Gaming group adds members, pushes for more security money in Las Vegas

A view of the Cosmopolitan is shown in May 2014.

The gaming industry’s Washington, D.C.-based lobbying group is continuing to grow while it pursues an aggressive agenda that includes pushing for more security funding in Las Vegas.

The American Gaming Association announced today that it’s adding 11 new members, among them the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and the gaming equipment company Global Cash Access. It’s the second major membership announcement this year, following the January addition of the association’s first tribal member and others.

In a conference call with reporters, association President Geoff Freeman said the new members will help unify the gaming industry.

“Bringing this industry together is one of the absolute most important things we can do,” Freeman said. “These new members make our organization, and the gaming industry, even stronger.”

Freeman also took the opportunity to explain some of the work that association is pursuing while its membership expands in size and scope. He said the association wants to see the Department of Homeland Security prioritize the Las Vegas area for funding to defend against terrorism.

In a letter to the Nevada congressional delegation dated March 6, Freeman said the Department of Homeland Security’s Urban Areas Security Initiative “does not adequately take into consideration Las Vegas’ unique profile as a major international travel destination.”

He said it’s essential that Homeland Security ranks Las Vegas in its top tier.

As for other federal-level work, Freeman criticized a recent Internal Revenue Service proposal to lower the threshold at which casinos must report winnings on certain games, calling it a “major mistake.” The rule change under consideration by the IRS would require casinos to report winnings of $600 for certain games instead of the current $1,200 threshold.

Freeman said the change would create a burdensome amount of paperwork and “severely undermine the customer experience.”

At the state level, Freeman suggested that the association will be vocal about how regulators can help casino games evolve. The Nevada legislature, for example, is considering a bill that could pave the way for the introduction of more skill on the casino floor.

Freeman said he doesn’t know if skill is necessarily the answer, but it’s important for regulators to allow flexibility in the industry.

“What we do know is regulators need to empower a certain degree of trial and error,” he said. “Not everything is going to work — we understand that. The key is that regulators and policymakers understand that as well.”

Gaming

Share