National Center for Responsible Gaming Promotes MGM's Alan Feldman to ChairmanGroup to Reserve $1.5 Million for Problem Gambling Research in 2012 |
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At the start of a potentially big year for gaming expansion in a handful of states across the country — with casino construction and Internet poker — the American Gaming Association’s National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) announced Monday that Alan Feldman, long-time board member and vice president of public affairs at MGM Resorts International, is the new chairman of the board of directors.
In October, Feldman’s MGM announced a partnership with bwin.party digital entertainment to offer online poker intrastate in Nevada once licensed. However, the company prefers a federal solution that would allow the product nationwide.
The company’s CEO Jim Murren appeared on CNBC late last week to talk about the upcoming industry and MGM’s plan.
The casino giant, which owns Bellagio, Aria, The Mirage, Excalibur and many other brick-and-mortars, made another play in federal efforts by backing FairPlayUSA this past summer.
Despite powerful lobbying from many casino interests, a web poker bill in Congress is currently at a standstill, after a hearing on it in November centered on the issue of problem gambling.
MGM’s Feldman replaces Glenn Christenson, who will remain on the NCRG board. The group also elected Mark Vander Linden, from Iowa’s Office of Gambling Treatment and Prevention, as a board member.
On the heels of Nevada’s aggressive progress, Linden’s state of Iowa is considering online poker. In early December, its gaming regulators released a report on a potential intrastate industry.
Others on the NCRG board include executives from Boyd Gaming, International Game Technology and Caesars Entertainment — all of which have formally expressed interest in Internet poker. Caesars, along with MGM, has been lobbying on Capitol Hill.
In addition to the promotions of Feldman and Linden, the NCRG announced that for 2012 it has allocated more than $1.5 million — its largest total ever — for grants to support research on “gambling disorders.”
Feldman said in a press release that he wants to "raise awareness of problem gambling and responsible gaming through the top-notch, peer-reviewed research and public education initiatives that makes the NCRG a leading organization in this field.”
Follow Brian Pempus on Twitter — @brianpempus
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