|
|
|
|
|
Anti-gambling Groups Want A Slowdown On March Madness
Anti-gambling groups are asking companies to take it easy during March Madness. Some researchers say companies could make someone who is addicted to gambling relapse. Let's face it. Very few of us actually do really well with our NCAA college basketball brackets. David Letterman must have really taken a pounding this year. "My prediction, in the final it will be Butler University and Weber State," Letterman said. Of course, Letterman was kidding. After all, UCLA is a lock this Saturday. But, even if I really believed that, some people say you should not bet on them to make the final. In fact, they are saying you should not bet at all. Institute of Change Operations Director Frank Roberts said, "I don't think there would ever be a 'sure thing.' There's still an element of risk, there." Roberts says just the act of participating in a tournament bracket won't turn you into a problem gambler. But, anti-gambling groups are asking companies not to take that chance. "It's the illusion of control that's operating in the brain," Roberts said. A new study by Bensinger, Dupont & Associates says more people look for help to stop their sports gambling during March and April, at the height of March Madness. Roberts says he's treated many clients for gambling addiction, and they all say it started with something small, even by an office pool. "Yeah, it can be even smaller than that. One's own triggers are kind of unique to themselves," Roberts told KSL Newsradio. There are other risks to the companies involved. Researchers say companies can be sued by employees for any financial losses if the company started the betting pool. Also, the BDA survey says productivity goes down, and 10 percent of workers have called in sick to see a sporting event. Plus, they say betters are more likely to borrow money from their coworkers. Roberts says gamblers think they'll be able to pay of their debts after they win. "It's not going to work, but, yet, the person of addiction continues to be in what we call denial, or uses defense mechanisms to continue to convince themselves that, 'I can make it work,'" Roberts said. In fact, Roberts says one of the worst things that could happen to a gambling addict is to win. "The winning would perpetuate the denial and defense mechanisms that one is using," Roberts said. Roberts says the cases of someone becoming addicted to gambling are relatively rare, and usually someone is only triggered by March Madness if they're already at risk. However, the National Council on Problem Gambling says four million to eight million people could be considered problem gamblers every year, and two million can be classified as pathological gamblers.
Senate passes gambling bill
After a 13-hour filibuster, gambling proponents found the Senate votes they needed early today to expand casino gaming across the state. Following speeches that dragged late into Wednesday night, the Senate voted 21-19 - the minimum needed for passage - just after midnight to allow casinos in Sedgwick and three other counties and as many as 2,800 slot machines at horse and dog racetracks, including Wichita Greyhound Park. Key swing votes were cast by Sens. Jean Schodorf, R-Wichita, and Greta Goodwin, D-Winfield. Schodorf has voted against gambling for her seven years as a lawmaker, but said she switched because "I believe strongly, so strongly, in the people's right to vote." Goodwin, a longtime opponent of gambling, told The Eagle on Monday that she planned to vote against expanded gambling because of the potential social costs. She was on the Senate floor and not available for comment early today. Chamber of commerce interests in Goodwin's district strongly supported the bill, which offers a chance that a casino could go to Sumner County if Sedgwick County voters don't want one. Under the bill's provisions, Sedgwick County voters must decide in a special election before the end of the year. Sumner County voters have already said yes to a casino. Regardless of whether the casino ends up in Sedgwick County or Sumner County, both will share in the revenue. Gambling opponents, who had been confident of victory early in the day, said they were dismayed. "What we've done is given away the farm," said Sen. Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, who thinks the state could get more from casino developers than the $25æmillion license fee the bill specifies. She also pointed out that the bill had never been put to a public hearing. "This is a poorly written bill, written behind closed doors." In a political drama the Statehouse hasn't seen in decades, gambling proponents tied up the floor for hours in a desperate fight to keep a House-passed gambling bill alive. Opponents bided their time and waited for the proponents to run out of things to say. Meanwhile, in the House, Speaker Melvin Neufeld, a gambling opponent, sequestered himself in his office, declining to appoint members of a conference committee - an action that could have brought the extended Senate debate to a close. That left House members sitting in their seats hour after hour, waiting for
either the senators to stop talking or their speaker to let them appoint
conferees. Longtime members said it was the longest filibuster they could remember -
exceeding a legendary six-hour speech on taxation that then-Rep. Kerry
Patrick delivered in 1988. With hundreds of millions of dollars on the line, the issue emerged as the
most controversial bill to cross legislators' desks this session. It passed the House about 2:30 a.m. Saturday, sending it to the Senate. Wednesday began with a series of parliamentary maneuvers as gambling
supporters tried to ward off attempts to kill the bill. First, Sen. John Vratil, R-Leawood and Sen. Pete Brungardt, R-Salina, teamed
up to control the Senate floor and force a vote to appoint a conference
committee -three senators and three House members who could negotiate a
final bill for both houses. Sen. Phil Journey, R-Haysville, spoke for 25 minutes against sending the
bill to conference. At the time, his fellow legislators thought it was
lengthy. The motion eventually passed 22-18. But immediately after that vote, Sens. Jim Barnett, R-Emporia, and Wagle
teamed up to engineer a vote to kill the gambling bill. That action launched the filibuster. Across the Capitol rotunda, House members sat in their seats and stewed -
unable to do anything but unable to leave without giving potential advantage
to their opponents if the logjam were to break. They read and played solitaire or listened to basketball games on their desk
computers. By 10 p.m., tempers were starting to fray. "This is dumb," said Rep. Dale Swenson, R-Wichita. "There's no reason for
the House to even be here. There's no strategy to this."
Gambling Raid at House on Keystone Ave.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police raided another alleged gambling house Tuesday, this time on the city's northeast side. "I'm not robbing, killing or stealing. I am working to feed my kids that's all I'm doing," said suspect Rodney Wallace. But metro police say what 49-year-old Wallace was doing is illegal. Police arrested Wallace and two others, 51-year-old William Clinkscales and 51-year-old Clarence Michael Johnson. "Come down here bust in on us the way they did stepping all over people and I think that's ridiculous, it wasn't called for," said Johnson. "All that wasn't called for. It's like they were looking for a mass murderer or something. That's ridiculous." Police say a tip from neighbors led them to what looks like a run down house in the 3700 block of North Keystone. But they say this is a gambling house called "The Shack" that is wired with video surveillance equipment. "I go there every day, every day. Shake, I'm there every time. It's how I pay my rent when I don't go to work. It's how I pay my rent, it's how my kids get clothes on their back," said Steve Fields. Police gathered evidence from inside the house while some admitted patrons of the gambling house watched from the parking lot. "There people out here that sell drugs and get misdemeanor charges, but you get caught in there it's a felony for what? We ain't doing. Nothing. We ain't shoot nobody and we don't hurt nob ody nothing. It's just an honest living you know what I'm saying," Fields said. This is the fifth gambling house IMPD officers have raided in the past couple of months. "We are going to continue to do everything we can to shut these things down," said IMPD Sgt. Matthew Mount. Clinkscales and Wallace were arrested on preliminary charges of promoting professional gambling, a D felony, unlawful gambling, a B misdemeanor and maintaining a dive, an A misdemeanor. Johnson was arrested on preliminary charges of promoting professional Gambling, a D felony, and illegal gambling, a B misdemeanor. "This is a job. This is a job. I've got to work just like you've got to work," Wallace said.
Broker on trial also charged in gambling ring
A former Merrill Lynch & Co. broker was arrested on state gambling charges in New York, postponing his federal trial for selling access to trading information broadcast over his firm's office intercom. Sign up for: Globe Headlines e-mail | Breaking News Alerts Timothy O'Connell, 42, of Carle Place, N.Y., was one of 17 people charged yesterday in connection with an alleged $30 million online sports gambling ring, Kevin Ryan, a spokesman for the Queens district attorney, said. "He was a runner," said Ryan. "He was responsible for soliciting new bettors to the operation, maintaining the relationship with bettors, and meeting with bettors to collect gambling losses and pay out winnings." O'Connell's arrest brought his trial in Brooklyn, N.Y., federal court to a halt this morning. U S District Judge I. Leo Glasser later adjourned the case for the day. The trial will resume today. O'Connell is one of seven defendants charged with conspiring to trade on information broadcast over internal "squawk boxes" at top Wall Street firms. He and brokers at Citigroup Inc. and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. allowed day traders at A.B. Watley Group Inc., an online brokerage, to eavesdrop on large institutional orders, according to prosecutors.
Bill hits gambling in clubs and bars
Senate President Pro Tem David Long said Wednesday that he plans to expand his proposal to crack down on illegal gambling, suggesting that the state should add a special prosecutor just to handle those cases. Long, R-Fort Wayne, said too many county prosecutors view illegal gambling -- particularly by bars, clubs and other retailers using video machines with names such as Cherry Master -- as not worth pursuing. A state prosecutor based at the Indiana Gaming Commission could solve that problem, he said. "The number of these machines in the state has exploded," Long said. "I think we need to do something about it. We need to draw a line in the sand." The Senate Rules Committee, which Long chairs, already is considering his proposal to provide nearly $2 million to fund 25 excise police officers dedicated to investigating illegal gambling and increase the criminal penalties for people charged a second time with promoting professional gambling. It also would authorize the state to revoke lottery contracts, retail merchant permits and state licenses for the sale of tobacco and alcohol for any companies or organizations found with illegal gambling machines. The proposal will be considered as an amendment to House Bill 1510, which makes changes to the state's charity gambling legislation, when the Rules Committee reconvenes Monday. Long, one of two senators pushing the plan, said that he has enough votes in the committee and perhaps the Senate to approve the proposal. In the House, however, support is unclear. House Speaker Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, said he is uncomfortable creating a state prosecutor and prefers to leave illegal gambling investigations to local law enforcement. But he said that Gov. Mitch Daniels has made the problem a state issue by sending excise police officers who regulate alcohol establishments in search of video gambling machines. "We may have to take a look at some of these ideas," Bauer said. Long said he's still working on details, but the state prosecutor would take cases from excise officers and other law enforcement from across the state. The cases likely would be filed in Marion County. Sen. Vi Simpson, who serves on the Senate Rules Committee, said that she's unsure how to vote on Long's overall proposal. She supports legalizing and regulating video gambling machines for bars and fraternal clubs but said if lawmakers don't do that, the state should enforce the law it has. "I plan to spend my weekend at VFWs and American Legion posts to see how they feel about this," Simpson said. "Cherry Masters in certain areas of the state support the charitable causes of these service clubs. I want to make sure the bill does enough to help them so they can continue those activities."
Consider the cost of expanded gambling
The Kansas House of Representatives passed a bill this week allowing casinos and slot machines. Lawmakers are betting that gaming will be a cash cow for the state. If you listen to supporters, "destination" casinos will attract people from around the region, and their money will boost the state and local economies. That's enough to sway many legislators. What they're not looking enough at, though, is how much the increased revenue will cost their constituents. According to a 2004 study by GVA Marquette Advisors for the Wichita Downtown Development Corp. and the Greater Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau, most participants of a casino in Sedgwick County would live within a 50-mile radius of Wichita and would provide 75 percent of the revenue. That money would likely come at the expense of other local businesses. A study of gambling in Iowa by Loretta Fairchild and Amy Stickney of Nebraska Wesleyan University and Jonathan Krutz of the Nebraska Hospice Association showed that gambling has adverse effects on local economies. Midsize Iowa cities that had casinos had an average growth of 0.7 percent, while cities that didn't have casinos grew 3.4 percent. Another troubling aspect of casinos is ownership. Even though private entities would run them, Kansas would be the only state to own casinos. What place does the state have owning a business that offers so much collateral social damage? The bill would allot 2 percent of an estimated $200 million in revenue for addiction treatment. That's $4 million for the Sedgwick County area, and the money would go first to Topeka, not the local area. That's a skimpy budget considering the projected social cost. The 2004 local study estimated that between 1 percent and 1.5 percent of adults "are susceptible to becoming a pathological gambler." Projected on the metropolitan Wichita area, that means that 5,000 to 8,000 people may become addicted. The study estimated the social cost at $13,586 for each person, with an
annual burden on the community ranging from $71 million to $106 million. In
spite of these estimates, the study concluded that "while this community
social burden could be significant, its quantified estimate is still
surpassed by the positive economic impacts measured in this study." That is a hard sell to families of the addicted. A study in 2004 by Christiansen Capital Advisors for Harrah's found that 26
percent of players were contributing 82 percent of the profit. A similar
study commissioned by the state of Connecticut in 1997 found that nearly
one-third of gamblers interviewed at casinos were problem gamblers. In other words, the industry feeds on addiction. During the House debate, a tearful Rep. Anthony Brown, R-Eudora, recounted
the toll a gambling addiction took on a close relative. He convinced casino
supporters to add an amendment to ban the use of credit cards or ATMs within
the casinos and impose a weekly loss limit of $500. But when the same legislators realized the restrictions might jeopardize
efforts to attract casino operators, they regrouped and removed the
amendment. The Senate is now preparing to debate the bill, which Gov. Kathleen Sebelius
supports. But let's hope the appeal of fast cash from casinos won't blind
legislators and Kansans to their negative effects.
June 9 big day for gambling forces
Three of four West Virginia racetracks aim to have voters decide June 9 whether to allow table games in their slots-only casinos, but executives say the timing of votes in Hancock, Ohio and Kanawha counties is more about urgency than strategy. "I don't think it was really organized. It's just the first available day we could get,'' Bob Marshall, president of Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center, said Tuesday. There will, however, likely be some advertising coordination between Marshall's Ohio County operation and the nearby Mountaineer Racetrack & Gaming Resort in Chester. "We would certainly not want to confuse the media market,'' Marshall said, predicting the launch of what both tracks call a public education campaign by the end of April. But a conservative Christian activist group hoping to stop the referenda says the simultaneous votes are more than coincidence; they are an effort to divide and conquer the opposition. "I didn't ride in on a turnip truck, I can assure you,'' said Kevin McCoy, executive director of the West Virginia Family Foundation. "They know what they're doing. They know our resources are limited, both in personnel and financial,'' he said. "I see this as a way to get us off balance, to keep us from being able to organize effectively in those counties.'' Opponents of gambling would have stood a better chance of defeating table games if a vote had been held statewide, McCoy said. But the bill Gov. Joe Manchin signed last week gave only voters in Hancock, Ohio, Kanawha and Jefferson counties the right to decide whether their racetracks should become full-blown casinos. After pushing for years to get blackjack, poker and other games legalized, the owners of West Virginia's tracks are eager to confront growing competition from Pennsylvania's new slot parlors by offering something fresh. Wheeling Island, a subsidiary of Delaware North Companies of Buffalo, N.Y., and Mountaineer, owned by MTR Gaming Group Inc., face the most immediate pressure. But two other tracks also stand to benefit -- Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center in Nitro, owned by Michigan-based Hartman & Tyner Inc., and the Charles Town Races & Slots, owned by Penn National Gaming Inc. of Wyomissing, Pa. Track owners can either have the question placed on a 2008 primary or general election ballot or seek a special election this year at their own expense. Election costs range from $30,000 to $250,000, according to clerks in the host counties. Only Charles Town, which has a healthier economy, a booming population and
no immediate threat of competition, has yet to set a date for a vote. John
Finamore, vice president of regional operations for Penn National, could not
immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. But Daniel Adkins, vice president of Tri-State's parent company, said the
three tracks that are moving quickly all "just want to go sooner rather than
later.'' Though there have been no formal discussions yet, he said it's likely the
tracks will find some way to pool their resources for the months ahead. "We're right now putting the pieces together,'' Adkins said, so it will be
several more weeks before Tri-State starts to call press conferences and
advertise. Though Mountaineer has requested and will likely get a June 9 election date,
Mountaineer spokeswoman Tamara Cronin said the Hancock County Commission
won't vote on the request until April 5. "Each county is unique as far as how they handle their elections and voters,
so I think it's an individual decision,'' she said of the simultaneous
dates. "When it comes right down to it, this is something we're going to handle as
we do all elections here,'' she said. "All politics is local, and this is
going to be about getting to each and every voter.'' Turnout on election day will be key, and that's where the track's 1,500
employees come in. "I believe the people who will get this passed are our employees,'' Cronin
said, "because they're the ones who are impacted.'' But the West Virginia Family Foundation is determined to stop the votes by
seeking a court-ordered injunction in one or more counties. McCoy said he believes table games as part of the state's lottery system are
unconstitutional. The lawsuit he intends to file may also challenge gambling
on moral grounds. "We're not going to allow a vote,'' he vowed. "We will take whatever action
is necessary to stop it.''
Gambling bill stalls in overnight Senate session
An odd combination of gambling opponents and supporters stalled legislation early today that would repeal Missouri's unique gamblers' loss limit in an attempt to generate tax revenues for college scholarships. Missouri law currently prohibits casino patrons from buying more than $500 in slot-machine tokens or table-game chips every two hours - the nation's only such betting cap. Senate legislation would remove the loss limit - resulting in a projected 17 percent revenue increase for casinos - while imposing an additional 1 percent state tax on the top tier of casino revenues. The bill also would cap the number of casinos in Missouri. A legislative financial analysis predicts the bill could generate as much as $113 million annually in additional state casino taxes, which would fund new college scholarships for Missouri high school graduates. Senators remained in session until almost 4 a.m. this morning, finally setting the bill aside after attacks both from gambling foes opposed to the loss limit repeal and from casino supporters objecting to a limit on the number of casinos. Disagreement also emerged over the size of the proposed tax increase on casino income. Senate Majority Leader Charlie Shields, the bill's sponsor, said he wouldn't bring the bill back for debate until at least some of the differences could be resolved through private negotiations. Missourians approved casino gambling in 1992 for boats along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. That ballot measure included the $500 loss limit. But casinos - and the Missouri Gaming Commission that oversees them - have lobbied for years to repeal the loss limit on grounds it puts Missouri at a competitive disadvantage, especially with neighboring casino states such as Illinois. Supporters of the repeal also argue the loss limits have done little to deter problem gamblers. Adding to the pressure to repeal Missouri's loss limits is a potential increase in competition from Kansas, where the House recently passed legislation to expand casino gambling - most notably, in the Kansas City area. That bill still must make it through the Kansas Senate. Shields, St. Joseph Republican, is touting the Missouri bill more for its educational opportunities than its economic competition with out-of-state casinos. The new Smart Start Scholarships could be used at both public or private colleges. Their amount would be set by the Department of Higher Education based on the number of applicants and the total amount of money available. Shields estimates that each high school graduate could get $2,000 spread over two years of college. But others argue that it's not worth reversing the will of voters. Sen. Chuck Purgason, of Caulfield, said fellow Republicans - many of whom
fought the repeal of loss limits in the past - were following a "path of
stupidity" in now supporting the limits' repeal. He claimed colleagues were
bowing to potential campaign contributions from the casino industry. "What we're doing here is just reneging on the deal," Purgason said. "What
this is about is raising money for the next election by listening to the
outside interests rather than the people who voted on this at home." Senators defeated, 23-10, Purgason's amendment that would have referred the
legislation to statewide voters. They also voted down, 21-12, an amendment
that would have raised the 1 percent casino tax increase to 2 percent - on
top of current 20 percent tax on casinos' adjusted gross receipts. The bill would limit Missouri to 13 casinos, essentially preventing a
further expansion of gambling boats beyond those already in place or being
developed. It also stipulates that any future casino licenses could only be
awarded in the same city or county as where an existing casino closes. Senators defeated by a 17-11 vote an amendment by Sen. Tim Green, St. Louis
Democrat, that would have set the casino cap at 18 facilities.
Gambling law in the UK
Betting is drawing attention in the wake of Bob Woolmer's murder. Even as speculation is rife that the betting biggies could have been behind the crime, www.cricketworldcuplatest.com informs that the Jamaica sleuths are yet to find any evidence regarding match-fixing and betting in Woolmer's laptop. How big is the betting industry? A Las Vegas-datelined report on http://abcnews.go.com cites PricewaterhouseCoopers' forecast - that global revenue from gambling is expected to climb 8.8 percent annually 'to $125 billion by 2010'. However, according to estimates of Global Betting & Gaming Consultants (GBGC) posted in a dated story on www.out-law.com, gross turnover for the global gambling industry should be well over $1,000 billion annually, with a gross profit rate of about 20 per cent. GBGC is of the view that the UK could become the centre of global gambling; because "the UK has long been a role model for integrity and regulation in the gambling sector." To know about the UK laws that apply to betting, Business Line contacted Jeff Rodwell, Partner in Reed Smith Richards Butler LLP, an international law firm based in London. Here's Jeff, taking on a few questions on betting. What is law on betting in the UK? The current legislation governing the licensing of bookmaking in the UK is the Betting, Gaming & Lotteries Act 1963 as amended by the Gaming Act 1968. They provide for the licensing of bookmakers and premises used for bookmaking. The Gambling Act 2005 is partially in effect and is being phased in over time. The licensing provisions of the Gambling Act 2005 come into effect on September 1, 2007. Who can apply for a licence? The criteria under both the existing and new licensing regimes are similar with bookmakers being required to show good character, financial viability and industry knowledge. Both regimes also control the use of advertising for any licensed bookmaker and prohibit advertising for any person not so licensed. Bookmakers with a licence under the current statute still have to apply for a licence under the new regime. The period for application for a licence to be granted from September 1, 2007 has already closed but new licences can be applied for and granted after the current applications (mostly existing bookmakers) have been reviewed. On online gambling. Traditionally of course, bookmaking has been done with a physical presence at the race track or a betting office situated off-track. Over the last 2 years the volume and value of remote gambling through the Internet or mobile phones has increased substantially. Both the existing and the new statute provide for licensing in the UK of remote gambling operations, although this is addressed more directly in the new statute. Are these operations commercially successful? In the past there has been little commercial interest in UK registration of remote gambling sites because of the significant tax imposed on the turnover or profits of the remote sites. Most of the gambling websites used by UK residents are based in various offshore jurisdictions such as Gibraltar, Antigua, Curacao, Malta and Alderney. Can a local person gamble on a foreign site? It is perfectly legal for a licensed offshore gaming operation to permit UK residents to gamble on a foreign based website. This is in contrast to the US prohibition under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act 2006 on offshore operators from providing gambling services through the web to US residents. However in the UK advertising of gambling services not licensed in the UK is prohibited and such prohibition will be enforced. This applies to advertisements with a physical nexus to the UK How then are gambling sites advertised? Obviously much advertising of gambling websites are made via the Internet, which is legal provided that the server is based overseas. However in the UK, there is no prohibition on advertising websites per se, as long as they don't refer to the gambling activities. Therefore it is quite common to see advertisements on the tube and in magazines for the Party Poker website, but not the Party Poker gaming operation. Has the recent UK Budget made any difference to gambling? Prior to the 2007 Budget speech, there had been considerable speculation that in order to promote the relocation of many of the offshore gambling operations to the UK, the government might reduce the relevant tax to 2% or 3%. However in the Budget speech last week, the UK Chancellor, Gordon Brown, announced that the tax for remote gaming would be 15%. As a result it is now unlikely that there will be any major shift of jurisdiction to the UK for those gambling sites.
Calls to gambling helpline not often from addicts
A telephone helpline for problem gamblers set up a year ago by North Carolina lottery officials has received plenty of calls, but not from its targeted audience. Up to 85 percent of the calls haven't been from people with gambling problems, officials said. Instead, callers want to know the winning Powerball numbers or have questions about their scratch-off tickets. In February alone, about 300 people called the helpline, but 250 of the calls came from people who didn't have a gambling problem. The 24-hour toll-free helpline number is printed on every lottery ticket and scratch card, along with another telephone number people can call with questions about the games. The same confusion happens in other states, said Smith Worth, director of the North Carolina Problem Gambling Program.
Cary Police Bust Up Poker Gambling Hall
Cary Police say they have broken up an illegal poker gambling hall that was housed in a nondescript warehouse and have arrested over 40 people on various charges. Acting on an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip, the Cary Police Department served a search warrant at 233 "M" East Johnson St. on Friday, March 23rd shortly after midnight. The bland looking warehouse where police say the gambling operation was located is in the Adams Industrial Park around the corner from Woody's Tavern in downtown Cary next to Happy Jap's Auto Repair. The auto repair shop was not involved in the poker operation, say police. In a report on WRAL-TV, the owner of the Japanese car repair shop said he often saw a 100 people or more go into the building. In Friday's bust, Cary Police cited more than 40 people with various charges related to drugs, alcohol and gambling. No one was hurt during the raid, say police. Upon entering the unit, Police say that the lessee of the warehouse space Matthew McCoy, 25, of Bulon Dr., Cary was found to be "running an illegal poker gaming operation." In a phone interview with the Raleigh Chronicle on Tuesday, Cary Police Captain Dave Wulff said that the operation had been going on for at least a month and that the warehouse had been hosting large poker games up to five times a week. "This was not just a friendly game of poker, this was a high stakes game for profit," said Captain Wulff to the Chronicle. According to Captain Wulff, the operation took a cut of the games to make a profit and also sold liquor to players without a liquor license for additional revenue. Wulff said there were six tables present with 10 to 12 seats at each table where the players played hands of poker. But there were no other gaming tables and regular casino items such as slot machines or roulette tables were not present, Wulff said. According to a report on WRAL-TV, over $20,000 in cash was siezed from the operation. Although many folks play poker for fun, the operator crossed the line when it was turned into a for profit business, said the police. "While we realize and appreciate that many friends and neighbors enjoy
playing cards and other games in good fun as part of their recreational
activities, doing so for money simply isn't legal in our state," Wulff said
in a statement to the media. Police cited NC General Statute 14-292 which says, "any person or
organization that operates any game of chance or any person who plays at or
bets on any game of chance at which any money, property or other thing of
value is bet, whether the same be in stake or not, shall be guilty of a
class 2 misdemeanor." The warehouse lessee Matthew McCoy was charged with several misdemeanor
charges including one count of gambling, one count of possession for sale of
any alcoholic beverage without permits and one count of unauthorized
possession of liquor. The Cary Police also say that one of the players present was arrested on
drug charges. William Tillman, 45, of Valley Ct., Raleigh, was charged with
one count each of possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana,
and gambling. Thirty-nine other men and women from around the Triangle and state were
charged with a single gambling charge (listed below). "We were prepared for anything, given that the tip we received suggested
that we might encounter weapons, drugs, and large amounts of cash," said
Captain Dave Wulff in a media statement about the bust. "Thanks to the
assistance of our partnering agencies Alcohol Law Enforcement, the Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Wake County District Attorney's Office
and the National Guard RAID unit, we were able to halt the illegal activity
without incident." The Cary Police also said that heroin was found at the scene, but could not
be linked
to any of the arrestees, so no one was charged with possession of it. The Cary Police said that the gambling violations, alcohol violations,
possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana charges are
all class 2 misdemeanors. A class 2 misdemeanor carries a maximum of 1 to
60 days in jail, a fine and court costs. The following people were each charged with just one class 2 misdemeanor
charge of gambling:
Joint Release from Salvation Army and Methodist Church Ahead of Gambling Vote
In advance of Wednesday's votes in Parliament on the geographical distribution of casino premises licences, The Salvation Army and the Methodist Church have re-stated their general concerns relating to increased gambling opportunities, particularly the potentially devastating effects on the vulnerable. 'Evidence suggests that the new casinos, the increasing popularity of online gambling and the general drift towards the "normalisation" of gambling within British culture, could result in many more people developing a serious gambling addiction over an extended period. We are not convinced that increasing gambling opportunities is a good thing for our nation and all of us who live here,' said Alison Jackson, Secretary for Parliamentary and Political Affairs for the Methodist Church. The 'super casino' will house up to 1,250 highly addictive unlimited jackpot machines. The other 16 new casinos will be larger than anything currently operating in the UK. While the Methodist Church and The Salvation Army have welcomed the Government's recognition of the need for protection under the Act for vulnerable people and children, they believe there are still some fundamental issues to be addressed in this debate. 'The Salvation Army and the Methodist Church would have preferred to see no new casinos allowed under the Gambling Act 2005. We therefore welcome any debate which allows space for a further consideration of the overall impact of increased gambling opportunities,' said Captain Matt Spencer, of The Salvation Army. It is estimated that there are already around 400,000 problem gamblers in the UK and the super casino will house some of the most addictive forms of gambling. Problem gambling can result in relationship breakdown, financial ruin, homelessness and in extreme cases, suicide. Its effects are far-reaching, impacting not only the individual gambler, but also their family, friends, and the wider community. The Salvation Army and the Methodist Church campaigned during the passage of the Gambling Bill, requesting greater measures to protect children and vulnerable people The Gambling Act includes provision for the proper monitoring of the effects of these increased gambling opportunities and the two Churches have recently reminded the government of the need to keep to its commitments to properly evaluate the effects of the new casinos, wherever they may be sited. The minimum casino evaluation period of three years must be measured from
the opening of the new casinos, rather than from the awarding of the
licences, as there could be a considerable amount of time between the
license being awarded and the casino actually opening. The Salvation Army is an international Christian church and registered
charity working in 111 countries worldwide and is one of the largest, most
diverse providers of social welfare in the world. The Methodist Church is the third-largest Christian church in Great Britain,
with over 300,000 members and regular contact with 1 million more people. It
has over 6,000 churches in Great Britain, and also maintains links with
other Methodist churches totalling a worldwide membership of 70 million.
Expanded Gambling Vote
The Kansas House has approved a measure that would allow casinos and slot machines at dog and horse tracks. The 64-58 vote this mornign gives supporters of expanded gambling the hope that they could end 15 years of legislative failures. The measure now heads to the Senate. Backers of the measure say the state eventually could realize 200 million dollars a year from the hotel-and-casino complexes and tracks with slots. The bill would permit large tourist-attracting casinos in Ford County, Wyandotte County, either Sedgwick or Sumner county, and either Crawford or Cherokee counties. It also would allow 22-hundred slot machines initially, at Wichita Greyhound Park; the Woodlands in Kansas City, Kansas, and the now-closed Camptown Greyhound Park, in Frontenac. The Senate will either okay the measure or send it to a committee before sending the bill to Governor Sebelius to sign. One Wichita lawmaker thinks the gambling bill has a good shot at becoming law. "(The Senate) is within a few votes of being able to approve this," says Representative Jason Watkins, a Wichita Republican, "and I think you'll just have to see how the negotiations go with the senators. We may have a bill to send to the governor." If the bill is approved, Sedgwick County would have 180 days to have voters approve or reject a destination casino. If Sedgwick County gets a casino, 22% of profits would go to the state. The county would get two percent, while neighboring Sumner County would get one percent. The bill also requires two percent to be put towards gambling addiction treatment programs.
Most callers to N.C. gambling helpline want lottery information, not help
RALEIGH, N.C. It's a lottery helpline set up to counsel those with gambling problems. But most callers have different needs. Like what are the winning Powerball numbers? And can you help me with this scratch-off ticket? The 24-hour phone number -- 877-718-5543 -- is printed on every North Carolina Education Lottery ticket and scratch card. The Problem Gambling Helpline is also repeated on T-V and radio ads. Even so, up to 85 percent of callers during the lottery's first year didn't ask for help for problem gambling. Of some 300 calls to the helpline last month, more than 250 were screened out as not having a gambling problem. Smith Worth is director of the state's Problem Gambling Program. He's not worried about the misuse, noting that other state lotteries report the same confusion.
Panel looks to toughen drive against gambling
Citing a proliferation of illegal video gambling machines, members of a key Senate committee are considering a crackdown on bars, truck stops, clubs and other retailers caught with the devices. The plan developed by Senate Republican leaders would be the legislature's first significant step toward rooting out the tens of thousands of machines that operate under names like Cherry Master and Pot O' Gold. "They're everywhere, and they're growing in numbers," said Senate President Pro Tem David Long, R-Fort Wayne, one of the plan's authors. But the proposal comes as bar owners and some other lawmakers are pushing to legalize the machines, regulate them and tax their earnings. Long postponed a vote on the proposal yesterday in the Rules Committee he chairs, saying members needed more time to learn about the issue and consider their options. "I wanted to start a discussion and see if there is something we can do about this," he said. The committee is considering an amendment to House Bill 1510, a charity gambling regulation measure. The amendment would provide nearly $2 million for 25 police officers who would be dedicated to investigating illegal gambling. The measure also would increase the criminal penalties for people charged a second time with promoting professional gambling. It also would authorize the state to revoke lottery contracts, retail merchant permits and state licenses that allow the sale of tobacco and alcohol held by any company or organization found with illegal gambling machines. There also would be administrative and regulatory penalties for illegal gambling, which would take the issue out of the hands of county prosecutors, who are often reluctant to take on illegal gambling cases. Currently, the Indiana State Excise Police raid bars, clubs and restaurants to shut down illegal machines, which puts the establishments' alcoholic beverage permits in jeopardy. Last year, excise police cited 435 gambling-related violations and seized computer chips from about 1,600 illegal video gambling machines. But excise police Superintendent Alex Huskey told the committee yesterday that the effort has driven many of the machines into truck stops and other retailers that don't have alcohol permits. That makes it more difficult for law enforcement to act without cooperation from a prosecutor. Huskey said hiring more excise police officers and giving the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission the authority to take away a retailer's ability to sell cigarettes would be significant changes. "This is a different approach," said Sen. Jim Merritt, R-Indianapolis. James Maida, president of Gaming Laboratories International, told the
committee that illegal gambling machines can be manipulated to make maximum
profits for owners and pay out little in prizes to players. "These games are methodically taking players' money in a way that isn't
fair," said Maida, whose company tests legal slot machines and other gaming
devices for Indiana and other states, and in nations around the world. Maida's staff accompanied the excise police on visits to several bars and
clubs to teach the officers how to recognize an illegal machine and disarm
it. He said the staff found that most of the machines pay out 50 percent to
70 percent of the money that is gambled in winnings to players. That
contrasts with legal slot machines at casinos, which are required by law to
pay out at least 80 percent of their take and typically pay more than 90
percent. Maida told the committee that Indiana's struggle to deal with the machines
is not unique and that dozens of states are considering similar questions.
