Wayne Newton sings bettors' tune

Millions of Americans gamble each year. Now the industry wants tounite them behind a single anthem: "Danke Schoen."

Entertainer Wayne Newton, known as Mr. Las Vegas and known for histrademark song, "Danke Schoen," is chairing the first nationwideeffort to promote gambling at the grass-roots level. The group,Americans for Casino Entertainment, hopes to harness the power ofgambling enthusiasts to counter vocal anti-gambling groups.

"Forty million people a year go to Atlantic City, 39 million go toLas Vegas and millions more go to casinos in Illinois, Iowa,Missouri" and other states, said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, president andCEO of the American Gambling Association, which is organizing thecitizens group. "If and when there's an unfair law, we want tomotivate them to be of assistance."

The group hopes to attract members through a new Web site,www.aceaction.com, and through letters to people on casino mailinglists.

Test mailings began going to thousands of potential members duringthe last three weeks, Fahrenkopf said. In one letter, the 58-year-old Newton writes "powerful forces are at work in Washington and instate capitals."

"A new coalition is forming-a coalition of politicians and vocalanti-gambling groups that want to take away your right to enjoycasino gaming. They want to tell you how to behave, how to live andwhat kinds of entertainment you may choose. It's wrong and it'shappening right now."

The first issue the group wants people to write Congress about isa proposed ban on college sports gambling in Las Vegas. The groupcontends the move only would create more illegal sports gamblingoperations. Eventually, Fahrenkopf hopes to use other entertainers tohelp recruit members.

Newton's involvement with the pro-casino group doesn't faze one ofthe nation's leading anti-gambling activists so far.

"If that's the best you can do, none of us are intimidated by it,"said the Rev. Tom Grey, a United Methodist minister from the Rockfordarea. "It's a move that shows me we are having an impact at thispoint."