Sometimes you hit a nerve, I guess.
Last month, after finally noticing AGA President Frank Fahrenkopf's right wing affiliations, I climbed up on my high horse and fired off a rather scathing - even for me - post about how
Fahrenkopf's political affiliations might be affecting his business judgement. Or vice versa.
Anyway, it seems that either Mr. Fahrenkopf read my post, or somebody else read it and explained it to him.
And apparently he didn't like the image he was portraying to the world, because he immediately set to work disproving everything I wrote about him. And as a person in his position is wont to do, he has managed to have the media record his every move.
Look at the media output Fahrenkopf has generated since my offensive:
Nice body of work there.
I don't care how we got here, I'm just glad that the American Gaming Association has finally awakened to realize the potential of the online market.
It finally looks like they won't any longer be spending millions on lobbyists trying to keep online gambling illegal.
They are finding that not only was that tactic expensive, but stupid. Imagine how well they would be doing right now if they could be supplementing their brick-and-mortar operations with a nice steady revenue steam flowing from online.
Oh well, better late than never I hope.
OK. Here I go again...
A Message to the American Gaming Association...
Dear American Gaming Executives,
You might be late arriving to the party, but it looks like you are finally showing up.
Thankfully there is still some time left before midnight. But not much.
You see, if the Bush Administration's final wishes get rubber stamped, then this whole industry remains a pumpkin for a good long while as new legislation will need to get crafted, debated, voted, and ratified.
That takes time. Months. Years.
In the meantime, your foreign competitors will be eating your lunch as you suffer through a recession that appears to be gathering strength with every week.
Your mission now is to use your money, power, and influence to undo all of the damage you have done over the last few years by lobbying against online gambling.
Now, you need to lobby for online gambling. Now. Fast.
The UIGEA is languishing in limbo while it waits to become official law in January. But you can convince Congress to review and reject it.
There is still time, and time is of the essence for you.
Because while we all know that the recession will eventually pass, and people will eventually come back to Vegas to empty their wallets, your share prices (and therefore your job security) are going to take a big hit in the meantime.
In short, if you don't get off your asses and get online gambling legalized - and soon - you might not be still in your current positions to enjoy Vegas' revival when it eventually comes.
You don't want to be sitting in forced retirement asking yourself, "Did I do everything I could to stop this from happening?"
Do you?
So get out there and do it.
Sincerely,
Freedom@Stake