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Executives with the American Gaming Association (AGA) want everyone to know that today’s online gambling industry is unregulated with shady operators who offer paybacks to corrupt Banana republic politicians and routinely throw deadbeat gamblers into alligator infested waters.
Of course that is all fiction as seen in the upcoming Justin Timberlake-Ben Affleck film “Runner Runner”. That being said, the AGA will unveil a fall campaign that uses footage from this movie to highlight the need for online gambling regulation.
The film itself was premiered at Planet Hollywood last Wednesday and will be released nationwide on October 4 (2013). The AGA ad campaign was shown at this week’s G2E conference in Las Vegas.
The AGA admits “Runner, Runner” is a fictional tale but also claims it’s not too far from reality.
"'Runner Runner’ is a fictional account of a lawless online poker world ruled by shady and unethical characters that 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," said Geoff Freeman, the president and CEO of the AGA. “Americans account for nearly 10 percent of the global online gaming marketplace at a time when the business is illegal in all but three American states. It is past time for policymakers to put necessary safeguards in place.”
The reality is that bad apples exist in both the offshore gambling world and Las Vegas. Late last year, a sportsbook director working on behalf of Cantor Gaming in Las Vegas, was indicted as part of a massive probe into a multi-million dollar illegal sports betting ring.
Offshore gambling operators, on the other hand, have helped boost economies in Web gambling jurisdictions the likes of Costa Rica, Gibraltar and Panama.
The AGA claims that US citizens alone wagered more than $2.6 billion on illegal offshore gambling websites in 2012—generating nearly 10 percent of the $33 billion worldwide online gambling market.
The American Gaming Association has pushed for federal legislation.
“The alternative to the approach AGA recommends is a state-by-state patchwork of regulations across a borderless Internet where the black market will continue to thrive in states that choose not to pass legislation,” Freeman said.
Three states so far have passed laws allowing real money online gambling within their borders - Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware. Others are expected to follow in 2014.
AGA is planning to leverage the fictitious "Runner, Runner" to educate policymakers and negate the general public. They will also be launching a "Runner, Runner" microsite providing information related to the risks associated with the current marketplace and the need for immediate action for policymakers.
- Alejandro Botticelli, Gambling911.com
