American Gaming Association Appoints New Head

Richard Haddrill, CEO of Bally Technologies, is the new head of the American Gaming Association (AGA), after being elected to the position at last month's annual meeting of the gambling industry's representative body.

Influential Body

Haddrill's election is timely, with the issue of gambling still very much in the headlines and before the federal and various state legislatures. AGA president Frank Fahrenkopf, Jr., said he sees Haddrill and new vice-president James Murrell as helping the industry take advantage of the new opportunities in the coming two years.

The AGA represents the commercial casino and entertainment industry on federal legislative and regulatory issues. The association also provides information, and runs educational and advocacy programs, with the aim of showing leadership on industry-related public issues.

Current State of Play

Several states are now looking to push through legislation on online gambling, after the US Department of Justice last month released an opinion reversing decades of previous policy. Previously, it said the 1961 Wire Act banned all wagers across state lines, but in the new opinion it said this applies only to sports betting.

Connecticut is the latest to join the rush, after Governor Dannel P. Malloy said Monday he believes it is inevitable the state will approve online gambling. They will already be playing catch up with other states, as Nevada, California and Iowa have positioned themselves to be the first states to start running nationwide online gambling.