Illinois’ legalization of video gaming requiring operator involvement has given renewed fire to other state operator associations' push for similar legislation in response to state budget crises. Ohio has approved gaming at racetracks. A measure newly hammered out in Pennsylvania authorizing video gaming units in bars and taverns is awaiting consideration by the legislature. Pollsters report that 79% of most likely voters in North Carolina say their state should regulate and tax video gaming to provide money for education — one of many causes being championed in by The Entertainment Group of North Carolina, a lobbying group of operators and related businesses.
At the same time, debates have been revived about the pursuit of gaming vis a vis society’s well-being, making for sometimes tricky uphill battles. As expressed by an amusement operator and trade leader in RePlay’s March 2009 Operator Interface, “I would like to see the gambling initiative get ratcheted down. It’s not a way to build a country by getting money from gambling. It’s a very bad idea.” But more lawmakers' "desperate times necessitate desperate measures" attitudes are increasingly receptive to the operators' rallying cry, "A crisis is a terrible thing to waste."
Are you or your association pushing for video gaming in your state? Where does your state association stand in advancing similar agendas, or is operator-run video gaming politically unfeasible? What’s the conventional wisdom regarding gambling in your territory? How do you feel about the possible proliferation of gaming personally and as an operator?
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
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