Casino Gambling & the Ongoing Jackson Saga

Online casinos have been competing with live casinos for years, and doing quite well by offering up a realistic environment that allows gamblers to play at their leisure. One aspect of online casinos which has helped their success has been the imitation – Internet gaming venues that mirror live establishments. We see this with a plethora of online casinos already, and we could quite possibly see a Michael Jackson theme casino in the near future.

Before Michael’s death at age 50, he was planning on having a real casino built in Las Vegas. It was to be a Thriller theme casino, featuring zombies and other aspects of the pop star’s hit song and album. After his death, Joe Jackson, Michael’s father, picked up where he left off and plans to build a giant memorial to the late star in his hometown of Gary, Indiana, which will feature a casino. Simon Sahouri, head of the Jackson Family Foundation, Joe Jackson, and a California-based consultant are all working to erect the memorial building-slash-casino in Gary, but they’re meeting strong resistance from Michael’s attorney who claims the Foundation has no rights to license {Michael’s} image. Deals are currently underway, and it’s hard to say whether or not a live Jackson casino will see the light of day. But other possibilities exist for Michael’s father.

A Jackson theme online casino is also rumored to be in the works. And through various legal statutes, an overseas licensing agreement and website base would mean a lesser penalty for image rights, as it would not violate US law. Neither option has seen any progress outside of initial negotiations. But the Jackson Family Foundation remains intent on building a memorial for Michael, and Joe seems purposed on using his son’s image to open a casino somewhere. How this saga unfolds in the coming months will tell the tale. Fans should look forward to some type of Jackson themed casino, however, be it online, in Gary, Indiana, or somewhere else in the US.