Some opt to crack down on the illegal machines to eliminate them, he said,
while others legalize and regulate video gambling. For years, Indiana lawmakers have been debating the legalization issue. Last
week, Don Marquardt, president of the Indiana Licensed Beverage Association,
urged a Senate committee considering a bill that would put slot machines at
racetracks to remember that bar owners need help as well. "Please consider an amendment to address our problems," he told the
committee. Sen. Bob Meeks, R-LaGrange, said then that he appreciated the plight of
local bar owners and fraternal clubs and told the Tax and Fiscal Policy
Committee that lawmakers need to make up their minds about the machines. "We've got to make them legal or make them illegal," he said.
Gambling adolescents a growing problem
A gambling-watchdog agency, always worried that adults are falling into dependence on wagering, is seeing unmistakable signs that adolescents are in even worse peril. The New York State Council on Problem Gambling is about to publish results of a study that says that, whereas in 1998, 4 percent of teenagers were at risk to become addicted to gambling, in 2007, 20 percent are. That astonishing leap is attributable to a number of factors, Assistant Executive Director Mariangela Millea told the Press-Republican last week. First of all, what is a "problem gambler?" To the council, it is anyone for whom gambling adversely affects his or her life. With adolescents, it might be manifest in spending their lunch money to gamble or missing school, for example. Eventually, their behavior would get out of control to feed their habit. Some of the factors that compound gambling problems are: Gambling isn't stigmatized, the way drinking and drugs are. Says Millea, "Go into a classroom and ask how many kids have had a drink or taken a drug in the past month, and no hands will go up. Ask how many have bought a lottery ticket, and lots of hands will go up." Society imposes little shame on gambling. Opportunities to gamble have proliferated over the past decade. The state lottery and Mega-Millions are widely advertised. Video gaming machines are growing in popularity and are now in sites all over the state. Texas Hold 'Em has gained a foothold. And Internet gambling is available, with participants merely having to state that they are of age to gain access. Lottery tickets are now available from vending machines, which have no oversight for the age of the purchaser. In effect, anyone is welcome to play the games. Millea says scratch-off tickets are by far the most popular forms of gambling for kids. "Parents will buy their kids a scratch-off, and when they win, everybody will be excited for them - hooray! You won!" No stigma there. The council is trying to get the consequences of gambling entered into the curriculum of public schools so the dangers will be widely known, as the dangers of drugs, drinking and sex are now known. The council has asked newspapers across the state to publish its problem-gambling hotline daily with the winning lottery numbers. The Press-Republican has been doing that for several weeks and will continue to do it. Millea is right: Gambling is broadly accepted, in its moderate forms. The lottery, church bingo and office pools are seen as harmless - even beneficial - pastimes, in most circles. But even people who see gambling that way would have to admit that when kids are targeted, it's time for action. If adolescent gambling has grown so explosively - multiplied five times in nine years - we need to respect the danger of this not-so-harmless diversion.
Lottery's gambling helpline callers don't usually need help
A telephone helpline for problem gamblers set up a year ago by North Carolina lottery officials has received plenty of calls, but not from its targeted audience. Up to 85 percent of the calls haven't been from people with gambling problems, officials said. Instead, callers want to know the winning Powerball numbers or have questions about their scratch-off tickets. In February alone, about 300 people called the helpline but 250 of the calls came from people who didn't have a gambling problem. The 24-hour toll-free helpline number is printed on every lottery ticket and scratch card, along with another telephone number people can call with questions about the games. The same confusion happens in other states, said Smith Worth, director of the North Carolina Problem Gambling Program.
IAAF defend against potential gambling scandals
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has moved swiftly to reduce the likelihood of gambling scandals besetting their sport after allegations that the death of Pakistan Cricket coach Bob Woolmer was related to the gambling underworld. Speaking at the World Cross-Country Championships in Mombasa, Kenya, the association voted to "forbid officials, athletes, their representatives, managers, coaches, meeting organisers and trainers from taking part, either directly or indirectly in betting, gambling and similar events or transactions connected with athlete competitions under the rules of the IAAF or its members" In addition, it will also prohibit those in the sport from "having active stakes in companies, concerns, partnerships, joint ventures or other organisations that promote, broker, arrange or conduct such events or transactions". The move comes soon after the launch of athleticbet.com, a gambling website launched in January specialising in betting for Athletics. The website is owned by the Austrian agent Robert Wagner, who can count former Olympic champion Colin Jackson as a former client. Wagner set up the website in order to make the sport more exciting and donates a quarter of the website's profits to the IAAF's charitable foundation. It will be interesting to see how the IAAF deals with Wagner's side-business, as some of his clients include IAAF members. Though there doesn't seem to be much more of a future in the website, especially as Wagner took bets on races involving his own clients, he remains defiant. "I have been expecting this and I understand the IAAF's position. I will just not be an agent any more. I will sit down with the IAAF and find a solution. They cannot stop me from running a betting website," Wagner declared.
Online Gambling: NETeller pulls out of Canada and Turkey
The online gambling industry woke up this morning to learn that online money transfer Giant NETeller has decided to withdraw "no pun intended" from the Canadian and Turkish markets. Here is a statement the company's board released to the London Stock Exchange: The NETELLER Plc Group ("NETELLER" or the "Group") (LSE: NLR), the leading global independent online money transfer business, today announced several significant changes to its services in a number of markets. The Group continually assesses the risk profile and status of the markets its serves. Recent actions by regulators, payment processors, and online gaming operators have increased the uncertainty around certain activities related to online gambling in some jurisdictions. The Board of Directors of the Company reached a decision, on 25 March 2007, that the risk to the Group's ongoing business in Canada and Turkey has increased in the light of such developments. The Board has therefore concluded that the Group will no longer process transfers related to online gambling sites on behalf of Canada or Turkey resident customers.
Gambling bill clears first House hurdle
Tourist-attracting casinos and slot machines at race tracks were a step closer to reality when the House gave first-round approval to the idea after more than a dozen hours of sometimes contentious and emotional debate. The 65-50 vote before dawn Saturday advanced the bill to final action, scheduled for Monday. House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, a gambling opponent, said he thinks the votes will hold to send the measure to the Senate. A bipartisan coalition proposal called for state-owned casinos in Wyandotte County, Sedgwick County and either Crawford or Cherokee county, plus 2,200 slot machines distributed among three race tracks with wagering, the Woodlands in Kansas City, Wichita Greyhound Park and the now-closed Camptown Greyhound Park in Frontenac. After the coalition plan emerged, lawmakers lined up to offer some 50 amendments, with all but a few voted down. Successful amendments permitted Dodge City to have a casino and allowed the casino in south-central Kansas to be in either Sedgwick or Sumner county. A third extended a moratorium on additional casinos or slots at the tracks from 15 years to 25 years. All casino locations would have to be approved by voters in the county in which they're located. Supporters said the state eventually could realize $200 million a year from the casinos and tracks, though it would be about three years before the casinos would be running. Slots at the tracks could be a reality within a year. 12-hour debate House Majority Leader Ray Merrick wasn't surprised by a debate on the bill, which started at 2 p.m. Friday and ended about 2:30 a.m. Saturday. "You can't tell people they can't run amendments," said Merrick, R-Stilwell. "It shows people had strong feelings." Many amendments were seen as efforts to weigh the bill down and the flurry of proposals irritated some lawmakers as the night grew late. "As good as these amendments are, this is about gaming," said Rep. Tim Owens, R-Overland Park. "We don't need to sit here all night and listen to everybody's favorite topics." The coalition offered its 98-page plan as an amendment to a Senate-passed bill extending the Kansas Lottery, which is due for renewal this year. Attaching a gambling measure to a Senate bill means the chamber could quickly accept it or resolve the issue in a House-Senate negotiating committee. Supporters noted that Kansans already are gambling. Besides the lottery and wagering at race tracks, there are casinos in Kansas City, Mo., and tribal casinos in Oklahoma near the state line. Also, there are four American Indian casinos in northeast Kansas. "It provides a revenue stream for things the state needs. It provides a
leisure activity for a lot of our folks and it keeps money in Kansas," said
Rep. Charles Roth, R-Salina, one of the backers of the coalition plan. But other House members questioned whether the bill is constitutional,
because the Kansas Constitution requires such gambling to be state-owned and
operated and private developers would be involved under the plan. They also said casinos and slots at the tracks would create more gambling
addicts - and more broken and bankrupt families.
EU Tells Germany to Revise Online Gambling Ban
The European Commission has warned German regions to think about revising plans to ban online gambling or face possible legal action, an official at the EU's executive arm said last week. This current action is the latest in string of heated clashes between Brussels and European Union countries over the gambling industry, which is limited to state-controlled monopolies in several EU countries. EU Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen wrote to German regional state governments on Friday, giving them a month to amend a draft agreement on the issue, the EU official stated, verifying earlier reports by Reuters. 'We asked Germany to reconsider the total ban on lottery and sports betting on the Internet. We think a proposed total ban is disproportionate and there are less restrictive measures, such as mandatory prior registration and strict guarantees on identification,' the Commission official said. Britain and Austria, two countries with thriving online gaming industries, have already contested the ban.
Brown Budget Dampens UK's gambling aspirations
The extent to which the 2007 Budget took the UK gambling industry and investors by surprise cannot be underestimated. Only a week before Budget day the Daily Telegraph had proudly trumpeted; "In a surprise move, the Chancellor will use the Budget to announce that in return for a small amount of tax - possibly as low as 2pc or 3pc - companies can obtain a UK licence and still remain based overseas. The new tax will be called Remote Gaming Duty. This compromise would allow gambling companies to avoid British VAT." John O'Reilly, the head of online gambing at Ladbrokes was quoted as saying that he was pleased with the deal, which he described as "quite a breakthrough," whilst Clive Hawkswood, the chief executive of the Remote-Gambling Authority, justified a low rate of tax on the grounds that "these companies have grown up in zero tax jurisdictions. They operate on very thin profit margins. A 15pc gambling duty would wipe out half the industry overnight." Unfortunately for Hawkswood, a 15pc gambling duty is eactly what the 2007 Budget delivered up, alongside a new top rate of 50% for casinos.
How to report gambling winnings
Gambling winnings include winnings from lotteries, raffles and sweepstakes, and proceeds from wagers. Gambling winnings from charity-sponsored events are also includable in gross income. You may or may not receive Form W-2G depending on the type of gambling, the amount of gambling winnings, and generally the ratio of the winnings to the wager. Gambling winnings are reported on line 21 (Other income) of Form 1040. The amount to report on line 21 is your gross winnings less the cost of placing the related winning bet or wager. You cannot net gambling losses against gambling winnings and report the net amount on line 21. If you have gambling losses, you may be able to claim them as a miscellaneous itemized deduction on Schedule A, but only to the extent of gambling winnings. "Professional gamblers" have a different set of rules to follow. Bernie, Brooklyn, N.Y.: Under what circumstances would I be subject to a 10% tax penalty on a distribution from a Health Savings Account? After all, I am using the distribution proceeds for paying medical bills.
Gambling debate far from over
Gov. Joe Manchin has signed the bill allowing local option elections for table game gambling in the state's four counties with racetrack casinos, but the debate is not over yet. Manchin signed the bill Wednesday, one day after the Ohio County Commission scheduled a special election for Saturday, June 9, to allow voters to decide whether to allow Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center to have blackjack, poker, roulette, craps and similar games. Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Center in Hancock County will petition the Hancock County Commission at its April 5 meeting for a special election in early June, spokeswoman Tamara Cronin told The Associated Press. The state has two other tracks that could ask their county commissions for elections. Both, however, are in areas where the push for gambling is not as strong as in the Northern Panhandle. The West Virginia Family Foundation plans to go to court to stop the Ohio County election and to overturn the law, which the Legislature approved at its regular session this year. "We're putting the pieces together now," Kevin McCoy, executive director, told the AP. "We're pretty much ready to go forward." The West Virginia Family Foundation says the Legislature did not have the legal authority to enact a bill to allow local option elections for table games. That requires a constitutional amendment voted on by the whole state, the foundation says. We have our doubts about the gambling bill, partly for constitutional reasons and partly because it solidifies state government's reliance on gambling even more. Unless the four racetrack casinos develop some awesome business plans, this is an arms race West Virginia cannot win if Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky jump into casino gambling. If West Virginia loses, it has a big hole in its state budget. What started in 1984 as a state lottery offering scratch-off tickets only has developed into a system that wants to emulate Las Vegas or Atlantic City. If the Family Foundation pursues its lawsuit, the debate over casino gambling definitely will not be over until the Supreme Court renders its judgment. And if the court rules against the new law, it will be back in the Legislature soon after. So keep watching. This one's not over yet.
Online Gambling Payment Processor Neteller Announces Plans to Return Funds
Payment processing company for the online gambling industry, Neteller, has announced its plans to return funds to American customers. In an official press release, the company stated that it has signed partnership agreements with the Unites States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York (USAO), as well as Navigant Consulting, a consulting firm that will provide Neteller with operational consulting services. These new partnerships will aid Neteller in the process of redistributing frozen funds to its former US customers. The agreement was officially signed on March 20, 2007, and will outline the terms and a timeline under which Neteller will organize the release of funds. The specific details are planned to be released within the next 75 days, however, in the interim, Navigant will provide a report to the USAO on the group's current financial situation. Neteller's CEO and President, Ron Martin, said, "We continue to be committed to returning funds to our US customers and working with the US Attorney's Office." "Progress, while not always visible to the outside observer, has been steady and these agreements mark a milestone in the process," he added. Back in January, Neteller founders John Lefebvre and Stephen Lawrence were arrested on a charge of conspiracy to transfer funds with the intent to promote illegal gambling.
Half of work web traffic is porn, gambling, downloads and webmail
Nearly half of web traffic that passes through corporate infrastructure is not related to work activities, according to a new study. The research carried out by web security firm ScanSafe found that 49 per cent of traffic that employees generated concerned mostly gambling, music downloads, porn and people checking their webmail. The authors of the report said that of traffic blocked by the company's filtering service, 14 per cent were for advertising and promotion, 12 per cent were to online chat sites and instant messaging applications. The company also found that blocks to gambling sites were up 22 per cent on last year's figures. "Beyond the negative impact on productivity, uncontrolled use of the web can have serious and costly consequences for businesses of all sizes including exposure to legal liability, disclosure of confidential information, breaches of compliance requirements and unnecessary bandwidth consumption," said Dan Nadir, product strategy vice president at ScanSafe. The company reported that 24 new types of malware targeting IM applications surfaced in February, 54 per cent of these threats targeted MSN, compared to 21 per cent that affected Yahoo Messenger and 17 per cent that affected AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). MSN continues to be the most targeted platform for malware. But the study found that there was a marginal decline in malware in February. Web viruses remained virtually unchanged in February after growing 27 per cent in January. Spyware and adware fell 2 per cent in February compared to a 26 per cent increase the previous month. "Attackers know that malware may have a better chance of being propagated following the New Year when many users are returning from the holiday and haven't patched their PCs," said Nadir. "This seasonality usually corrects itself and we tend to see a steady increase in malware, particularly spyware, as the year progresses."
Kansas House Debates Expansion of Gambling
A bipartisan coalition proposed allowing three tourist-attracting casinos and slot machines at dog and horse tracks as the House on Friday began debating whether to expand gambling. The plan called for casinos in Wyandotte, Sedgwick and Crawford or Cherokee counties and 2,200 slots distributed among the Woodlands at Kansas City, Wichita Greyhound Park and Camptown at Frontenac. Voters in the counties where slots or casinos would be located would have to approve their operation. Casino operators would have to agree to invest at least $225 million and pay an one-time, nonrefundable fee of $25 million. The proposal calls for the state to get at least 22 percent of the casino revenue and 40 percent of the slot revenue from the tracks. The plan was offered as an amendment to a Senate-passed bill that makes the Kansas Lottery a permanent fixture, a bill that has to pass this year for the lottery to stay in business. Supporters say the state eventually could realize $200 million a year from the casinos and slots, though it would be two or three years before the casinos would be in operation. The House also considered a proposed constitutional amendment to allow privately owned casinos. The state constitution requires gambling operations to be state owned and operated. Also up for debate was a measure calling for a study of the impact of expanded gambling on the state. Although the gambling issue has been around for more than a decade, the House last debated it in 2003, when it passed a bill and sent it to the Senate, where it died. Last year, the Senate failed to pass a gambling bill and said it wouldn't take up the issue again until the House sent it a bill. Attaching a gambling measure to a Senate bill means that chamber can quickly accept what the House did or resolve the issue in a House-Senate negotiating committee. Also, legislators must pass a bill this year to continue lottery ticket sales after June 30. The lottery began operating in 1987, and state law required legislators to vote on keeping it alive in 1990, 1995 and 2001. The push to force action on gambling began Wednesday morning when a motion
was made in the House to put another Senate bill that could become a
gambling bill into position for debate Thursday. The motion was withdrawn
after the House Federal and State Affairs Committee sent the chamber the
lottery bill and it was scheduled for debate. It was an unusual move and viewed by many as a snub to the committee that
had been conducting hearings this month on various gambling bills. Some
lawmakers felt the committee was moving too slowly.
EU Warns Germany about Internet Gambling Ban, Good Sign for US
A spokesman for the EU said today that the European Commission gave an order for Germany to overturn its imminent Internet gambling ban, or to stop advertising for its horse betting monopolies, or it will face legal action. Brussels, Germany hosts a state run betting monopoly which the European Commission says is illegal according to its laws. The new law passed in Germany banning Internet gambling sites is being challenged by Austria and the United Kingdom, two countries in the EU that are legalizing online betting sites. According to Reuters, EU Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen wrote to German regional state governments on Friday giving them a month to change a draft treaty on the issue. "We asked Germany to reconsider the total ban on lottery and sports betting on the Internet. We think a proposed total ban is disproportionate and there are less restrictive measures, such as mandatory prior registration and strict guarantees on identification," a European Union Commission official said on Friday about the situation. The official said the draft treaty was inconsistent by banning online lotteries, sports betting and casino games, but allowing horse racing. This is another very positive sign for Internet gambling sites in the US. Earlier in the week EU ruled that all European countries in the Union who have state run lotteries, or in-country casinos, horse tracks, dog tracks, etc. must also legalize Internet gambling. The German law that was passed earlier in the year banning Internet gambling is almost identical in meaning to the US law that was passed in October of last year in that they ban Internet gambling yet carve out exceptions for forms of gambling in their own country. Beyond the EU rulings, the WTO has sent a letter to the US reminding them that they have until April to respond to their ruling in the Antigua and Barbuda vs. the United States case. The past three weeks have seen the UIGEA under attack, starting with Barney Frank offering a repeal against the unjust law, then with the EU ruling against monopolizing countries in the Union, then with the announcement of Louisiana dropping all warrants against Internet gambling operators, then with the Neteller case getting postponed and the promise of the release of millions of dollars in funds to US clients, and now this EU warning to Germany. Analysts still doubt a reversal of the UIGEA any time soon, but the facts being presented by the rest of the world, as mentioned above, may prove those analysts wrong.
Youth Problem Gambling in New York Called an 'Epidemic'
March Madness could be affecting your kid. The head of an agency that helps New Yorkers adversely affected by gambling says there's an "epidemic" of young people with gambling problems. James Maney, executive director of the New York Council on Problem Gambling. says if your teen seems preoccupied with the NCAA basketball tournament brackets, that could be a sign that he or she has a potential gambling problem. Maney is concerned because a new survey suggests nearly 20 percent of New York students in grade seven through 12 have a gambling problem. Maney said that a "perfect storm" of factors, including heavy promotion of gambling in the media and general acceptance of gaming, are contributing to the rise in youth gambling. He said the younger a child starts gambling, the greater the chance he or she will develop a problem with it.
Sevier Co. deputies shut down illegal gambling operation
Sevier County sheriff's deputies shut down an illegal gambling operation in Strawberry Plains. Deputies say they went to the Speedway Diner at 844 Asheville Hwy. after several complaints from community members. Sheriff's deputies tell 6 News that, working on a tip, they went inside Thursday night and found four illegal poker machines. Capt. Randy Parton showed 6 News how the machines appeared legitimate at first glance. "This machine right here was on a video game when we first got there," Parton explains. "And then when we discovered the remote controls that are used to change them, it went from a video game over to a draw poker machine." 6 News asked for comment from the owner, Sharon Tarwater. We were told she wasn't there before an employee asked us to leave. Investigators say it was word of mouth and regular customers who were cashing in. Parton adds, "They was operational from the time they opened in the morning until the time they closed around 10:00 or so in the evening time. Apparently, it was just from repeat customers knowing that's what they was coming in the business to do."
Slots of fun for gambling nuns
Three nuns have been photographed playing slot machines and blackjack at a gaming fair in Manila, Philippines, embarrassing Roman Catholic bishops. The church holds a firm stance against gambling of all forms and has announced that it will launch an inquiry and says that the nuns could face implications if they are found to have sinned. Archbishop Oscar Cruz has ordered an investigation to go ahead and will take "steps on the sisters' actions." Archbishop Cruz said the church strictly forbids people of the cloth from gambling and recently defrocked a parish priest for gambling in a casino. The photographs of the nuns gambling at the Gaming Exposition in Manila were broadcast on television, with Cruz describing their actions as "shameful". However, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation spokesman Edward King dismissed the incident, merely describing it as "innocent". He claims the nuns "played without money" and denied the nuns were tricked into playing.
UPDATE 2-EU tells German states to reconsider gambling ban
German regions have been told by the European Commission to rethink plans to ban online gambling or face possible legal action, an official at the EU's executive arm said on Friday. It is the latest clash between Brussels and European Union countries over the betting industry, which is restricted to state-owned monopolies in some EU member countries. EU Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen wrote to German regional state governments on Friday, giving them a month to change a draft treaty on the issue, the EU official said, confirming an earlier Reuters story. "We asked Germany to reconsider the total ban on lottery and sports betting on the Internet. We think a proposed total ban is disproportionate and there are less restrictive measures, such as mandatory prior registration and strict guarantees on identification," the Commission official said. Britain and Austria, two countries with online gaming industries, have challenged the ban.
Gambling companies hit by losses after Budget blow
STANLEY Leisure and the rest of Britain's gambling and casino sector were yesterday coming to terms with a major blow dealt to them by this week's Budget. Rank's share price suffered further losses yesterday on the stock market as news sank in, and Liverpool-based Stanley Leisure will also be hit by the higher taxes. Rank looks set to lose as much as £8m a year extra in gaming duty after the Chancellor announced it would axe the 2.5% lower band and introduce a flat 15% tax, with a new, higher levy of 50% on casino revenues above £10m. Shares in the group dived a further 6% yesterday to 211.5p, compounding the 4% losses seen on Wednesday afternoon. Analysts described the Chancellor's announcement as a "kick in the teeth" for Rank and the wider casino industry. The Treasury is set to net another £35m a year from the move, but has defended the tax changes as being vital to ensure the growing casino sector continued to make a "fair" contribution to tax receipts.
Gambling Sites Take Bets On Who Will Father Britney Spears' Next Child
Internet gambling websites are taking bets on who will the father of Britney Spears' next child. Spears is mother to seven-month-old Jayden James and 19-month-old Sean Preston with estranged husband Kevin Federline. Gambling site Bodog.com has given model Isaac Cohen, who briefly dated Spears earlier this year, high odds for becoming the father to her next baby. Federline follows close behind, while Hugh Hefner and oil heir Brandon Davis have been named as outsiders, TMZ.com reports.
The gambling mafia has invaded the game
Pakistan awoke today to the news that the country's cricket coach had been murdered and their national sport had once again become embroiled in a potentially shaming match-fixing conspiracy. As President Pervez Musharraf prepared to mark Pakistan's national day, speculation was rife that the region's notorious match-fixing cartels were behind the strangling of Bob Woolmer, with former Pakistan cricketers at the forefront of the allegations. "I have been saying that he was a target of gambling mafia," said the former Pakistan fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz. "The gambling mafia has invaded the game." Former captain Rashid Latif, who exposed a match-fixing scandal in Pakistan 12 years ago that led to a life ban for former captain Salim Malik and fines for other players, said he too saw the hand of the gambling rings in Woolmer's murder. "I have always said cricket has never been cleansed of corruption despite the measures taken by the International Cricket Council," Latif said. "They [the syndicates] were still active in fixing results of some matches. Whoever murdered Woolmer was clearly desperate or else he would not have been killed in the middle of a World Cup." Jamaican police said they thought it likely that Mr Woolmer was killed by someone he knew because he clearly let someone into his hotel room. They stressed they did not have specific suspects. Pakistan said it was sending a senior diplomat from Washington to Jamaica. Raza Ali, a former police inspector from Islamabad, said there were "three possibilities: either Woolmer was killed by the bookie mafia, by a thug or a disgruntled Pakistan fan." "No players could be involved or commit such a crime. Pakistan should send a team of police officers to assist the West Indian police and co-ordinate in the investigation," Ali added. "It is a very serious matter for the nation and cannot be taken lightly."
A new spin on Rose's gambling habit
Pete Rose has a new spin on his gambling habit. The man who for a decade swore that he never bet on baseball, then admitted that he did so on occasion, now says he bet on every game the Cincinnati Reds played during his five years as manager. Major League Baseball's unequivocal ban on gambling is posted in every clubhouse. It's as fundamental as fielding a grounder. So why would Rose now admit he broke the rule 814 times? The only conclusion is that he somehow thinks the new story will help him rejoin the game's official family and get the Hall of Fame plaque he so desperately craves. When John Dowd investigated Rose for MLB, he detected a clear pattern: Rose, he said, never bet the Reds when Mario Soto or Bill Gullickson pitched. That's the kind of tip to other gamblers that baseball rightly fears. So Charlie's new hustle is to recast his gambling as evidence of love for his team. Sorry, Pete, but no one who really loved his team and his game would have violated their integrity repeatedly. Care to try again?
Carwash raided over suspected gambling ring
According to story, four people were arrested and 17 others issued summons for illegal gambling and visiting a common nuisance. Police have investigated reports of gambling at the carwash several times in recent years, the article said. According to a 2004 article in the same newspaper, officers found City-County Council member Monroe Gray Jr. and Center Township Constable Mark Anthony "Tony" Duncan sitting in a city-owned car in the carwash's parking lot on Feb. 11, 2004. At the time, Indianapolis police had investigated the carwash at least four times from 2002-2004, but no charges had been made and the carwash continued to operate as usual, the article said.
New 'Remote Gaming Duty' Casts Doubt on UK/Online Gambling Marriage
Dreams that the United Kingdom would become the standard bearer for the online-gambling industry were dashed yesterday when UK Finance Minister (James) Gordon Brown announced a new 'Remote Gaming Duty' (tax) of 15%, a move ensuring that online firms will not move from friendlier tax havens to the UK in the near future. In addition, Brown's new budget increases the levies assessed on land-based casino operations, throwing a major wrench into the Vegas-style casino expansion popping up across that nation. The 15% remote duty called for by the new budget is miles apart from the 2-3% range online companies cited as being low enough to make relocating to the UK worth the bother; virtually no online casino could give up an extra 12% of taxable revenues and remain competitive against firms not subject to similar fees. The announced budget leaves in serious doubt the accords championed by UK Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, who led the push to legalize and regulate online gaming and chaired last October's Ascot racetrack summit conference of nearly three dozen interested nations. While the 15% tax is, on its face, a fee equal to the domestic levy charged to bookmakers and bingo halls, it may be part of a larger strike against gambling in general by Brown's Labor Party faction. Brown also stripped away the bottom tier of tax levels for the smallest land-cased casino operations, and replaced it with a new 50% rate - far over the previous top tier, which was 40%. The jump, affecting casinos such as the new Manchester casino (which are expected to post annual gross house wins of over £10 million), could impact these casinos' ability to become first-class tourist destinations. Efforts to explain Brown's surprise tax hit have moved in several directions. Some reports have focused on Brown's strict Presbyterian upbringing, said to be staunchly anti-gambling at its core, while others see this as a planned boost to Labor Party efforts to force the scrapping of government plans to allow the building of 17 new "supercasinos," the first license of which was awarded to the Manchester facility. An all-or-nothing vote on that topic is scheduled for the UK's Parliament in the very near future. As with all perceived 'sin' topics, gambling remains a hot-button concern. No country offers uniformity or agreement on gambling's regulation and governing. Even as the European Union has moved forward on the topic of gambling as a whole, the UK has stepped back from its chance to assume a leadership role.
State moves to revoke gambling license of Hells Angel official
SPOKANE, Wash. The Washington State Gambling Commission is seeking to revoke the license of a Spokane Valley card room security officer because of his ties with the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle club. Frank S. Nakayama, a security supervisor at Ringo's Little Vegas Casino was seen on casino surveillance tapes wearing his club "colors" in the card room. Because the Hells Angels is considered a "criminal offender cartel," members are not allowed to work in the state's tightly regulated gambling industry. Gary Drumheller, the commission's Eastern Region manager, says the 42-year-old Nakayama has until April 6th to respond to the charges and request a hearing before a state administrative law judge. Nakayama had been the vice president and acting-president of the Washington Nomad Chapter of the Hells Angels in Spokane. The club's president, Richard "Smilin' Rick" Fabel, and three other current or former members are on trial on racketeering charges in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Nakayama is not a defendant in that trial. As a security supervisor, Nakayama had access to the office where casino cash is counted. He also had access to casino gaming chips and cards, the cashiers cage and credit slips, the accounting office and records.
Gambling a growing problem among seniors
There's good news for seniors who may have a gambling problem. A free national helpline offers information and resources. When it comes to gambling, the stakes for many seniors may be higher than they suspect. The number of seniors who gamble has grown; in fact, seniors have become one of the fastestgrowing groups of gamblers. A recent study found that gambling is the most frequently identified social activity among adults over 65. Some gaming venues provide bus transportation, free or discounted meals, special rewards and other prizes that attract older individuals. Playing slot machines tends to be the gambling seniors prefer at casinos, but seniors may also be found at racetracks, offtrack betting parlors, bingo games or purchasing lotto tickets. Gambling for many seniors is a social activity that affords them an opportunity for excitement in safe, friendly surroundings. However, experts say that seniors are often more vulnerable to gambling. They may use the distraction of gambling to escape the loss of a spouse or a medical concern. The attention of the casino staff may temporarily reduce feelings of loneliness or depression. Some may have financial problems they are hoping to overcome. Some seniors may have difficulty understanding that, for them, gambling may be a problem. They may be overspending and neglecting their nutrition, lack funds for medication and other medical needs or have less working years left to recoup the financial losses due to gambling. Other seniors may have limited finances and are looking for that big win to pad their retirement. It is not unusual for seniors with gambling concerns to be too embarrassed to not seek help. In some cases, things can spiral out of control quickly. One woman recently told experts that over a period of five and a half years, she had embezzled more than $250,000. Being a grandmother didn't prevent her from being charged with five felony counts and serving more than a year in prison.
Feds Ready To Ask Early Release For Abramoff
Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the central figure in a Capitol Hill corruption scandal convicted of fraud in the purchase of the SunCruz Casinos gambling boats, may be getting out of federal prison earlier than expected. Federal prosecutors have taken the first steps toward reducing his prison sentence for the Florida fraud conviction, now set to end in 2011. Documents filed in federal court in Miami say that Abramoff has provided "substantial assistance" in a separate Washington corruption scandal and that he continues to work with investigators from his Maryland federal prison cell. But prosecutors say in court papers that his cooperation isn't over and "will not be complete within one year of the defendant's initial sentencing." Abramoff, once a powerful Washington lobbyist, and ex-partner Adam Kidan were sentenced last year to nearly six years in prison. They were accused of concocting a fake $20 million wire transfer during their 2000 purchase of the Fort Lauderdale-based SunCruz Casinos gambling fleet.
Deadwood Hospital Wants To Restrict Gambling
Deadwood hospital officials want the city to declare the area around the hospital as off-limits to casinos. They say the hustle and bustle around casinos is not compatible with the atmosphere of a hospital. A nearby landowner says the area is zoned for commercial development and city officials should leave things as they are. Tim Conrad notes that Deadwood already has casinos near schools and churches. He says that doesn't seem to be a problem. Conrad also notes that a change in the zoning would infringe on his property rights. The Zoning and Planning Commission will meet April fourth to consider the request to create a no-gambling buffer zone near the hospital. There has been talk of building a casino and hotel complex on Conrad's lumberyard property across the street from a hospital.
