The American Gaming Association is bullish that having a former casino owner in the White House the next four years will serve to advance the group’s policy agenda and its clout in the broader economy over the coming years.
Geoff Freeman, the group’s president and chief executive officer, explained to reporters in an end of the year press conference Tuesday that the simple fact that someone like Donald Trump, a former Atlantic City casino mogul, could be elected president speaks volumes to the rate at which public perception toward the industry is softening.
Trump’s election, he said, demonstrates that antiquated concerns surrounding the industry as recently as five or ten years ago have largely dissipated.
“The act of owning casinos was never an issue [in the presidential election],” Freeman said. “How some of the businesses were run, that may have been something that someone pointed to, but the actual casino business was never called into question. I think that really does demonstrate that we’ve entered a new era for the casino industry.”
The AGA is taking a proactive approach to engaging its former kinsman. The group sent a policy memo this month to the Trump transition team outlining its priorities for the coming years, including repealing the federal prohibition on sports betting, a continued crackdown on illegal gambling, tax reform and policies that enhance foreign visitation.
The group is also pushing for a more transparent and rules-based process to be adopted by the Department of the Interior for taking land into trust for tribal gaming purposes, and for incoming Attorney General Jeff Sessions to be a key ally in efforts to fight illegal gambling.
On the call, Freeman also reiterated that momentum for the AGA’s signature push to repeal PASPA is alive and growing with the election of Trump.
“We are entering a perfect storm of interests among broadcasters, among owners of individual sports teams, we have what’s clearly been 25 years of a failed law,” he said. “And now we have a president who…is quoted as recently as a about year ago on Colin Cowherd’s show talking about the failed law that we have today and the benefits of regulation. I think we have everything coming together to support a regulated environment.”
Freeman also noted other impactful 2016 events like the NHL awarding Las Vegas an expansion franchise, the NFL considering the city as a relocation home for the Oakland Raiders and UNLV hosting the third and final presidential debate as being key moments that demonstrate that the industry’s pariah status is behind it.
“This is a remarkable transformation for the gaming industry, one that solidifies its place as a mainstream industry that is a critical provider of high-quality American jobs and needed tax revenue,” Freeman said. “As a unified industry, we are better positioned than in any point prior to achieve our objectives.”
