AGA Launches Its Most Aggressive, Coordinated Effort Ever to Promote Gaming Across the Country By Geoff Freeman, President and CEO, American Gaming Association May 27, 2014 at 12:13 pm The new American Gaming Association has promised to be a relentless champion for the gaming industry, our 800,000+ employees and the communities from coast to coast to which we contribute. Today, we are excited to announce three new initiatives — built from the core underpinnings of our strategic plan — that will assist you and strengthen the gaming industry for years to come. Introducing “Get to Know Gaming” As reported today in the Las Vegas Sun, the AGA has launched its “Get to Know Gaming (G2KG)” campaign, a multiyear and integrated campaign to promote the value of the gaming industry, destroy antiquated myths and pave the way for a better domestic business environment. Utilizing new communications tools, which are rooted in authoritative research, G2KG will broadcast the value of gaming nationwide by driving media coverage of our contributions, recruiting and arming allies with the tools they need to speak out and creating next-generation digital strategies. G2KG will coalesce the gaming industry around a unified message and empower us to share our positive story. Sign up to spread the word. Building Gaming Champions in Congress Expose through Tours – Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) toured Resorts World New York with President Edward Farrell and AGA Vice President of Government Affairs Chaka Burgess. The explosive expansion of commercial gaming has dramatically changed the face of our industry domestically. Gaming in 2014 is omnipresent — and so too should our champions in the United States Congress. The AGA is launching a champion development initiative to educate and recruit gaming allies far beyond the Nevada borders. This effort will include Members of Congress engaging with our employees, tour our facilities, participating in our community-building efforts and much more. Aid in the education process by informing your congressman of the impact of gaming on your state — and on your livelihood. Squashing the Bugs Around the world, there are individuals who want to make a buck off of gaming without contributing to communities, undergoing stringent background checks and adhering to gaming regulations. Offshore online gaming operators, operators of grey machines, so-called “Internet Sweepstakes Cafes” (ISC), and illegal gambling halls are examples that can be found across the U.S. These illegal operators harm the image of regulated gaming and siphon revenue to communities in which they operate. The AGA will launch an aggressive public relations campaign to raise awareness around these illegal operators and promote enforcement to shut down these rogue outfits. As a first step to help the bug-squashing effort, we’re pleased to roll out an ISC toolkit, which includes a one-page fact sheet on the issue, model legislation among other resources. Working Together Working together will be essential to the gaming industry’s future. To achieve our shared industry goals, you can count on the AGA to: Identify areas of common cause; Passionately advocate for the industry’s interests; and Arm you and your colleagues with the tools you need to partner with the AGA in our efforts. Thank you for your support as we begin to make progress on a new chapter of the AGA, and please encourage others to join us.