Budget 2007: A 50% raid on gambling profits
A new 50% tax on the profits of larger casinos will reverse years of favourable treatment for the gambling trade. Industry analysts are now predicting a huge slump in investment in new and existing sites and said Britain's first super-casino in Manchester could end up looking 'more like a big shed full of gaming machines' than a Las Vegas-style palace. Casino operators reacted with dismay, claiming the Chancellor's crackdown will undermine the economic regeneration which other ministers have used to justify a huge expansion in casinos Mr Brown, who was raised as a Presbyterian - a church which fiercely opposed gambling - also announced a 15% tax level for on-line gambling operators. Betting and poker website bosses have already indicated they will never relocate to Britain if faced with such taxes, since foreign countries allow them to operate with low or zero duty levels. Since Mr Brown's tax grab looks set to keep all operators away, it has made a nonsense of the Government's efforts to introduce tougher rules to regulate the fast-expanding online gaming sector. Tessa Jowell had hoped to make Britain the capital of internet gaming, attracting websites to base themselves here. That ambition now appears to be holed below the waterline. The industry had expected the Chancellor to offer a generous tax level to lure operators back to the UK but he has taken the opposite approach, effectively banishing website operators.
Kansas gambling debate set for Friday
Casinos and slot machines are again front and center in the Kansas Legislature, and their fate - for this year anyway - could be decided Friday. Frustrated pro-gambling lawmakers forced the issue into the open Wednesday, getting it to the House floor. Debate on three bills is set for Friday. "I expect it to be a full-body fight," said Rep. Arlen Siegfreid, Olathe Republican and chairman of the panel that has studied gambling this session. Details are murky, but any plan almost certainly would include a casino for Wyandotte County and possibly slot machines at horse and dog tracks. "My feeling is, the House would pass gaming," said Rep. Charles Roth, a Salina Republican who used an obscure House rule to force gambling to the forefront. Even if the House approves a gambling bill, it would face challenges in the Senate. That is where a gambling bill failed last year by a narrow margin. Right now, the state gets no gambling revenue, even though thousands of Kansans travel to tribal casinos within the state or one of several casinos just across the Missouri and Oklahoma borders. Proponents of expanded gambling - including Gov. Kathleen Sebelius - say the state could allow more casinos and use the revenue as an alternative to taxes. Yet despite support, the gambling issue has never won out in Kansas. Many lawmakers object for moral reasons, arguing the state should not use a potentially addictive behavior to shore up its budget. And groups supporting gambling often fight among themselves over details ofproposals. Most gambling proposals this year would limit casinos to Wyandotte County, southeast Kansas and possibly Wichita. Some plans would allow slot machines at dog and horse tracks. Most would require voters in affected counties to approve gambling referendums if they have not already. After the gambling operator takes its cut, revenue would be split between local and state government. Depending on the plan, the state's share would pay for tax cuts, university maintenance or the state employee retirement plan. None of the bills up for debate Friday would, as currently written, allow expanded gambling. But lawmakers often use unrelated bills as "vehicles" for proposals that didn't get out of legislative committees. It works as long as the original bill's subject is similar enough to the amendment. Of the three potential gambling bills, one calls for a legislative study on gambling's economic impact. Another would renew the state lottery. The third gambling bill is a constitutional amendment that would remove the state constitutional requirement that all gambling be state-owned.
Gambling illegal? Don't bet on it
I'll see Kim Meltzer's ante and raise her the repeal of state-sponsored hypocrisy. The state House member from Clinton Township this week proposed that the state decriminalize NCAA office pools. "What makes March Madness unique is that all kinds of people and sports fans of all levels fill out their brackets and enjoy the tournament," she said. "It's a crime we consider that a crime, and I want to change that." Which is nice, I guess. It is ludicrous that something so harmless as an office pool is illegal. But why stop with NCAA pools? What about Super Bowl pools and squares contests? What about NASCAR fantasy leagues or death pools? Is there really much of a difference? No. But then I don't see the harm in pools. (A death pool, incidentally, since I know you're wondering, is a pool popular in, ahem, some newsrooms wherein the goal is to predict which celebs and notables will croak during the coming year. I'm personally apalled by those, mostly because I've never won.) Currently, in fact, I may or may not be involved in a potential "American Idol" pool that may or may not actually exist, depending on your law enforcement status. If this pool does exist and if that little cutey-petootie Melinda Doolittle wins, I may or may not win ... something. Or possibly nothing.
EU criticises Dutch gambling policy
The European Commission is not satisfied with the Dutch government's defence of its policy regarding sports betting. The Commission is asking The Hague today for more information, sources in Brussels told the Financieele Dagblad. The restrictive gambling policy in the Netherlands gives the Lotto company exclusive permission to run sports betting. European Commissioner for the Internal Market Charlie McCreevy already demanded clarification on this arrangement in April 2006. He wants to know whether it is compatible with the EU's freedom of establishment and services. McCreevy said last year he did not have plans to liberalise the gambling market. "I don't underestimate the sensitivities that exist in many member states on the question of gambling," he said. But he does want every EU member to observe EU regulations. The commissioner's efforts are in response to complaints from betting companies. He is also critical about restrictions on the betting markets in Germany, Finland, Hungary, Italy Sweden, Denmark, Austria and France. Germany is taking the debate on gambling policy very seriously. The country's Supreme Court has ruled that the gambling policy maintained by the separate German states is in violation of EU regulations. The states have been given until the end of 2007 to make the necessary changes.
Gambling Commission to file charges against Hells Angels member
The Washington State Gambling Commission is filing charges against a Hells Angels member working at a Spokane Valley casino. Frank Nakayama was photographed during a raid of the Hells Angels club house in Spokane in 2006. Nakayama says he quit the club and is working security at Ringo's Card Room on east Sprague. An anonymous tip to the Gambling Commission led investigators to Nakayama. Now after months of surveillance and investigating, the Gambling Commission says because Nakayama is a Hells Angel he can not be in the casino business. "The commission has the power to revoke licenses and at this point we feel there is a danger to the public interest because of his affiliation with the Hells Angels. And him being in gaming, we think that the combination is not a good combination, " said Gary Drumheller of the Gambling Commission.
Lawmakers consider fixes to ban on antique gambling seizure
A House committee heard testimony Wednesday but took no action on a bill to allow businesses to sell up to three antique, now-illegal gambling devices in a year without a state license. Sen. Verdell Jackson, R-Kalispell, said the Senate Business and Labor Committee members collaborated on the bill. They wrote it after reading about the uproar that arose after state gambling investigators seized $77,000 worth of old-time gambling equipment from the Cowboy Cabin, a Whitefish antique store, on Jan. 31. State law now forbids the possession, even in a private home, of this old-time gambling equipment. However, the law does allow a licensed dealer to pay a $50 license fee and to sell three antique slot machines every 12 months. Jackson wants to extend this law to other antique gambling equipment, which is defined as being more than 25 years old. That would include the blackjack table, chuck-a-luck or dice in a hourglass-shaped cage, a roulette table and wheel and two punchboards that the state seized from the Cowboy Cabin earlier this year. Under Jackson's proposal, retail businesses could display as many antique gambling devices as they wish, but sell up to three a year without having a state license. The state has filed no charges against the owners of Cowboy Cabin, "Cowboy Ron" and Eila Turner, but still has possession of the gambling devices, including a dismantled roulette wheel built in the 1880s and featured in Miss Kitty's Long Branch Saloon on the television western "Gunsmoke." The Turners showed up wearing buckskin jackets to tell their story to House Business and Labor Committee. So did their daughter and son-in-law, Alisha and Clint Walker of Whitefish. "These items are all over the western United States," Ron Turner said. "No one has ever had any difficulty with any of them." Turner said he and his wife moved from California to Montana where their daughter and her husband live. He said they have drawn support from many Montanans and people from all over the country in their battle with the state Gambling Control Division of the Justice Department. "The very freedom that Montana stands for was radically shaken up on January 31," Eila Turner said. Said Clint Walker: "This incident has brought shame to the state of
Montana." Jackson said the bill would allow retail businesses to display as many
antique gambling devices as they wish, but, under the law, they could only
sell three a year, unless they were a licensed manufacturer-distributor. Gene Huntington, administrator of the state Gambling Control Division, asked
the Legislature to clarify the law and set the direction. "Do you want these devices regulated or not?" Huntington asked. He defended the current licensing system, saying someone can sell three
antique slot machines in any 12-month period by paying $50 for a three-year
license with the state. "It lets us know who's doing this," he said. In addition, he said, it gives the Gambling Control Division a chance to
educate people in the business about the legal restrictions involved with
gambling devices. For example, moving antique gambling devices across state
lines is illegal, he said, and it's unlawful to possess such items while on
an Indian reservation. Without mentioning the Turners, Huntington said he is concerned if someone
had 10 to 15 antique gambling devices on display but plans to sell only
three of them. Ronda Wiggers of the Montana Coin Machine Operators supported the bill with
the Justice Department amendments. She said the licensing and education would protect average citizens and help
prevent them from violating the law. Jackson concluded by saying the bill would provide "a little bit of freedom
and not have everyone be licensed." "I think the dealers are honest," he said, adding he believes them if they
say they are not selling more than three antique gambling devices in a year.
County challenges tribe's gambling plans
Amador County is challenging a group that plans a casino in the Plymouth area, questioning whether it qualifies as a legitimate American Indian tribe. County officials fear another casino would usher in a wave of traffic, environmental destruction and gambling addiction. They say the U.S. Department of Interior was wrong to list the Ione Band of Miwok Indians as a federally recognized tribe. The department ruled last September that the tribe could claim 228 acres in and around Plymouth under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Amador County's lawsuit says the federal government did not have a sound basis for that decision. The 535-member Ione Band plans to build a $250 million hotel and casino complex. "We're very hopeful the federal court will do the right thing and uphold the Department of Interior's decision," Miwok Chairman Matthew Franklin said. "We're very happy with that decision and feel strongly it is just."
Internet gambling charges settled
The Saint Landry Parish District Attorney's Office says Internet gambling charges against an executive with a British company have been dismissed in exchange for 400,000 dollars after extradition issues left the case nearly impossible to prosecute. State police, working with Saint Landry prosecutors, had secure warrants in May in an investigation that focused on Sportingbet PLC, a company that operates out of England, where online gambling is legal. The company's former chairman, Peter Dicks, was arrested on a Louisiana warrant in September in New York. But Dicks was freed because New York law allows extradition only when the accused was physically present in the state where the alleged crime was committed. Dicks could have been arrested had he set foot in Louisiana, but prosecutors did not expect that to happen any time soon. The dismissal of the gambling charges comes after Congress passed a law last year that curtailed Internet gambling by prohibiting the use of credit cards and electronic transfers to pay bets over the Internet. Louisiana is one of only a handful of states that have banned online wagering, and the case against Sportingbet was one of the first since the practice was banned in 1997.
UK gambling firms bemoan budget tax deal
Britain's gambling firms and casino operators were left disappointed by Wednesday's budget after Finance Minister Gordon Brown slapped higher tax on large casinos and did little to tempt Internet gambling onshore. Internet gambling firms looking to locate back to Britain from tax havens such as Gibraltar and Cyprus were dismayed after Brown set the Remote Gaming Duty in line with land-based bookmakers and bingo firms at 15 percent. Some had predicted it would be as low as 2 or 3 percent. "The Remote Gaming Duty has been set breathtakingly high, it will do nothing to attract the existing offshore industry onshore and it may indeed have the contrary effect," said BDO Stoy Hayward tax principal Martin Dane. "With the additional VAT and corporation tax for most companies, it would be almost impossible for a UK-based operation to compete with offshore businesses, especially those located in other EU jurisdictions," said Remote Gambling Association chairman John Coates.
Asian Team Marks Launch of Gambling Campaign
A performance by a Korean cultural group will open an event to mark the launch of a campaign to prevent problem gambling at the Fickling Centre in Mt Roskill at 2pm on Friday. The event organized by the Problem Gambling Foundation Asian Team precedes a national campaign which kicks off this Sunday ( 25 March ) with a 30 second television advertisement which encourages New Zealanders to think about problem gambling, who it affects, and the impact it has on communities. John Wong, manager of the PGF Asian services team said that problem gambling affected the lives of many Asian Kiwis. "Every week we deal with families devastated by gambling harm." he said. 'This campaign is a much needed effort to get people to realise that everyone is affected by problem gambling - our families, neighbours, and workplaces." The Mt Roskill event will include the presentation of community awards to acknowledge the support and contribution of Asian community leaders and media in combating problem gambling. The campaign will be explained and a preview of the television advertisements will be shown followed by a forum where MPs will discuss how gambling harm can be eliminated in the Asian community. Mr Wong said, "We want our communities to know how they can get involved and take action to address this problem." "There are things people can do to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from gambling harm."
Colwood attempting to turn tables on gambling addiction
Gambling provides big revenue to municipalities with casinos. But politicians in Colwood also worry about the social problems that accompany gambling. That is why the municipality decided last week to join the B.C. Partnership for Responsible Gambling. The partnership, a product of the B.C. Lottery Corporation, brings together casinos and municipalities like Colwood that benefit from casino revenue, to look at ways of reducing the harm caused by gambling. Colwood's 2007 share of revenue from the Great Canadian Casino - which is actually in View Royal - is projected to be $410,000, up $1,000 from last year. The gambling partnership's three objectives are to reduce the incidence of problem gambling, reduce the harmful impacts of excessive gambling, and encourage responsible gambling. Although less than five per cent of gamblers are considered addicts, the partnership wants to help them through information kiosks in gambling halls and by training casino employees to intervene when addicts start spending too much. Another aim of the responsible gambling body is to educate the public about how betting odds are stacked against them, and to provide free counselling to people with gambling problems. Colwood joins 10 other municipalities, mostly on the Lower Mainland, that are already members. B.C's Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch conducted a provincewide problem gambling survey a couple of years ago and found the number of gamblers is declining, especially people buying lottery tickets. However the amount people spend on any kind of gambling has risen in recent years, the study found, but is pretty small - two-thirds of gamblers said they spend less than $10 per month. The study estimates 4.6 percent of people who gamble "are problem gamblers," including 4.2 percent who are "moderate problem gamblers" and just under half a per cent who have a severe gambling problem. But that still translates into large numbers. Up to 177,100 people in B.C. are considered problem gamblers, with up to 22,700 having a "severe" gambling problem, the study found. B.C. has the highest number of people in the country who potentially fall into the at-risk gamblers category - 11.1 per cent. About 10 per cent of them are young gamblers - 18 to 24 years old - followed by low-income people with total household incomes of less than $30,000, who account for nearly seven per cent. Greg Walker, the lottery corporation's public affairs manager, wasn't sure how much the responsible gambling parternship will cost Colwood taxpayers, but he noted Vancouver has a $200,000 "social responsibility fund" used to deal with problems caused by the Edgewater Casino in downtown Vancouver.
Proximity of casinos or slots worsens gambling problems
The number of problem gamblers doubles within a 50-mile radius of a casino or slot machine parlor once one is built, according to a professor and problem gambling expert speaking Wednesday in Waterville. Gambling might be good for the economy, but it can have devastating effects on gamblers who potentially could lose everything, said Thomas Broffman, an assistant professor at Eastern Connecticut State University. Broffman said gambling carries with it all of the pitfalls of drug addiction, but with three important distinctions: It is legal, socially acceptable and readily accessible - just look at the supermarket checkout lines where Maine State Lottery Commission scratch ticket machines stand ready for the left over buck. Broffman's comments came Wednesday during a presentation at the Waterville Elks Club as part of a series of workshops being held across the state as part of "problem gambling awareness week." The workshops are sponsored by the Maine Office of Substance Abuse.
Video Gambling Bill Going on to Full Senate
Two new casinos in Central Indiana are one step closer to reality. The vote was nine to three in a state Senate committee for the bill to permit slot machines at horse tracks in Anderson and Shelbyville. "We need help and we need your help. We need slot machines at Indiana's two race tracks," said Rick Moore of Hoosier Park. The bill now allows 1,500 slot machines at each track, down from 2,500. The licensing fee to track owners, however, is up from $100 million to $400 million. The changes produced no complaints. "We are not asking for a handout. We are asking for a hand. Give us the tools to allow our industry to remain vital and viable," said John Schuster of Indiana Downs. Opposition came from the owners of the French Lick and Belterra casinos. They do not want the competition. "One track was bad business. Two tracks is poor judgment," said gambling opponent Paul Oakes. Gambling opponents say that horse racing will never work in Indiana and the effort to subsidize the industry is dishonest. "This national movement of placing slot machines at horse tracks is a subtle transformation from track gambling to casino gambling," said Rev. Daniel Gangler, Indiana Citizens Against Legalized Gambling. Standing in the back of the room were bar owners who want video poker legalized. No one offered their amendment. Some of the money from the slot machines is now targeted for property tax relief. The bill now goes to the full Senate where former leader and gambling opponent Bob Garton is no longer there to stop it.
Internet gambling charges settled
Internet gambling charges against an executive with a British company were dismissed Tuesday in exchange for $400,000 after extradition issues left the case nearly impossible to prosecute, St. Landry Parish District Attorney's Office announced. State Police, working with St. Landry prosecutors, had secured warrants in May in an investigation that focused on Sportingbet PLC, a company that operates out of England, where online gambling is legal. The company's former chairman, Peter Dicks, was arrested on a Louisiana warrant in September in New York. But Dicks was freed because New York law allows extradition only when the accused was physically present in the state where the alleged crime was committed. Dicks could have been arrested had he set foot in Louisiana, but prosecutors did not expect that to happen any time soon. "We were at the point where we couldn't get them here," St. Landry Parish District Attorney Earl Taylor said. ". We tried to do something to make them pay." Taylor said officials with Sportingbet approached his office about what could be done to resolve the pending legal case, which could have remained in limbo for several years. "They wanted to get the arrest warrants dismissed," Taylor said. He said the $400,000 - delivered by check Tuesday morning - will be shared by his office, State Police and the state Attorney General's Office. The District Attorney's Office will use its share of the money to support programs to tackle Internet-related crimes, such as identity theft, child pornography and online gambling, Taylor said. Opelousas attorney Leslie Schiff, local counsel for Sportingbet, confirmed the arrangement with District Attorney's Office but had no further comment. The dismissal of the gambling charges comes after Congress passed a law last year that curtailed Internet gambling by prohibiting the use of credit cards and electronic transfers to pay bets over the Internet. Louisiana is one of only a handful of states that have banned online wagering, and the case against Sportingbet was one of the first since the practice was banned here in 1997. The case was launched in St. Landry Parish because it was worked by State Police investigators out of the Opelousas office.
Commission issues final gambling warning
The European commission is to intensify its legal action against Denmark, Finland, Hungary and Sweden in an effort to open the gambling market across the entire European Union, Reuters quoted unnamed sources as saying on Tuesday. A source told the news agency that the commission was "making final enquiries" in relation to Germany and the Netherlands. The warning is the last signal to the countries before they face the European Court of Justice. In April, the commission launched an investigation into state-controlled gambling monopolies.
Flandreau Sioux Tribe sues state on gambling compact
The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that Gov. Mike Rounds and other state officials have unfairly prevented the tribe from adding more slot machines at its casino in Flandreau. The lawsuit alleges that the state has negotiated in bad faith as the tribe pursues a longer gambling compact that allows more slot machines. The tribe is seeking a court order declaring that the state has violated the federal law on Indian gambling and a constitutional provision that guarantees equal protection under the law. While state officials have refused to let each Indian casino have more than 250 slot machines, they have allowed the number of slot machines in Deadwood casinos and the number of video lottery machines in casinos statewide to skyrocket, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in Sioux Falls, asks a judge to require that the state and tribe agree on a new gambling compact within 60 days or face mediation. It also asks for a court order requiring the state to give the tribe the same privileges granted to other forms of gambling in South Dakota. The complaint and exhibits filed with the court total 845 pages. Officials from many of the Sioux tribes in South Dakota have complained in recent years that the state was refusing to negotiate in good faith as they sought new gambling compacts. Clarence Skye, executive director of United Sioux Tribes, said he believes other tribes will wait and see what happens in the Flandreau Sioux Tribe lawsuit before deciding whether to file their own lawsuits. Tribal officials have been frustrated because the governor will not meet with them to discuss the dispute on gambling compacts, Skye said. "I've tried everything, and I'm still sitting on the outside and not getting anywhere." A 1988 federal law says tribes can generally conduct the same kind of gambling that is allowed elsewhere in the state, but a tribe first has to negotiate a gaming compact with the state. Tribes began negotiating compacts to run their own casinos after a state constitutional amendment allowed casinos to start operating in Deadwood in 1989. Eight of the nine Sioux tribes in South Dakota have gambling compacts. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe is the only one without a casino. A number of tribes have complained that the state's refusal to let them add
slot machines is preventing them from gaining revenue needed to finance
non-gambling projects. Rounds did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Tuesday, but
he has said in the past that the state was negotiating in good faith with
tribes. The South Dakota Constitution allows only limited gambling, he said. "I also have to weigh their interests in unlimited gaming or significantly
increased number of machines with what is required in our constitution,
which is limited gaming," the governor said last year. However, the lawsuit said Deadwood gambling and the state video lottery are
not very limited. About 3,000 slot machines are authorized in the casinos located in Deadwood,
a historic town in the northern Black Hills, and approximately 8,500 video
gambling machines are allowed in licensed video lottery casinos around the
state, according to the lawsuit. Meanwhile, the state has refused to let tribal casinos exceed 250 slot
machines, the lawsuit said. Compacts in Minnesota and Iowa set the number of
slot machines at what the market can bear, according to the suit. The Flandreau Sioux Tribe's Royal River Casino sometimes loses customers
because people refuse to wait in line for slot machines and instead drive to
nearby casinos in Minnesota and Iowa, the lawsuit said. The tribe said it sought to gain additional machines and extend the compact
to 20 years so it could secure financing to build a hotel, resort, water
park, family recreation center and event center to draw entertainment acts.
The state has offered a six-year compact. One proposal by the tribe would have allowed one slot machines for each
$34,000 invested in the complex, but the state rejected that suggestion,
according to the lawsuit. "The state's intransigence prevents the tribe from raising the capital
necessary to develop high quality facilities sufficient to attract tourists
and customers from areas beyond the borders of the state and denies the
tribe the economic benefits provided to all other citizens of the state,"
according to the lawsuit.
Can Turkey Prevent Online Gambling?
Online casinos have conquered the world, and Turkey is no exception. It has been determined that approximately $ 2 million is spent on online gambling through credit card transactions in Turkey. Turkish authorities, however, were not happy with the spread of online gambling in the country and the Government decided to stop its citizens from accessing and playing on online gambling sites. Accordingly, the Administrative Regulation prepared by the Turkish National Lottery Administration on the Prohibition of Organizing and Marketing Online Gambling ("Regulation") entered into force on 14 March 2006. Under Article 1 of the Regulation, the aim of the Regulation is to prohibit the organization and marketing of games of chance in virtual media such as computers, internet, interactive TV, mobile phone and similar information environments. The advertising of interactive gambling services is also prohibited under Article 5 of the Regulation. The purpose of the Regulation is not only to prohibit Turkey-based interactive gambling services being provided to customers in Turkey but also to prevent the ability of people resident in Turkey to access online gambling sites located overseas. In this context, illegal gambling activities will be followed-up and inspected by the Presidency of the Department of Games of Chance. Pursuant to Article 6 of the Regulation, the Presidency of the Department of Games of Chance will prepare examination reports concerning real persons or legal entities that are domiciled in Turkey or in a foreign country and organizing or marketing gambling in virtual media. The report will include the addresses of the virtual media and all related information regarding such entities in detail. Based on this report, the Department of Law of the National Lottery Administration will apply to the authorized court for cessation of the access provided by internet service providers (ISP) to these websites and seek punishment of the illegal acts. In the event this request is upheld by the court, the Legal Department of the National Lottery Administration will notify the decision to the Telecommunication Authority in order to provide the enforcement of the legal order. Before this Regulation came into force, no specific law related to online
gambling in Turkey existed. As a result, an increasing rate of online
gambling occurred in Turkey over the past few years. Although the National
Lottery's efforts are expected to decrease online gambling, there are
certain factors that may frustrate attempts to prohibit online gambling. For
instance, internet technology renders prohibition practically futile. The
internet makes it easier to encrypt messages, to change addresses, and to
send and receive messages anonymously. In contrast to the quasi-public and
monolithic postal system, the internet relies on thousands of separate and
wholly owned private service providers to carry out its deliveries.
Providers may simply refuse to cooperate by claiming that it is impossible
to discriminate between illicit gaming information and other internet
traffic. In addition, principles of national sovereignty will prevent Turkey from
forcing other countries to enforce a ban on online gambling. Turkish
authorities already admitted that they cannot stop overseas gaming
operations because Turkey does not have jurisdiction over the people abroad
who are dealing with online gambling. Consequently, both practical and legal
barriers prevent any domestic ban on online gambling from having
international effect.
Gambling for a change to contribution fund
It's not quite characteristic for a city clerk to not like a source of city revenue. But Clerk Pat Garrity sees one particular revenue stream on Hibbing's books that he doesn't like, and he wants something done about it. Garrity asked the council to consider elimination of the charitable gambling tax, better known as the 10 percent contribution fund, during a Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday. "I feel we should consider whether it's in the best interest of the city and of the nonprofits that run the operations to continue taxing charitable gambling groups on a 10 percent basis," said Garrity while handing out a spreadsheet.
New center studies gambling
Every March, as Americans fill out their NCAA Basketball Tournament brackets and shell out cash to compete in March Madness pools, gambling enters the public spotlight, and this year, it is under more scrutiny than usual. In New Jersey, Rutgers University's School of Social Work recently announced it would look deeper into the nature of gambling and its effects not only on gamblers themselves, but on the state economy. "Gambling, both legalized and online illegal gambling, is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world," said Lia Nower, director of Rutgers's new Center for Gambling Studies, where researchers will study gambling addictions and culture. She said the Rutgers program is unique compared to the few existing research institutes in the nation because it aims to form a more comprehensive understanding of gambling, she added. "Most [institutes] either focus on problem-gambling research, or overall gambling policy development, but not both," she said, adding the Center's creators saw a need for a place that would train counselors, evaluate policies and serve as a resource for the state legislature. Ed Looney, executive director for the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, said he is glad Rutgers opened such a center on its campus, because he said schools across the nation lack sufficient education programs. According to Loone, who said he has met with Nower to discuss the Center, the gambling rate among college students is twice that of the adult population. Females are growing more susceptible to addiction, he added, which he said can evolve from innocent sports bets, including March Madness pools. "They love the action," he said. "Pools are so easy to join, and after the tournament is over, then baseball starts, [and then] the NBA playoffs. People get right back into it."
Catawbas suffer gambling setback
The Catawba Indian Nation's push to offer electronic gambling took a hit Monday when the S.C. Supreme Court ruled a state ban on video poker also applies to the tribe. The Catawbas, South Carolina's only federally recognized tribe, argued their 1993 land deal with the state allowed them to put video poker machines on their reservation, despite a statewide ban in 2000. The state contends the land deal means the tribe's reservation falls under state, not federal, gambling laws. State Attorney General Henry McMaster, who appealed a lower court's decision in favor of the tribe, said the higher court made "a sound decision." Catawba attorney Jay Bender called the ruling a setback, but he expects the U.S. Supreme Court to eventually decide the case. "The question is, does this tribe have the right to exercise sovereignty to operate video poker as a government just as the state of South Carolina operates the lottery as a government?" Bender said. Sen. Wes Hayes, an attorney and leading gambling opponent, said he doubts the U.S. Supreme Court would rule against the state high court's unanimous decision, while a spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford said the ruling was important to keep video poker from returning to South Carolina. The tribe has said it doesn't necessarily want to put video gambling machines on its York County reservation about 25 miles south of Charlotte, N.C. But the Catawbas had hoped to use a favorable court ruling as a bargaining chip to build a high-stakes bingo parlor south of Columbia along Interstate 95. Local officials want the bingo facility and the estimated 1,800 jobs it would bring to the rural area. But many lawmakers, including Sanford, oppose the idea. The Catawbas sued the state after bills allowing the Santee facility repeatedly failed in the General Assembly. The idea died again in committee last year. The Catawbas say a new bingo parlor is critical to their future. The tribe said its York County bingo hall began losing money after the state lottery started in 2002. The Catawbas were forced to shut down the operation and have since sold the hall and the surrounding property in Rock Hill. The tribe's 1993 settlement, which gave the Catawbas $50 million and federal recognition in exchange for relinquishing claims to 144,000 acres, also allowed the Catawbas to operate bingo games in two locations. But legislative approval is needed for the Santee facility because the Catawbas want to link it electronically to other tribal bingo halls nationwide to offer bigger payments, Bender said. He likened it to a multi-state lottery game, such as Powerball, which the state participates in. But Hayes called the proposed bingo hall a huge casino with games resembling video poker. "They call it bingo, but that's in name only," said the Rock Hill Republican. "It will be much bigger gambling than anything we've seen in South Carolina before. There's a reason we voted video poker out. It's the crack cocaine of gambling." Even if the state Supreme Court had ruled in the tribe's favor, Hayes said he would continue to oppose an electronic bingo hall anywhere in the state. The ruling only adds to the tribe's already significant hurdles, he said. Chief Gilbert Blue, who announced over the weekend he would not seek re-election after leading the tribe for more than three decades, said he thought the settlement clearly allowed video gambling. The high court also offered good news to the tribe, ruling the state cannot impose an $18 per person fee on the tribe's bingo players. The state created the fee in 1998 without the tribe's consent, the court said.
Gambling isn't economic development
West Virginia lawmakers have wrapped up the 2007 legislative session, and the major piece of legislation emerging from the 60-day session was the bill permitting racetracks to add table games, pending approval by voters of the four counties where the tracks are located. In the last election, the gambling interests spent nearly $400,000 in direct contributions to their favored candidates, and who knows how many thousands more in indirect, unreported support. They were rewarded with legislation that means the first step in expanding gambling in a way that will change our state forever, if voters eventually approve table game referendums. In fact, the Associated Press recently reported that West Virginia will join only one other state -- Iowa -- in regard to allowing venues that provide racing, slots and table games in the same locations. It is, of course, foolish to pretend, as the Democrats do, that when voters approved the lottery two decades ago they were also giving their assent to table games. But our lawmakers have chosen to take the position that the initiative at that time intended to permit whatever they mean it to say today. Court challenges will undoubtedly result, and rightfully so. Voters all over the state, not just in four counties, deserve the opportunity to express their will in regard to this massive gamble of our state's future. The gambling interests have promised hundreds of jobs and vast economic expansion in return for the ability to provide table games. It was truly fascinating to watch as the promises piled up and various regions saw the pot sweetened in exchange for the support of the table games legislation. A few more thousand promised here, a few more thousand promised there -- and pretty soon, the votes were in order and the critics were scolded for not caring about jobs or the economy. For me and many others, our increasing reliance on gambling to solve our economic problems sends a terrible signal to our children and grandchildren. But, sadly, this gambling expansion should have been expected from a state whose TV and radio commercials ask us to play the West Virginia Lottery, but to "play responsibly," while at the same time buying billboards offering help if you are a problem gambler. There are sound, proven and lasting ways to grow a state's economy, but most Democratic legislators refused to address those methods in any meaningful way. Decisive reductions in taxes have proven time and again to encourage new investment and expand the economy, but the Democrats did little but nibble around the edges of meaningful tax reforms. Instead, they cast their lot with the gambling lobbyists, and opened the door to a new era of government preying even further on one of the most addictive and destructive behaviors known to society. Aside from gambling legislation, were there any other major accomplishments
this session? Clearly, no. Long-sought pay raises were cobbled together for teachers and
state workers, but not enough to forestall more headaches on this issue in
the near future. Lawmakers agreed to sell tobacco bonds in the hopes of a
$750 million windfall rather than a higher payout drawn out over a longer
period of time. West Virginians will have to keep paying the state's "temporary" gas tax, a
few more judges were added around the state, and the privilege tax, which
should be eliminated, was instead softened somewhat by a provision that
would help new residents avoid it, which was better than nothing. But completely ignored by this Legislature were social conservatives of all
parties, with pro-life bills ignored and gambling initiatives front and
center. In the end, it is the table games legislation for which this session will be
remembered. In essence, voters chose a legislature in the 2006 elections
that decided the best way to represent their constituents this session was
to expand our state's ability to attract gamblers. Over the next few months, the Republican Party will begin recruiting
candidates for the 2008 election. I personally invite any Republican to step
forward who will fight for the kind of economic development our state
desperately needs -- candidates who believe in lower taxes, a fairer court
system, an economic climate that encourages businesses to locate here that
provide good-paying jobs and benefits, and the conservative values our state
holds dear.
Man arrested in sweep wanted on gambling charge
A New Castle man arrested during Friday's drug sweep was wanted on a bench warrant for a gambling charge. Jeffrey Zona, 39, was picked up by police as part of the city and state police drug sweep in New Castle. He was wanted on a bench warrant on a gambling-related charge dating back to 2005. According to information from the Lawrence County prothonotary's office, Zona had been wanted on a bench warrant since Nov. 10, 2005, after he failed to show for trial in October 2005, for the charge by state police involving the Vita Nuova Club on East Washington Street. The bench warrant was rescinded Friday by Lawrence County President Judge Dominick Motto, who instead reinstituted a bond for Zona and released him on his own recognizance.
