The American Gaming Association is vowing to increase actions and funding of its political action committee to support gaming-related causes during the 2016 national election cycle. “We’re going to be more active in political discussion,” MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren, who is chairman of the AGA, told reporters. “Because, as it turns out, you look at any battleground state in the United States, it’s more than likely that they have gaming there, with thousands and thousands of employees. And those employees have a voice.”
AGA President and CEO said organization plans to meet with all 2016 presidential contenders to discuss the industry’s importance to the economy and correct misconceptions that still dog the casino industry.
The AGA’s PAC spent $152,250 during the 2012 presidential election cycle, which Freeman said is low for an industry its size. “The PAC is a vital element of our efforts to engage the political process,” Freeman told The Hill. “That said, the assets that really separate us from other industries are the employees, the presence in battleground states, the properties—where many members (of Congress) like to go, like to participate in various events, and we need to use those assets to our advantage.”
“Every industry has a PAC, every industry has dollars,” Freeman added. “Is ours big enough? No. But we’re going to really focus on the assets that make our industry unique, if that’s what can separate us.”
