Editorial casts doubt on Washington D.C. online gambling

[The Buzz]

The Washington Post published an editorial today that said the man behind the passage of online gambling legislation in Washington, D.C. was in fact employed by a law firm with a significant stake in the issue. The Post says that Michael Brown's relationship with Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge, "an international law firm with an active gaming practice," should be questioned.

From the Post:

Mr. Brown said his pursuit of online gaming — which he has portrayed as a solution to the District’s pressing budget needs — was appropriate because no client represented by his firm had business before the city that would have been affected.

Lost in that argument is the possible value to Mr. Brown’s then-employer or its clients of the nation’s capital becoming the first local government to permit online gaming, potentially a highly profitable industry. In part because of uncertainty about whether federal law permits such activity, no states have authorized it.

[Anthony]

Hopefully the need for gambling tax revenue will offset this "conflict of interest" It would be nice if the one victory for online gambling in America actually remains a victory.