From Business Insider

Editor’s note:

Nicholas Kisberg is CEO of CardsChat.com, an online poker forum. 

 

Dear Mr. Adelson,

We in the online poker community would like to really thank you for your recent statements in which you refer to Internet gambling as “…a toxin that all good people should resist.”

Why?

Because you wrote that article using scare-mongering tactics, and backed up your arguments with ridiculous claims, allowing even the most naïve reader to plainly see your ulterior motives.

And we appreciate that. We really do. It saves us a lot of trouble and makes writing this letter easier.

Our industry, specifically online poker, is still relatively young, being about 19 years-old. However, its youth breeds innovation and attracts creative thinkers and visionaries. It contains people who can see the marketplace changing, encouraging them to jump ahead of the pack to predict the next big consumer stampede.

You’ve run over 50 successful businesses Mr Adelson. You surely remember what it was like to be a visionary? Such as when you ripped down the Sands to make way for the Venetian? Or when you gained a foothold in Macau?

Of course that was because you had freedom. And you are a lover of freedom. We know because you said so in an article on Forbes.com.

“What scares me is the lack of accountability that people would prefer to experience, just let the government take care of everything.” That was what you said and we agree with you 100 percent.

People should be responsible for their actions. Especially those students with their loans that you claim are unable to stop themselves from gambling. Or the underage teenagers who you claim will be coerced into gambling while either drunk or high.

We believe that people can make their own decisions and that good parenting skills, rather than government controls, contribute towards improved accountability in our children. We also like to believe that people have a mind of their own and that they do not require the state to nanny them.