Gambling Lobbyists Look For Next Harry Reid As Nevada Senator Retires Soon

Nevada Senator and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is leaving Congress and creating a massive void that gambling lobbyists must fill.
Gambling lobbyists are in search of their next man that is right-hand.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) is scouring for a new congressional politician to help charter their movement while americans are pondering who should get their presidential vote in November.
The AGA, along with other lobbyists advocating for the advancement of casino-friendly guidelines, recognize that a hole that is giant require to be filled come 2017 whenever Nevada Senator Harry Reid (D) retires from Congress. Year following 34 years in Washington, DC, Reid will leave his office at the age of 77 after the New.
Born in Searchlight and raised in Henderson, Nevada, a town simply 15 miles southeast of Las vegas, nevada, Reid was the most crucial gambling figure in Congress throughout his lengthy governmental job.
‘We’ve possessed a present in Harry Reid,’ Caesars Executive Vice President of Government Relations Jan Jones Blackhurst told the Washington Post recently. ‘All of us are acutely aware that the strong voice we always had representing the industry in Washington will be diminished.’
In accordance with the guts for Responsive Politics, $18.8 million has been invested lobbying by casinos in 2016. Though that is of course substantial, myfreepokies.com it pales in contrast to the $37.2 million invested in 2015.
Gambling Candidates
Reid has endorsed Nevada that is former Attorney Catherine Cortez Masto (D) to become his successor. Hailing from vegas and a graduate of University of Nevada, Masto’s father Manny Cortez and Reid were friends that are close his death.
Manny Cortez ended up being the head of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for decades and additionally served as Clark County Commissioner.
Catherine Masto’s opponent is US Rep. Joseph Heck (R-Nevada). Heck is from Pennsylvania and a graduate of Penn State University, but moved to the Silver State in 1992 where he worked being a physician.
Heck currently holds a four-point benefit over Masto based on the Real Clear Politics average that is polling. That is clearly a sign that is good both Donald Trump and also the Republican Party, as Nevada is just a key swing state when again and the GOP is likewise seeking to retain its majority in the US Senate.
Democratic Leader
Although both Masto or Heck would be expected to cater to the interests of casino companies in some capacity, neither would carry the influence on Capitol Hill that Reid possessed while serving as both Senate Majority and Minority Leader during his tenure.
Rather, the AGA will be shopping for more influential people in congress, and ones with some sort of seniority. Preferably, that person will likely be the leader that is next of Democratic Party in the US Senate.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) is the favourite to replace Reid because the dominant Democrat in the chamber that is upper.
In accordance with VoteSmart.org, An database that is online tracks legislative yays and nays, Schumer does not have any votes on federal gambling legislation. However, Schumer has said in the past that he’s ‘always been for gambling’ so long as it benefits New York.
Regardless, Schumer will be no Reid for casinos. ‘ I don’t think anyone is comfortable with losing Senator Reid,’ Jones Blackhurst concluded.
Definitely those on the conservative side of the aisle that is political gladly bid Reid adieu.
Cash Man Sheldon Adelson Gets a Seat at First Presidential Debate
A live audience ticket towards the most-watched US presidential debate in American history must be harder to find than orchestra seats to the Broadway hit show ‘Hamilton.’ However when you’re the person behind the mammoth super PAC (super governmental action committee) that’s funding one of the two candidates on stage, that candidate being your other billionaire, that seat might have already been a little better to land.
Donald Trump supporter Sheldon Adelson, seen here in August during the RNC, scored only a seat that is third-row initial presidential debate on Monday, September 26. (Image: Doug Mills/The New York Times)
Sheldon Adelson is spending in the neighbor hood of $100 million of his own money on stated super PAC for GOP candidate Donald Trump, hoping to ensure that Hillary Clinton never again calls the White House her home. The Las Vegas Sands multibillionaire is hoping he can use his wealth to help secure the somewhat Donald that is less-billionish Trump the Oval Office come January 2017.
During the very first of three presidential debates, it was obvious Adelson is the Republican Party’s most benefactor that is important the 2016 election.
Held at Hofstra University on Long Island, Adelson, his wife Marion, and two other guests that are personal were seated in line three of the arena. Adelson’s team sat directly behind VP nominee Mike Pence and Trump’s progeny in the row that is first and Republican nationwide Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and trusted policy advisor Senator Jeffrey Sessions (R-Alabama) in the second. Sessions was reportedly instrumental in helping Trump select mate that is running Indiana Governor Mike Pence to join him on the GOP ticket.
Evidently family and party power players trump also the biggest financial backers whenever it comes to importance for debate seating.
As for the action on the real Hofstra stage, Clinton, who hinted she wouldn’t engage Trump on petty issues prior to the occasion, did exactly that, and Trump took the bait.
Moderator Lester Holt attempted to keep the candidates focused on speaking about the economy, trade, race relations, terrorism, and foreign policy, nevertheless the narrative changed in the latter half of the clash. Holt asked Trump to protect his questioning that is long of President Obama was born in america, and also asked the GOP nominee about a comment he made where he stated Clinton doesn’t have a ‘presidential look.’
‘She doesn’t have the look. She doesn’t have the stamina . . . to be president of this country, you need tremendous stamina,’ Trump replied.
‘He tried to switch from looks to stamina,’ Clinton responded. ‘But this is often a man who may have called women pigs, slobs, and dogs.’
