内华达州州长布赖恩·桑多瓦尔将广泛征求关于互联网上博彩合法化与否的观点，其中包括征求拉斯维加斯金沙集团董事长谢尔登·阿德尔森和其他批评者的观点。互联网博彩是一个发展瞬息万变的行业，日后世界各国的互联网博彩产业或将借鉴美国的规范政策。

　　桑多瓦尔在本周三主持了一个审查互联网博彩政策的特别会议，由11名主要会议委员负责审批在线博彩的各项公共政策，他们还建立加快互联网博彩的各项立法进程，以确保内华达州在世界博彩行业中的领先地位及行业竞争力。

　　该特别会议长达九十分钟，主要审查互联网博彩的各项提议和政策，审查人员包括行业领袖，州议员，监管机构以及群众代表。桑多瓦尔说，该特别会议的目的，是为了明确互联网博彩合法化进程的工作重点并制定详细的时间表。他希望法律草案能在八月底完成，以便正式提交给2013年的联邦立法会议。

　　桑多瓦尔说，该特别会议将举行四次，大约每四到六周举行一次。他鼓励博彩业的代表积极参与会议，听取他们关于如何最好地利用互联网资源发展内华达州网上博彩事业，以及如何制定互联网博彩监管黄金标准制度的意见和建议。

　　博彩政策委员会是讨论博彩行业问题的核心会议机构。该委员会机构成立于1961年，由当时的州长索耶批准建立。1981年，州长理查德·布赖恩增加讨论赛马投注会议功能。多年来，该委员会在赌场娱乐，赌场设置以及赌场利益纠等方面起到了重要作用。

　　互联网博彩政策的讨论可能是该委员会所面临的最复杂的问题之一。该委员会的努力可能产生两种结果：一是为国家的经济前景做出贡献；二是为社会稳定制造隐患，如果国会不能解决互联网博彩的负面问题。

　　大多数人认为，政府财政失衡迫使立法者最终在互联网博彩方面采取行动，互联网博彩合法化这个悬而未决的问题或将得到落实。但桑多瓦尔说他不希望内华达州在没有做好准备的情况下允许互联网博彩合法化。如果有任何不到位的准备，都将可能影响到内华达州日后的网上博彩前景。

　　虽然行业内的大多数人都认为在线博彩应该尽快合法化，其中有20多家企业正在排队等候网上博彩的经营执照。但行业领袖阿德尔森却与其他人大相近庭，他坚决反对互联网博彩合法化。

　　作为在同行业领袖之一，他表示他反对的主要理由当下的网络技术不能防止未成年玩家参与博彩在线投注。当然，也有人担心在线扑克玩家可以串通其他玩家搞作弊。

　　内华达州博彩委员会已批准了在线扑克博彩游戏的相关法规定，要求网上赌场经营者必须确认玩家的身份和位置符合国家法律要求。

　　在会议期间的发言中，桑多瓦尔提到另一个棘手的问题：该如何监管不出现在公共视线中的互联网博彩?

　　最近，博彩监管部门批准在酒店房间内添加支持博彩游戏的移动设备。

　　在线博彩需要解决的问题是，如果赌徒使用移动设备在非博彩合法区参与网上博彩，内华达州的互联网博彩法律是否应对此给予监管？桑多瓦尔表示，在今后的会议中，委员会的议程将包括与其他州的司法管辖部门一起讨论这个问题。

　　会议上，内华达州博彩委员会主席彼得·哈德特别要求司法机关严格审查未成年人赌博，官商勾结及欺诈行为等非法行为。

　　美国其他州的司法部也已经开始了类似的调查，例如一些互联网销售彩票的舞弊案例。

　　委员会成员米高梅国际度假村首席执行官吉姆·穆伦认为，联邦政府应该宏观调节互联网博彩业，以避免各州相互不同的法律规定。他还希望看到Facebook和Twitter等社会媒体网站公示此次博彩委员会特别会议的内容。

　　保罗·马修斯，拉斯维加斯赌场的博彩游戏设计师说，互联网博彩合法化于内华达州而言是一项至关重要事业，如果内华达州获得美国互联网博彩的管辖权并成为监管枢纽中心，将为内华达州提供了一个经济大发展的好机会。

　　译文：

　　Gov. Brian Sandoval will solicit all viewpoints on Internet gambling — including those of Las Vegas Sands Chairman Sheldon Adelson and other critics — to develop policies to manage and regulate the rapidly changing industry that could be headed to the United States someday.

