AMOA’s State Council Meeting was held Jan. 26-28 in Tampa this year, bringing over 60 industry members representing 28 states to the Paramount Hotel for productive meetings discussing the state of states with, without and working toward an industry association.
According to Lori Schneider, EVP of AMOA, the numbers were near the same as year’s past, but those at the meeting saw some new faces from Indiana and Alabama, and heard a lot of talk about a new state organization potentially forming in Colorado.
“We always have such a spectrum, we’ve got states without associations who want them, some that are new and working hard, and those that have been around forever,” Schneider said.
The meeting covered a multitude of topics, with heavy focus on double taxation and gaming laws that could provide a boon to operators. Government relations and lobbying were on the table as well. Attendees enjoyed a reception and golf on Jan. 26, moving into a full day of meetings on Jan. 27 and concluding early on the final day, Jan. 28.
“We stress the need for states to be constantly vigilant and for operators to know their legislators,” Schneider concluded. “Many people get complacent if there’s no current crisis.”
Look for coverage of this event in the March issue of RePlay.
By the way, this annual meeting is headed to San Diego next year. The next big event on AMOA’s schedule is the Amusement Expo International it jointly produces with AAMA, taking place next month in Dallas. For more on the show, visit www.amusementexpo.org; for more about AMOA, visit www.amoa.com.