The American Gaming Association (AGA) has announced the addition of six new companies as board-level members. GVC Holdings PLC, Paddy Power Betfair, Stars Group, BMM Testlabs, Golden Entertainment and Choctaw Casinos and Resorts will all be represented on the AGA board of directors. Confirmation of the new additions comes after the AGA last week entered into a strategic alliance with BMM, under which the latter will share its expertise on gaming and regulatory issues with the AGA and its members. Geoff Freeman, president and chief executive of the AGA, said: “More than ever before, AGA’s diverse membership reflects the broad…

The casino industry’s largest lobbying group in the U.S. is ramping up its efforts to repeal a 25-year-old federal law that bans sports betting in most states. The American Gaming Association on Monday announced the creation of a coalition involving organizations of attorneys general and police, policymakers and others to advocate for the repeal of the ban that the industry says has fueled the $150 billion illegal sports betting market. “The American Gaming Association believes a perfect storm is aligning and now is the time to repeal a failing law,” Freeman said during the announcement. He cited a recent survey…

Congressional action appears necessary if sports betting is to be legalized in Atlantic City casinos and elsewhere across the U.S. That’s the conclusion of American Gaming Association President Geoff Freeman following this week’s rejection of New Jersey’s effort to get  a court-ordered change in the 1992 act of Congress that banned most forms of sports betting. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling invalidated a 2014  New Jersey law that would have allowed sports betting at casinos and racetracks. The court found New Jersey’s action repealing prohibitions against sports gambling violated the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA)…..

The AGA’s initiative to crack down on illegal gambling received a big boost when we announced a new effort with the FBI. We’re pleased to be cooperating with the nation’s top law enforcement and national security agency by touting the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The IC3 is the FBI’s national platform for receiving information on any cyber-affiliated crime. It’s an invaluable tool for people in every state to report tips about the multi-billion dollar illegal gambling sector that preys on consumers, steals jobs and deprives state and local governments of revenues generated by the legal, regulated casino gaming…

The $240 billion U.S. gambling industry is looking to bolster its political influence with a national effort to mobilize workers behind its policy agenda heading into the 2016 elections. The American Gaming Association (AGA), a trade group representing mainly casinos and lotteries, boasts a growing membership covering 40 states, and the trade group’s leadership vowed Wednesday to increase its clout in Washington, despite the loss of retiring Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), an influential congressional ally. “We’re going to be more active in political discussion,” MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren told reporters Wednesday at the AGA’s shiny new D.C. digs….

The American Gaming Association (AGA) today announced the formation of its Illegal Gambling Advisory Board as part of its “Stop Illegal Gambling – Play it Safe” initiative. The new Board met for the first time today at the AGA’s office in Washington, DC. Members of the Board will provide advice regarding industry efforts to develop actionable tools for law enforcement and to reduce the demand through public awareness; guide partnerships with law enforcement at the local, state, federal and international level; and provide strategies and perspective on necessary steps to plug existing holes in enforcement efforts. “We’re fortunate that five of the most well-respected…