Online Casino Transfer: News - Lobbying on the Rise

05/16/2010		Online Casino Style: News Lobbying on the Rise
Home History Games News Dictionary		It seems that despite the continued existence of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act on the lawbooks, the desire to see online casinos legalized is only growing in support. A report published by the Bola Verde Media Group determined that $5.16 million was spent in lobbying the American government for regulation over prohibition – in the first quarter of 2010 alone. The money was spent by a surprisingly small number of organizations, spread across just thirty-six different parties, each of which is very obviously dedicated to the cause. The money wasn’t necessarily evenly spread, however, with Harrah’s Entertainment making the largest lobbying contribution with $1.22 million spent. It was a jump from the money they spent last year, up 73 percent for the fourth quarter of 2009. Understandable, however, considering the amount of money Harrah’s Entertainment stands to make through their Interactive division should online gambling become legal in the United States. A slew of well known world brands anted up from all around the world to lobby this first quarter, as Barney Frank’s initiative became closer to being a reality than similar measures have done in the past. Wynn Resorts, MGM Mirage, PokerStars, PartyGaming, Intralot USA, the National Football League, Betfairs US division and Gtech were among the firms listed in the Bola Verde report. The Poker Players Alliance also made a notable contribution, spending $785,000 from January to March on lobbying. Behind Harrah’s, they were the second largest contributor, followed by UC Group at $717,239, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCC) at $664,442 and the Interactive Gaming Council at $412,580. "As is the case with any industry, special interests play an important role in shaping future policy,” said Mark Balestra, the managing director for Bola Verde. “In this sense, an evaluation of lobbying strategies and spending trends lends pretty good insight into how things could pan out in Washington."

05/16/2010

Online Casino Style: News
Lobbying on the Rise

It seems that despite the continued existence of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act on the lawbooks, the desire to see online casinos legalized is only growing in support. A report published by the Bola Verde Media Group determined that $5.16 million was spent in lobbying the American government for regulation over prohibition – in the first quarter of 2010 alone. The money was spent by a surprisingly small number of organizations, spread across just thirty-six different parties, each of which is very obviously dedicated to the cause.

The money wasn’t necessarily evenly spread, however, with Harrah’s Entertainment making the largest lobbying contribution with $1.22 million spent. It was a jump from the money they spent last year, up 73 percent for the fourth quarter of 2009. Understandable, however, considering the amount of money Harrah’s Entertainment stands to make through their Interactive division should online gambling become legal in the United States.

A slew of well known world brands anted up from all around the world to lobby this first quarter, as Barney Frank’s initiative became closer to being a reality than similar measures have done in the past. Wynn Resorts, MGM Mirage, PokerStars, PartyGaming, Intralot USA, the National Football League, Betfairs US division and Gtech were among the firms listed in the Bola Verde report.

The Poker Players Alliance also made a notable contribution, spending $785,000 from January to March on lobbying. Behind Harrah’s, they were the second largest contributor, followed by UC Group at $717,239, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCC) at $664,442 and the Interactive Gaming Council at $412,580. "As is the case with any industry, special interests play an important role in shaping future policy,” said Mark Balestra, the managing director for Bola Verde. “In this sense, an evaluation of lobbying strategies and spending trends lends pretty good insight into how things could pan out in Washington."