LVS hires lobbyists to push Texas casino legalisation
The casino giant Las Vegas Sands aims to influence lawmakers to legalise casinos in Texas.
US.- Las Vegas Sands has hired more lobbyists to campaign for casino legalisation in Texas. It now has 51 lobbyists working on the campaign.
Sheldon Adelson hired 10 lobbyists before his death earlier this month. They included Drew DeBerry, Gavin Massingill and Mike Toomy.
With the number now rising to 51, the company is spending an estimated $2.3m to $4.5m on lobbyists in the state, according to the Texas Ethics Commission.
A political science professor at the University of Houston, Clyde W. Barrow, told Casino.org: “This is one of the most aggressive pushes for a bill we’ve seen in a while.”
This week, the company announced new leadership roles following Adelson’s death. Robert G. Goldstein has been permanently installed as chairman and CEO, having carried out the role on an interim basis since January.
Las Vegas Sands’ senior vice president of government affairs, Andy Abboud, said in a statement: “The possibilities for expanding Texas’ tourism offerings are exciting and we look forward to working with lawmakers this session to present the potential opportunities that exist for robust, long-term economic development and jobs for the state.”
