Inter-industry groups are important components
By Ronda Wiggers, Lobbyist
Montana Coin Machine Operators Assoc.
The Montana Gaming Group and the Montana Gaming Research and Education Fund were organized in 2000 in order to work around I-125 and to oppose CI-81.
For those of you who do not remember, I-125 was an initiative that passed the vote of the people in 1998 that made it illegal for a corporation to donate towards a ballot issue. 
The Supreme Court later overturned the law.
CI-81 was a proposed Constitutional Initiative to ban gambling in Montana. It fell far short of the required number of signatures to qualify it for the ballot.
If you will recall, CI-81 was introduced prior to the Supreme Court decision. In some strange political fashion, although I-125 did not allow our individual incorporated businesses to donate to the fight against CI-81, it would allow for the 501(c)4 Montana Gaming Group to do so.
We formed these two organizations to work on improving the image of gaming in Montana, to fight negative initiatives and to give us a forum where all the associations could work together.
Although we are not facing a looming initiative battle, these organizations still serve an important purpose.
This is where all segments of the industry—the manufacturers, the route operators, and casino and bar owners—come together to work on issues and strategies that concern us all.
Research and Education serves as the coordinator for the Problem Gambling Help Hotline and other constructive public policy initiatives. We print and distribute the hotline posters, make sure the number is published in all the yellow pages, and contract with the hotline and the on-line counselors.
It is extremely important that the industry maintain this valuable program and it is easiest to do so in a forum that involves all of the associations equally.
The Montana Gaming Group maintains the website where anyone can access information about the industry. This website provides statistical information as well as a library of articles of interest.
We should probably consider adding meeting and event information for the individual associations in order to make the site even more useful for our association members.
The two groups recently met in Missoula and elected new boards of directors. Kent Frampton will serve as president of Research and Education with Mike Kenneally as vice president. Neil Peterson will serve as the secretary-treasurer.
Steve Arntzen is the new president of the Montana Gaming Group with Clint Lohman taking on the job of vice president. I have been asked to continue as the secretary-treasurer and agreed to do so.
Please continue to support the work done by these groups and to offer your ideas to those representing you on the board.
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, May 2009, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W Granite, Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.