CEO DATELINE - NFL cancellation angers casino association
CEO DATELINE - NFL cancellation angers casino association
- June 10, 2015 |
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Walt Williams
American Gaming Association says sports league needs to catch up with the times
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The NFL recently used an obscure rule to squash a planned fantasy football convention on the grounds it was taking placing on casino property—a move that has the American Gaming Association throwing the penalty flag.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was the lead organizer for the convention, which was to be held in Las Vegas in July and feature more than 100 players and media personalities, according to Fox Sports.
The event was to be held at the Sands Expo convention center, which is owned by a casino although no gambling takes place in the center itself. However, the NFL cited a league rule preventing players from participating in events held in conjunction with or sponsored by casinos. http://foxs.pt/1Gsjsvp
AGA, which represents the casino industry, disputed the NFL's reasoning, saying the rule reflected "an outdated view of gaming."
"In fact, 27 NFL teams (all but 5) are located in markets with legal, regulated casinos," AGA Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Sara Rayme said. "Many of the stadiums are within close proximity to the casinos themselves creating a synergistic entertainment complex. It is only a matter of time before such thinking in organizations like the NFL evolves and acknowledges the reality that gaming, like professional sports, is a form of mainstream entertainment."
Rayme added that AGA looks forward "to continuing to educate the NFL about our industry and how our businesses are inextricably linked."
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