‘I never ever stated that,’ Trump rebutted.
Clinton Wins, But Trump Doesn’t Lose
The polls immediately following debate showed a slight edge towards Clinton in deciding who won the debate. Other pundits said Trump held their own, and since he was the underdog entering the contest, he effectively won.
The biggest win was Clinton’s avoidance of any significant conversation on her behalf private email server, which several post-debate critics called Trump on the carpet for perhaps not mentioning more vociferously.
Internet security ended up being a subject during the debate, as the two talked about the ongoing threat of cyber espionage from countries like Russia and Asia. It had been an opportunity missed by Trump to create into question Clinton’s unsecured email server hosting classified information, which she utilized during her time as secretary of state.
Adelson probably could have enjoyed a better response on internet security from his candidate. He’s very long championed the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA), the anti-online gambling federal measure, on concerns that online casinos cannot adequately protect against minors accessing these web sites, and the fear that it’ll create a nation of compulsive gamblers.
But RAWA is a huge failure in Congress.
This Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) introduced S.3376, a bill that seeks to overturn the 2011 Department of Justice opinion that determined that the 1961 Wire Act applied only to sports betting week. The DOJ’s opinion basically permitted states to legalize particular kinds of online gambling.
Cosponsored by initial RAWA author Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), S.3376 is visiting be known in gambling circles as RAWA 2.0.
Sports and Politics in the Agenda
Well Worth about $30 billion, Adelson is showing no indications of slowing at the age of 83.
Earlier this month, he was in Macau for the opening of their new $2.7 billion casino that is posh the Parisian (no reference to the Paris in Las vegas, nevada). He’ll now return house to Sin City to continue his efforts to relocate the Oakland Raiders and get A nfl that is major stadium, as well as in record time.
Adelson wants to bring NFL games to Vegas, and has pledged a few of their own cash to construct the proposed 65,000-seat stadium.
Meanwhile, at his own Sands Expo and Convention Center in nevada, the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) happens to be discussing the continuing future of gambling, with a focus on eSports and sportsbetting. The show runs through to September 29. It’s all a bit six-degrees-of-separation, politically and financially speaking.
But Adelson is most passionate about Trump defeating Clinton. As well as the earlier mentioned $100 million, Adelson is pledging another $25 million to an anti-Clinton PAC that are super.
And in August, Adelson gave $1.5 million towards the RNC to cover a shortfall stemming from overages at the Republican National Convention.
President of Turkey Shows Displeasure Over Access to Neighboring Georgia’s Casinos
In difficult Turkey, where President Recep Erdogan has tightened his authoritarian grip regarding the country since the failed dramatic coup d’etat on July 15 of this year, a brand new potential for dissidence has arisen. And it’s one that Erdogan can not quite so easily control.
Turkish President Recep Erdogan is determined to turn off casinos in neighboring Georgia, but there are some things that a good dictatorial president can’t get a handle on. (Image: sigmalive.com)
To be certain, thousands have been arrested into the wake of this attempted seizure of power by a faction within the Turkish military. And those consist of not just alleged plotters, but also judges, educators, and journalists, prompting fears that Erdogan is utilizing the coup as a pretext to muzzle his critics.
One thing Erdogan cannot touch, however, would be the gambling enterprises nationwide’s north-eastern border with neighboring Georgia. The thought of hard-working Turks disappearing over the border and coming back with their pockets empty is more than the hardliner Erdogan can bear for a hardline conservative whose Islamist leanings are in contrast with the country’s tradition of secularist political culture.
Bring Back Our Husbands
Casinos were banned in Turkey in 1998, and online casinos in 2006, but in 2012, Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan signed what became known as the Trabzon Declaration june. This treaty increased ties between three Caucasus powers and permitted a new freedom of movement of people across their mutual borders.
Turkey’s ambassador in the Georgian Dead Sea resort of Batumi immediately reported that legions of Turks would ‘close their shops and head straight to the casinos right here.’ And Turkish wives, he said, had been already calling the ambassador’s office, demanding to understand where their husbands were.
It was thought that Erdogan might utilize the failed coup as a reason to shut the edge, which would in change stem that tide of casino-goers. Alternatively, and perhaps surprisingly for a guy who’s not famous for their finesse, he’s taken a more diplomatic approach.
Based on reports within the region’s news earlier this month, Erdogan asked the former Georgian president, Bidzina Ivanishvili, to pull some strings to have the casinos shut down for the reason that nation.
No Dice
‘I remember once I had a gathering with Erdogan the thing that is first asked me would be to close these gambling enterprises,’ Ivanishivili told reporters. ‘Many result from Turkey to play here and [they] lose a lot of money but exactly what can we do?’
Billionaire Ivanishivili ‘retired’ from politics in 2013, but Erdogan knew he ended up being the go-to-guy. Based on political scientist Kornely Kakachia, he is ‘outside democratic control, outside institutional checks and balances, yet he is ultimately calling the shots, which sets Georgia in a vulnerable position both vis-à-vis democracy and international policy.’
And to Erdogan’s disappointment the oligarch that is old maybe not bite.
‘This is a type of business, people it boosts tourism,’ Ivanishvili said like it and. ‘To be honest I would personally be happy to ban gambling but this plays a part in our economy so we can’t have very strict approach.’
And that means the ambassador’s office in Batumi will be besieged by phone calls from irate Turkish spouses for the future that is foreseeable.
