Washington Commanders VP of Public Affairs/Communications Leaves Team for Similar Role With American Gaming Association

Maloney is a well-respected member of the Commanders organization with 106.7 The Fan’s JP Finlay commenting “Commanders lost a good one here. Joe handled a lot of different roles in Ashburn and was always cool under pressure, sometimes lots of pressure” on the move. Maloney will lead the association’s communications, research, marketing and public affairs campaigns to advance key priorities for AGA members.

“I’m thrilled to have Joe join the AGA and lead our best-in-class communications team,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “Joe is an accomplished professional who has taken on significant public affairs challenges throughout his career. We will benefit not only from his depth of experience and his tireless advocacy, but his enthusiasm and energy to hit the ground running as a champion for the casino gaming industry.”

Per the press release: Maloney joins the AGA in January 2024 from the Washington Commanders where he served as Vice President, Public Affairs and Strategic Communications. In this role, he spearheaded the team’s external engagement on a variety of key policy and corporate initiatives, ensuring business, community, governmental and civic leaders across the National Capital Region can engage with the organization.

“I’m honored to join the AGA and its dedicated team at this pivotal moment for the gaming industry,” said Maloney. “The future holds great promise and I’m energized by the opportunity and challenge of communicating the remarkable benefits and economic impact of legal gaming across the country.”

Maloney successfully steered the Commanders’ communications and legislative advocacy on sports betting in Virginia and Maryland, resulting in its industry-leading market access partnerships with FanDuel (Virginia) and Fanatics (Maryland). He also established the Washington Commanders as the first NFL team to join AGA’s Have A Game Plan.^® Bet Responsibly.™ public service campaign. In addition to his sports betting portfolio, Maloney led the team’s external affairs on its new stadium search, engaging elected, civic, and media stakeholders across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. This resulted in the bipartisan introduction in the U.S. Congress of H.R. 4984, the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act, as well as policy initiatives in Annapolis and Richmond.

Prior to the Washington Commanders, Maloney served as partner at Locust Street Group (LSG), a full-service public affairs agency headquartered in Washington, D.C., where he led the agency’s work on G2E and AGA’s Get to Know Gaming series.