Poker Players Alliance and IGC are still investing in legalised online poker
Sunday, November 6, 2011 : CAESARS A BIG LOBBYIST IN THIRD QUARTER
Poker Players Alliance and IGC are still investing in legalised online poker, too.
Congressional numbers on political lobbying investment in Q3 of 2011 were published last week, with Caesars Entertainment again a major player with political donations – mainly for internet poker – of $868 000, up some $47 000 on the previous quarter, and continuing an upward trend noticed this year.
By comparison, rival land giant MGM Resorts – also a supporter of legalised online poker – spent only $150 000, and not all of that was on internet gambling issues. Boyd Gaming, which has also been prominent in industry stories recently (it is involved in an online venture with MGM and Bwin.Party Digita) spent a mere $50 000 – again not all on internet-related issues. Bwin.Party invested around $60 000 in the same period.
Internet gaming action groups Interactive Gaming Council and the Poker Players Alliance were active, although to a somewhat lesser extent, investing substantially lower amounts at $230 000 and $300 000 respectively.
Despite its trials and tribulations stemming from Black Friday, Pokerstars was still in there pitching in the third quarter, providing lobbyists with a third quarter budget of $150 000.
Among the tribal lobbyists, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is clearly alive to the possibilities of legalised online poker in the States, providing lobbyists with an impressive $180 000.
Among the overseas corporates vying for political support was GTech Corp., which laid out a substantial $110 000; UC Group, a UK payment processing corporate involved with the SSIGI, which paid out $100 000; and Intralot, which paid lobbyists $70 000, mainly to push internet gambling matters.
According to the Open Secrets website, 20 interested parties lobbied on H.R.2366 – Rep. Joe Barton's federal attempt to legalise online poker – including the AGA, the National Indian Gaming Association, Betfair's TVG network, Betclic Everest group and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.
