Casino group to target key battleground states

The American Gaming Association will launch a massive public relations campaign next year to tout the economic benefits of the casino industry as voters head to the polls to choose the next president.

During a press conference Thursday in Las Vegas, the association announced the creation of its first-ever "Gaming Votes" initiative, which was designed "to ensure presidential candidates understand gaming's vital role in providing middle class jobs and driving economic growth."

"The 2016 presidential candidates will wage their campaigns in the casino gaming industry's backyards—including at national nominating conventions in the casino cities of Philadelphia and Cleveland next summer," AGA CEO Geoff Freeman said. "Our ‘Gaming Votes' initiative will mobilize our workforce, highlight the path to the middle class that our industry provides and emphasize our commitment to strengthening communities across the United States."

The campaign will feature local events in political battleground states such as Iowa, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Ohio and others, according to AGA. The association also has released a series of "Faces of Gaming" web videos featuring casino employees and a new Oxford Economics report touting the benefits of the industry to the middle class.http://prn.to/1DoGZex