Friday morning, Senator Harry Reid announced he will retire at the end of his current term in 2016. Senator Reid has been a tireless supporter of gaming who solidified Nevada and the industry’s significance across the country. From his earliest days as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission to his years in the United States Senate, he has demonstrated support, respect and a vision for gaming.
Senator Reid helped transform gaming into the modern industry it is today. He’s gone the extra mile to support key gaming projects and thousands of jobs. Senator Reid garnered millions of dollars to ensure Las Vegas’ airport could accommodate the more than 40 million people who visit the destination each year, and he’s boosted international travel to the United States by passing the Travel Promotion Act.
From a casino gaming industry perspective, we see three key takeaways from Senator Reid’s retirement:
1. Opportunity to Expand Gaming Champions in Congress
When Senator Reid took the helm as Nevada’s top gaming regulator in the 1970s, the industry had just expanded to New Jersey. Today, with nearly 1,000 casinos across 40 states, casino gaming positively contributes to communities from coast-to-coast. For decades Senator Reid and the entire Nevada Congressional delegation have advocated for gaming, and now an opportunity emerges for gaming champions in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Ohio and beyond.
The casino industry is a driving economic force and worthy of a deep and diverse bench of Congressional supporters. In 2014, AGA launched a nationwide Congressional champion development effort and the importance of that effort now increases.
2. Time to Engage 1.7M Stakeholders who Depend on Gaming
Protecting and promoting the gaming industry in the years ahead will require a multi-faceted strategy. A key component of that strategy is to organize, educate and mobilize the 1.7 million stakeholders whose livelihoods depend on casino gaming. While no easy task, the importance of building a compelling grassroots network has never been greater. Gaming’s stakeholders must champion the importance of our industry with target audiences and passionately assert the benefits we provide.
3. Next Generation of Gaming Emerging
As Senator Reid and other gaming leaders of his generation retire–at the federal, state and local level–an opportunity emerges to revisit the policies that regulate gaming. Many of the policies that accompanied gaming’s expansion beyond Nevada were based on the misguided notions that casino gaming “prints money” and causes harm. These same policies are now obstacles to innovation, reinvestment and meeting the needs of our customers in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
The AGA is leading an industry discussion on “Next Generation Gaming” policies to identify reforms that will help casino entertainment to thrive in the years ahead. Senator Reid’s departure is a reminder that our industry’s next generation is emerging even more quickly than we might have realized.
Senator Reid has been a strong champion of gaming and it will require a much wider group of casino proponents to rival his passion and effectiveness. We look forward to building on the foundation that he helped to develop and to effectively represent the casino gaming industry in Washington and beyond.
Sincerely,
Geoff Freeman
President and CEO
