, itâs just cats. But with dogs, itâs different â theyâre manâs best friend. When I heard this news I wanted to rabidly tear the Commissionâs collectiveÂ throat out.âChairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corporation Sheldon Adelson remarked, âFrom what Iâve been told, I think in foreign countries this kind of thing is already legal. Iâm not sure, but if it is, we should try to get in on it here. It would be a sin to let all that revenue just go to the dogs,â he said.The proliferation of online gambling sites is largely blamed for forcing the gambling industry to think outside the box.Â  Although internet gambling is technically illegal, members of the powerful gaming commission are hiring lobbyists to work overtime in an effort to change that legislation as well.âRight now itâs a crap shoot,â said Kenny. âBut itâs going to be a thing, Iâd bet good money on it. After all,â he added with a wink, âevery dog has his day.â