Mr. Adelson, your statement is preposterous. To suggest poker is not a game of skill is — in your words — baloney. Your comments are not only incontrovertibly false, they are insulting to millions of poker players who enjoy the game, devote themselves to the spirit of competition, and work hard to improve themselves.
July 15, 2013
Mr. Adelson:
Poker players will be boycotting your poker room at the Venetian Resort Casino Hotel in Las Vegas during the dates of July 22-26. The start of the boycott is just one week away.
The passion behind this boycott was ignited in response to your repeated writings and public statements in opposition to the legalization of online poker in the United States. Your position on this matter is something I would describe as clear and unmistakable.
I wholeheartedly support your right as a free citizen to speak out on matters you think are important, just as I and millions of other poker players also enjoy those same rights.
However, during the course of your very public campaign in opposition to legalized online poker, you made one statement that is demonstrably false, demanding an immediate retraction.
On June 20th, you appeared on Bloomberg TV and stated as follows:
“That skill base is, in my opinion, just a bunch of baloney. To get a card is not skill base. I know people say it is skill-based, but it’s just so they can categorize it in a certain segment.”
SEE BLOOMBERG TV INTERVIEW HERE
Mr. Adelson, your statement is preposterous. To suggest poker is not a game of skill is — in your words — baloney. Your comments are not only incontrovertibly false, they are insulting to millions of poker players who enjoy the game, devote themselves to the spirit of competition, and work hard to improve themselves.
Accordingly, I am now prepared to offer you a solution to this standoff. Here are the conditions by which my call for a boycott of the Venetian Poker Room boycott will be called off:
1. You will make or issue a public statement that comes from you and includes the following affirmation: “Poker is a game of skill.“
That’s it. Nothing else.
There are no other conditions. All you must do is state publicly is that poker is a skill game. Once you do this, I will immediately call off the boycott of the Venetian Poker Room between July 22-26.
Instead, should ignore us and take no action, we poker players will continue to make certain you know we are here, that we are not going away, and that we will not forget your blatant mischaracterization of poker and the millions of those who play it.
Mr. Adelson, the next move is yours.
Signed,
Nolan Dalla
Las Vegas, Nevada
SEE: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the Venetian Poker Room boycott.