Reid, Anka to be honored

The American Gaming Association will honor Sen. Harry Reid and entertainer Paul Anka as two of "America's Gaming Greats" at an October awards ceremony.

The newly-established awards will be presented on the opening night of the Global Gaming Expo, a trade show and conference co-sponsored by the AGA.

Reid, the current Senate majority whip, has represented Nevada in the Senate since 1986. Since that time, Reid "has served as a tireless advocate for the gaming industry" in Congress, the AGA announcement said.

"He has been a voice on Capitol Hill for the hundreds of thousands of people whose jobs are supported by gaming entertainment, and for communities where gaming entertainment provides a strong economic foundation," the AGA said.

The Entertainment Award will be presented to Anka, a singer and songwriter who has been "a top name in the gaming-entertainment industry for several decades."

In addition, the AGA will honor Boyd Gaming Corp. and Park Place Entertainment Corp. for their financial support for the National Center for Responsible Gaming, a problem gambling research and education center funded by the casino industry. Boyd was one of the founding contributors to the center, while Park Place has donated more than $1 million to the NCRG.

The awards ceremony will be held Oct. 2 at the Rio hotel-casino. Proceeds will benefit the NCRG.

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