Alleged gambling hall broken up in 'Operation March Madness
Police arrested a Hamilton man for allegedly running a speakeasy and gambling parlor that netted more than $1 million a year, police Director Joseph Santiago said yesterday. It's the fourth time Alvin D. Brown, 61, of Crawford Court, has been arrested for gambling-related charges. This time he was charged with operating a gambling facility out of a room on the side of a home, called a clubhouse, at 296 North Willow Street that was called a blight on the community. Brown was arrested on gambling charges in 1983, 1993 and in 1999, police said. The investigation started last November after residents of the street complained to the Mayor Doug Palmer's office about all the illegal activity happening at the site. People were coming and going at all hours of the day and night, investigators said. "What's important to us is this information came to us by the mayor's office of community affairs. The citizens that cooperated with the police should be commended," said police Director Joseph Santiago. "This is what community policing is all about. For certain our effectiveness greatly depends on our citizens' involvement, Please, keep calling and you will see our officers responding." It was while police Lieutenant Daniel Pagnotta, who heads up the police vice crime division, investigators with Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini and the state Department of Taxation were investigating the gambling operation, under the code name "Operation March Madness," they discovered a large-scale drug operation a few doors down. Because police decided it was more important to get the drugs off the street, they organized operation "Weeping Willow" that brought down numerous dealers and cleared 20 kilos of cocaine and other drugs off the street earlier this year. On Friday, police executed search warrants at three locations in addition to arresting Brown. At the first location, 286 North Willow Street, police seized $14,876 in cash, sports betting records, untaxed cigarettes, an adding machine and calculators. Also in a room attached accessed by a door to the street, Brown allegedly sold beer and hard liquor to those placing bets on numbers. He said he asked for donations for the liquor, police said. At 17 Crawford Court, Hamilton, where Brown lives, police seized $315,361 in cash, $5,394 in coins, a hand gun, storage records, a 2003 Ford Explorer, a 1987 Mercedes Benz, a 2003 Mercedes and two tubs of coins. At a storage facility located at 43 Old Olden Avenue, police seized $405,931
in cash, gambling records and assorted bank statements. In all they seized a total of $745,244.88 in cash, police said. When Brown was arrested on Friday at the Old Willow Street house, police
found $4,720 in his pockets. Police estimate that the numbers operation netted about $10,000 a day,
totaling about $1 million a year, said Detective Sergeant Pedro Medina. It took about 700 man hours of police surveillance and investigation to
bring down the operation. "As a Trenton police officer I am very thankful and ecstatic about the
success of this operation. We will continue combating not only the drug
problem, but any illegal activity that is detrimental to the quality of
living of our citizens," Pagnotta said. "I would like to thank the citizens that provided the useful information and
assure all of our citizens that we are not taking a back seat to any crime
committed and that indeed our presence will be noticed." Brown's is only the first arrest in connection with the gambling numbers
operation. Police are continuing to investigate others -- possible "runners" --
connected with the operation. Joe O'Gorman, with the state Department of Taxation, will investigate
Brown's
activities to make sure there were no violations of the tax statutes. Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini said Brown faces a maximum sentence
of 5 years in prison if convicted. "The most serious charges might come from the tax investigation," Bocchini
said. "A significant criminal aspect could come from the taxation issues."
Miami Couple Plea In $3.3 Billion Online Gambling Operation
A Miami, Florida, executive and his wife, charged with participating in an unlawful online gambling operation that booked more than $3.3 billion in wagers over a 28-month period, have pleaded guilty to felony charges in the case. Daniel B. Clarin, 32, and his wife, Melissa Clarin, 31, both of Miami, Florida, both entered guilty pleas. He pleaded guilty to enterprise corruption, a violation of New York State's Organized Crime Control Act, and Mrs. Clarin pleaded guilty to fourth-degree conspiracy before Queens Supreme Court Justice Stephen Knopf who set sentencing for April 26. The judge indicated that he would likely sentence Clarin to an indeterminate term of two and one-third to seven years in prison and order him to forfeit $254,356 and would sentence Mrs. Clarin to a three-year conditional discharge, the condition being that she forfeit $72,508 in illegal earnings. "The defendants have admitted to be being major players in an incredibly lucrative. and illegal, global gambling operation that took in untold millions of dollars in unlawfully earned proceeds through casinos, shell corporations and bank accounts in a variety of locations around the globe, including Central America, the Caribbean, Switzerland, Hong Kong and elsewhere", Queens district attorney Richard Brown said. Wagers were placed on a wide variety of sporting events ranging from horseracing, football, baseball, basketball and hockey to NASCAR, PGA golf and professional tennis, among others. The District Attorney said that in pleading guilty Clarin admitted that between July 14, 2004, and Nov. 2, 2006, he worked as the "comptroller" of the criminal enterprise, Playwithal gambling organization, and was responsible for managing the enterprise's day-to-day operations and handling bettor disputes and accounting discrepancies, as well as managing account information of the various runners and bettors. He further admitted that he was responsible for monitoring the enterprise's toll-free telephone numbers and website - including the playwithal.com website specified in the indictment - which were used to accept and receive bets from bettors and other individuals located in Queens County and elsewhere. The District Attorney said Mrs. Clarin admitted that she worked as a "financial officer" for the enterprise during the same time period and conspired with others to assist in laundering more than $1 million in illegal gambling proceeds through various financial institutions overseas and elsewhere to conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, ownership and control of the proceeds of the illegal gambling operation and to allow her and other members of the enterprise to illegally acquire more money.
Study shows teen gambling tied to risky behaviors
A new study indicates students in the eighth and 11th grades who gamble are more likely to be involved in risky behaviors such as drinking, carrying weapons, sexual activity or fighting. "The data are startling," said Jeff Marotta, problem gambling services manager in the Oregon Department of Human Services. He said the information has bolstered a plan to make a seven-minute video by April that will be distributed free to schools, boys and girls clubs, faith organizations and elsewhere to encourage discussions about problem gambling. The video will feature Oregon middle school students talking about gambling, and will be accompanied by activity and discussion guides. "The video will focus discussion that will help teenagers understand how to avoid getting into trouble with gambling," Marotta said.
New Web Gambling Study Could Lead to Legal Online Poker in USA Again
Two Nevada lawmakers are working on legislation for an 18-month study of online gambling to determine whether online gambling can be effectively regulated in the United States. U.S. Reps. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and Jon Porter, R-Nev. are expected to reveal the co-sponsored legislation within the next few weeks, and they hope to gain a powerful ally in Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass. Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and a longtime critic of gambling restrictions, has called last year's Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) bill's ban of online gambling "preposterous" and one of the "stupidest" bills ever passed. Frank has said he is considering proposing a repeal of the ban, which aims to shut down 2,300 Internet gambling sites producing about $12 billion (about 6.17 billion pounds or Euros 9 billion) per year. Berkley said she talked to Frank on Wednesday on the House floor about Internet gambling and they plan to meet again "in the very near future." Any legislation to regulate online gambling in the US would also require the support of the American Gaming Association, who has in the past said they would support such a study. "The purpose of our bill is to provide a comprehensive study with detailed information on the expanded growth of Internet gambling," Berkley said. To avoid the political bickering that plagued a federal commission that completed a two-year study of legalized gambling in June 1999, Berkley and Porter would assign an 18-month Internet gambling study to the National Research Council, which is an agency of the National Academy of Sciences. "This actually is a very independent institution which has the resources to get the facts to Congress," Porter said. Porter introduced a similar bill last year, which Berkley co-sponsored. Despite Congress approving an Internet gambling ban last October, Porter said he thinks lawmakers would consider a repeal. A date has not been set, but Porter said he still plans to visit the Isle of Man, Britain, and Madrid, Spain, to observe Internet gambling operations firsthand. Berkley's position on Internet gambling has changed since July 2000, when she voted for an online betting ban proposed by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va.
Sacre Bleu! French Authorities Hand Fine to Gambling Chief
Patrick Partouche, the head of French company Groupe Partouche, has been handed a 40,000 Euro fine and a 12 month suspended prison sentence. Partouche's punishment relates to his involvement with online poker site Poker770. France appears to be following in the footsteps of America by cracking down on online gambling and poker. Patrick Partouche and Partouche International were handed stiff penalties for their respective involvements in online poker room Poker770 last Friday. Partouche International, a subsidiary of the group based in Belgium, was fined 150,000 Euro for targeting French players for their online gaming activities. Partouche himself will be facing 12 months in prison should he be found guilty of a further crime in the near future. His penalty was a 40,000 Euro fine and a 12 month suspended prison sentence. According to French media sources, two further individuals were also fined 40,000 Euro and handed suspended prison sentences by a court in Nanterre, Paris. All the individuals involved have lodged appeals. Last year Bwin officials were arrested in France. Authorities have requested interviews with other gambling companies based outside of the country. Poker770 operate on the iPoker network. One of the most popular networks around, iPoker have reported player numbers of 12,000 or more to be using their software at any one time. Groupe Partouche owns over fifty land based casinos alongside their online company Partouche Interactive. Poker770 is managed by a Cyprus registered firm called Chicoutimi Management Limited for Partouche.
It's time to take illegal gambling seriously
Recently, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department cited dozens of patrons and arrested organizers of an illegal gambling house on the city's Northeastside. While police should be commended for monitoring this situation and ultimately stepping in, it is disturbing that known illegal gambling elsewhere in Marion County is being ignored. The Star reported on, and even gave the address for, an illegal gambling ring on the Westside last month. What is truly troubling in this case is that local officials appear to not be concerned with the issue. Deputy Mayor Steve Campbell stated: "It's understandable that the police would spend more time on violent crime and drugs than on gambling." City-County Council President Monroe Gray refused comment, but was listed in a 2003 police report for being outside a local illegal gambling house. During a raid at a gambling house on Feb. 6, state Sen. Glenn Howard arrived at the scene and told police that "the facility should be left alone even if it is illegal because it doesn't hurt anybody." Apparently, Howard doesn't realize that illegal drugs, thefts and other crimes tend to follow illegal gambling. It is time for Mayor Bart Peterson and his political associates to take crime seriously. Selective reading of crime statutes does nothing to stem the tide of increasing crime. Indianapolis must demand leadership that will equally apply the law and protect its citizens.
Lake Stevens council to discuss gambling moratorium
Lake Stevens city officials are looking at ways to make sure the city's low gambling tax doesn't bring a flood of card rooms and casinos to the city. A moratorium on such gambling establishments is one option city administrator Jan Berg plans to discuss with the City Council tonight. "They asked me to look at all the options," Berg said of the City Council. No vote is expected at the meeting today, but there's a good chance the council will let Berg know its preferred course of action, City Council president Heather Coleman said. "Moratorium is a strong word," she said. "We want to look at the entire issue a little more closely, but in the meantime everybody has to be able to do business." In December, the City Council unanimously approved a new tax on gambling businesses. The tax is less than half of Snohomish County's gambling tax rate. Before then, the city had no gambling tax, Berg said. The tax was approved in advance of the addition of Frontier Village to the city, where the Highway 9 Casino is located. Frontier Village became part of the city on Dec. 20.The Highway 9 Casino is the only existing casino in the Lake Stevens area. "We wouldn't like to become the most attractive place" for card rooms and casinos, Coleman said. The gambling tax will help pay for policing of the gambling businesses, Police Chief Randy Celori has said. As of last July, nine Snohomish County cities had prohibitions against gambling businesses. Statewide, 64 cities and towns and five counties had such bans, according to the state Gambling Commission.
Legalize and tax gambling machines
Come one, come all. Find a bar, convenience store or truck stop in Decatur. Look in the back room, behind the closed doors, and you'll find one or more gambling machines. Come play and enjoy yourself. You (probably) won't get in trouble because law enforcement seems to be looking the other way. I don't gamble (except the lottery), but I feel gambling should be legalized because it seems to be unstoppable. The law seems to point a finger at someone or some organization taking monies under the table. Legalize gambling, license and tax it.
Dunne attacks drink, gambling policies
United Future leader Peter Dunne has launched a scathing attack on what he describes as big government and politically correct bureaucrats. Dunne has slammed bureaucrats for promoting "woolly" solutions to problem gambling and drinking, rather than effective answers. He says there was, and remains, a problem with young people drinking to excess in private homes, so raising the drinking age was never going to work. Dunne has also attacked the Ministry of Health's efforts to get more funding from the gaming industry for problem gambling. He says there is no compelling evidence that problem gambling is linked to gaming machines, and there is some evidence that the incidence of problem gambling is falling. Dunne says the government should listen more to the industries involved if it wants practical solutions to the problems associated with gambling and excessive drinking.
Frank Considering Bill to Repeal Online Gambling Ban
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said on Thursday that he plans to provide more details in coming weeks on possible legislation that would overturn the U.S. Internet gambling ban, Reuters reported. "I'm not ready to give you more details, but I will be by next week or so.There's no urgency on it," Frank told Reuters. A representative for Frank told Reuters that he has not drafted a bill and has no timetable for action. Online gambling by U.S. citizens was outlawed by legislation signed into law last October by President Bush.
Two plead guilty in U.S. Internet gambling case
A Miami executive and his wife pleaded guilty to participating in a $3.3 billion illegal Internet sports gambling operation in New York on Friday, the Queens District Attorney's office said. Daniel Clarin, 32, and his wife Melissa Clarin, 31, pleaded guilty in court to enterprise corruption and conspiracy charges for taking part in the operation that ran over a 28-month period, according to a news release. The operation took bets on sports including horse-racing, football, baseball, basketball, hockey, NASCAR races, PGA golf and professional tennis, the release said. The couple were among 27 people indicted in November in Queens County Supreme Court for participating. The case represents the first time Internet gambling charges were brought in the United States since President George W. Bush signed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act into law in October. The law effectively banned online gambling by outlawing gaming financial transactions.
Trooper caught in gambling raid
Indianapolis Metro Police officers cited Indiana State Trooper Kyle Freeman during a gambling raid Tuesday. They also arrested three men, including the poker club's promoter, Ryan Row. "I have been informed that I am not supposed to speak with you," said Row to Eyewitness News. The raid happened Tuesday night in the Pendleton Trade Center. Officers confiscated several boxes of poker chips and thousands of dollars in cash. In all, officers issued summons to 60 people. Now the seven-year police veteran must answer to a gambling charge as well as an internal investigation. "This state police officer will be subject to an internal affairs investigation as one of our officers would be," said Sgt. Matthew Mount of IMPD. Just last week Freeman stood with Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi at a news conference. Brizzi dedicated a K-9 to Freeman named after fallen Trooper Gary Dudley, who was killed in a freak biking accident. "The times that that happened when I came by, I went home. I didn't want to walk ten minutes to get to my own office," Mager said. The doors are now locked to the illegal gambling establishment. A sign on the door tells people on the inside not to open the door to non-members, but instead call a security guard. Right now nobody is more relieved about the raid than its neighbor. "You never know who is showing up and wonder if it breeds other problems," said Mager. Also arrested were Donald Kincaid, 65, who was charged with carrying a handgun without a license and illegal gambling and Richard Harvey, 28, charged with unlawful gambling and outstanding civil contempt. Although the night ended with 60 people facing gambling charges, it's just the beginning of more trouble for one law enforcement officer.
Gambling pushed banker to steal $1.4 million
Deb Anderson didn't begin her 27-year banking career as a thief. She started as a teller at Pioneer Bank, the lender in her hometown of 3,300 on the outskirts of Sioux City. She won promotions, despite a lack of college or any formal training in banking or accounting. By 1991 she was named cashier - a respected and powerful job at most community banks. "I had a tremendous amount of trust in her and her position," bank President Richard Aadland said. But in 1996, 18 years into her career at Pioneer, Anderson developed a dark side - gambling. She started with bingo and switched to quarter slot machines, according to court testimony. Casinos to the north, in Sioux City, and to the south, outside of Sloan, proved so irresistible that she concocted a scheme that flew in the face of all her outward appearances of normalcy. Anderson also helped herself to $32,000 from the Community United Methodist Church, where she kept the books for many years. Anderson, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of defrauding the bank in U.S. District Court in Sioux City. She was sentenced Friday to three years and five months in prison and five years of probation. Her sentencing happened to fall during National Problem Gambling Awareness Week. She also was ordered to repay the bank all of the money that she stole, and she faces federal and state tax bills and penalties on $1.5 million of income that was not reported. "I'm ashamed and remorseful and didn't set out to hurt anyone, but I hurt everyone," she testified Friday. A gambling counselor testified that Anderson was making a successful recovery from her gambling addiction. In documents asking the court for leniency, Jack Faith, Anderson's lawyer, wrote that in 1993 she developed anxiety attacks and depression, and later began gambling and stealing from Pioneer once her addiction spun out of control. Lisa Pierce, director of the Central Iowa Gambling Treatment Program, said that for some people gambling can release chemicals in their bodies that fight the effects of depression. In front of a slot machine or card table can be "the only place where they don't feel pain," Pierce said. Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, acknowledged that depression can play a role in addictive gambling but said tying the two together can be like pairing the proverbial chicken and egg. "Was it their gambling, or their depression" that caused their problems, he asked.
Young adults face gambling problem
Young adults are being called on to help friends who may have a gambling problems. Through friends4friends, an awareness campaign launched in 2005 by the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC), young people are made aware of the hazards of uncontrolled gambling. The campaign provides strategies for people to recognize and help friends with gambling problems. The RGC recently released a gambling prevalence study and results from their poker poll, which demonstrated both the growing popularity of poker and internet gambling among young adults.
Office pools should be legal, do not pose high risk of gambling problems
We at the Echo assume most of you are watching the NCAA men's basketball tournament with some pecuniary interest. We've arranged our brackets, entered our pools, made our speculations. Many offices similar to ours have even have bet some small amount of cash, since without something riding on the outcome, few would be able to muster much appetite for the opening rounds. But, we hasten to add in print, this is illegal. Like speeding or underage drinking. Which leads to an odd disjunction in the public discourse. We all know the brackets offered by places like ESPN and even the Ann Arbor News would not be nearly as popular if the ubiquitous office pools didn't exist. And yet, we have to keep up the legal fiction of law-abiding, lest we be subject to capricious law-enforcement whims up to the tune of $1,000. Which is why we support the legislation proposed by State Representative Kim Meltzer (R-Clinton Township), which would decriminalize small office pools. While we understand some of the appeal of office pools is the feeling of just barely breaking the law, an illicity that can add to the furtive joy of slipping sheets around the cubicles, but a law so widely flouted obviously no longer represents the will of the people. Indeed, the frequent experience of lawbreaking may discourage respect for other laws. One of the reasons this proposal earns our support is it is limited. Michigan does have a gambling problem, and the legal fiction of "Native Americans" running casinos that act more as enablers of addiction than legitimate industry doesn't win any real support here. But office pools are more like poker (another legal gray area recently made mainstream) than slots, and while there is a potential for abuse, it's mitigated by the limited nature of the participation and the fact the NCAA basketball tournament comes but once a year (though we suppose any office truly motivated could create a pool on the NCAA gymnastics tourney too). We applaud this recognition by lawmakers that when an activity harms very few and is practiced widely there should be no real justification for the intervention of the state. We can only hope this moment of clarity extends further in the statehouse to other harmless entertainments currently prohibited, and we hope this legislation is passed in time for next year's tourney.
Short film addresses problem of gambling among youths
Gambling is not an addiction that is usually associated with young people. But it is a social problem, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling, especially if left unchecked. That is why it has produced a short film, hoping to address the issue before it is too late. The main character in the 15-minute film "'RISK" develops an addiction to soccer betting. The movie is produced by the National Council on Problem Gambling, in collaboration with the South East Community Development Council. It examines the psychology and attitudes of young gamblers. Ian Tan, Executive Producer, Risk", said, "This film is actually a youth-to-youth production where we are trying to convey a message of problem gambling among youths. We hope that this film will actually entertain but yet educate youths on the issues of problem gambling, especially in terms of soccer betting." Matthias Yao, South East CDC, said, "I do think that it is a growing problem; gambling is much more accessible now to the young people, especially gambling that is now available on the internet, so young people can access gambling in the privacy of their own rooms. Among the young people that we speak to, they know that many of their friends and classmates are engaged in gambling. If we don't do anything about it early enough, I think it may be a growing problem." A survey conducted by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports has shown that nearly half of gamblers in Singapore started when they were between 18 and 24, an age group when they are more susceptible to social influences. Debra Soon, Chairperson Youth Sub-Committee, National Council on Problem Gambling, said, "From the focus groups, we know that there are certain attitudes towards soccer gambling; they almost see it as something they can predict, and that gambling is a problem for adults and not for young people. And so some of these myths associated with gambling we needed to correct, which is why the movie brought out some of those messages."
Salvation Army 'Deeply Concerned' by Gambling Advertising Regulations
The Salvation Army has said it is "deeply concerned" by the possible effects of new gambling advertising regulations on society. Captain Matt Spencer, from The Salvation Army's Public Affairs Unit, said: "Despite some safeguards that appear to be incorporated into the new guidelines, The Salvation Army remains deeply concerned about the introduction of new gambling advertising and the potential effect that this may have on society." Now The Salvation Army fears that an increase in gambling advertising will lead to an increase in the number of gambling addicts. "Adverts are designed to stimulate demand and, as gambling advertising increases, our fear is that more people will be drawn into an addiction which can be devastating for individuals, families and the communities in which they live," said Captain Spencer. Gambling advertising may also normalise gambling, he added. "Advertising may also have the effect of further 'normalising' gambling in our culture, but gambling should not be considered a normal 'leisure' activity since it can be highly addictive and damaging. "The effects of increased gambling advertising need to be closely monitored to assess its impact on gambling trends and any associated potential rise in problem gambling."
Private hospital move signals growing concern over gambling
Companies are unaware of the potential risks and dangers to their workplace from pathological gambling, addiction specialists have warned. While the government recently announced the go-ahead of the first super-casino to be built in Manchester, spanning 5,000sqm and housing up to 1,250 unlimited-jackpot slot machines, Capio Nightingale, a private psychiatric care hospital based in London, launched a dedicated gambling addiction service to meet the increasing prevalence of problem gamblers. The hospital's joint lead consultant psychiatrist, Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones, told Health Insurance that employers were still unaware of the chaos it can cause in the workplace. "A lot of people gamble for fun, but many have a predisposition to have problems - 0.8% of the population become pathological gamblers," she said. "Gambling pre-occupies their thoughts and activities so they not only disregard expected duties with family and friends but it will affect their work." Problem gamblers typically present decreased productivity, are more aggressive or irritable with colleagues, and can perform badly at their occupation. "A lot of tension is typically built up before a manager or employer even recognises that there is a problem," she said. The stress of gambling can lead to further personal problems for the individual, such as an increase in alcohol or drug taking, depression and even legal and financial problems for the company. "There have been cases of employees stealing to supplement their gambling, and there may be a risk to a company, but this is very much an exception rather than a rule. What is really the risk is that the employee is so preoccupied with gambling they are out of step with the mission of the company and morale of the workforce suffers. I have seen cases of very high level managers creating ripple effects of problems that have affected a whole company. There is a major problem when a key person has their eye off the ball," warned Bowden-Jones. While some board directors and HR personnel are aware of problem gambling, there needs to be as much understanding as there is for alcohol and drug addiction, she said. "The effect that gambling has on the mental health of employees is not an area that has been explored in depth enough yet. Any manager or employer who suspects that someone has a problem should start with a very frank discussion and then raise their own awareness of pathological gambling and what it leads people to do."
'March Madness' Gambling Can Be First Step To Addiction
The 2007 NCAA men's basketball tournament is now underway, and people across the nation are frantically checking scores and updating the status of their tournament brackets. Central Michigan University faculty member Tim Otteman, a leading authority on sports-related gambling, has a few initial thoughts on sports gambling trends, particularly as they relate to so-called "March Madness." "Sports gambling has truly replaced baseball as America's pastime. From buying Super Bowl squares to filling out NCAA tournament brackets to betting on the Internet to gambling directly with a bookmaker, sports gambling is one of the most popular sports participation activities in the U.S. The NCAA estimates that one in 10 Americans will complete a bracket for the NCAA tournament." "While completing a tournament bracket for $5 or $10 seems to be a harmless activity, in reality it potentially starts the slippery slope toward gambling addiction. No one becomes an alcoholic before they have their first drink, and no one becomes a drug addict before they smoke their first joint. Similarly, no one becomes addicted to gambling on sports before they make their first bet - and frequently the first bet is filling out a bracket for the NCAA tournament." "Numerous studies indicate that college students are two to four times more likely to become pathological gamblers than the general adult population. Combine that with the tremendous amount of information available about the games via the Internet, the 50/50 odds on predicting a winner with the point spread, the popularity of college athletics, the competitive spirit of former interscholastic athletes and the disposable time a college student enjoys, and you have the perfect recipe for involvement in sports gambling." Otteman is an authority in sport administration and management, sports sociology, and sports gambling.
Northside carwash targeted in gambling raid
Investigators are looking into whether officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department frequented a Northeastside poker club shut down earlier this week. Meanwhile, the department on Thursday raided a Northside carwash, arresting three people on preliminary charges of promoting gambling and seizing five handguns, gambling paraphernalia and $1,800 in cash. It was the third such raid since the beginning of February and the second this week. Police insisted the recent focus on illegal gambling wasn't part of any new policy initiative. "No, we've been conducting these investigations for a number of months, and they're coming to fruition," said Matthew Mount, metropolitan police spokesman. "It's a continuing, ongoing campaign we have against any illegal activity." But the raids and the internal investigation were raising anxiety both inside and outside the department. Mount said the internal affairs branch has been investigating for more than a week allegations that IMPD officers played poker or worked security for the Indianapolis Pinnacle Club, 3936 Pendleton Way. "We are extremely interested in any information regarding any IMPD officers who may be involved in any illegal clubs or visiting any illegal gaming establishments," Mount said. An Indiana State Police officer was placed on desk duty Wednesday after he was cited in connection with a raid on the club. Trooper Kyle D. Freeman, 30, a seven-year veteran assigned to the Indianapolis post, faces a preliminary charge of illegal gambling, a misdemeanor. He was among 60 people who police said were playing poker Tuesday when metropolitan police vice officers shut down the Indianapolis Pinnacle Club. An internal investigation will be conducted, 1st Sgt. Dave Bursten, a State Police spokesman, said in a written statement. Sixty poker players, including Freeman, were issued court summonses and face preliminary charges of misdemeanor illegal gambling. Police arrested three men they said were running the games -- Ryan Roe, 36, Donald Kincaid, 65, and Richard Harvey, 28 -- on felony charges of illegal gambling. Kincaid faces an additional charge of carrying a handgun without a license. The carwash raided Thursday at 148 W. 38th St. has been raided many times over the years, including in December 2003, when police found now-City-County Council President Monroe Gray Jr. in a city-owned car in the business's parking lot, according to a police report. Gray said he never went inside and was merely talking about city business while parked outside the carwash. The carwash has operated under several names over the years. On Thursday, the name Mike's Car Wash was painted in light blue letters on the side of the building. The business is not part of the Mike's chain with multiple locations in Indianapolis. Police arrested four people, and 17 others were cited on charges of illegal gambling and visiting a common nuisance. "It was just a matter of time before they raided the place," said James Bradley, 74, one of the people who received a citation. "They didn't ask me anything, they just gave me a citation." The carwash, a former service station on the northeast corner of 38th Street and Capitol Avenue, was raided around 12:45 p.m. Thursday. As in previous years, metropolitan police said they had received complaints about gambling there, mostly card games. They went to the business with a search warrant after getting information from someone who had gambled inside. Arrested on preliminary charges of promoting gambling were: Marvin Colbert, 53; Michael Smith, 59; and Michael Smith Jr., 38. Deangelo Dupree, 46, and Smith Jr. also face preliminary charges of carrying a handgun without a license.
Revised gambling compacts win final legislative approval
Lawmakers have approved new gambling agreements with Indian tribes that will increase the state's share of tribal casinos in exchange for extending the term of compacts for 30 years. The House voted 53-16 on Wednesday to endorse the gambling compacts negotiated by Gov. Bill Richardson and tribal representatives. The Senate approved the agreements a day earlier. The next step is for Richardson and individual tribes to sign compacts, which then must be approved by the secretary of the U.S. Interior Department. The new agreements will run until 2037 and replace existing compacts that are to expire in 2015. The state is projected to get an additional $650 million from tribal casinos by 2037. Ten of New Mexico's 13 tribes with casinos currently support the proposed changes. Tribes that didn't sign on would continue to operate under the existing agreements.
Congressman looking at revoking gambling ban
US Democrat Barney Frank is considering a bill to repeal last year's anti-gambling legislation according to a spokesperson for the congressman, who chairs the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee. Frank's office confirmed that he was considering legislation, but added he had not drafted the bill and had no timetable for legislation. According to the UK's Financial Times newspaper, Frank called the law the 'stupidest ever passed' and wrote on his website: "I am working on legislation to cut back on this Internet gambling thing. "I think it's preposterous... maybe we can make some money off it,' he added.
Legislator expects debate on expanded gambling
House Federal and State Committee Chairman Arlen Siegfreid, R-Olathe, said Wednesday that one way or the other, this year the chamber will debate expanded gambling. This week, Siegfreid's committee is hearing from supporters and opponents of three bills. One pushed by the gambling industry calls for casinos and slot machines at pari-mutuel race tracks, another allows casinos in counties that border out-of-state counties with a casino, and the third allows state-owned and operated casinos. He hopes the committee will have a bill ready next week. "If we fail to get a bill out of here, you'll hear gaming on the floor," he said. "Someone will offer an amendment and that'll set it off."
House committee to study gambling bills
A key state legislator Thursday upped the ante on casino gambling by offering a bill to allow casinos and lower property taxes. "Good times have come back and we need to start sharing those revenues again," said state Rep. Arlen Siegfreid, R-Olathe, chairman of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee. Siegfreid's committee started hearings Friday on various proposals to expand gambling in Kansas. Last Thursday, House bills 2568 and 2569 were sent to his committee for consideration. The bills essentially would set up a commission that would develop large destination casinos. The casinos could be built only after voter approval in the home and adjacent counties. Currently, casino-style gambling is only allowed at four American Indian casinos in northeast Kansas from which the state receives no revenue. Under Siegfreid's plan, some of the revenue from the proposed destination casinos would go into a fund to reduce local property taxes by $75 million per year. "One of the problems we have had in the state of Kansas (is) property taxes are just relentlessly going up," he said. But his proposal would not allow slots at existing pari-mutuel horse and dog tracks. "These are private businesses. It should not be the state's position to prop up private business," he said. Wichita Greyhound Park and The Woodlands in Kansas City, Kan., have been struggling for years and have asked to be allowed to put slots at the tracks. Siegfreid said his bill wouldn't prohibit tracks from bidding to develop a destination casino. The Federal and State Affairs Committee had an informational hearing Tuesday and then will convene for at least three days of hearings next week on gambling bills. House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, said he wants to have a thorough airing of the issue. "For the first time in a long time there are going to be actually extensive hearings on the gambling issue to try to ferret out what the people actually want to support," Neufeld said.
New Gambling Rules Reveal Government Double Standards
The Evangelical Alliance, representing more than a million evangelicals in the UK, has spoken out against the consistency of the government's stance in key issues currently being debated in the UK. "New liberalised gambling advertising rules fly in the face of the Government's position on cigarette advertising and the debate around advertising unhealthy food to children", the Evangelical Alliance has said in a press release this week. The alliance continued: "The relaxed rules.will allow the first TV and radio commercials for gambling facilities from September." The new rules were revealed on the same day that religious groups - including the Alliance - held a meeting with the Responsibility in Gambling Trust, a charity which exists to tackle problem gambling in Britain through the funding of treatment, research and education programmes. Jennifer Hogg, an Evangelical Alliance volunteer advisor on gambling issues and mother of two said: "I find it extraordinary that on the same day we met with the Responsibility in Gambling Trust, these new gambling advertising rules were published. "While we were discussing distributing RIGT's excellent Government-backed education resources on gambling to youth organisations, rules were being published that will allow families to be bombarded with gambling advertising on TV and on public transport." The Evangelical Alliance believes that legalising gambling advertising, combined with the explosion in online gambling, will drastically increase the availability and attractiveness of gambling. It agrees with Professor Mark Griffiths of Nottingham Trent University, who has stated that gambling advertising should have heath warnings and that the national lottery proves that advertising stimulates demand. Gareth Wallace, Westminster Parliamentary Officer for the Evangelical Alliance, said: "This smacks of a lack of joined up government. It also features marked double standards, since the Government is keen to ban all tobacco advertising. But gambling could be just as damaging to the nation's health. "The consequences of problem gambling are well documented in respect of personal and family costs. "There can be no 'socially responsible' advertising of gambling, which can be highly addictive. Children will be able to view gambling advertisements on TV and in public spaces."
SMU gets grant to study gambling
Saint Mary's University researchers have received $345,000 from the Nova Scotia Gaming Corp. to study the impact of gambling on teens. "Our research is aimed at uncovering the common themes coming from youth concerning the commercial advertising of gambling and its impact on their perceptions of gambling and their play behaviours," John McMullan, a sociology and criminology professor who's the project's lead researcher, said in a news release this week. The four-year project will look at advertising for gambling from the Atlantic Lottery Corp., Casino Nova Scotia and the Maritime Provinces Harness Racing Association, and unregulated advertising from websites, television and radio from Jan. 1, 2004, to Dec. 31, 2006, will be reviewed. Researchers will then interview teens to analyze the impact advertising has on them, the news release said, and the last part of the project will track beliefs and behaviours using continuous advertising snapshots over time.