　　Sandoval, presiding over the first meeting of his revamped Gaming Policy Committee on Wednesday, said the 11-member panel’s objective would be to recommend public policy positions and suggest legislation in advance of online gaming approval and to make sure Nevada continues as a global leader in industry regulation and commercial competition.

　　The 90-minute meeting was primarily a policy review session for the committee, comprising industry leaders, state legislators, regulators and the public. Sandoval said the committee’s purpose would be finely focused and within a strict timeline — he wants the group’s efforts to be completed by the end of August so that it can issue a report and suggest bill drafts in advance of the 2013 legislative session.

　　Sandoval said the committee would meet four more times, roughly every four to six weeks, and he encouraged representatives of the gaming industry to weigh in with their views on how Nevada could best leverage Internet gambling and enable the state to be the gold standard in regulation and policy.

　　The Gaming Policy Committee is a seldom-used sounding board to discuss issues critical to the industry. The committee was initiated by Gov. Grant Sawyer in 1961 and last used by Gov. Richard Bryan in 1981 to discuss pari-mutuel race wagering. Over the years, the committee has addressed the role of entertainment in the casino setting as well as discrimination and equal rights in casinos.

　　The Internet gambling policy debate could be one of the most complex issues the committee has undertaken. The result of the committee’s work could yield either some of the most important polices ever produced for the state’s economic future or much ado about nothing if lawmakers fail to address the issue.

　　Most believe that the need for government entities to generate revenue will pressure lawmakers to act on Internet gambling eventually, but how it would be made allowable is an open question. Sandoval says he wants the state to be ready for any eventuality, including the prospect of Nevada offering intrastate wagering if federal lawmakers fail to act.

　　While most within the industry think some form of online gambling is coming — more than 20 companies already are lining up to secure online gaming licenses in the state — others, like Adelson, are opposed to Internet wagering.

　　One of the leading voices in the industry, Adelson is unconvinced that the technology exists to prevent underage players from wagering online. Others fear that online poker players could conspire to cheat in games against other players.

　　The Nevada Gaming Commission has approved regulations for online poker play and will review systems submitted for licensing to make sure a licensee can verify the identity of a player and the player’s location to comply with the state laws and regulations.

　　In remarks during the meeting, Sandoval alluded to another vexing issue regarding online play — that it doesn’t occur in the public eye.

　　For years, Nevada regulated that gambling be permitted in public settings, even ordering some locations with cover charges to open their doors to people who wanted to play. But over time, the public setting regulations were diluted with special licenses and permits for private high-roller salons.

　　More recently, regulators approved gaming with mobile devices in hotel rooms.

　　Online gaming takes the issue to a new level if gamblers can play from their computer screens or mobile devices.

　　In future meetings, Sandoval said committee agendas would include discussions on what other states and jurisdictions were doing with Internet gambling, how Nevada could leverage itself as a leader in online wagering, the rapid growth of technology in the industry and what economic impact online gaming could have on the state.

　　On Wednesday, Nevada Gaming Commission Chairman Peter Bernhard and Gaming Control Board Chairman Mark Lipparelli supplied background on the events leading to Nevada’s passage of Internet gambling regulations, including the U.S. Justice Department’s interpretation of the Wire Act, state inquiries seeking clarification of Justice Department interpretations and rules that are in place to prevent illegal underage gambling, collusion and fraud.

　　Other states have made similar inquiries of the Justice Department, seeking interpretations of how federal policies would affect, for example, the Internet sale of lottery tickets.

　　Committee member Jim Murren, CEO of MGM Resorts International, shares the widespread industry belief that the federal government should regulate Internet gambling in the United States to avoid a patchwork of differing rules state by state. He also wants to see the committee address how gambling on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter would be addressed.

　　Paul Matthews Jr., of Las Vegas-based IncuBET, a game designer, said the Internet gambling issue was critical to Nevada. It offers an economic opportunity if Nevada were to become a host jurisdiction or a regulatory hub for online gaming.