Gaming and hospitality company MGM Resorts has thrown its support behind a campaign against a federal online gambling ban in the US.
According to the Politico.com website, the new Coalition for Consumer and Online Protection group will launch with an initial three-week $250,000 (€184,257) online and print advertising campaign against the ban.
The ad campaign will focus on the market in Washington DC, but will also have a presence in the online gambling-regulated state of Nevada.
The group will oppose a counter-effort led by Sheldon Adelson, chairman of casino and resort company Las Vegas Sand Cooperation, who also heads the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling group.
As reported by iGaming Business, the anti-online gambling group has gained backing in recent weeks with at least 10 state attorneys having pledged their support.
However, the new pro-online gambling group also has plenty of backing from the likes of Mike Oxley, a former Republican who served as financial services committee chairman when the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act of 2006 was introduced.
Democratic operative Jim Messina, former Republican Mary Bono, and Kristen Hawn of Granite Integrated Strategies have also been added the new group.
In addition, North Star Opinion Research’s Dan Judy and Whit Ayres recently carried out a survey about what US citizens think about the ban. The results showed 33% “strongly” opposed it, 22% “strongly” supported it and 74% preferred the current state-by-state legislation process.
Alan Feldman, executive vice-president at MGM Resorts, said it is important for people that oppose the ban to get “vocal” in order to combat claims by Adelson and his own campaign.
“He is using that, and he is going to use that, and we have to argue the facts on our side,” Feldman said. “He’s not making a secret of his positions. We shouldn’t be secretive about ours.
“He’s playing on people’s fears, he’s making all kinds of claims and making all kinds of accusations that simply aren’t true, so we’re going to stick to the facts and hope that the facts might win out.”
Mary Bono, now of FaegreBD Consulting, said a complete ban on internet gambling would be impossible.
“I try to compare it to the similarities we witnessed the film and television and music industries go through,” Bono said. “I think the lessons we’ve learned now is it’s impossible to stand in the way of the internet and it’s best to embrace it and try to shape it.”
Meanwhile, MGM Resorts has also announced that Mary Chris Gay has been elected to the firm’s board of directors.
Gay previously served as senior vice-president, portfolio manager and equity analyst at Legg Mason Global Asset Management, an international asset management firm.
Jim Murren, chairman of the board and chief executive officer at MGM Resorts, added: “Mary Chris has solid, well-rounded experience in the world of finance and investment, and she will be a tremendous asset to the MGM Resorts board.”
source : www.igamingbusiness.com
