The American Gaming Association (AGA) announced last week that it was adding six new members to its corporate body. Among these six are at least three which represent online gambling interests in the United States. This is a new stance for the AGA, which has generally remained neutral on the issue of legal federal online gambling in the country. The three companies that are expected to act as a voice for online gambling proponents are GVC Holdings PLC, the Stars Group (parent company of PokerStars online poker group) and Paddy Power Betfair.
The other three companies to join the AGA as corporate members are Choctaw Casinos and Resorts, Golden Entertainment and BMM Testlabs.
The six in total join the AGA as board-level members. This essentially gives them voting power and allows them to influence on casino and gambling related issues in the US.
It remains to be seen what type of influence these new board members will have on the AGA, considering that the association has kept such a tight lip about anything online gambling oriented in the past. This is due to the fact that the heads of Las Vega Sands (Sheldon Adelson) and Wynn Resorts (Steve Wynn) have applied pressure on the group to steer clear of the advocacy of online gambling in the United States.
It is believed, however, that both Adelson and Wynn are losing their influence on the industry. Wynn is embroiled in sexual allegation claims, and regulated online gambling in the US may be the furthest thing from his mind. Adelson’s efforts over the years to torpedo any type of advancement in online gambling legislation have not paid off, despite his efforts and the millions of dollars poured into his campaigns.
It is clear from the AGA’s statement announcing the six new members that it is looking to incorporate a broader range of members.
“More than ever before, AGA’s diverse membership reflects the broad interests of the casino gaming industry,” said Geoff Freeman, the president and CEO of AGA.
“Adding these six industry leaders will help our ability to serve as an effective advocate for the industry as a whole, and we’re excited to add their expertise to our Board.”
