In Nevada, gaming support goes to Reid

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's powerful position gives the incumbent the edge in a tight re-election race, a gambling industry executive said.

Harrah's Entertainment Inc. senior vice president for communications Jan Jones said, "Having the third-most-powerful man in America from Nevada is certainly key to our influence."

That influence is often the political key in Nevada, where the backing of casinos amounts to support from an industry so dominant in the state it can make or break an election bid, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

Reid is running against Republican Sharron Angle, who favors smaller government and less regulation "to give businesses some breathing room to do what they do best, which is create jobs."

The gambling industry provides one-third of the state's tax revenues and 17 percent of its jobs.

It is an industry that prefers light regulation, small government and power, which may sound like a tendency to support Republicans. This year, however, it appears power has won out over other concerns, as most casinos disagreed with Reid's support of the healthcare reform bill and his stance on the George W. Bush era tax cuts.

Reid favors eliminating the tax break for wealthier taxpayers.

More directly, however, he has curried favor with the industry by backing new casino projects, including City Center, an $8.7 billion complex on the Las Vegas strip and a resort called Fontainebleau.

Reid attempted to help both projects with calls to banks when they ran into financial troubles. On that, he is batting 50-50. Banks agreed to new terms on the City Center project but rejected Reid's entreaties on behalf of Fontainebleau and shut that project down.