August 8th, 2008
excerpt:
Fahrenkopf was Chairman of the Republican Party for six years while Ronald Reagan was President. He’s been the CEO of the AGA since 1995. Over the past 13 years, he’s developed a keen understanding of what challenges the AGA must overcome in order to continue to be influential in the U.S.: “We know from the public opinion polling that 80-85% of the American public has no problem with gambling. However, there’s a hardcore 15% of the population who are opposed to all forms of gambling on moral grounds. That segment is led by the Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church, where the dictates provide that gambling is a sin. Also, too many state legislators think that gambling is the ‘golden goose.’ They believe that you can milk the golden goose by raising tax rates to levels that are untouchable.”
The AGA’s member casinos have also felt the effects of the proliferation of online gambling. While some would argue that online poker, for example, helps drive traffic to poker rooms in casinos, the AGA has suggested that, rather than legalizing and regulating internet gambling, Congress should pass Shelley Berkley’s Internet Gambling Study Bill. Fahrenkopf explains, “We support Congresswoman Berkley’s bill asking for an independent study of the technology to determine whether or not states would have the ability to regulate internet gambling to the same extent as they do for brick and mortar gambling.” The AGA has advocated states’ rights on the internet gambling front.
Click here to read more:
Online Poker Scene – American Gaming Association CEO Frank Fahrenkopf on the P5s Podcast
Author Contact Info: Dan Cypra, PocketFives.com
Tags: AGA
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