Casino Operators Are Betting on Ads

Casino operators are betting that federal laws designed to keep them from running television commercials will fall by the wayside. A loose-knit coalition of casino owners, broadcasters and advertisers has won court decisions that allow gambling ads to run in a handful of states. Players International Inc. recently won the right to run ads in New Jersey, and a decision by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco cleared the way for casino ads in nine Western states, including California. The Supreme Court has so far declined to decide the issue on a national basis. The ad ban dates to the 19th century, when Congress prohibited lottery advertising across state lines.