Powerful US casino lobby group the American Gaming Association has launched a new poker legalisation drive based around the forthcoming Hollywood movie Runner Runner, set in the world of offshore-based online gambling.
According to the AGA, the fictional account of the new movie starring Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake of “a lawless online poker world ruled by shady and unethical characters sadly is not far from reality for millions of Americans who simply want to enjoy one of our favorite pastimes in a safe online environment”, in the words of recently appointed CEO and chairman Geoff Freeman.
Citing specially commissioned figures from leading gambling data providers H2 Gambling Capital that Americans spent US$2.6bn on offshore gambling websites in 2012 – close to 10% of the total US$33bn spent on remote gambling worldwide – the AGA said it was high time for federal policymakers to put much-needed safeguards in place to protect US players, presumably from the fate suffered by Justine Timberlake’s character in Runner Runner.
The AGA said it continues to push for federal legislation which would implement minimum standards for consumer protection, responsible gaming, age verification, and programmes to identify and deal with problem gambling. The lobby group is also recommending that federal legislation would facilitate a regulatory framework for Native American casino groups and establish tools for enforcement and prosecution against illegal operators.
The AGA also restated its opposition to the state-by-state patchwork of regulations springing up across the US, with other states set to follow Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware in authorising one or more forms of online gambling within their borders. Freeman said this approach taking precedence over a federal framework meant “the black market will continue to thrive in states that choose not to pass legislation.”
The AGA’s education and publicity campaign around Runner Runner include advertisements on Google, Facebook and Twitter as well as across AMC’s network of 26 websites, such as IMDb and ABCNews.com. The AGA has also set up a Runner Runner microsite complete with a short information film and details on its views of the risks posed by the current blanket ban on online gambling in the US, as well as its policy recommendations.
Runner Runner stars Justin Timberlake as a Princeton student who goes to a remote island to confront the owner of an offshore-based online poker site which had cheated him out of his tuition money, only to be persuaded by the Ben Affleck-played character into becoming his protégé and sidekick. The film, co-produced by Leonard DiCaprio, is due to be released in US cinemas on 4 October.
The AGA backs a poker-only federal framework for online gambling.