Police break up illegal gambling raid
An Indiana State trooper is in trouble, caught in the middle of a police raid. The raid happened Tuesday night in the 3900 block of Pendleton Way on the northeast side. Police say what might look like a legitimate business was actually an illegal Texas Hold'Em operation with $100 and $500 tables. Tuesday night, an off-duty state police officer got caught in the middle of the action. Boxes and boxes of chips, different denominations are now evidence. And three men are under arrest, including the owner, arrested on gambling charges. Eyewitness News asked the following questions as the owner was being taken into custody: Is this a regular gambling place? Is it high stakes? Cards? "I've been informed not to speak with you," he answered. One man was arrested on another outstanding warrant. Another man said he was arrested because he had a gun. "16 people ranging from the ages of 18 to 70, male and female, and tonight they all had equal opportunity to be arrested," said IMPD Sgt. Matt Mount. Boxes loaded with cash, including hundreds, were also taken into custody. "Last week we had a report from the owner of the establishment that he's been robbed of $11,000, so obviously it is a type of activity that's illegal and attracts even more violent crime," said Sgt. Mount In the past, operators of these kinds of games have claimed they are legal games of skill. The government has claimed otherwise. The other 60 people at the poker game, including the off-duty Indiana State Trooper, were all issued citations to appear in court on gambling charges.
PROBLEM GAMBLING SELF-TEST
1. Have there ever been periods lasting 2 weeks or longer when you spent a lot of time thinking about your gambling experiences, planning out future gambling ventures or bets, or thinking about ways of getting money to gamble with? Yes/No 2. Have there ever been periods when you needed to gamble with increasing amounts of money or with larger bets than before in order to get the same feeling of excitement? Yes/No 3. Have you ever felt restless or irritable when trying to stop, cut down, or control your gambling? Yes/No 4. Have you tried and not succeeded in stopping, cutting down, or controlling your gambling three or more times in your life? Yes/No 5. Have you ever gambled to escape from personal problems, or to relieve uncomfortable feelings such as guilt, anxiety, helplessness, or depression? Yes/No 6. Has there ever been a period when, if you lost money gambling one day, you would often return another day to get even? Yes/No 7. Have you lied to family members, friends, or others about how much you gamble, and/or about how much money you lost on gambling, on at least three occasions? Yes/No 8. Have you ever written a bad check or taken money that didn't belong to you from family members, friends, or anyone else in order to pay for your gambling? Yes/No 9. Has your gambling ever caused serious or repeated problems in your relationships with any of your family members or friends? Or, has your gambling ever caused you problems at work or at school? Yes/No 10. Have you ever needed to ask family members, friends, a lending institution, or anyone else to loan you money or otherwise bail you out of a desperate money situation that was largely caused by your gambling? Yes/No According to Keith S. Whyte, the executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, a "Yes" answer to five or more of these questions is indicative of a pathological condition. A "Yes" answer to one to four is indicative of a varying degree of a problem.
Senate approves gambling compact
The Senate has approved a new state-tribal gambling compact that would last until 2037 and boost the state's share of the profits from Indian casinos. The proposal was approved Tuesday on a vote of 27-14. It also has to be endorsed by the House before Gov. Bill Richardson and the tribes could sign the new agreements they negotiated. They would replace existing compacts, which are slated to expire in 2015. Ten of New Mexico's 13 tribes with casinos currently support the proposed changes. Tribes that didn't sign on would continue to operate under the existing agreements. Richardson has urged lawmakers to approve the new compacts before the Legislature finishes its 60-day session Saturday. Sen. Richard Martinez, D-Espanola, who chaired the legislative committee that reviewed the proposal, said it would bring certainty and stability to New Mexico's gambling industry and provide the state more money. Revenue sharing _ the amount the tribes pay the state _ would increase gradually from the current maximum of 8 percent of slot machine proceeds to a maximum of 10.75 percent. Over the next 30 years, that could provide the state about $650 million more than it would have received under the current compacts _ but only if all 13 tribes sign the new agreements. Tribes want the extended compact period so they can get more advantageous financing for their casino, resort and tribal infrastructure projects. The new agreements also limit off-reservation casinos at race tracks to six _ there are now five _ and freeze their hours of operation and number of slot machines at the current levels, 18 hours a day and a maximum of 750 machines. Opponents complain it doesn't make sense for the state to lock itself into agreements for the next three decades. While the state, the tribes or the governor could request new negotiations during that period, nothing guarantees that would occur. Some lawmakers also object that tribal gambling in New Mexico has created disparity, leaving the non-gambling tribes mired in poverty. The new compacts don't address that problem, they said. "The gaming tribes have become part of the 'haves', but the 'have-nots' still exist," said Sen. Joseph Carraro, R-Albuquerque, who voted for the proposal. By law, legislators can vote for or against the proposed compact but not change it. The legislative Committee on Compacts had asked the governor and the tribes to add a provision to the agreement that would funnel money into an infrastructure fund for non-gambling tribes, but that was rejected. The gambling tribes objected to paying out the extra 1 percent of slot
machine proceeds required by that proposed change. Opponents of the new compacts also said not enough money is being set aside
to deal with problem gamblers. Martinez said $1.7 million was set aside last
year, and he cited a variety of programs. Opponents also objected that the state was rushing into new agreements when
the current pacts don't expire until 2015.
HEAVY SENTENCES FOR CHINESE ONLINE GAMBLING ACCUSEDS
Reporting the theft of a large sum of money to the police, yet being unable to explain the source of the money in the first place led to a major online gambling bust in China, reports the Shanghai Daily this week. A Chinese court has sentenced six members of an online gambling operation in Shanghai to heavy punishments this week in what is reported to be the city's largest online gambling case, with wagers surpassing five billion yuan (US$646 million), and it all started with a report of theft to the police. Gang leader Ren Bin was handed seven years in prison and a fine of six million yuan for illegal gambling by the People's Court in Luwan District today. Five other gang members, Liu Ping, Liu Guoliang, Liu Baolin, Guo Qin and Ni Liqiang were sentenced to between 12 months to 54 months of imprisonment and fines. The police had been following the group since May last year but didn't have sufficient evidence linking them to illegal gambling until they received a theft report from one of the accused, Liu Baolin at the end of that month. Boalin reported to the police that someone had broken into his apartment, which he shared with Ren, and had stolen at least one million yuan in cash. However, neither Ren nor Boalin could explain the source of the missing cash and a further five million yuan they had in a safe on the premises, which triggered further police investigations, revealing that gang members were collecting funds from online gambling. Ren had earlier opened an overseas online gambling company and developed subordinate agencies and accounts for gamblers. Police found 5.25 billion yuan in wager cash in Ren's account alone. The criminals confessed to conducting an online gambling operation soon after they were arrested. Ren told the court that anyone who wants to get rich with gambling will ultimately lose. "They win less than they pay, and will pay more when they lose," Ren said.
Confusing positions on varieties of gambling
I'm really confused by Gov. Mitch Daniels. On one hand he says he won't allow slot machines at racetracks because he doesn't want to encourage more gambling in the state. Then he turns around and wants to privatize the lottery, which would have to increase gambling to make a profit. Want to bet I'm not the only one confused?
Local colleges say student gambling not major problem here
Gambling on campus has become a social event at fraternities and dormitories alike - even a "study break" for some - as one recent University of Pennsylvania graduate put it. Although gambling, particularly online, has grown rapidly in recent years, local universities say problems related to student gaming are few. At Temple University's counseling center, "gambling addiction issues are actually less than 1 percent of the types of issues that students bring to them over the course of a year," said Ray Betzner, director of communications. "There's no kind of widespread problem," with student gambling at the University of Pennsylvania, said Ron Ozio, director of media relations. "There's no special program for it because there's been no demand for it." Counseling is provided to students in any kind of trouble, Ozio said. Other schools including La Salle and Saint Joseph's provide similar counseling. Despite few reported problems, recent Penn grad Eian More, of Penn's Annenberg Public Policy Center, said that during his student days poker nights had become "pretty regular" as a "social gathering" and a "study break." It extended from the frats into the dorms as "a way to introduce kids who don't know each other," he said. "I know a lot of our house was involved in online poker playing," because people wanted to be "involved in the action," More said. And, like the general population, March Madness and Super Bowl pools were a given. After graduating several years ago, most of his fraternity brothers cut back on gambling because they don't have the time for it now, he said. But one brother did so well online that he quit his regular job to earn an income gambling. The counseling center at St. Joe's provides information on its Web pages about gambling, including this: "Problem/compulsive gamblers are disproportionately represented among males, fraternity/sorority members, binge drinkers, alcoholics, drug abusers, 16 to 23 year olds, and those obsessed with video games."
Patrick keeps options open on gambling
In another sign that he is seriously considering casino gambling as a ready source of cash for state government, Gov. Deval Patrick met separately yesterday with groups of state legislators on both sides of the issue. ''He's really trying to get a handle on it and make some decisions and go forward,'' Sen. Joan M. Menard, D-Fall River, said after gambling proponents met with Patrick for an hour in his Statehouse office. ''I think he's absolutely neutral.'' Menard has filed legislation that would allow a casino in Bristol County and another casino in the western part of the state. The pro-casino group that met with Patrick also included Kathi-Anne Reinstein, D-Revere, Sen. Michael Morrissey, D-Quincy, and other legislators. Later, Patrick met with gaming opponents, including Rep. Daniel Bosley, D-North Adams, Rep. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport, and other lawmakers. Patrick told reporters that the meetings were informative, but that a decision was not imminent. He laughed when asked whether he was closer to a decision after meeting with the two groups of lawmakers. ''I'm glad we didn't have a fight in there between the pro-gaming and the anti-gaming folks,'' he said. ''''¦Yes, I'm closer, but am I close? No, I'm not close yet.'' Daniel O'Connell, Patrick's secretary of Housing and Economic Development, is leading an administration task force that is studying the gaming issue. O'Connell participated in yesterday's meetings. As for the moral objections, Menard argued that the state already has legalized gambling in the form of the state Lottery, which provides more than $900 million a year in aid to cities and towns. ''My answer to that is we are doing it on a large scale already,'' Menard said. Lawmakers said some of the topics in the meeting included societal impacts of gambling, allowing slot machines at the state's four race tracks, the effect on the state Lottery, and the recent federal recognition of the Mashpee Wampanoag. Massachusetts is trying to close a $1.3 billion shortfall in revenue to maintain state services next fiscal year, which begins July 1. Bosley argued to Patrick that gambling would not return the money the state is seeking, given its negative effects on society and other forms of economic development. Bosley pointed to state budget problems over the years in Connecticut and New Jersey, which allow casino gambling. ''Gambling has not been a panacea in those states,'' Bosley said after the meeting. ''It will not be a panacea here.'' Bosley and Menard both said Patrick discussed the emergence of the state's second federally recognized tribe. The Mashpee Wampanoag, like the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) on Martha's Vineyard, will be entitled under federal Indian gaming law to offer casinos or slot parlors if they are allowed under state law. The Mashpee tribe is seeking a location for an off-Cape casino. First, the tribe must find land in Southeastern Massachusetts to be held in trust, and negotiate a gaming compact with state government. Scott Ferson, a spokesman for the Mashpee Wampanoag, said in an interview that the tribe continues to search for appropriate land to be held in federal trust, not just for a casino, but for such needs as housing, education and health care. The town of Middleboro recently pitched several casino locations to the tribe.
What are the secrets of getting FREE Gambling Junkets?
How about the secret of getting free gambling junkets? Junkets, along with comps, provide a lot of free services to the crapshooter! For example, you can get RFB (Room, Food and Beverages) from both junkets and comps. Further, once you establish yourself as a steady gambler you will be invited back, and in doing so, the casino will offer you more free rooms, free food and free beverages in return for your continued gambling! Junkets first started on the East Coast, as a means to lure seasoned gamblers away from Las Vegas and into Atlantic City. Now, Las Vegas casinos do the same thing, in order to lure people away from the East Coast and into their own golden coffers. Wanna know how craps pros get free gambling junkets? Let's find out! A junket always involves travel, and usually involves a group. The junket operator (hired by the casino) will charter an airline to take 80 or so gamblers to one specific casino. They will all receive full RFB, and have run of the casino. In return, they all pay the junket operator a certain amount of money (usually between $5,000 and $10,000) up front. When they get to the casino they can use this money to gamble with. Sometimes they get casino credit, and sometimes the operator gives them the full amount back in non-negotiable, playable chips. Either way, you always pay your junket expenses in advance of your travel and your gambling sessions. Comps, on the other hand, are given to you after you gamble. Although airline reimbursement is possible, it will not happen until after you play and meet a certain minimum playing criteria, like $100 average bets for four hours a day. Certain comps (like a buffet) are also available to players who bet as little as $5 - but junkets are available only to higher rollers. There is a third way to get some free casino services, which is a combination of the junket and comps. This is called a turnaround, and is a day trip to the casino, either by bus or train. Like the junket you need to pay in advance, but it is only $200 or so, and you will usually receive the same amount of non-negotiable playable chips in return. They will transport you to your favorite casino early in the morning, and then will bring you back to your starting point late at night. You will usually get two free buffets as well. Turnarounds are very popular with Indian casinos and resorts that cater to locals. If you're interested in these types of trips, just call your favorite casino and ask them for information. If your gambling budget is $5000-$10,000 ask about junkets. If you gamble with $500 to $5000 ask what kind of comps you can get. And if you gamble with $200 or so, ask if they have any turnaround trips.
Laudatory report misstates conclusions on gambling
The Another Voice column that appeared in the Feb. 28 Buffalo News by Jonathan Taylor, hired by the Seneca Gaming Corp. to produce an economic report, misleads. Taylor claims that studies commissioned by the National Gambling Impact Study Commission "concluded that economic benefits greatly exceed costs." In support of this claim, Taylor cites a study by Adam Rose. However, Rose says in his executive summary: "This assessment does not factor in social costs of gambling, which are beyond the scope of this study . . ." Taylor also cites a study by the National Opinion Research Council, a commercial group associated with the University of Chicago, and says that "the study found no discernible change in three measures of bankruptcy, seven measures of crime or in infant mortality" and that "casino proximity correlated with economic health." In fact, the council found, in its own words, "The availability of a casino within 50 miles (versus 50 to 250 miles) is associated with about double the prevalence of problem and pathological gamblers" and that "pathological and problem gamblers are more likely than other gamblers or nongamblers to have been on welfare, declared bankruptcy, and to have been arrested or incarcerated." Indeed, the commission itself was unwilling to conclude that the benefits of gambling exceeded its costs. Instead, it concluded: "We have recommended a pause in the expansion of gambling in order to allow time for an assessment of the costs and benefits . . ." Since then, research has been completed in various locations, including other countries. A summary of this work in "Gambling In America: Costs and Benefits" (by one of the authors of this piece, Earl L. Grinols, Cambridge University Press, 2004) concludes that the reverse is true: Social costs typically exceed benefits, 3-to-1. Finally, Taylor claimed that polls have "consistently" shown a majority of Erie County residents favor a downtown casino. This, too, is untrue. The results of the two media-sponsored polls are contradictory. The poll commissioned by the Seneca Gaming Corp. shows a majority in favor, but that was a transparent "push-poll." The only time the residents have had a good opportunity to express themselves - at October's Common Council hearing on the proposed sale of Fulton Street - 53 speakers spoke against the casino and the sale, and only five in favor. If nothing else, that is an indication of intensity of feeling on the subject. Earl L. Grinols is distinguished professor of economics at Baylor University and author of "Gambling In America: Costs and Benefits." Joel S. Rose is co-chairman of Citizens Against Casino Gambling in Erie County.
Race for Table Gambling Is On
Officials of two Northern Panhandle racetracks are betting local voters will support the addition of table gambling to their facilities. Ohio County officials are working with Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center to hold a special election that could take place as early as June 20 - the Mountain State's birthday - while Mountaineer Racetrack & Gaming Resort is aiming for a vote in Hancock County sometime after June 9. Both facilities have been bracing for anticipated customer losses that are expected when 61,000 slot machines come online in neighboring Pennsylvania. According to Robert Marshall, president and general manager at the Wheeling Island facility, an exact date for the elections cannot be set until Gov. Joe Manchin signs legislation approved by lawmakers last week that would allow table games to be offered at the state's four racetracks. The legislation states table gambling must be approved by voters in the four counties where the tracks are located before the games can be put in place. "We are just waiting on the final bill, but preparations for the potential passage of a local referendum are under way," said Marshall. "We have started the process and are working to expand our facility to accommodate the table games." Job creation and benefits to local businesses will dominate the racetracks' election campaigns, and the tracks will wage their campaigns by word of mouth and advertising. But the West Virginia Council of Churches will be involved in the battle, too, arguing that people should vote against the measures on moral and economic grounds. "Yes, the jobs card will be played hard," said the Rev. Dennis Sparks, president of the council. "But in the 20 years since gambling came to West Virginia, West Virginia has continued to decline economically, not keep up with the rest of the country. This is creating a false economy." And although Marshall said he has in no way ruled out any predictable challenges, he is adamant that the addition of table gambling would only benefit the state's economic status. He also said an additional hotel is in the future for Wheeling Island, which, in turn, would provide jobs for several Ohio Valley residents. The West Virginia Family Foundation has said it will sue to block the referendum votes; Sparks said his organization has not decided whether to join that case. However, the council will try to rally gambling opponents who may have felt powerless to stop the legislation in Charleston. Barring a court injunction, track owners have two choices: They can have the question placed on a 2008 primary or general election ballot or seek a special election this year at their own expense. Election costs range from $30,000 to $250,000, according to clerks in the host counties. In addition to the creation of hundreds of jobs, Marshall also believes table games would draw more conventioneers and form partnerships with area businesses. Table game players, for example, might want to golf at Oglebay Resort and Conference Center. And an accession of employees could benefit the housing market. Ted Arneault, president of Mountaineer, said table gambling could add 500 jobs in Chester and jump-start plans for indoor parking, a shopping mall, a golf course and housing. Mountaineer, owned by MTR Gaming Group Inc., also is promising a new synthetic track that would be easier on horses and require less maintenance. The table gambling bill allocates money for schools and in-home care for senior citizens, as well as funds for breeders and horsemen. West Virginia's racetracks are located in Ohio, Hancock, Kanawha and Jefferson counties. Because Jefferson and Kanawha counties have stronger economies than those of the Northern Panhandle, table gambling at the Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center in Nitro and at the Charles Town Races & Slots could face stronger opposition if placed on the local ballot.
Race for Table Gambling Is On
Officials of two Northern Panhandle racetracks are betting local voters will support the addition of table gambling to their facilities. Ohio County officials are working with Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center to hold a special election that could take place as early as June 20 - the Mountain State's birthday - while Mountaineer Racetrack & Gaming Resort is aiming for a vote in Hancock County sometime after June 9. Both facilities have been bracing for anticipated customer losses that are expected when 61,000 slot machines come online in neighboring Pennsylvania. According to Robert Marshall, president and general manager at the Wheeling Island facility, an exact date for the elections cannot be set until Gov. Joe Manchin signs legislation approved by lawmakers last week that would allow table games to be offered at the state's four racetracks. The legislation states table gambling must be approved by voters in the four counties where the tracks are located before the games can be put in place. "We are just waiting on the final bill, but preparations for the potential passage of a local referendum are under way," said Marshall. "We have started the process and are working to expand our facility to accommodate the table games." Job creation and benefits to local businesses will dominate the racetracks' election campaigns, and the tracks will wage their campaigns by word of mouth and advertising. But the West Virginia Council of Churches will be involved in the battle, too, arguing that people should vote against the measures on moral and economic grounds. "Yes, the jobs card will be played hard," said the Rev. Dennis Sparks, president of the council. "But in the 20 years since gambling came to West Virginia, West Virginia has continued to decline economically, not keep up with the rest of the country. This is creating a false economy." And although Marshall said he has in no way ruled out any predictable challenges, he is adamant that the addition of table gambling would only benefit the state's economic status. He also said an additional hotel is in the future for Wheeling Island, which, in turn, would provide jobs for several Ohio Valley residents. The West Virginia Family Foundation has said it will sue to block the referendum votes; Sparks said his organization has not decided whether to join that case. However, the council will try to rally gambling opponents who may have felt powerless to stop the legislation in Charleston. Barring a court injunction, track owners have two choices: They can have the question placed on a 2008 primary or general election ballot or seek a special election this year at their own expense. Election costs range from $30,000 to $250,000, according to clerks in the host counties. In addition to the creation of hundreds of jobs, Marshall also believes table games would draw more conventioneers and form partnerships with area businesses. Table game players, for example, might want to golf at Oglebay Resort and Conference Center. And an accession of employees could benefit the housing market. Ted Arneault, president of Mountaineer, said table gambling could add 500 jobs in Chester and jump-start plans for indoor parking, a shopping mall, a golf course and housing. Mountaineer, owned by MTR Gaming Group Inc., also is promising a new synthetic track that would be easier on horses and require less maintenance. The table gambling bill allocates money for schools and in-home care for senior citizens, as well as funds for breeders and horsemen. West Virginia's racetracks are located in Ohio, Hancock, Kanawha and Jefferson counties. Because Jefferson and Kanawha counties have stronger economies than those of the Northern Panhandle, table gambling at the Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center in Nitro and at the Charles Town Races & Slots could face stronger opposition if placed on the local ballot.
UK Gambling Advertising Ban Lifted
A ban on TV adverts for gambling is being lifted under new laws. Casinos, betting shops and online gambling sites will be able to advertise on television for the first time but the commercials must comply with a code which aims to ensure they are "socially responsible". This means the adverts must not imply gambling can be a solution to financial problems but some campaigners remain "deeply concerned". Salvation Army public affairs unit spokesman Captain Matt Spencer said: "Adverts are designed to stimulate demand and, as gambling advertising increases, our fear is that more people will be drawn into an addiction which can be devastating for individuals, families and the communities in which they live. "Advertising may also have the effect of further 'normalising' gambling in our culture, but gambling should not be considered a normal leisure activity since it can be highly addictive and damaging." "The effects of increased gambling advertising need to be closely monitored to assess its impact on gambling trends and any associated potential rise in problem gambling." Minister for Sport Richard Caborn welcomed the new advertising codes, saying: "They set out clearly what is and isn't acceptable advertising practice for all gambling operators while making sure that the protection of children and vulnerable people is a central consideration of all advertising campaigns. "But we are not complacent and will monitor the impact of the new advertising rules."
What are the secrets of getting FREE Gambling Junkets?
How about the secret of getting free gambling junkets? Junkets, along with comps, provide a lot of free services to the crapshooter! For example, you can get RFB (Room, Food and Beverages) from both junkets and comps. Further, once you establish yourself as a steady gambler you will be invited back, and in doing so, the casino will offer you more free rooms, free food and free beverages in return for your continued gambling! Junkets first started on the East Coast, as a means to lure seasoned gamblers away from Las Vegas and into Atlantic City. Now, Las Vegas casinos do the same thing, in order to lure people away from the East Coast and into their own golden coffers. Wanna know how craps pros get free gambling junkets? Let's find out! A junket always involves travel, and usually involves a group. The junket operator (hired by the casino) will charter an airline to take 80 or so gamblers to one specific casino. They will all receive full RFB, and have run of the casino. In return, they all pay the junket operator a certain amount of money (usually between $5,000 and $10,000) up front. When they get to the casino they can use this money to gamble with. Sometimes they get casino credit, and sometimes the operator gives them the full amount back in non-negotiable, playable chips. Either way, you always pay your junket expenses in advance of your travel and your gambling sessions. Comps, on the other hand, are given to you after you gamble. Although airline reimbursement is possible, it will not happen until after you play and meet a certain minimum playing criteria, like $100 average bets for four hours a day. Certain comps (like a buffet) are also available to players who bet as little as $5 - but junkets are available only to higher rollers. There is a third way to get some free casino services, which is a combination of the junket and comps. This is called a turnaround, and is a day trip to the casino, either by bus or train. Like the junket you need to pay in advance, but it is only $200 or so, and you will usually receive the same amount of non-negotiable playable chips in return. They will transport you to your favorite casino early in the morning, and then will bring you back to your starting point late at night. You will usually get two free buffets as well. Turnarounds are very popular with Indian casinos and resorts that cater to locals. If you're interested in these types of trips, just call your favorite casino and ask them for information. If your gambling budget is $5000-$10,000 ask about junkets. If you gamble with $500 to $5000 ask what kind of comps you can get. And if you gamble with $200 or so, ask if they have any turnaround trips.
Race for Table Gambling Is On
Officials of two Northern Panhandle racetracks are betting local voters will support the addition of table gambling to their facilities. Ohio County officials are working with Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center to hold a special election that could take place as early as June 20 - the Mountain State's birthday - while Mountaineer Racetrack & Gaming Resort is aiming for a vote in Hancock County sometime after June 9. Both facilities have been bracing for anticipated customer losses that are expected when 61,000 slot machines come online in neighboring Pennsylvania. According to Robert Marshall, president and general manager at the Wheeling Island facility, an exact date for the elections cannot be set until Gov. Joe Manchin signs legislation approved by lawmakers last week that would allow table games to be offered at the state's four racetracks. The legislation states table gambling must be approved by voters in the four counties where the tracks are located before the games can be put in place. "We are just waiting on the final bill, but preparations for the potential passage of a local referendum are under way," said Marshall. "We have started the process and are working to expand our facility to accommodate the table games." Job creation and benefits to local businesses will dominate the racetracks' election campaigns, and the tracks will wage their campaigns by word of mouth and advertising. But the West Virginia Council of Churches will be involved in the battle, too, arguing that people should vote against the measures on moral and economic grounds. "Yes, the jobs card will be played hard," said the Rev. Dennis Sparks, president of the council. "But in the 20 years since gambling came to West Virginia, West Virginia has continued to decline economically, not keep up with the rest of the country. This is creating a false economy." And although Marshall said he has in no way ruled out any predictable challenges, he is adamant that the addition of table gambling would only benefit the state's economic status. He also said an additional hotel is in the future for Wheeling Island, which, in turn, would provide jobs for several Ohio Valley residents. The West Virginia Family Foundation has said it will sue to block the referendum votes; Sparks said his organization has not decided whether to join that case. However, the council will try to rally gambling opponents who may have felt powerless to stop the legislation in Charleston. Barring a court injunction, track owners have two choices: They can have the question placed on a 2008 primary or general election ballot or seek a special election this year at their own expense. Election costs range from $30,000 to $250,000, according to clerks in the host counties. In addition to the creation of hundreds of jobs, Marshall also believes table games would draw more conventioneers and form partnerships with area businesses. Table game players, for example, might want to golf at Oglebay Resort and Conference Center. And an accession of employees could benefit the housing market. Ted Arneault, president of Mountaineer, said table gambling could add 500 jobs in Chester and jump-start plans for indoor parking, a shopping mall, a golf course and housing. Mountaineer, owned by MTR Gaming Group Inc., also is promising a new synthetic track that would be easier on horses and require less maintenance. The table gambling bill allocates money for schools and in-home care for senior citizens, as well as funds for breeders and horsemen. West Virginia's racetracks are located in Ohio, Hancock, Kanawha and Jefferson counties. Because Jefferson and Kanawha counties have stronger economies than those of the Northern Panhandle, table gambling at the Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center in Nitro and at the Charles Town Races & Slots could face stronger opposition if placed on the local ballot.
N.M. lawmakers to revise gambling agreements
"With six days to go in this year's legislative session, lawmakers have already answered what amounted to a $5.7-billion question. ".The Senate listened to four hours of testimony Sunday on revising the tribal-state agreements governing gambling. "The new compacts were negotiated by tribes and representatives of the Governor's Office. They have the backing of 10 of the 13 tribes that operate casinos. "Among the key changes, they would: "Remain in effect until 2037. Current compacts, which were approved in 2001, will expire in 2015. "Increase the payments from tribes to the state. The state is projected to get an additional $650 million by 2037. That estimate is based on all 13 tribes agreeing to the new compact. "Limit how many casinos each tribe can operate and cap the number of off-reservation racetracks.
Gambling coalition wants to rework its bill
Even before its bill is out of committee, a coalition of gambling supporters is pushing to change the legislation to focus more on casinos than slot machines at pari-mutuel racetracks. Dubbed the "industry bill," it was considered Monday by the House Federal and State Affairs Committee in a room packed with spectators, many wearing yellow stickers of support. The committee will consider two other bills this week focusing on casinos. Chairman Arlen Siegfreid, R-Olathe, said the committee will vote next week, but added, "I have no idea at this point which will come out." The Kansas Wins! coalition wants to change its bill, which calls for casinos in Kansas City, Kan., and southeast Kansas, as well as slots at horse and dog tracks in Crawford, Sedgwick and Wyandotte counties, and in Dodge City if a track is built and voters approve having slots there. Coalition spokesman Doug Lawrence said the group now wants to have a casino rather than slots in Dodge City and add Sumner and Sedgwick counties as areas where there could be a casino. Sumner County voters in 2005 authorized a casino; Sedgwick County voters would have until the end of the year to decide. Whatever version emerges from the committee, supporters of the industry bill will try to amend its provisions to whatever is being debated. "We're going to see to it that the House has an opportunity to vote on the proposals we have on the table," Lawrence said. He said by the fifth year, the industry bill would generate some $800 million. The state would get about $200 million as its share to fix buildings on college campuses, provide property tax relief, bolster the state pension fund while giving a 3 percent cost-of-living increase to retirees and providing money for general government programs. Among those attending the committee hearing was Mark Goodrum, a Wellington real estate developer who said he can drive from his hometown to an Oklahoma casino in about a half hour. "We're looking at border wars. We're outsourcing our money," he said. "The revenue is out there. There's no need to give it to other states." In addition to the lottery and wagering on horse and dog races, there are four American Indian casinos in northeast Kansas. There also are gambling boats in Kansas City, Mo., and some two dozen Indian casinos in Oklahoma less than an hour's drive from the state line. Legislators routinely have rejected efforts to expand gambling, but Lawrence said this year could be different. "This is the best year we've had. It's finally sunk in to legislators that we have a billion dollar gaming market sitting on our borders," he said. House Majority Leader Ray Merrick gave even odds for a gambling bill
clearing his chamber. He said he is bothered by parts of the legislation. "To me slots at the tracks are a nonstarter. I'm not here to bail them out,"
said Merrick, R-Stilwell. "I think all the money should go to the general
fund and let everyone get in line for the money." The House holds the key this year. In past years, gambling bills started in
the Senate and died there, often after being expanded to the point that some
supporters backed off.
NBI v. Internet gambling
GOING after alleged operators of Internet casinos seemed easy enough for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). But in the real world, where law enforcement and investigative tasks ought to be conducted "by the book," such is one hard thing to do. Here's some background on the NBI's raid and filing of illegal gambling case against an alleged Internet gambling operator in Clark Field: Pinoy Votes: Sun.Star Election 2007 Coverage On September 22 last year, the NBI Special Action Unit received a letter from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. requesting for an investigation, a suspected Internet gambling operation in Clark Field. The request prompted the NBI to conduct surveillance operations on operators of the alleged Internet casino. On October 17 last year, NBI agents were able to secure a search warrant from Regional Trial Court Branch 57 Presiding Judge Omar Viola and raided the premises of British Grand Vision International Company, Inc. and Transglobal Pacific Airways, Inc., at Hangar 7260 at the Civil Aviation Complex. Chinese and Filipino employees and dealers were allegedly found manning casino tables and "in the act of dealing" playing cards with video cameras and computer monitors in front of them. The NBI, through lawyer and senior agent Renato Marcuap, filed charges of illegal gambling (violation of Presidential Decree 1602) against several Taiwanese officials and 33 Filipino online dealers of the two companies. On November 17 last year, Second Assistant City Prosecutor Oliver Garcia dismissed the case "for lack of merit." He said a law that specifically prohibits gambling over the Internet is necessary in order to indict or prosecute alleged Internet-based gambling operators, since it is not covered by PD 1602. He stressed that the absence of real players in the alleged Internet gambling casino -- which means there were no dealer and bettor to constitute an "illegal gambling activity," as stated by PD 1602 -- was enough reason to dismiss the case. He said "one could not charge the dealer alone without indicting the supposed bettor." The NBI has filed a Petition for Review on the case, which is pending at the Department of Justice. The investigation agency maintains that although there were "no live players," there were actual online players who bet money on games that depend wholly or chiefly upon chance or hazard -- which is outlawed by PD 1602 and Article 195 of the Revised Penal Code. On November 27 last year, the respondents, through lawyers Jackson Yabut and Sheryl Santos, filed a Motion to Quash or invalidate the search warrant used by the NBI in raiding the alleged Internet casino at the Civil Aviation Complex. On December 28 last year, Judge Viola granted the respondents' motion and
ordered the immediate release of the casino tables, playing cards, computer
sets, webcams, network and video servers, and other equipment seized by the
NBI during the raid. On January 15, the NBI filed a motion for reconsideration, maintaining that
the search warrant was valid. On February 20, Judge Viola ordered the respondents to submit within 10 days
"without extension" their comment to the NBI's motion for reconsideration.
The court has yet to decide on the NBI's motion. Law enforcement agencies, anti-gambling crusaders, and operators of online
gambling sites all over the world have been waiting with anticipation the
final outcome of the NBI's case against the British Grand Vision
International Company, Inc. and Transglobal Pacific Airways, which is
pending before the Department of Justice.
