MGM Mirage boss Terry Lanni has resigned from the board of the American Gaming Association, the federal lobby that is headed by Harrah’s Entertainment Chief Executive Gary Loveman. The two chieftains are at odds over a proposal by the Nevada teachers union to raise by 3 percentage points the state room tax paid by tourists, with the money going specifically to education.

Banking lobbyists are warning the US Treasury that regulations proposed in the wake of last year's sweeping anti-gambling law will be impossible to comply with unless the Bush administration clarifies its conflicting views on online betting. The Financial Services Roundtable, which represents dozens of banks and other financial services firms, said it was "very concerned" that adoption of the rules could impose "significant" and costly compliance burdens on banks.