Gaming industry sees outcome as favorable

Thursday, Dec. 14, 2000 | 11:13 a.m.

Nevada and casino industry leaders are optimistic that gaming will get fair treatment from a George W. Bush administration, even though the president-elect opposes gambling in his home state of Texas.

"I think we'll have an opportunity to talk to him one on one if necessary and that's always important," Gov. Kenny Guinn said this morning.

Guinn, who was chairman of Bush's successful Nevada campaign, said the Texas governor believes in state's rights, which also bodes well for the gaming industry.

Bush attracted the industry's attention during the presidential campaign in March 1999, when he made strong antigaming remarks in a report critical of gambling in Texas.

"To allow casino-style gambling to continue and spread in places where children play not only offends Texans who have not approved casino-style gambling in our state, but it also sends a terrible message to our children that gambling is OK," Bush said.

"Casino gambling is not OK. It has ruined the lives of too many adults, and it can do the same thing to our children."

Several months after that report was released, Bush attempted to ease Nevada concerns during a campaign stop at Lake Tahoe, his only visit to the state. He later received heavy financial support from the casino industry and ultimately won Nevada's four electoral votes in the close presidential race.

At Lake Tahoe, Bush assured Guinn, Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., and top casino industry executives that he was not opposed to gambling in this state.

"His statement to me was, 'Look, my constituents in Texas didn't want gaming. And why should they when we have Las Vegas, which is the greatest place in the world for it,' " Guinn said.

Sig Rogich, a Guinn political consultant who worked in the administration of Bush's father, said the president-elect always has "sung the praises" of Las Vegas to him.

"He told me a couple of months ago that we do it better than anybody else," Rogich said. "I think we'll have a fair opportunity to present ourselves."

Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Gaming Association, the industry's Washington lobby, said the industry has nothing to worry about from Bush.

"I don't think from a gaming standpoint, with the issues we have before us, it makes any difference whether Bush or Vice President Al Gore were president," said Fahrenkopf, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee. "Both believe in states rights.

"Our battles are going to be in the House and Senate. They're not going to be in the White House."

But not everyone is as optimistic.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., a close Gore friend, said just how well gaming fares under Bush will depend on how much he listens to the industry's critics within the religious right, which also supported his campaign.

"I don't look for any hits to be given to us intentionally by Bush, but we have to watch who he's getting his advice from," said Reid, the Senate's assistant Democratic leader.

Former Democratic Gov. Bob Miller added: "Certainly, we have to keep our eyes open because of his criticism of the industry in Texas. He made similar statements in his primary campaign while courting votes in the South.

"The jury's out on how he's going to treat the gaming industry," Miller said. "Until we get to test the waters, we have no way of knowing exactly what he will do."

Miller said he hoped Bush's personal relationships with people such as Rogich and Guinn will overcome his anti-gaming campaign rhetoric.

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