Legal Poker Under Prohibition 2.0
Bill Frist, then Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate and now ex-would-be presidential candidate, designed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act ("Prohibition 2.0") to cover Internet poker. He defined "bet or wager" as including risking something of value on the outcome of a contest, sports event "or a game subject to chance." Is there any game, even chess, that is not "subject to chance?" But Frist, whose arrogance was matched only by his incompetence, actually created the greatest explosion of creativity in the poker industry that I have ever seen. Everyone wants to be the next PartyPoker.com, to figure out a way to spread legal poker games online. The cleanest way to run a traditional Internet poker site that does not violate any federal or state law is to be licensed by a state and limit players to people who are physically present in that state. Even in this situation, it is possible the federal Department of Justice might say there is a violation of the Wire Act, since a phone line might pass temporarily into another state. But the DOJ would lose this argument for many reasons. The sole purpose the Wire Act was enacted in 1961 was to help the states enforce their public policy, which, at the time, was prohibition. What could possibly be the justification for preventing a state, like Nevada, from allowing its residents to bet with its own state-licensed poker sites? The main obstacle to every state licensing, regulating, and of course, taxing, their own Internet poker sites is politics. Utah is not the only place where legislators would hesitate to authorize even the most limited form of online gaming. In Nevada, the problem is the opposite: there are already so many (landbased) licensed poker rooms that it is difficult to work out the details for sharing the new online revenue, and there is fear of diverting players away from the existing gaming floors. In general, the answer is "skins." Players will log on to Caesars Palace's future online poker room and choose which game they want to play, say $5 - $10 Hold'em. They then are placed at a table that has a Caesars Palace logo on it. They probably will not know, or care, that other players may see different logos because they signed up through different casino websites. Computers ensure that each casino gets its correct share of the table's revenue. But there are at least three other ways to have legal online poker. All gambling requires prize, consideration and chance. Eliminate any one, and it is not gambling. A site could charge money, even for games of chance, so long as it does not give valuable prizes. Bragging rights don't count. So, someone could start a contest for the world's greatest poker player, if all they win is a trophy, no cash. Some poker sites allow players to play for free. For example, at BetZip.com
(one of my clients), anyone from more than 20 states can enter by merely
mailing in a hand-written card. This is not gambling, even though players
can win up to $10,000 cash. Since there is no consideration, it does not
violate federal law or the laws of most states. Others are looking at showing that poker is a game of skill. I am writing a
Legal Opinion for one of the biggest operators that at least tournament
poker is predominantly skill, and therefore legal under federal law and the
laws of most states.
Chinese pursue virtual sanity in online gambling
Although the Chinese government recently announced a purifying moratorium on internet cafes - the same week the Communist Youth League penned a contract with leading gaming developer Playtech to provide software for large scale internet-based gambling tournaments - the cadres in Beijing know that internet cafes are only an embodiment of something much larger and more threatening, according to the Financial Times. The government took its assault on the internet gaming world a step further this week with an announcement that it perceives the explosion in virtual currencies used in a variety of online gaming forums - everything from Second Life to World of Warfare to virtual poker rooms - as a serious threat to its national security. "The People's Bank of China will strengthen management of the virtual currencies used in online games and will stay on the lookout for any assault by such virtual currencies on the real economic and financial order," the government statement read. Such currencies have been used in the United States to circumvent the tentacles of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which prohibit American financial institutions from processing transactions for internet gambling companies. The Chinese are particularly concerned with the wildly popular "QQ Coins", issued by Hong Kong messaging and game provider Tencent, which are used by two thirds of Chinese internet users and which can now be traded or accepted as currency by third party companies. Beijing clearly understands that any kind of financial instrument outside of its direct control can impact the wider economy, and that just because something is virtual doesn't mean it can't have economic value to real people. The Chinese invented paper money, and paper money itself is a kind of virtual currency, symbolic of the economic clout of its issuer. Aside from the fact that it isn't immediately clear what differentiates, say, Linden Dollars from easily convertible airline miles, and why one should be prohibited and not the other, the practical issues of prohibition could well be more trouble than they are worth. Unfortunately for the Chinese (and the Treasury Department), human beings are capable of investing anything with value, be it shells, polished stones, internet bandwidth, or paper. Previous crackdowns in 2002 and 2004 haven't seemed to do much. As their slippery fingered brethren at the American Department of Justice could tell them, it's a lot easier to say you're going to slay the internet dragon than to do so.
Online Gambling CEO's Fail To Make This Years Forbes List
Since the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), online casino CEO's Calvin Ayre, founder of Bodog, and PartyGaming founders Russell DeLeon and Ruth Parasol, did not make this years billionaire list for Forbes Magazine. Calvin Ayre, the founder of online casino favorite, Bodog.com, was dropped off the list after being on the cover of Forbes Magazine for the same list last year. Ayre is originally from Canada, and took the cover of Forbes when his net worth hit $1 billion. After the passing of the UIGEA, American players are no longer placing bets, which have caused stocks to fall. PartyGaming founders Russell DeLeon and Ruth Parasol were placed in the middle of the billionaire list for 2006, worth $1.8 billion each, but the start of 2007 has been shaky after being forced to stop taking bets from Americans. Although some of online gambling's leading CEO's have fallen short for this year's list, one gambling entrepreneur kept his spot. Anurag Dikshit from India finished 618th with a net worth of $1.6 billion.
Washington State Bets On Gambling
State gambling regulators have opened the door to more slot machines, 24-hour casinos, high-stakes games and more. Although the deal seems certain to go through, Republicans in the Washington Legislature are voicing concerns about the largest expansion of gambling in the state's history. By a 5-3 vote, the Washington Gambling Commission approved a series of new compacts with 27 tribes that will allow those tribes to draw more gamblers, and also to draw a lot more of their money. But the pacts also place a limit on the number of casinos and require tribes to help finance programs aimed at problem gambling and smoking-cessation programs. The big expansion must still be signed by Governor Christine Gregoire, but her approval is expected. After her approval, the tribes will send them to the U.S. Interior Department for approval. The entire process is expected to take about five months.
Gambling in Oklahoma having effect on Kansas debate
Pressure in the Statehouse to expand gambling in Kansas may not come this year from inside the Sunflower State. Thank Oklahoma for that. In recent years, the debate among legislators has focused on the number of casinos in Kansas City, Mo., the four American Indian casinos in northeast Kansas and the flights leaving for Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Supporters say Kansans have the gambling bug but are dropping their disposable money in slots that don't benefit the state. Opponents say that's fine. They contend Kansas doesn't need the casino headache and the state is still puritanical enough that many consider gambling a sin. But in recent years, Oklahoma has added a new wrinkle. There are at least two dozen casinos or bingo parlors within 60 miles of the Kansas border, mainly in northeast Oklahoma. Advertisements in Kansas newspapers offer residents low-cost day trips to the Sooner State to gamble. For example, each Monday a Crossroads Travel tour bus from Joplin, Mo., pulls into Meadowbrook Mall in Pittsburg. For $15, 55 senior citizens load up for the hour-long ride to the Cherokee Resort Casino off Interstate 44 in Tulsa. Seniors are given vouchers from the casino. "It doesn't cost them anything to go," said Jim Willard, owner of the travel line. Though he said it might cost him a little business, Willard, who is also a property owner in Kansas, says the state should expand its gambling opportunities. "I think we ought to, instead of money going across the border," he said. "It's what's best for the state, and that's revenue for the state." A House committee began a series of hearings last week to consider gambling legislation. It largely follows previous proposals, putting slot machines at dog and horse tracks, with provisions for allowing a limited number of casinos elsewhere. Sen. Phil Journey, R-Haysville, an opponent of expanded gambling, said the proliferation of casinos in Oklahoma shouldn't build support in Kansas. He said bringing casinos to Kansas will increase problems associated with them, such as gambling addiction. He also dismissed the argument that Kansas should have casinos because they're prevalent elsewhere. "Everybody's speeding, so we might as well, too?" he said. "Did your mother tell you that just because everybody is jumping off a cliff, you should, too?" Supporters say the window of opportunity for casinos in Kansas is quickly closing. Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley noted that developers are interested in building a casino in Cherokee County, on 700 acres close to both Missouri and Oklahoma. "And then not too far down the road, maybe 45 miles, is Arkansas," said Hensley, D-Topeka. "We could have a casino located there and attract a lot of different people, I would think, from those different states." He said it's important to pass a bill this year because "pretty soon, we're going to run out of options in terms of our competitiveness because of the proliferation of casinos in Oklahoma." That proliferation in Oklahoma has caused some lawmakers who've traditionally opposed expanded gambling to rethink their positions. Among them are Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, and House Minority Leader Dennis McKinney, D-Greensburg. McKinney said he still doesn't want casinos in his area, but he's willing to
support legislation if it's limited to "areas that have competition right
across the state line." "I've never been a gambling supporter, but what these people are saying is,
'Look, it's in my community. It just happens to be across the state. Just
give us a chance to keep this money in our community, because we have all
down sides and none of the up side.' That's certainly the nature of the
debate, even for people like me." Others aren't so easily swayed. House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, hasn't rethought his opposition but
acknowledged that Oklahoma's casinos are influencing the debate. "Clearly, that's probably the main driving force, the expansion of gambling
in Oklahoma," he said. Last year, Senate leaders thought they had enough support to finally pass a
gambling bill, only to see the votes dry up at the last moment. They vowed
to wait for the bill to get traction in the House before showing their cards
in this year's debate. Rep. Tom Sawyer, D-Wichita, said legislators seem more aware of how much
gambling is around Kansas. "The realization is gambling is here. More Kansans are gambling than ever
before," Sawyer said. "Maybe it's time for us to try to keep some of that
money in Kansas." Rep. Doug Gatewood, D-Cherokee, said some of his constituents need only a
five- or seven-minute drive to get to a casino in Oklahoma.
Offshore sites bet on U.S. business
Thinking of going online and wagering on a few games in the upcoming NCAA basketball tournament? Uncle Sam doesn't want you to, but he's having trouble stopping anyone. The government's latest effort to get Americans to stop gambling via the Internet has been largely ineffective, according to the online gambling industry. In autumn, Congress passed -- and President Bush signed into law -- the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. U.S. lawmakers can't crack down on the online betting sites because most operate from foreign countries, so they instead moved to cut off the flow of money. The law makes it illegal for American financial institutions, such as banks and credit card companies, to transfer funds between U.S. citizens and online gambling sites that offer sports wagering, poker or casino games. If online gamblers can't get money to the online sites to gamble with -- and more importantly, can't collect their winnings -- they'll stop gambling, lawmakers figured. They figured wrong. "Some people have stopped betting on sports online because of (the law), but savvy bettors know how to get around the law," said Russ Hawkins, an expert on the online sports betting industry. Hawkins runs MajorWager, a Web site that doesn't offer sports betting but presents news and information about the industry, as well as advertising for online sportsbooks. As he is in regular contact with more than 40 Internet sportsbook operators around the world who buy advertising on his site, Hawkins knows what's going on in the online sports betting industry. "The number of people betting online on (the) Super Bowl was down about 35 percent from a year ago," Hawkins said. "I expect to see the same drop-off for the NCAA basketball tournament," he said. "But within a year, I expect online sports betting levels to be back to normal." Online sports bettors from the United States who used to use credit cards, bank wires or Western Union cash transfers to fund online sports wagering accounts could no longer do so after passage of the Internet gambling law, Hawkins said, so most bettors simply adjusted and started using foreign payment methods instead. Internet money-transfer services -- known as e-wallets -- based outside the United States were more than happy to pick up the slack left behind by U.S. financial institutions controlled by the new law, he said. "Eventually, Americans will not use American currency to make wagers online," Hawkins said. "That's ultimately how to beat the government crackdown. "They'll use pounds or euros or Canadian dollars, and then the U.S. financial system won't be involved at all. How this will all be done exactly, I'm not sure, but something will be set up. Online gambling is not going away." Among the foreign e-wallets used by American online gamblers are NuCharge, Make a Deposit and EcoCard. Online sportsbooks are encouraging American bettors to use these and similar methods to fund online gambling. DimeLine Sports, an Internet sportsbook based in Curacao, last month sent an e-mail message to its U.S. customers telling them how to get around the new law and bet online on the upcoming NCAA basketball tournament. "Check out our new deposit and payout methods for USA clients," a copy of
the e-mail obtained by The Chronicle declares. The e-mail goes on to tell American clients how to "fund your cashier
account using Make a Deposit." It also notes that "EcoCard is a fast and
easy way to fund your account." Los Angeles sportscaster, gambling expert and acknowledged online sports
bettor Fred Wallin hosts a national radio show, "Sports Biz," on the
Business TalkRadio Network that frequently delves into the world of online
sports betting. "The federal government's ridiculous anti-online gambling legislation hasn't
ended online sports betting, but it certainly has put a crimp into it for
thousands of sports fans in this nation that prides itself on individual
liberties for all," Wallin said. "This prohibition will eventually fail and be overturned, as right-thinking
people will come to their senses," he said. According to U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., a supporter of the
Internet gambling law, "While the advent of the Internet has clearly been
beneficial to American society, the same cannot be said for Internet-based
gambling activity. Internet gambling has become too easily accessible to
minors, subject to fraud and criminal misuse, and too easily used to evade
state gambling laws." The law's passage was the second major offensive by the federal government
against online gambling. In 1998, Attorney General Janet Reno issued arrest warrants for 21 people
the Justice Department said were involved in Internet gambling operations
around the world. Three of the 21 -- Jay Cohen, Steve Schillinger and Haden Ware -- were San
Franciscans operating an online sports betting operation from Antigua.
British Schools Offer Gambling Classes
At least two private schools in Britain have responded to the increasing problem of student gambling by offering courses about the risky pursuit. With many British students become increasingly active in the world of online gambling, both the Harlow School and King's College School have responded by teaching students of the dangers of gambling, the Sunday Telegraph said. King's College School even went so far as to bring in a recovered compulsive gambler to talk about his own woes to the middle school children. A recent study in Britain found that of the 8,000 children surveyed, a quarter said they had gambled in the last week. Barnaby Lenon, the headmaster at the Harlow School, said getting parents involved was integral in helping children ignore the lure of online gambling. "These sites are very, very addictive. At boarding schools it is slightly easier to manage because we can monitor its use," he told the paper. "It is harder when pupils are using the Internet at home and parents are not really aware of what their children are doing."
Five nabbed for gambling
Five town residents are now in jail after their arrest Saturday for violation of Republic Act 9287, or illegal gambling, in Brgy. 2 poblacion, E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental. Nabbed were John Renato Gonzales, 19; Jesus Gonzales, 49; Antonio Gonzales, 56; Renato Maja,68; and Maruy Grace Puray, 26, all of the barangay. Senior Inspector Santiago Rapiz, E.B. Magalona police chief, yesterday said the arrest of the five suspects yielded P1,232 in cash believed to be gambling bets, two sets of playing cards, a table and chairs.
Gambling Raids Bust Four Austin Businesses
Austin Police mounted a series of raids against illegal gambling operations. Police say officers busted four game rooms with illegal 8-liner machines. 8-liners are video game machines, similar to a slot machine. Officers confiscated nearly 150 machines during Friday night's bust. Since June of last year, area law enforcement officers have seized an estimated 2-thousand machines as part of an effort to stop illegal gambling in Central Texas. Police say the illegal businesses attract a lot of crime. "We have targeted these places because they've been hot spots for robbers to go and rob and get some quick money," said Austin Police Commander Duane McNeill.
Bill would let voters decide gambling
Texas voters would get to decide whether to open Speaking Rock Casino and 11 other gaming destinations state wide and dedicate some of the gambling revenue to financial aid for college students under a bill filed Thursday. "Texans are already voting with their feet and going out of state" to gamble, said state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston. "It's time for Texas to reap the economic benefits and use that revenue to help Texas students go to college." If two-thirds of the state's 181 legislators and a majority of Texas voters approve the measure, a newly created Texas Gaming Commission would be able to grant operating licenses to 12 casino projects. Three of those casinos would be on tribal land in Texas, including the Tigua's Speaking Rock Casino in El Paso. "We're all in favor of anything that's going to keep the revenue in Texas, and I'm glad they're including us in the bill," said Tigua tribal Gov. Art Senclair. State Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, has long opposed gambling, but he joined Ellis in filing the casino
GAMBLING CONVICTION OVERTURNED
MSNBC is reporting that a U.S. federal appeals court has overturned the conviction of the proprietor of a North Dakota-based account wagering operation who was jailed on illegal gambling charges. Susan Bala, who founded Racing Services in 1990, had served 18 months of a 27-month sentence after initially being convicted at a jury trial in 2005 of 12 felony counts of money-laundering and operating an illegal gambling business. The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth District ruled on Tuesday that the government had "insufficient" evidence to convict Bala. The three-judge appeals court also overturned the lower court's order for Bala to forfeit $99 million in illegal gambling proceeds.
Treasurer accused of gambling church money
A church treasurer has been accused of stealing thousands of dollars after officials learned he had lost more than $58,000 at gambling boats since 2002. George Lowman Jr., 68, of Valparaiso, was charged with a felony count of theft, which carries a sentence of six months to three years in prison. A representative of Boone Grove Christian Church in Hebron, about 20 miles southeast of Gary, told police that elders had not had church books audited since 2001 because they had come to trust Lowman, court documents state. But Lowman refused to provide paperwork when church officials asked about finances. Records showed that Lowman had written numerous checks to his wife from church accounts at several banks. Multiple withdrawals also were made from area gambling boats. Lowman admitted to police that he was only authorized to write checks for church business and that his wife had never done any work for the northwest Indiana church. Lowman also admitted he and his wife visited area gambling boats frequently. A Porter Circuit Court judge issued a warrant for Lowman and set his bond at $10,000. The Associated Press left a message seeking comment Thursday at a number listed for Lowman.
Squaring off on slots gambling
Opponents of legalized casino gambling had a chance to make their case at the state's first legislative oversight committee meeting, held Thursday morning at the Woodlands Inn & Resort. But their warnings of doom were overwhelmed by support for Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs as an economic spark and a committed corporate citizen. During his allotted 10-minute presentation, Bill Kearney, a fierce gambling foe from Philadelphia, discounted the contention that casino gambling is just a harmless form of entertainment. "This ain't the ball field. This ain't going to the theater," Kearney said. Instead, he described gambling as a business designed simply to separate people from their money. Kearney, who says he is a former compulsive gambler in Atlantic City casinos, has particular criticism of player cards and other complimentary services that provide incentives for gambling more. "This is their syringe," he said as he waved a card to a dozen members of the House Gaming Oversight Committee who attended the session. "The more you gamble, the more they're going to give you." Kearney also is championing a bill that would force casinos to send monthly or quarterly statements to patrons. "Let the people see what they're doing," he said. "This statement would be preventative medicine." State Rep. Fred McIlhattan, R-Armstrong County, pressed Downs president Robert Soper on whether it was feasible to provide patrons with statements of their gambling activity. Soper replied that doing so would hurt Pennsylvania casinos, already taxed at 55 percent or more, by adding the expense of producing and mailing statements. And, he argued, there is no demand for the service. "Entertainment is about providing what your customers want," Soper said, and in his experience patrons haven't asked for statements. "If a customer wants to know how much they play, they can call us." Kearney contends statements mailed to gamblers' homes might alert family members to potential problems before they get out of hand. "Why are we waiting for the casualties?" he asked. David Lee, executive director of United Way of Wyoming Valley, does not see a deterrent effect against problem gambling in statements. "It's not like people don't know" what they are spending, he said after the hearing. A professional therapist, Lee said in his experience people must recognize they have a problem before they can be helped. "To a certain degree I have to wait until a person says, 'I need help,' " he said. To stay ahead of potential problems, Lee said Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs has helped fund training for 20 additional clinicians, some of them to become certified trainers in their own right. So far they haven't been needed; Lee said his agency has not seen an
increase in demand for treatment of problem gamblers. Lee said he has been surprised by how many people he knows enjoy going to
the casino, "just as they say about the hockey team" and other entertainment
venues. During his presentation Soper outlined the economic benefits provided by
Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, which opened a temporary facility - the state's
first operating casino - on Nov. 14. He said the casino was drawing an
average of more than 6,000 patrons a day, about half of them coming from
outside Luzerne and Lackawanna counties. More than 400 jobs have been created so far, and he said 600 more would be
needed to staff a permanent casino that will be finished late this year or
early in 2008. In addition, the entire construction project will employ
3,500 workers and the casino spends significant amounts with local vendors
and service providers - approximately $500,000 in January alone, Soper said. Luzerne County Commissioner Todd Vonderheid and Plains Township Commissioner
Chairman Ron Filippini echoed Lee's praise for the casino and both said
there have been no problems beyond minor auto accidents in the parking lot. Plains Township will receive about $2.2 million this year from special local
taxes paid by the casino. Filippini said the first payment of more than
$295,000 came in the same day township officials were trying to figure out
how to handle $20,000 in overtime costs caused by the Valentine's Day
snowstorm. He said most of the money will be used to address infrastructure and
emergency services that have suffered in part because the township tax rate
is at the state maximum. Already two police officers have been added to the
force. The hearing became testy when state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-121, who
served as the host for the session, took Kearney to task for his
characterization of Northeastern Pennsylvanians as "hillbillies" who would
be easy marks for gambling interests. "The people of the Wyoming Valley are not hillbillies," he said sternly to
Kearney at the opening of a question-and-answer session. Backing down
slightly, Kearney said he was referring to the lack of experience with a
gambling facility locally. Soper had led committee members and staff on a tour of the casino Wednesday.
The majority of the 28-member committee did not attend the hearing.
Columbia Sussex won't buy Casino Queen
The Casino Queen in East St. Louis said Thursday that it terminated its plan to be bought by a Kentucky company that has had difficulty obtaining gaming licenses in Illinois and Missouri. Columbia Sussex Corp.'s $200 million bid was good only through the end of last month. No deal was made because Columbia did not get approval from the Illinois Gaming Board for a license. Columbia abandoned an earlier bid to buy a Missouri casino after learning that regulators there were unlikely to grant a license.
Stakes raised in gambling battle
Texans would get to decide whether to allow casino resorts in cities such as Galveston and slot machines at dog tracks like the one in La Marque under legislation proposed Thursday by two Texas senators. But if history is a teacher, you can bet on a battle royale, even among some gambling proponents. The issue for many comes down to money and morality. Old island families, Houston hospitality moguls, West End landowners and influential mainland business leaders all have a stake and a say in the legislation. State Sens. John Carona, R-Dallas, and Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, are proposing Senate Joint Resolution 45 and Senate Bill 1359, which they say would generate about $4 billion a year in revenues for the state and would earmark $1 billion for higher education financial aid programs. The resolution calls for a constitutional amendment that would allow - if voters approved it - limited casino gambling in Texas, including on resort islands and video lottery games at horse and greyhound racetracks around the state. The constitutional amendment would need approval of two-thirds of the Legislature before it went before voters in November. Counties in which casino operators seek permits also could reject gambling, the lawmakers say. "If voters of Texas don't want it, turn it down," Ellis said. "And even if voters legalize it statewide, if the county doesn't want it, turn it down. It's hard for me to see what the big political uproar is about." SB 1359 provides the detailed legal framework to regulate gambling in a state where social conservatives time and again have rejected casinos and slot machines.
Teens seen as vulnerable to gambling addictions
His gambling started with marbles in the schoolyard. By the time he was in high school, he played poker with friends and considered himself a pool shark. "I bounced a lot of checks; I stole a lot of money. . . . I would pretty much gamble however much money I had available," he said. Gambling cost him jobs, relationships and thousands of dollars, said Carson, who is a member of Gamblers Anonymous and, as a result, doesn't give his last name when speaking to the press. This morning, more than two years after laying down his last bet, Carson will tell his story to a group of students at Torrey Pines High School. The same risk-taking mindset that leads teenagers to like skateboarding and extreme sports puts them at greater risk of becoming problem gamblers than adults, said Fred Becker, a Carlsbad educator. "They're apt to take higher risks," he said. "They're more spontaneous in their actions. They're thrilled by the novelty of taking risk. They don't have the skills of moderation, of long-term thinking." Today's teens see ads for casinos and racetracks on television, billboards and ballparks. They go to schools funded, in part, through the state lottery. Many are big fans of televised poker tournaments and regularly play poker for money with friends. And nearly all have access to the Internet, where it's easy to gamble in secret. "This is the first generation of kids growing up in a gambling-permissive society," said Bruce Roberts, head of the California Council on Problem Gambling, a nonprofit group that is helping coordinate the first-of-its-kind presentation at Torrey Pines High. Underage gambling is a serious issue, said Charlene Simmons, assistant director of the California Research Bureau. Studies have found that "adolescents, particularly boys, who engage in adult forms of gambling are more likely to develop into problem and pathological gamblers," she told members of a state Senate committee last week. Data collected in Oregon suggest "California could have as many as 600,000 adolescent problem and pathological gamblers," Simmons said. Yet, Simmons said, "as far as I could find out, no California lottery retailer, racetrack or card room has been seriously disciplined for allowing . . . minors to engage in gambling." It's unclear how prevalent gambling is among high school students. "We have quite a few students who are active in gaming and gambling," said Scott Chodorow, director of student activities at Torrey Pines. "To what extent, I do not know." Poker is popular, he said. "That's the biggest game around here, with all the press and ESPN's World Series of Poker, it's gotten a lot of publicity," he said. Local Indian casinos are on the lookout for young gamblers, Becker said. At Viejas, for instance, those 17 and younger are allowed on the casino floor only if they're walking to a restaurant with an adult, and not at all after 8 p.m. or before 8 a.m., said spokesman Robert Scheid. The casino does allow people 18 and older to gamble. It has trained staff members to look for underage and problem gamblers, he
said. "Ultimately, they're destructive to themselves, their families and their
communities," he said. "Frankly, it's not good for business."
Mobile gambling set to reach $16b by 2011
The total value of bets placed worldwide on mobile phones will reach $16b a year by 2011, according to market research analysts Juniper Research. The US's crackdown on internet gambling had caused a tentative year for the newly-blooming industry with the implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) forcing many within the industry to readjust their focus and to consolidate in uncertain times. "The tightening of the legal barriers to online and mobile gambling in the US in 2006 have had an impact throughout the industry, stifling the growth of the young and fragile mobile channel," said report author Bruce Gibson. "A number of the leisure brands that we saw beginning to focus on the mobile channel early in 2006 have changed their priorities in the light of industry developments in the second half of the year." Juniper predicts that the biggest growth in mobile gambling will come from the sports betting and lotteries sectors, given the ease of use and simplicity of the products. Currently, $1.35 billion is spent globally at mobile casinos, mobile poker rooms, lotteries and sports betting services. Europe is the largest mobile gambling market in the world with $665 million placed in bets in 2006, with the UK thought to be the location that could support the strongest growth in Europe. Internationally, there is no surprise that the Asia Pacific market has been targeted as the region that will show the most growth in mobile gambling, estimated to grow from $647 million in 2006 to $6.7 billion by 2011. "There is a lot of emphasis in developing core business in potentially lucrative Asian markets. However we are still convinced that mobile's time will come," said Gibson.
High Profile Senators Set To Propose Casino Gambling Plan
Two high-profile senators are joining forces to propose a plan for legalizing casino gambling and sending some of the profits to help Texans pay for college tuition. Republican Sen. John Carona of Dallas and Democratic Sen. Rodney Ellis of Houston are to announce more details Thursday about their proposal to legalize a limited number of "destination resort casinos" across the state and video slot machines at racetracks. Several bills already have been filed on the subject, and there have been backroom rumblings throughout this legislative session about a push to expand gambling. Proponents argue that Texans are already spending their money on casinos in neighboring states. The Baptist lobby's Christian Life Commission and some social conservatives in the Legislature oppose new forms of gambling.
OASES aims to increase parental awareness of underage gambling
State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Karen Carpenter-Palumbo Wednesday announced that New York State is observing Problem Gambling Awareness Week from March 5-11. As part of this observance, OASAS has launched a statewide Public Service Announcement in an effort to encourage communication between parents and youth about the warning signs associated with underage gambling. "OASAS is observing Problem Gambling Awareness Week to shed light on this important addiction issue," said Carpenter-Palumbo. "While the majority of New Yorkers who gamble do so responsibly, we also know that compulsive gambling behaviors may pose harmful consequences for youth. This week, OASAS continues its pro-active prevention efforts in the realm of underage gambling by releasing a statewide PSA. OASAS has also undertaken a number of research measures to better understand and highlight the scope of problem gambling behaviors among adolescents." Results of the OASAS survey of students in grades 7-12 indicate that almost 20 percent of these youth have a gambling problem based on diagnostic criteria. In addition, males surveyed were nearly twice as likely as females to have gambled within the past 30 days. The survey also indicated that, of those students in grades 7-12 identified with a substance abuse problem, almost half (42%) also had a gambling problem. Problem gambling is considered a "hidden addiction" because there are no outward warning signs of a problem. The consequences of this addiction, however, are real. Preliminary research on the risk factors of adolescent gambling indicates that the earlier a child begins gambling, the more likely they are to develop a gambling problem. Adolescents may gamble to make themselves feel important or as a way to increase their self esteem.
Texas legislators tackle cancer, steroids, gambling
It's an ambitious goal: finding a cancer cure. It's a lot of money, amounting to a $3 billion investment. Leading lawmakers filed legislation Wednesday that would invest up to $300 million a year to fund a wide range of cancer research initiatives in Texas. Gov. Rick Perry, joined by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, called the proposal a "landmark investment in a collaborative research effort that can put Texas on the leading edge of developing new therapies for cancer treatment." The plan would have to go before Texas voters in November to determine whether the state could borrow against bonds to fund the Cancer Research Institute of Texas. In his budget proposal, Perry had proposed using proceeds from selling the state lottery to a private company, but legislators have appeared cool to that funding idea. The American Cancer Society, the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation would participate in collaboration with private companies, state universities, medical schools and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Teens seen as vulnerable to gambling addictions
His gambling started with marbles in the schoolyard. By the time he was in high school, he played poker with friends and considered himself a pool shark. "I bounced a lot of checks; I stole a lot of money. . . . I would pretty much gamble however much money I had available," he said. Gambling cost him jobs, relationships and thousands of dollars, said Carson, who is a member of Gamblers Anonymous and, as a result, doesn't give his last name when speaking to the press. This morning, more than two years after laying down his last bet, Carson will tell his story to a group of students at Torrey Pines High School. The same risk-taking mindset that leads teenagers to like skateboarding and extreme sports puts them at greater risk of becoming problem gamblers than adults, said Fred Becker, a Carlsbad educator. "They're apt to take higher risks," he said. "They're more spontaneous in their actions. They're thrilled by the novelty of taking risk. They don't have the skills of moderation, of long-term thinking." Today's teens see ads for casinos and racetracks on television, billboards and ballparks. They go to schools funded, in part, through the state lottery. Many are big fans of televised poker tournaments and regularly play poker for money with friends. And nearly all have access to the Internet, where it's easy to gamble in secret. "This is the first generation of kids growing up in a gambling-permissive society," said Bruce Roberts, head of the California Council on Problem Gambling, a nonprofit group that is helping coordinate the first-of-its-kind presentation at Torrey Pines High. Underage gambling is a serious issue, said Charlene Simmons, assistant director of the California Research Bureau. Studies have found that "adolescents, particularly boys, who engage in adult forms of gambling are more likely to develop into problem and pathological gamblers," she told members of a state Senate committee last week. Data collected in Oregon suggest "California could have as many as 600,000 adolescent problem and pathological gamblers," Simmons said. Yet, Simmons said, "as far as I could find out, no California lottery retailer, racetrack or card room has been seriously disciplined for allowing . . . minors to engage in gambling." It's unclear how prevalent gambling is among high school students. "We have quite a few students who are active in gaming and gambling," said Scott Chodorow, director of student activities at Torrey Pines. "To what extent, I do not know." Poker is popular, he said. "That's the biggest game around here, with all the press and ESPN's World Series of Poker, it's gotten a lot of publicity," he said. Local Indian casinos are on the lookout for young gamblers, Becker said. At Viejas, for instance, those 17 and younger are allowed on the casino floor only if they're walking to a restaurant with an adult, and not at all after 8 p.m. or before 8 a.m., said spokesman Robert Scheid. The casino does allow people 18 and older to gamble. It has trained staff members to look for underage and problem gamblers, he
said. "Ultimately, they're destructive to themselves, their families and their
communities," he said. "Frankly, it's not good for business."
