New York assembly speaker Sheldon Silver is being called out for making the state’s gaming industry expansion lucrative for the state’s politically chosen lawmakers with critics calling the legislation “The Lobbyist Protection Act of 2013”. A source responsible for preparing the legislation told the New York Post: “This could be worth tens of millions of dollars in fees to lobbyists from gaming interests across the country”. The new casinos are likely to be upstate and there will be a chance for voters to have their say in November when it’s expected there will be a referendum.
Popular rock band The Black Keys is suing Pinnacle Entertainment for copying their songs in TV commercials to advertise the group’s casinos. The band are claiming the music was “substantially similar” to their track Howlin’ for You and that it is “infringing” their rights. The Black Keys have, in the past, sued both Pizza Hut and Home Depot with both cases settled out of court, and this one could quite easily go the same way.