He has cast himself as an opponent of expanding gaming in a state whose campaign finance laws aim to limit casino moguls’ political power.īut a closer look shows the Republican standard-bearers have plenty in common: As casino industry cash went around Indiana’s anti-corruption laws and into groups supporting Pence’s campaigns, the GOP governor used his power to help gambling interests. Pence is a socially conservative Midwesterner who says he has never even bought a lottery ticket. Trump is an East Coast casino magnate who has boasted of using his fortune to influence lawmakers.
At first glance, gambling appears to be one of the many issues on which Donald Trump and Mike Pence differ.