Louisiana rises to the top in its treatment of gambling addiction
Louisiana continues to set a national example of how to treat gambling addiction, said state officials at a news conference Tuesday in Shreveport. "This area is a leader in gambling addiction programs," said Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti Jr. A new case management system - CIBERLaw CRIMES, which is customized to track compulsive gambling and related criminal activity - will be used in conjunction with the Gambling Treatment Referral Program initiated in the 26th Judicial District in 2004. This week, through Sunday, is National Problem Gambling Awareness Week in Louisiana. In Shreveport at the Center for Recovery to make the announcement were Foti, Michael Duffy, assistant secretary for the Office for Addictive Disorders, and 26th Judicial District Attorney J. Schuyler Marvin. Problem gambling is a serious issue in Louisiana facing as many as 200,000 residents, according to state figures. The Gambling Treatment Referral Program gives nonviolent offenders who are directly related to a gambling problem a chance to get help for their addiction instead of going to prison. Offenders who fit the profile are directed to outpatient help from Office for Addictive Disorders counselors or in-patient treatment at CORE, the only state-funded residential facility for gambling addiction of its kind in the United States. The 26th Judicial District, the pilot site for the gambling referral program, is also the pilot site for CRIMES. "It's a very useful program," Marvin said. "The system has simplified document generation, eliminated redundant tasks and provided automatic reminders so we're always sure to meet deadlines." CRIMES can update and track cases throughout the legal process and they can be maintained as part of the overall legal history for criminal, traffic, worthless checks, investigations, civil, defense, adult, family and juvenile matters. "This is a way to track their progress in the rehabilitation process," Marvin said. "If they slip and they are not working the program, this gives us a way to snatch them back up." As much as 95 percent of large thefts can be attributed to a gambling or drug addiction problem, said Marvin. "You're never going to find that money or stolen goods sitting around somewhere that you can return to the owners," he said. Foti praised the state efforts and in particular northwest Louisiana in the effort to treat gambling addiction. "This program has gained national attention from all over. People in Las
Vegas and other places have come to see how we've done it," Foti said. In addition to court referrals, CORE - a 21-bed facility for men and women -
gets client referrals from all over: employers, friends, family members and
walk-ins, to name a few. Sixteen of the beds are contracted to the state, and the five remaining can
be filled with out-of-state referrals on availability. CORE charges a fee of
$5,400 for the 36-day program for these out-of-state clients. "Gamblers don't have money; that's why it's free to Louisiana residents. But
the state can't afford to pay full costs for out-of-state clients," said
Reece Middleton, executive director of CORE, who has seen more than 1,000
people get help at CORE since the doors opened. "That's a very reasonable cost, about a 10th of what's charged at other
national programs. And we can use that money toward our matching funds
required by the state." After Hurricane Katrina shut down CORE South in New Orleans, the Shreveport
location, which opened in 1999, remains the only one in the state. Other
free compulsive gambling counseling services offered to Louisiana citizens
can be accessed through a toll-free helpline (877) 770-7867 or through the
state's Web site and the Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling. The state is also targeting youth with a multimedia, neon-colored Web site
hosted by a cartoon frog. Middleton is looking forward to the addition of a halfway house to be built
next to CORE at 635 Stoner Ave. The halfway house would allow gambling
addicts to recover for a much longer period of time. "That's where recovery really happens," said Middleton, who went back to
school for a master's degree and began working with addictive disorders
following his own recovery from an addiction. "It is helpful to stay
involved in this type of program as long as I don't forget what my recovery
is about."
State failing to provide gambling data
Howard E. Daniels II has been arrested for stealing more than $20,000 from Colchester during his duties as gatekeeper at the transfer station. In the affidavit for his arrest, Daniels admits to the theft to fund his and his wife's gambling losses at Mohegan Sun, which totaled more than $50,000. Daniels is not the first town employee in Eastern Connecticut to steal from the town that employed them to fuel casino gambling. Sprague, Norwich and Ledyard have all had money stolen from municipal coffers. Daniels, likely, will not be the last, either. Connecticut has failed to study the effects of legalized gambling since 1996. It has put the state at a great disadvantage to understand the nature of problem gambling and the other impacts legalized gambling has had on the state. Marvin Steinberg, executive director of Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, said stories involving the theft of town money are just a small part of the story. He has seen bank managers, comptrollers of private businesses and small business owners lose it all to gambling.
Rutgers opens center for gambling studies
In a state where legalized gambling is a key component of the economy and a fixture of the entertainment scene, Rutgers University has opened a center to study the industry from legal, societal and economic angles, and make recommendations to key decision-makers on how to deal with the industry's promise and problems. The university's School of Social Work has opened the Center for Gambling Studies in New Brunswick. An important part of the center's work will be to train counselors in issues relating to problem gambling.
W.Va. Senate Passes Table Gambling
Legislation that would allow county voters to permit table gambling at West Virginia's four racetracks is one step closer to becoming law. The West Virginia Senate passed the table gambling legislation Tuesday by a vote of 20-13. The amended House Bill 2718 then went back to the House of Delegates for concurrence. House members will now be asked to approve changes to the measure made in the Senate, and this could occur as soon as this afternoon. The House's concurrence would give the bill final passage and send it on to Gov. Joe Manchin for his signature. House Majority Leader Joe DeLong, D-Hancock, thinks the House ultimately will approve the bill. "It will be a lot easier for us to do it after the changes the Senate made during the second and third readings," DeLong said. "The allocation language that came out in the legislation during the committees was nothing more than a disaster. But on the second and third readings they made changes, and this brought comfort to many of the House. We will deal with it on Wednesday one way or another." If the House opts not to concur with the Senate's changes, the legislation will be negotiated by a conference committee comprised of members of both chambers. Manchin has indicated he would sign a table gambling bill, providing it included a provision calling for a referendum "vote of the people." The legislation currently before lawmakers permits officials at West Virginia's four racetracks to petition their respective county commissions to place a table gambling referendum on the ballot. Opponents to the legislation had sought to add an amendment calling for a statewide referendum, but this was rejected in the Senate. Prior to Tuesday's vote in the Senate, the West Virginia Council of Churches held a vigil outside the Senate chamber and prayed for legislators to have guidance in their decision. "People ask us why we've been here when it seemed like an already done deal," said West Virginia Council of Churches President Dennis Sparks. "It's because we wanted to set the momentum for when this goes to a county vote. We will immediately start to work. "In the Northern Panhandle, the vote isn't as clear cut as some may say," he added. Surveys of voter opinion have been biased toward the tracks and table gambling, Sparks claimed. But he gave the racetracks credit for "being organized."
State failing to provide gambling data
Howard E. Daniels II has been arrested for stealing more than $20,000 from Colchester during his duties as gatekeeper at the transfer station. In the affidavit for his arrest, Daniels admits to the theft to fund his and his wife's gambling losses at Mohegan Sun, which totaled more than $50,000. Daniels is not the first town employee in Eastern Connecticut to steal from the town that employed them to fuel casino gambling. Sprague, Norwich and Ledyard have all had money stolen from municipal coffers. Daniels, likely, will not be the last, either. Connecticut has failed to study the effects of legalized gambling since 1996. It has put the state at a great disadvantage to understand the nature of problem gambling and the other impacts legalized gambling has had on the state. Marvin Steinberg, executive director of Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, said stories involving the theft of town money are just a small part of the story. He has seen bank managers, comptrollers of private businesses and small business owners lose it all to gambling.
Council says no to gambling
The City Council on Monday voted unanimously on a resolution apposing any gambling at Pease, the port or on any other land within the city's boundaries. "It was pretty all-inclusive," said Mayor Steve Marchand. The resolution is in response to Senate Bill 225, which would allow for a casino to be built at the tradeport or in the city of Berlin. The bill's lone sponsor is Sen. John Gallus, R-Berlin. The resolution specifically excluded Berlin because, according to Marchand, the council wanted to take a firm stance on gambling specifically in Portsmouth. "Gambling in other parts of the state was not unanimous on the council, and we didn't want that to compromise the Portsmouth part," he said.
W.Va. Senate Passes Table Gambling
Legislation that would allow county voters to permit table gambling at West Virginia's four racetracks is one step closer to becoming law. The West Virginia Senate passed the table gambling legislation Tuesday by a vote of 20-13. The amended House Bill 2718 then went back to the House of Delegates for concurrence. House members will now be asked to approve changes to the measure made in the Senate, and this could occur as soon as this afternoon. The House's concurrence would give the bill final passage and send it on to Gov. Joe Manchin for his signature. House Majority Leader Joe DeLong, D-Hancock, thinks the House ultimately will approve the bill. "It will be a lot easier for us to do it after the changes the Senate made during the second and third readings," DeLong said. "The allocation language that came out in the legislation during the committees was nothing more than a disaster. But on the second and third readings they made changes, and this brought comfort to many of the House. We will deal with it on Wednesday one way or another." If the House opts not to concur with the Senate's changes, the legislation will be negotiated by a conference committee comprised of members of both chambers. Manchin has indicated he would sign a table gambling bill, providing it included a provision calling for a referendum "vote of the people." The legislation currently before lawmakers permits officials at West Virginia's four racetracks to petition their respective county commissions to place a table gambling referendum on the ballot. Opponents to the legislation had sought to add an amendment calling for a statewide referendum, but this was rejected in the Senate. Prior to Tuesday's vote in the Senate, the West Virginia Council of Churches held a vigil outside the Senate chamber and prayed for legislators to have guidance in their decision. "People ask us why we've been here when it seemed like an already done deal," said West Virginia Council of Churches President Dennis Sparks. "It's because we wanted to set the momentum for when this goes to a county vote. We will immediately start to work. "In the Northern Panhandle, the vote isn't as clear cut as some may say," he added. Surveys of voter opinion have been biased toward the tracks and table gambling, Sparks claimed. But he gave the racetracks credit for "being organized."
Louisiana rises to the top in its treatment of gambling addiction
Louisiana continues to set a national example of how to treat gambling addiction, said state officials at a news conference Tuesday in Shreveport. "This area is a leader in gambling addiction programs," said Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti Jr. A new case management system - CIBERLaw CRIMES, which is customized to track compulsive gambling and related criminal activity - will be used in conjunction with the Gambling Treatment Referral Program initiated in the 26th Judicial District in 2004. This week, through Sunday, is National Problem Gambling Awareness Week in Louisiana. In Shreveport at the Center for Recovery to make the announcement were Foti, Michael Duffy, assistant secretary for the Office for Addictive Disorders, and 26th Judicial District Attorney J. Schuyler Marvin. Problem gambling is a serious issue in Louisiana facing as many as 200,000 residents, according to state figures. The Gambling Treatment Referral Program gives nonviolent offenders who are directly related to a gambling problem a chance to get help for their addiction instead of going to prison. Offenders who fit the profile are directed to outpatient help from Office for Addictive Disorders counselors or in-patient treatment at CORE, the only state-funded residential facility for gambling addiction of its kind in the United States. The 26th Judicial District, the pilot site for the gambling referral program, is also the pilot site for CRIMES. "It's a very useful program," Marvin said. "The system has simplified document generation, eliminated redundant tasks and provided automatic reminders so we're always sure to meet deadlines." CRIMES can update and track cases throughout the legal process and they can be maintained as part of the overall legal history for criminal, traffic, worthless checks, investigations, civil, defense, adult, family and juvenile matters. "This is a way to track their progress in the rehabilitation process," Marvin said. "If they slip and they are not working the program, this gives us a way to snatch them back up." As much as 95 percent of large thefts can be attributed to a gambling or drug addiction problem, said Marvin. "You're never going to find that money or stolen goods sitting around somewhere that you can return to the owners," he said. Foti praised the state efforts and in particular northwest Louisiana in the effort to treat gambling addiction. "This program has gained national attention from all over. People in Las
Vegas and other places have come to see how we've done it," Foti said. In addition to court referrals, CORE - a 21-bed facility for men and women -
gets client referrals from all over: employers, friends, family members and
walk-ins, to name a few. Sixteen of the beds are contracted to the state, and the five remaining can
be filled with out-of-state referrals on availability. CORE charges a fee of
$5,400 for the 36-day program for these out-of-state clients. "Gamblers don't have money; that's why it's free to Louisiana residents. But
the state can't afford to pay full costs for out-of-state clients," said
Reece Middleton, executive director of CORE, who has seen more than 1,000
people get help at CORE since the doors opened. "That's a very reasonable cost, about a 10th of what's charged at other
national programs. And we can use that money toward our matching funds
required by the state." After Hurricane Katrina shut down CORE South in New Orleans, the Shreveport
location, which opened in 1999, remains the only one in the state. Other
free compulsive gambling counseling services offered to Louisiana citizens
can be accessed through a toll-free helpline (877) 770-7867 or through the
state's Web site and the Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling. The state is also targeting youth with a multimedia, neon-colored Web site
hosted by a cartoon frog. Middleton is looking forward to the addition of a halfway house to be built
next to CORE at 635 Stoner Ave. The halfway house would allow gambling
addicts to recover for a much longer period of time. "That's where recovery really happens," said Middleton, who went back to
school for a master's degree and began working with addictive disorders
following his own recovery from an addiction. "It is helpful to stay
involved in this type of program as long as I don't forget what my recovery
is about."
Gambling debts unenforceable in California
Two casinos who claim a Daly City couple wrote $43,000 in bad checks to cover gambling debts cannot use California courts to collect, a judge ruled. San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Quentin Kopp dismissed a lawsuit against Manuel and Mercedita Luna on Monday, citing California's "deep-rooted policy" against enforcing debts owed to casinos that extend credit to gamblers. A collection agency sued the couple in 2005, claiming the couple bounced a $15,000 check to the El Dorado Hotel Casino in Reno, Nev., and a $28,000 check to Cache Creek Casino in Yolo County. "Enforcement of such claims is prohibited" in California despite growing acceptance of gambling in the state, wrote Kopp, a retired judge who continues to hear cases under a state program.
Rutgers opens center for gambling studies
In a state where legalized gambling is a key component of the economy and a fixture of the entertainment scene, Rutgers University has opened a center to study the industry from legal, societal and economic angles, and make recommendations to key decision-makers on how to deal with the industry's promise and problems. The university's School of Social Work has opened the Center for Gambling Studies in New Brunswick. An important part of the center's work will be to train counselors in issues relating to problem gambling.
Council says no to gambling
The City Council on Monday voted unanimously on a resolution apposing any gambling at Pease, the port or on any other land within the city's boundaries. "It was pretty all-inclusive," said Mayor Steve Marchand. The resolution is in response to Senate Bill 225, which would allow for a casino to be built at the tradeport or in the city of Berlin. The bill's lone sponsor is Sen. John Gallus, R-Berlin. The resolution specifically excluded Berlin because, according to Marchand, the council wanted to take a firm stance on gambling specifically in Portsmouth. "Gambling in other parts of the state was not unanimous on the council, and we didn't want that to compromise the Portsmouth part," he said.
State failing to provide gambling data
Howard E. Daniels II has been arrested for stealing more than $20,000 from Colchester during his duties as gatekeeper at the transfer station. In the affidavit for his arrest, Daniels admits to the theft to fund his and his wife's gambling losses at Mohegan Sun, which totaled more than $50,000. Daniels is not the first town employee in Eastern Connecticut to steal from the town that employed them to fuel casino gambling. Sprague, Norwich and Ledyard have all had money stolen from municipal coffers. Daniels, likely, will not be the last, either. Connecticut has failed to study the effects of legalized gambling since 1996. It has put the state at a great disadvantage to understand the nature of problem gambling and the other impacts legalized gambling has had on the state. Marvin Steinberg, executive director of Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, said stories involving the theft of town money are just a small part of the story. He has seen bank managers, comptrollers of private businesses and small business owners lose it all to gambling.
Gambling debts unenforceable in California
Two casinos who claim a Daly City couple wrote $43,000 in bad checks to cover gambling debts cannot use California courts to collect, a judge ruled. San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Quentin Kopp dismissed a lawsuit against Manuel and Mercedita Luna on Monday, citing California's "deep-rooted policy" against enforcing debts owed to casinos that extend credit to gamblers. A collection agency sued the couple in 2005, claiming the couple bounced a $15,000 check to the El Dorado Hotel Casino in Reno, Nev., and a $28,000 check to Cache Creek Casino in Yolo County. "Enforcement of such claims is prohibited" in California despite growing acceptance of gambling in the state, wrote Kopp, a retired judge who continues to hear cases under a state program.
Rutgers opens center for gambling studies
In a state where legalized gambling is a key component of the economy and a fixture of the entertainment scene, Rutgers University has opened a center to study the industry from legal, societal and economic angles, and make recommendations to key decision-makers on how to deal with the industry's promise and problems. The university's School of Social Work has opened the Center for Gambling Studies in New Brunswick. An important part of the center's work will be to train counselors in issues relating to problem gambling.
Council says no to gambling
The City Council on Monday voted unanimously on a resolution apposing any gambling at Pease, the port or on any other land within the city's boundaries. "It was pretty all-inclusive," said Mayor Steve Marchand. The resolution is in response to Senate Bill 225, which would allow for a casino to be built at the tradeport or in the city of Berlin. The bill's lone sponsor is Sen. John Gallus, R-Berlin. The resolution specifically excluded Berlin because, according to Marchand, the council wanted to take a firm stance on gambling specifically in Portsmouth. "Gambling in other parts of the state was not unanimous on the council, and we didn't want that to compromise the Portsmouth part," he said.
Louisiana rises to the top in its treatment of gambling addiction
Louisiana continues to set a national example of how to treat gambling addiction, said state officials at a news conference Tuesday in Shreveport. "This area is a leader in gambling addiction programs," said Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti Jr. A new case management system - CIBERLaw CRIMES, which is customized to track compulsive gambling and related criminal activity - will be used in conjunction with the Gambling Treatment Referral Program initiated in the 26th Judicial District in 2004. This week, through Sunday, is National Problem Gambling Awareness Week in Louisiana. In Shreveport at the Center for Recovery to make the announcement were Foti, Michael Duffy, assistant secretary for the Office for Addictive Disorders, and 26th Judicial District Attorney J. Schuyler Marvin. Problem gambling is a serious issue in Louisiana facing as many as 200,000 residents, according to state figures. The Gambling Treatment Referral Program gives nonviolent offenders who are directly related to a gambling problem a chance to get help for their addiction instead of going to prison. Offenders who fit the profile are directed to outpatient help from Office for Addictive Disorders counselors or in-patient treatment at CORE, the only state-funded residential facility for gambling addiction of its kind in the United States. The 26th Judicial District, the pilot site for the gambling referral program, is also the pilot site for CRIMES. "It's a very useful program," Marvin said. "The system has simplified document generation, eliminated redundant tasks and provided automatic reminders so we're always sure to meet deadlines." CRIMES can update and track cases throughout the legal process and they can be maintained as part of the overall legal history for criminal, traffic, worthless checks, investigations, civil, defense, adult, family and juvenile matters. "This is a way to track their progress in the rehabilitation process," Marvin said. "If they slip and they are not working the program, this gives us a way to snatch them back up." As much as 95 percent of large thefts can be attributed to a gambling or drug addiction problem, said Marvin. "You're never going to find that money or stolen goods sitting around somewhere that you can return to the owners," he said. Foti praised the state efforts and in particular northwest Louisiana in the effort to treat gambling addiction. "This program has gained national attention from all over. People in Las
Vegas and other places have come to see how we've done it," Foti said. In addition to court referrals, CORE - a 21-bed facility for men and women -
gets client referrals from all over: employers, friends, family members and
walk-ins, to name a few. Sixteen of the beds are contracted to the state, and the five remaining can
be filled with out-of-state referrals on availability. CORE charges a fee of
$5,400 for the 36-day program for these out-of-state clients. "Gamblers don't have money; that's why it's free to Louisiana residents. But
the state can't afford to pay full costs for out-of-state clients," said
Reece Middleton, executive director of CORE, who has seen more than 1,000
people get help at CORE since the doors opened. "That's a very reasonable cost, about a 10th of what's charged at other
national programs. And we can use that money toward our matching funds
required by the state." After Hurricane Katrina shut down CORE South in New Orleans, the Shreveport
location, which opened in 1999, remains the only one in the state. Other
free compulsive gambling counseling services offered to Louisiana citizens
can be accessed through a toll-free helpline (877) 770-7867 or through the
state's Web site and the Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling. The state is also targeting youth with a multimedia, neon-colored Web site
hosted by a cartoon frog. Middleton is looking forward to the addition of a halfway house to be built
next to CORE at 635 Stoner Ave. The halfway house would allow gambling
addicts to recover for a much longer period of time. "That's where recovery really happens," said Middleton, who went back to
school for a master's degree and began working with addictive disorders
following his own recovery from an addiction. "It is helpful to stay
involved in this type of program as long as I don't forget what my recovery
is about."
W.Va. Senate Passes Table Gambling
Legislation that would allow county voters to permit table gambling at West Virginia's four racetracks is one step closer to becoming law. The West Virginia Senate passed the table gambling legislation Tuesday by a vote of 20-13. The amended House Bill 2718 then went back to the House of Delegates for concurrence. House members will now be asked to approve changes to the measure made in the Senate, and this could occur as soon as this afternoon. The House's concurrence would give the bill final passage and send it on to Gov. Joe Manchin for his signature. House Majority Leader Joe DeLong, D-Hancock, thinks the House ultimately will approve the bill. "It will be a lot easier for us to do it after the changes the Senate made during the second and third readings," DeLong said. "The allocation language that came out in the legislation during the committees was nothing more than a disaster. But on the second and third readings they made changes, and this brought comfort to many of the House. We will deal with it on Wednesday one way or another." If the House opts not to concur with the Senate's changes, the legislation will be negotiated by a conference committee comprised of members of both chambers. Manchin has indicated he would sign a table gambling bill, providing it included a provision calling for a referendum "vote of the people." The legislation currently before lawmakers permits officials at West Virginia's four racetracks to petition their respective county commissions to place a table gambling referendum on the ballot. Opponents to the legislation had sought to add an amendment calling for a statewide referendum, but this was rejected in the Senate. Prior to Tuesday's vote in the Senate, the West Virginia Council of Churches held a vigil outside the Senate chamber and prayed for legislators to have guidance in their decision. "People ask us why we've been here when it seemed like an already done deal," said West Virginia Council of Churches President Dennis Sparks. "It's because we wanted to set the momentum for when this goes to a county vote. We will immediately start to work. "In the Northern Panhandle, the vote isn't as clear cut as some may say," he added. Surveys of voter opinion have been biased toward the tracks and table gambling, Sparks claimed. But he gave the racetracks credit for "being organized."
Gambling debts unenforceable in California
Two casinos who claim a Daly City couple wrote $43,000 in bad checks to cover gambling debts cannot use California courts to collect, a judge ruled. San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Quentin Kopp dismissed a lawsuit against Manuel and Mercedita Luna on Monday, citing California's "deep-rooted policy" against enforcing debts owed to casinos that extend credit to gamblers. A collection agency sued the couple in 2005, claiming the couple bounced a $15,000 check to the El Dorado Hotel Casino in Reno, Nev., and a $28,000 check to Cache Creek Casino in Yolo County. "Enforcement of such claims is prohibited" in California despite growing acceptance of gambling in the state, wrote Kopp, a retired judge who continues to hear cases under a state program.
Rutgers opens center for gambling studies
In a state where legalized gambling is a key component of the economy and a fixture of the entertainment scene, Rutgers University has opened a center to study the industry from legal, societal and economic angles, and make recommendations to key decision-makers on how to deal with the industry's promise and problems. The university's School of Social Work has opened the Center for Gambling Studies in New Brunswick. An important part of the center's work will be to train counselors in issues relating to problem gambling.
Council says no to gambling
The City Council on Monday voted unanimously on a resolution apposing any gambling at Pease, the port or on any other land within the city's boundaries. "It was pretty all-inclusive," said Mayor Steve Marchand. The resolution is in response to Senate Bill 225, which would allow for a casino to be built at the tradeport or in the city of Berlin. The bill's lone sponsor is Sen. John Gallus, R-Berlin. The resolution specifically excluded Berlin because, according to Marchand, the council wanted to take a firm stance on gambling specifically in Portsmouth. "Gambling in other parts of the state was not unanimous on the council, and we didn't want that to compromise the Portsmouth part," he said.
State failing to provide gambling data
Howard E. Daniels II has been arrested for stealing more than $20,000 from Colchester during his duties as gatekeeper at the transfer station. In the affidavit for his arrest, Daniels admits to the theft to fund his and his wife's gambling losses at Mohegan Sun, which totaled more than $50,000. Daniels is not the first town employee in Eastern Connecticut to steal from the town that employed them to fuel casino gambling. Sprague, Norwich and Ledyard have all had money stolen from municipal coffers. Daniels, likely, will not be the last, either. Connecticut has failed to study the effects of legalized gambling since 1996. It has put the state at a great disadvantage to understand the nature of problem gambling and the other impacts legalized gambling has had on the state. Marvin Steinberg, executive director of Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, said stories involving the theft of town money are just a small part of the story. He has seen bank managers, comptrollers of private businesses and small business owners lose it all to gambling.
Louisiana rises to the top in its treatment of gambling addiction
Louisiana continues to set a national example of how to treat gambling addiction, said state officials at a news conference Tuesday in Shreveport. "This area is a leader in gambling addiction programs," said Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti Jr. A new case management system - CIBERLaw CRIMES, which is customized to track compulsive gambling and related criminal activity - will be used in conjunction with the Gambling Treatment Referral Program initiated in the 26th Judicial District in 2004. This week, through Sunday, is National Problem Gambling Awareness Week in Louisiana. In Shreveport at the Center for Recovery to make the announcement were Foti, Michael Duffy, assistant secretary for the Office for Addictive Disorders, and 26th Judicial District Attorney J. Schuyler Marvin. Problem gambling is a serious issue in Louisiana facing as many as 200,000 residents, according to state figures. The Gambling Treatment Referral Program gives nonviolent offenders who are directly related to a gambling problem a chance to get help for their addiction instead of going to prison. Offenders who fit the profile are directed to outpatient help from Office for Addictive Disorders counselors or in-patient treatment at CORE, the only state-funded residential facility for gambling addiction of its kind in the United States. The 26th Judicial District, the pilot site for the gambling referral program, is also the pilot site for CRIMES. "It's a very useful program," Marvin said. "The system has simplified document generation, eliminated redundant tasks and provided automatic reminders so we're always sure to meet deadlines." CRIMES can update and track cases throughout the legal process and they can be maintained as part of the overall legal history for criminal, traffic, worthless checks, investigations, civil, defense, adult, family and juvenile matters. "This is a way to track their progress in the rehabilitation process," Marvin said. "If they slip and they are not working the program, this gives us a way to snatch them back up." As much as 95 percent of large thefts can be attributed to a gambling or drug addiction problem, said Marvin. "You're never going to find that money or stolen goods sitting around somewhere that you can return to the owners," he said. Foti praised the state efforts and in particular northwest Louisiana in the effort to treat gambling addiction. "This program has gained national attention from all over. People in Las
Vegas and other places have come to see how we've done it," Foti said. In addition to court referrals, CORE - a 21-bed facility for men and women -
gets client referrals from all over: employers, friends, family members and
walk-ins, to name a few. Sixteen of the beds are contracted to the state, and the five remaining can
be filled with out-of-state referrals on availability. CORE charges a fee of
$5,400 for the 36-day program for these out-of-state clients. "Gamblers don't have money; that's why it's free to Louisiana residents. But
the state can't afford to pay full costs for out-of-state clients," said
Reece Middleton, executive director of CORE, who has seen more than 1,000
people get help at CORE since the doors opened. "That's a very reasonable cost, about a 10th of what's charged at other
national programs. And we can use that money toward our matching funds
required by the state." After Hurricane Katrina shut down CORE South in New Orleans, the Shreveport
location, which opened in 1999, remains the only one in the state. Other
free compulsive gambling counseling services offered to Louisiana citizens
can be accessed through a toll-free helpline (877) 770-7867 or through the
state's Web site and the Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling. The state is also targeting youth with a multimedia, neon-colored Web site
hosted by a cartoon frog. Middleton is looking forward to the addition of a halfway house to be built
next to CORE at 635 Stoner Ave. The halfway house would allow gambling
addicts to recover for a much longer period of time. "That's where recovery really happens," said Middleton, who went back to
school for a master's degree and began working with addictive disorders
following his own recovery from an addiction. "It is helpful to stay
involved in this type of program as long as I don't forget what my recovery
is about."
Proposed Rules On Indian Gambling
Officials say a federal agency's proposal to limit development of new American Indian casinos on off-reservation sites would not have much effect on Indian gambling in South Dakota, One portion has to do with whether tribes will need to prove a historical connection to the land on which they want to build a casino. Attorney General Larry Long says it won't affect South Dakota because no displaced tribes can make historical land claims in the state. Mike Jandreau, the chairman of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, says there's a different reason Indian gambling will not expand. He says it's because Governor Rounds is against it. Federal law requires states to negotiate gambling compacts with tribes. Jandreau says Rounds has refused to reopen the compacts with tribes that want to expand gambling.
Study looks for link between Parkinson's and gambling
An Ontario study will look at whether Parkinson's patients who follow a common drug regimen are prone to gambling addiction. A doctor at Toronto Western Hospital says preliminary research indicates a link with the medication levodopa. A U.S. study released in April of last year found patients being treated for Parkinson's were prone to problem gambling and compulsive shopping, as well as hypersexuality. Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive disorder of the central nervous system that belongs to a group of conditions called motor system disorders.
EU court strikes down Italian gambling restriction
The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg today ruled Italy can't use criminal law to stop gaming companies licensed in other EU nations, including the UK's Stanley Leisure Plc, from taking bets in the country. A law barring publicly traded companies from obtaining licenses restricts "the freedom to provide services." State monopolies in France, Germany and other countries have been criticized by companies such as Ladbrokes Plc for blocking their cross-border online gaming business. Shares of providers such as Austrian Web bookmaker Bwin Interactive Entertainment AG surged after today's court decision, which may remove some restrictions on the EU's ?50 billion ($66 billion) industry. "This is a step further toward a liberalization of the European gambling markets," said Lode Van Den Hende, a lawyer in the Brussels office of Herbert Smith. "Overall this is very good now for the gaming operators. If this had gone against them they could have closed shop." A spokesman for Italy's state monopoly, which oversees gaming in Italy, wasn't immediately available to comment. Massimiliano Placanica and two other people who operated shops in Italy where people could place online bets with Stanley's office in Liverpool, England, faced criminal charges under Italian law because Stanley didn't have a local gaming license. Stanley argued its UK license should be recognized by all EU countries. The court prohibited the use of criminal law in particular in cases where foreign betting companies were refused the required license by the country, as was the case for Stanley. "The Italian criminal penalties for the collecting of bets by intermediaries acting on behalf of foreign companies are contrary," to EU rules, an 11-judge panel of the court said. The tribunal today left it to the national courts to decide whether by restricting the number of operators in the gaming and betting industry in the country, Italy was "genuinely" contributing to the goal of preventing crime. Stanley said it was a "landmark" decision that will put pressure on governments and the European Commission, the EU's executive arm in Brussels, to end national protectionism. "We think it's time that the commission and national lawmakers act now to end this protectionism," said Adrian Morris, deputy director-general of Stanley. "This judgment is another step along the road to fairer competition in Europe," Christopher Bell, chief executive of Ladbrokes, said in an e-mailed statement. "We have already seen Italy and Spain move to open up their betting markets and this judgment supports our view that the policies of many EU governments are inappropriate and disproportionate in restricting free and fair competition." Bwin said the decision was a "milestone toward the opening of the European gambling market." The commission last year started probing 10 EU countries including Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and France for discrimination by barring rivals from offering the same services as their state lotteries. They face being taken to the EU court depending on the outcome of the investigation. Stock in Bwin, whose co-CEO were detained for three days in September by French authorities, rose as much as ?5.20, or 21%, to ?29.60, heading for its biggest one-day gain in almost seven years. They traded at ?28.49 as of 3:54 p.m. in Vienna. Unibet advanced as much as 15.50 kronor, or 9.2%, to 183.5 kronor in Stockholm, the biggest jump since December 2005. The company sponsors a professional cycling team whose members were barred last month by the organizers of a French race from wearing uniforms that displayed Unibet's Web site address. Ladbrokes shares gained as much as 3.1% to 408.75 pence in London trading. Sportingbet Plc, the online bookmaker that owns Paradise Poker, advanced as much as 4.25 pence, or 8.7%, to 53.25 pence in London. Gaming VC Holdings SA, a Web casino company that gets most of its sales from Germany and Austria, rose as much as 8 pence, or 7.8%, to 111 pence. Still, lawyers including Quirino Mancini at Sinisi Ceschini Mancini and Partners in Rome said today's decision may be limited to the circumstances in this case. The court focused on Stanley's business, which "isn't pure online betting," he said. "Those who will now claim this is a big ruling for the whole online betting industry may be wrong," he said. Other bookmakers, including Bwin have a different model and may not directly benefit until another round of court proceedings. The decision won't have any effect on Germany's state monopoly, said Friedhelm Repnik, spokesman for the association of the Lotto corporations, Germany's lottery. "The situation in Italy is a completely different," he said. "They have a partially open market, here in Germany we have a clear state monopoly, whose central goal it is to prevent gambling addiction." The court has previously backed gaming monopolies if they're designed to prevent gambling addiction, he said. Italy had already opened up its gaming market by introducing new rules in July 2006, said Mancini. Three months later it offered 16,000 licenses, which "caused a major change in the whole gaming distribution network in Italy," he said. British operators Ladbrokes and William Hill Plc are just two non-Italian companies that got a license to set up betting shops in Italy, he said. The case numbers are C-338/04, C-359/04, C-360/04 Procuratore della Repubblica v Massimiliano Placanica, Christian Palazzese and Angelo Sorrichio Placanica.
Court documents claim Mafia bookies did $1 billion in Internet gambling
An alleged Mafia underboss was running a sport bookmaking syndicate through which almost half a billion dollars flowed in a period of just 11 months, according to police. Authorities claim Francesco del Balso, 36, ran 25 bookmaking operations in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, which del Balso himself allegedly boasted did more than $1 billion in business. In Quebec, del Balso and his partner Lorenzo Giordano, 43, allegedly operated Internet and telephone sports gambling out of houses in Kahnawake, Montreal and Laval, according to police. According to newly released court documents, the bookmaking shop in Kahnawake from December 2004 to November 2005 did $391.9 million in business. Police charged del Balso and Giordano last November with drug trafficking, illegal gambling, money laundering and gangsterism. They were part of a takedown of 91 alleged Mafia members. Giordano also faces an attempted murder charge. Del Balso is in jail awaiting trial while Giordano is a fugitive. All the bets were made through a website called betwsc.com. Many of the betters were given lines of credit and codes with which to make their bets online. Del Balso, according to police, allegedly had his finger on every aspect of the business including controlling the books, recovering money from losers and paying off winners, establishing credit margins and deciding who was allowed to place bets and get credit.
