MGM would match donations<\/a> to any of seven anti-hate organizations he identified.<\/p>\nThe move was certain to ruffle some feathers, as the supported groups included several that are frequently criticized in conservative media, such as the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Southern Poverty Law Center.<\/p>\n
DACA Impacts Casino Workers<\/h2>\n
Along with Caesars Entertainment, MGM was also among the gaming operators that sharply criticized President Trump\u2019s decision to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program.<\/p>\n
Both companies have many employees in Nevada that have been allowed to stay in the country because of DACA, which prevented the deportation of children who had been brought to the country illegally.<\/strong><\/p>\nAbout 13,000 so-called \u201cDreamers\u201d live in Nevada, many of whom work in the state\u2019s casinos. Executives from both companies hoped that Congress could work quickly to provide stability so those affected could have certainty as to their future in the United States. A six-month deadline was created, which ended on October 5,\u00a0likely leaving many casino workers on shaky ground regarding their legal status.<\/p>\n
UK FOBT Betting Limits Under Fire<\/h2>\n
Politics and gaming aren\u2019t just bedfellows in the United States, of course. Over in the UK, one of the hottest topics of the year was the future of fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs), the highly profitable machines found in so many betting shops throughout the country.<\/p>\n
The controversy over the future of FOBTs came to a head in October, when the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport issued its review of the gaming industry. The review recommended a reduction in the maximum bet allowed on the machines, which currently stands at \u00a3100 ($132), to somewhere between \u00a32 ($2.63) and \u00a350 ($66).<\/strong><\/p>\nThis promises to continue to be a major point of contention in 2018, as bookmakers, regulators, and government officials battle over exactly where the new limits should be placed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When politics met gaming in 2017, the intensity hit from all sides of the fence. And\u00a0when Donald Trump officially became the 45th President of the United States in January, becoming the first former casino owner ever to hold the office, there was no doubt that politics and gaming would be deeply intertwined all year and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":63304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,13,61],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Politics and Gaming 2017: Trump, Immigration Status, and Betting Limits<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n