American Gaming Association Reaches Out To The President For Help

• The American Gaming Association (AGA) is requesting that President Donald Trump intervene to allow the gambling industry to collect Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) benefits.
• Over 1.8 million Americans across 43 states are out of work because of the casino shutdowns due to COVID-19.

WASHINGTON – The Coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll throughout the world and the gambling industry is no exception, which is why the American Gaming Association (AGA) has reached out to President Trump for support.

The mandatory shutdown of casinos and sportsbooks nationwide because of COVID-19 has led to 1.8 million Americans being out of work. Bill Miller, the President and CEO of the AGA wrote the President a letter regarding the need for help and the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) rules under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that do not currently allow for those in the gambling market to collect benefits.

The Letter To Trump From The AGA

The letter written by Miller to President Trump not only praises the POTUS for his actions during the current global crisis but goes over the need for help and the reasons why the industry should receive it.

“The gaming industry is an important economic engine, job creator, and taxpayer in 43 states. We share your overriding interest in employees retaining their jobs so they can get back to work quickly once this situation has subsided. Individuals who are laid off will otherwise be pushed into unemployment assistance and Medicaid. Not only are workers better off when they remain connected to their employer, this approach has long-term benefits to our economy. The dislocation costs associated with widespread unemployment are severe. Maintaining employees on payroll avoids rehiring complications, saves on future training costs, and increases productivity, which is essential to a faster economic recovery. “

Not only have millions of jobs been lost due to the casino shutdowns but the profits brought on by the market for the economy are also being lost daily.

Miller pointed out that the need to help employees out of work now will stop the need for unemployment benefits later when businesses open up again, which plays to Trump’s stance on the job market for Americans.

What it boils down to is either the PPP can pay the casino workers that are out of work now or the United States can pay for them later as unemployed citizens rather than just workers on a mandatory hiatus at the moment.

In Closing

“In addition to gaming’s considerable needs to pay and provide for our own direct workforce, the gaming industry also supports 350,000 small business jobs. Making SBA resources available to size-eligible gaming businesses is the right thing to do. As it stands, the policy discriminates against these mainstream businesses and, more importantly, the hundreds of thousands of employees who rely on gaming for their livelihood. Accordingly, I trust you will agree it is critical that gaming companies and their employees can benefit from SBA loan programs, as the CARES Act intended.”

The AGA is looking to Trump to change the rules of the PPP in order to benefit their industry as the legal sports betting and gaming market does plenty to help bolster profits for the American economy.

The letter ends by thanking the President for his time and consideration on the matter.

The casino businesses and workers need funds to bridge the gap while the shutdown continues and this letter to Trump is their Hail Mary to receive the money they need to be able to maintain operations for when the Coronavirus closures are lifted.

News tags: American Gaming Association | Bill Miller | CARES Act | Casino Shutdowns | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Donald Trump | Paycheck Protection Program | Small Business Administration