Helping those addicted to gambling
Who hasn't fantasized about a life of ease? What would it be like to have enough money to build a beautiful house, buy that expensive car, travel? Those dreams, along with more down-to-earth thoughts of having some money left over after paying the bills, are what drive so many Americans to gamble. It is estimated that, in 1997, Americans collectively wagered more than half a trillion dollars. Some 85 percent of American adults have gambled at least once in their lives, more than 70 percent at least once in the past year. It is important to remember that most adults gamble responsibly. However, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), some three million adults are pathological gamblers, and another three to six million have less significant, but still serious problems. Problem gambling involves behavior that compromises, disrupts, or damages the gambler's personal life, relationships, finances, and/or work. The gambler feels a need to bet more money more often, becomes restless or irritable when not gambling or when trying to stop, may be secretive about his/her gambling habits, and keeps on gambling despite all the negative consequences. Indeed, a person can become addicted to gambling, getting a "high" which has the same effect that another person might get through alcohol or drugs. The frequency of gambling may increase as the gambler tries to recreate that feeling. Tolerance may develop such that more intense gambling is necessary to achieve the same emotional impact. The gambler experiences increasingly powerful cravings to gamble which become harder and harder to resist. Some problem gamblers are more likely to abuse drugs and/or alcohol, and a number of problem gamblers were raised in families where one or both parents had a problem with drinking and/or gambling. Problem gamblers are more at risk for depression and even suicide. Adverse consequences for families can include domestic violence and child neglect/abuse. The NCPG has identified the following signs of pathological gambling: 1. You have often gambled longer than you had planned. 2. You have often gambled until your last dollar was gone. 3. Thoughts of gambling have caused you to lose sleep. 4. You have used your income or savings to gamble while letting bills go
unpaid. 5. You have made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to stop gambling. 6. You have broken the law or considered breaking the law to finance your
gambling. 7. You have borrowed money to finance your gambling. 8. You have felt depressed or suicidal because of your gambling losses. 9. You have been remorseful after gambling. 10. You have gambled to get money to meet your financial obligations."
CIBER Helps Louisiana District Become First in Nation to Monitor Problem Gambling Statistics
At a press conference in Shreveport, La., this morning, CIBER, Inc. (NYSE: CBR), Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., and 26th Judicial District Attorney J. Schuyler Marvin announced the successful launch of CIBERLaw CRIMES(TM), a case management system that helps manage and automate caseloads in district attorneys' offices. During the implementation, CIBER customized the application to be able to track compulsive gambling and related criminal activity, making the 26th judicial district the first office nationwide to be able to monitor this activity. The announcement coincides with a proclamation from Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco declaring March 5 - 11 National Problem Gambling Awareness Week in Louisiana. The proclamation was presented to Reece Middleton, Executive Director of the Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling, by Attorney General Foti and Michael Duffy, Assistant Secretary for the Office for Addictive Disorders, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. The press conference was held at the Center of Recovery (CORE), Louisiana's residential problem gambling treatment facility in Shreveport. The 26th Judicial District of Louisiana, which includes Bossier and Webster Parishes, selected the CIBERLaw CRIMES(TM) (Case Records Information Management Exchange System) case management solution to help it manage cases and automate many routine tasks so attorneys, staff, and investigators can allocate their time toward more complex and pressing activities. CRIMES(TM) provides the parishes with a standard database and a customizable user interface that can be quickly and easily tailored to meet the parishes' specific needs, such as the parishes' recent initiative to track compulsive gambling activity and related crimes. "Bossier and Webster Parishes have just implemented CIBERLaw CRIMES(TM) to help us manage our heavy caseload," said Marvin. "CIBER implemented the system quickly and smoothly, and we're seeing results already. The system has simplified document generation, eliminated redundant tasks, and provided automatic reminders so we're always sure to meet deadlines. One of our initiatives is to track compulsive gambling activity, and CIBER quickly customized their product so we can easily track this data. As a result, my district is the first one cited within the nation to track compulsive gambling activity, its repercussions, and costs to society." CRIMES(TM) offers an integrated workflow engine to automate the flow of case documents and communication through the legal system, providing automatic reminders of events and deadlines to ensure timely completion of legal tasks. A document generation module simplifies the production of standard and case-specific legal documents, while a robust reporting module enables staff to easily respond to requests for information and government reporting requirements."CIBER is very pleased to have our product selected by Louisiana's 26th Judicial District to help with the compulsive gambling data initiative," said Ed Burns, President of CIBER's State and Local Government Division.
Gambling ate up most of GST fraudster's $540,000
A 22-year-old accountant has been jailed for defrauding the Inland Revenue Department of more than half a million dollars in one of the biggest GST frauds in the country's history. Roydon Glenn McLaughlin, who left school at 16 to study accounting at university and "kept needing challenges in his life", used a network of bogus partnerships, trusts and companies to mastermind a scheme described as "basic fraud on a grand scale". He filed false GST returns for the fake entities over 2 years, evading detection by keeping the returns to a modest level and thereby ensuring refunds were automatically generated by the IRD's computer system. But despite a talent for accounting and no previous convictions, McLaughlin also had a serious gambling problem and frittered away nearly all of the money. Of more than $540,000 in GST refunds he received, only $16,000 was recovered, the rest swallowed by an addiction to betting on horses and other gambling. The fraud was discovered when a receptionist at the department's Palmerston North office became suspicious of new IRD numbers for different entities sharing the same postal address in Hastings. McLaughlin had been employed by accounting firms in Napier and Hastings and most recently worked in Tauranga. In the Tauranga District Court yesterday, he was sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison. He displayed a range of emotions as the court heard about the fraud. McLaughlin faced 44 charges of dishonestly using a document, with many of the charges covering multiple false GST returns. Judge Louis Bidois said the crimes were deliberate and highly premeditated. He said McLaughlin had created an "elaborate scheme that must have taken time and effort and could be described as a complex web". McLaughlin shook his head as the judge said that a probation report had shown he had little remorse. In a psychiatric report his family paid for, McLaughlin was also assessed as lacking confidence and suffering from chronic depression, but possessing full cognitive function. His mother, Diane, flew from Australia to speak at the sentencing, sparking tears from her son as she recalled his precocity as a child. "He was very quick to run before he could walk," she said. "He kept needing challenges in his life to keep him interested in what he was doing." Addictions in the family were also "numerous" and he accepted gambling as "something you do as part of your natural daily life", she said. In a six-page letter to the court, McLaughlin claimed the fraud was unplanned. "There was no elaborate plot, no massive scheme to get this money," he
wrote. "It was something that simply happened." Creating the various entities had been part of a plan to better understand
the accounting profession, and he claimed it worked. "My understanding became greater than anyone else with a similar
experience." Crown prosecutor Rob Ronayne rejected the claim as "disingenuous nonsense",
saying it was incompatible with McLaughlin's guilty plea. Mr Ronayne also rejected a statement by McLaughlin that he wanted to turn
his life around, saying the 22-year-old had filed further false returns
totalling $8000 while on bail and all of the money had disappeared. "The offending was simply motivated by greed," Mr Ronayne said. "This man
took the money and gambled it away." The loss incurred by the IRD had been huge - "indeed, one of the highest the
department has come across," Mr Ronayne said. The prosecutor suggested a starting point of five years' imprisonment but
McLaughlin's lawyer, David Bates, argued for a community-based sentence,
saying his client's letter was "from the heart" and he accepted "full
responsibility". Mr Bates said McLaughlin's guilty plea had saved taxpayers the further
expense of a trial. Last night, the department said the tax system relied on voluntary
compliance but IRD had recently formed a new risk and intelligence unit to
improve monitoring. Richard Phelp, assurance manager of investigations, said McLaughlin's prison
sentence was a warning for fraudsters that they would get caught. "It's a
question of not if, but when."
Seminole Tribe Completes Hard Rock Deal
The Seminole Tribe of Florida completed its $965 million purchase of the Hard Rock cafes, hotels, casinos and music memorabilia from The Rank Group PLC on Monday through a combination of a bond offering and an equity contribution from the tribe. Jim Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming, said the deal with UK-based Rank Group for Hard Rock International was composed of a $525 million bond offering and a $500 million equity contribution. The additional $35 million was for closing costs and working capital, Allen said. The deal was completed after details were worked out in London, New York and Florida. It marks the tribe's entry in the worldwide hospitality industry and gives the tribe's gaming operations a foothold in states where gambling is legal. The purchase was first announced in December and approved by Rank Group shareholders in January. To celebrate the deal, more than 200 tribe members attended a colorful signing ceremony, which featured music, a poetry reading and speeches by Seminole council members in English and Miccosukee, a Seminole language. Then, tribal leaders gathered under the Council Oak tree to sign documents symbolizing the sale's completion. "The acquisition of the Rank-Hard Rock system today makes our economic survival a little bit more sure," tribe vice chairman Moses Osceola said, with black, red and yellow flags serving as a backdrop. "We are bound and determined to make this thing work." The Hard Rock business includes 124 Hard Rock Cafes, five Hard Rock Hotels, two Hard Rock Casino Hotels, two Hard Rock Live! concert venues and stakes in three unbranded hotels. It also features a collection of rock 'n' roll memorabilia that includes 70,000 pieces, including guitars owned by Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. The Seminoles were the first Native American tribe to get into the gambling business, and it says the deal is an American tribe's first purchase of a major international corporation. "The Seminole Tribe has paved the way for Native Americans to get into the big business industry," tribe chairman Mitchell Cypress said. The tribe has about 3,300 members and owns and operates seven casinos in Florida, including Hard Rock Hotel and Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood. Before it entered the cigarette and gambling business, the tribe was mired in poverty. Today, more than 90 percent of the tribe's budget is made up of gaming revenue, which stands at about $500 million, according to court records cited by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Each tribal member receives a monthly dividend from operations. Revenue generated by the tribe's businesses goes into education, health care and other services. "It was a good effort by the council to position the tribe for the 21st century in a business sense," said tribe member Joe Frank, who lives on the Big Cypress reservation. "Tribal membership is growing and we need to diversify our business assets to ensure that all our tribal members have a good future." The tribe already has plans to expand the business, with the number of Hard
Rock hotels to grow to 15 in the next three to four years, Allen said. This
year, Hard Rock plans to finish reconstruction of a hotel and casino in
Biloxi, Miss., that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. It also plans to open
a hotel in San Diego, begin development of a hotel and casino in Macau and
start building condo-hotel properties at the Copper Mountain Resort in
Colorado and in Palm Springs, Calif. Monday's deal does not include Hard Rock's Las Vegas casino, which is owned
by Morgans Hotel Group, or Morgans' rights to Hard Rock intellectual
property in Australia, Brazil, Israel, Venezuela and many areas of the
United States west of the Mississippi River. Rank has said the sale freed the company to concentrate on gambling. It
retained the Hard Rock Casino in London and plans to change it to the Rank
Gaming brand. In a Rank Group earnings report filed Friday, Hard Rock International
reported operating profits increased 18.7 percent to $74.8 million, from $63
million the year before. It saw continued growth and improvement in all four
business divisions comprising company-owned cafes, franchise cafes, hotels
and casinos, a news release said.
Gambling pays off
So says Tom Blair, former mayor of Deadwood and one of the driving forces behind the legalization of gambling in the small town of 1,800 people. It's been 20 years since the legislature nixed plans to bring legalized gambling to Deadwood, in an effort to turn back the slow demise of the Wild West town. That effort began back in the summer of 1986, when Blair and his wife Linda, Bill Walsh, Melody Nelson, Mike Trucano, Mary Dunn and David Larson got together and began brainstorming ways to revitalize the downtown. They looked to the past and realized reviving gambling in Deadwood was just the ticket. Together the group formed the Deadwood You Bet Committee in November of that year and began the task of convincing South Dakota legislators the state needed legalized gambling. They went to the legislature in 1987, but they got nowhere with the body. "There were 100 different issues from 100 different people during this campaign, and the legislators weren't sure what this was about, so they voted no," said Blair. Another thing learned from the defeat was that people wanted to know what money being raised by gambling would be used for. "You have to title the money, and we were able to do that, with events like the Syndicate fire, and then the county's attempt to tear down the historic courthouse. We told the people of the state that gambling would help save Deadwood, otherwise it could end up being lost," Blair said.Even with a defeat under their belts, the Deadwood You Bet Committee was ready to pick up the fight again. "We were eternal optimists. Here we were in a conservative state, trying to convince the people of South Dakota to do this. Fortunately, we had people who really believed this was the way to 0go," said Blair. The group gathered signatures, and filed a petition for the election of 1988 in late 1987. They then spent all of 1988 campaigning for the issue. And it wasn't just this gang of seven that worked on the project. "We had hundreds of people from all over the Lead-Deadwood area coming in, and we had a huge office where Hickok's is now, and they would come in and answer phones and perform other duties," he said. The seven members of the committee took turns speaking wherever they could, from small meetings to large events. They even procured a wagon and rode in parades. Blair said the committee begged borrowed or stole whatever and whenever they could. In three years, the members spent about $120,000 on the campaign, some of it out of their own pockets. Finally, in November 1988, voters approved the measure. "We were lucky to start on November 1 when we did. The last days of October
were crazy. There were only two or three casinos in Deadwood that day, and
they were scrambling to get their people in place by the First," he said. A downside to gambling in the eyes of many was the demise of retail stores
on Deadwood's main street that were replaced by casinos. But Blair
acknowledges this by saying while gambling is the focus of Main Street now,
that does not mean normal retail businesses can't resume business on the
outskirts of town. "The city of Deadwood worked with Lead to help attract retail businesses,
and they were able to get a commitment from a developer and the result was
the Twin City Mall, which still operates and houses a grocery store and
bowling alley and department store. In the meantime, it was thought if wages could rise above the $5 limit, both
Deadwood and the entire state would benefit. Deadwood certainly would
attract high rollers, or at least those who could afford to place a higher
bet. Actor Kevin Costner said he needed the higher limits to support his planned
Dunbar resort on Deadwood Hill just north of town. But voters were not
convinced and the measure failed. One more attempt failed as well, but in
November 2000, the increase was approved. Since the inception of gambling in 1989, over $10 billion has been wagered
in Deadwood, and $71 million has been collected as taxes. That money is
earmarked for tourism promotion, Lawrence County and historic preservation.
Deadwood Historic Preservation funds have been used for a wide variety of
projects all over the state, as well as the city itself. Tom Blair is proud of what he and his colleagues accomplished. "We took an
idea, and we presented it to the people of South Dakota. The result is we've
been able to revitalize a town that was slowly dying, and make it a
destination for millions of visitors. And we've also had a hand in
preserving the history of the area and the whole state. That's what I want
to be remembered for."
March Madness: Does the Media Promote Gambling?
If you are doing a story on the NCAA Basketball Tournament, you might want to look at betting on this event and the issue of compulsive gambling. I wonder how many college students will have a bet on the games and whether or not some athletes also have bets on the games as well. It is easier to gamble than it is to buy cigarettes or a can of beer on college campuses all over the country. The National Gambling Study Commission said that there are "5 million compulsive gamblers and 15 million at risk in the U.S." Forty eight percent of the people who gamble bet on sports. Get the real scoop: Talk to Arnie Wexler who is one of the nation's leading experts on the subject of compulsive gambling and a recovering compulsive gambler himself, who placed his last bet on April 10, 1968. He has been involved in helping compulsive gamblers for the last 38 years.Through the years, Wexler has spoken to more compulsive gamblers than anyone else in America. Arnie has spoken to students who gamble in college, day and night. They even gamble during class, and it even goes on in high school lunch rooms. According to a Harvard study a few years ago, 4.67 percent of young people have a gambling problem. Experts tell us that the earlier a person starts to gamble, the greater the risk of them becoming a compulsive gambler. In another survey, 96 percent of adult male recovering gamblers stated that they started gambling before the age of 14.
Ontario studies Parkinson drug, problem gambling link
The Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre (OPGRC) has announced a $209,040 research project to study the increased incidence of problem gambling among Parkinson's Disease patients who follow a common drug regimen to cope with the disease. The Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA) and Parkinson Society Canada have agreed to join the Centre in funding the study. Both clinicians and researchers are interested in recent studies indicating that certain people taking medicine for Parkinson's disease may engage in compulsive behaviour, including gambling. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease. Movement in the body is normally controlled by a chemical called dopamine. When brain cells that produce dopamine die, the symptoms of PD appear. People with PD experience shaking, as well as difficulty with walking, movement and co-ordination. Currently there is no cure. It is estimated that about 100,000 Canadians have PD. Medications that treat the symptoms of PD include levodopa, which is converted into dopamine, or dopamine agonists, which are compounds that mimic the action of dopamine. The theory behind the proposed one-year research study is that behaviours associated with problem gambling in PD may actually be fuelled by the medications. The result of these behaviours can have devastating consequences for the individuals and their families. Preliminary research has indicated a link for Parkinson's patients being treated with levodopa, according to Dr. Antonio Strafella who would serve as the principal investigator in the study. Dr. Strafella (Movement Disorders Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network) is a neurologist with expertise in movement disorders and sub-specialization in neurophysiology and brain imaging. He will lead a team of researchers from Toronto Western Hospital and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. "What we've seen in the very early stages of our research is that the increased turnover of dopamine activity in the brain contributes to pathological gambling," Dr. Strafella said. "This grant will allow us to look into this area in much greater depth and will benefit Parkinson's patients as well as people in the general population by giving us a better understanding of how the brain functions when it comes to problem gambling." The research will focus on a group of 44 Parkinson's patients, fifty per cent of whom have identified problem gambling behaviours and fifty per cent who have not. The study will employ the use of Positron Emission Technology (PET), an imaging technique which produces a three-dimensional image or map of functional processes in the brain. Dr. Strafella added it is his hope that the research could provide new
knowledge that eventually may lead to new therapeutic approaches to treat
and prevent problem gambling. The OPGRC is an arms-length provincial agency with a mandate that includes
the scientific study of effective prevention and treatment responses to
problem gambling. Parkinson Society Canada is a not-for-profit, national charitable
organization whose mission is easing the burden and finding a cure for
Parkinson's disease through research, education, advocacy and support
services. The Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (an Institute of
the Canadian Institutes of Health Research) is a national funding agency
that supports innovative research to provide new knowledge of the biological
and socio-cultural processes underlying neurological, mental, and addictive
disorders.
Table Gambling Bill Time Limited
Reports during the weekend that Pennsylvania officials may allow operators of video gambling casinos to install what amounts to virtual table gambling make it clear that West Virginia legislators need to act on real table gambling this week. Video gambling is just now coming on line in the Keystone State. Officials at West Virginia racetracks - where thousands of video gambling machines are in operation - worry that the competition to the north may result in loss of an enormous amount of revenue to the tracks here. That could mean loss of jobs - as well as a major reduction in the amount of money state government collects from video gambling. It is being speculated in Pennsylvania that electronic versions of table gambling, perhaps with players seated at tables around monitors on which the "games" are shown, may be considered by state officials. In part because of Pennsylvania, racetrack officials say they need to be allowed to add full-scale casino-style table gambling in order to be able to compete. A bill that would clear the way for them to do so already has been approved by the House of Delegates. The state Senate is to vote on its version of the bill - one much better than the House measure - this week. If it passes the Senate, that bill and the House measure will have to be reconciled by a conference committee. The final version would have to be approved by both the House and the state Senate. There isn't much time left in the legislative session for all of that to happen. The session ends at midnight Saturday. Clearly, lawmakers have no time to waste if they are to ensure that a table gambling bill gets to a final vote. We encourage members of both the state Senate and the House of Delegates to work quickly - but responsibly - on the table gambling measure. As we have noted previously, the state Senate version offers a far more equitable distribution of the proceeds of table gambling to the people of West Virginia. It is the version that should be accepted by both houses.
Casino gambling is poor bet
"You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run," as the classic Kenny Rogers tune goes. SouthCoast residents should run from any notion of organized casino gambling in their midst as proposed by New Bedford City Councilor David Alves. Mr. Alves and countless others, including, possibly, Gov. Deval Patrick, are willing to make economic stability in Massachusetts a crap shoot rather than return to the values of hard work and Christian faith, which established this Commonwealth over 350 years ago. Casino gambling is a poor bet for many reasons. Lest we think that casinos are the economic jackpot we seek, let us consider the example of Atlantic City, best summed up this way: "... look at Atlantic City. It used to be a slum by the sea, and now it's a slum by the sea with casinos." (Los Angeles Daily News, Aug. 7, 1994). According to research, most casinos attract 80 percent or more of their market from a 35-50 mile radius. Casinos absorb existing entertainment, restaurant and hotel business, and deplete dollars available to other retail businesses. That destroys other jobs in the trade area and eliminates their sales, employment and property tax contributions (Grinols, Earl L. "Gambling in America, Costs and Benefits"). While politicians wish to focus the public's attention on big payoffs, I, as a pastor of a Christian church, am compelled to warn of the spiritual danger casino gambling poses to us and to our communities. Gambling is seen by many rational, intelligent people as a completely harmless activity, but how harmless is it really? Gambling is a violation of five well-established biblical principles. The early church pastor, Tertullian said, "If you say that you are a Christian when you are a dice-player, you say you are what you are not, because you are a partner with the world." 1. Gambling is idolatrous. We live under God's providential care, but when a person gambles, the focus is altogether different - shifting to luck, chance, and fortune instead. 2. Gambling is poor stewardship of what God provides for us. Many spend money needed for clothing and food for their families on gambling in hope of "striking it rich." Those who can least afford to lose their money are the ones who are the most addicted to gambling. The American Psychiatric Association says between 1 and 3 percent of the U.S. population is addicted to gambling, depending on location and demographics. 3. Many gamble hoping to strike it rich or at least win enough money so they will not have to work. The Bible says that the lazy person who will not work should not eat. Those that subscribe to the philosophy of "wanting something for nothing" violate the work principle given by God. 4. Gambling is based on covetousness! The desire to gamble is fueled by the love of money, and we know "... the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (I Timothy 6:10). Note the rest of the verse: "Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Gambling insidiously leads its participants further and further from the way of God. The question residents have to ask themselves is this: Is this really a Christian nation, or a Christian community, or is the word just used when it suits some political agenda? If the answer is "no." and there is no wish for the founding faith to inform the current culture, then casino gambling will be the wedge - the disconnect that completely separates legislation from morality and opens the door to legalized prostitution and hard core drugs over the counter. If, however, voters see the sense in morality and yearn to return their communities back to paths of righteousness, they will be informed and inspired by the Scriptures and by commons sense, and not by the desperate ploys of a government that has no better answers.
Is Macau a safe bet?
Chinese businessman Cao Yanglin let his lunch of slow-cooked beef rib with truffle puree and lemon cream sauce go cold as he talked about his gambling spree the night before at the baccarat tables in Macau - the world's new epicenter for gambling. The 58-year-old property developer said he won $3,840 at the Las Vegas-style Wynn Macau casino hotel, where he was enjoying his noon meal. But he said he lost $7,680 at the new Grand Lisboa, shaped like a giant Faberge egg covered in flashing lights. The sting of losing so much money seemed to have faded for the smiling Cao, who resembled a TV anchorman with a deep voice, square jaw, dyed black hair and a blue blazer. He was busy musing about the amazing ongoing changes in China and how Macau would profit from the increasingly wealthy Chinese who have a reputation for wagering more than Americans. "My father was a railroad worker who never left the country," said Cao, from the northern city of Tianjin, near Beijing. "But I've been to Macau more than 10 times and I've even been to Vegas. They need to have more baccarat tables there." It's gamblers like Cao who helped this tiny city on the southeastern Chinese coast bump off the Las Vegas Strip last year as the world's gambling center. The city raked in $6.95 billion in gambling revenue, while the Strip made $6.69 billion, regulators in both cities said. Macau says it's just getting started. More casinos, malls, convention centers, resorts and thousands of hotel rooms are being built in the city. Those investing billions could be on the dream team of the global casino industry: MGM Mirage Inc., U.S. tycoon Steve Wynn and Las Vegas Sands Corp. head Sheldon Adelson, ranked No. 3 on Forbes' list of the richest Americans. Also involved is James Packer, executive chairman of Australia's biggest media and gambling company, Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd. And the flamboyant Richard Branson of Britain's Virgin Group Ltd. has been talking about investing in a casino resort. The tycoons say Macau is a financial no-brainer. They're certain that booming China will continue to get richer and millions of new gamblers will flood into the casinos. The moguls also plan to follow the same blueprint that was wildly successful in transforming Las Vegas from a seedy casino town to a global hot spot for dining, shows, conventions and shopping. "Macau is the safest bet on Earth," Wynn, who opened his $1.2 billion casino resort here in September, told The Associated Press. But some analysts are warning there are plenty of risks. China could get hit with political upheaval or an economic meltdown. New gambling resorts in Singapore and other parts of Asia could lure visitors. Or the shoppers, conventioneers and families just might not show up like they did in Las Vegas. "I think things could get pretty ugly there pretty fast," said Matt Hoult, a portfolio manager at ABN AMRO Asset Management who is predicting a glut in hotel rooms. Business models that succeed in one part of the world sometimes flop in
another. Wal-Mart retreated from South Korea and Germany. Disney struggled
in France and its newest park in Hong Kong has been a disappointment. Will
Macau be a boom or a bust? Macau - a peninsula and two islands - was ruled by Portugal for 442 years
before it was returned to China as a semiautonomous territory in 1999,
becoming the last European settlement in Asia. It has one of Asia's most intriguing and charming blends of East and West.
Street signs are in Portuguese and Chinese. The signature snack is the
creamy egg tart on puff pastry. There are still plenty of colonial-style
mansions, churches and government buildings painted in pastel yellow, pink
and peach. The city center, with streets paved with mosaic tiles, is on
UNESCO's World Heritage List. But Macau's dreary side is easy to find. The beautiful buildings are far
outnumbered by drab concrete apartment blocks that often have rusty
anti-theft bars and cages over the windows and balconies. In the old casino district on the peninsula, the streets are lined with
small stores illuminated with headache-inducing bright fluorescent lights.
Shop windows are crammed with watches, Zippo-knockoff lighters, gaudy
jewelry and Buddhas made of gold. Cashiers stare glumly at customers from
elevated booths made of bulletproof glass. Macau was a darker, more dangerous place in the late 1990s when the
Portuguese were preparing to leave. Criminal gangs waged turf wars with
frequent drive-by shootings, kidnappings and car bombs. In a desperate bid to lure back visitors, one security official famously
proclaimed there was nothing to fear in Macau because the triad assassins
were professional killers who didn't miss their targets. The violence mostly ended after 1999 when the Chinese People's Liberation
Army marched into Macau. But the biggest change came a day after the
hand-over. The Chinese government announced it was ending the four-decade monopoly on
gambling held by Hong Kong tycoon Stanley Ho. The news created a huge stir
in the global gambling world, and more than 20 bidders vied for the three
concessions that were offered.
Internet Gambling the fastest-growing industry
Internet gambling is the fastest-growing area of gambling, and it is worth billions of dollars annually. Its popularity lies in a number of factors, most obviously its convenience to the online user, as it allows the customer to play their choice of game from the comfort of their own home. The result of this is that new Internet gambling sites are springing up every day, and there is more choice than ever before for the online gamer.
California gambling on losing streak
The state-run lottery has run out of luck with its in-state lotto and controversial participation in multistate Mega Millions, suffering a drought of big jackpots, and is being forced to cut allocations to schools - $136 million less than last year. At the same time, a new study indicating taxpayers may be the biggest losers in the California gambling industry has also drawn the attention of lawmakers. The benefit of government cuts of gambling revenues may be nearly outweighed by the costs of gaming-related woes, such as crimes by problem gamblers and caring for poor families torn apart by those afflicted with the disease, according to a California Research Bureau report. The booming, $13 billion-plus business of gambling in California - from the lottery and Indian casinos to card rooms and horse racing - is under scrutiny by lawmakers who believe the state is doing too little to ease the impact. We have to figure out what is most important, said Sen. Dean Florez, a Fresno area Democrat who chairs the government committee that oversees gambling. In the lotterys case, players havent won any monster jackpots lately, despite Californias much-touted entrance into Mega Millions lotto in mid-2005. Lottery officials said the problem thats hurting their operation and allocations of revenue to schools is puzzling - there just havent been any huge jackpots. At an unusually fast pace, players have been nabbing Mega Millions and in-state Super Lotto prizes while they are still relatively small and before they can build up. The lottery says it is going to have to cut back scratch-off ticket games because it cant afford to pay the prizes. Retail outlets will make less in commission. And lottery officials are rethinking their overall strategy. But effects go deeper - schools will receive less funding. During the last half of 2006, there was an unusual absence or drought of large jackpots to fuel lotto mania - ticket buying sprees that bolster revenue for the state agency that runs on a July 1 to June 30 fiscal year, according to lottery spokesman Rob McAndrews. Jackpot levels are out of the lotterys control and have been significantly below average this year, the Lottery Commission said in a statement. The panel, largely due to drops in lotto game sales, lowered projected 2006-07 revenues by $400 million, from $3.6 billion to $3.2 billion. Its the first such mid-year change in a decade and follows a record sales year in 2005-06 of nearly $3.6 billion. At the outset of Mega Millions participation, there were jackpots of $170 million, $258 million and $315 million. But recently, there have been fewer attention-grabbing prizes. As a result, public schools - which are required to get at least 34 percent of sales - will receive less too. Education will get an estimated $1.13 billion - $136 million less than last year. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack OConnell says lottery
funding provides only a small fraction of the education budget but that
every dollar counts. Occasional dips in lottery revenue mean trouble for some local districts
that have been pressured into putting the fluctuating money flow into fixed
teacher salaries, according to education officials. The allocations are supposed to be used for instructional materials and
other items that can easily be cut back. Due to developments, the lottery is researching its games more intensely,
dropped plans for some offerings such as the Saturday Big Spin TV show and
slashed its administrative spending reserve. Meanwhile, at a Senate government committee hearing, lawmakers were handed a
troubling California Research Bureau Report, ordered by the attorney
generals office, which regulates gambling. The report found Californias efforts to deal with gambling-related problems
is inadequate and underfunded.
Dagestan bans gambling
The parliament of Dagestan has passed a bill banning gambling. The bill was passed in line with the federal law dated December 29, 2006 on state regulation of organizing gambling. As of July 1, 2007 it prohibits gambling in the territory of Dagestan. In March 2005, the imams of Makhachkala urged the owners of saunas, nightclubs, casinos and gambling arcades to close down or remodel their institutions and threatened to notify the local authorities, the media and relatives about what they were doing. In October 2005, the Popular Assembly of Dagestan passed a local bill on the operation of gambling institutions imposing severe restrictions on gambling.
Angeles raid a test case for war on Net gambling
The government's campaign against the proliferation of illegal Internet gambling activities hangs in the balance as a judge in Angeles City today hears the motion for reconsideration on the quashing of the search warrant used to raid an alleged illegal Internet gambling operation in a hangar in Clark Field in Pampanga last year. The National Bureau of Investigation, on behalf of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), raided a hangar leased by British Grand Vision International Co. and TransGlobal Pacific Airways in November last year after weeks of surveillance. The NBI team led by special agent lawyer Renato Murcuap confiscated various casino and online computer gaming paraphernalia, resulting in the filing of cases against the two firms' employees and officials. Among those charged were Steve Huang and Edgar Lim. But through the ensuing months attended by various legal twists and turns, Pagcor and NBI have found their carefully investigated and documented case under serious threat, with its cornerstone search warrant being quashed in court and the government's own city prosecutor in Angeles City issuing a "novel" finding that Presidential Decree 1602 (anti-illegal gambling law) "does not punish the crime of Internet gambling." Marcos-era PD 1602 was promulgated years before the magic of the Internet revolutionized instantaneous, real-time communication as we know it today. Murcuap and the Pagcor legal team are strongly arguing their case before the sala of Judge Omar Viola of the Third Judicial Region's Regional Trial Court Branch 57 in Angeles City. The motion for reconsideration points out that "the complainant [in this case Murcuap himself] having registered and posed as online bettor on the illegal gambling activities which were exposed, and his witness [who trained and worked as one of the online dealers in the illegal operations] both [did] have personal knowledge of the facts upon which the search warrant was issued," and that "illegal gambling was committed by the respondents." The Angeles City RTC is also clearly told how "all the elements of gambling are present in the case and that all the respondents are guilty of illegal gambling as the operation of the online casino games are not licensed." It is further pointed out that "while there are no live players, there are real and actual players of the online casino game being operated by the respondent in the Philippines. The actual gambling done by Murcuap in the course of investigation proves this." And it now undeniably stands as the gateway legislation that, if properly upheld, could help regulate the onslaught of widespread, illegal gambling.
Smoke-Free Gambling Site Thrives Amid Debate on Ban
In a vast, dimly lit room with a low ceiling and frosted glass chandeliers - but without the scent or sight of a smoky haze - video lottery terminals are arrayed in ranks like soldiers. "I used to go to Atlantic City and I hated it when people would sit next to me smoking a cigarette," said Rosa Rodriguez of the Bronx, who stood outside Yonkers Raceway this week smoking a cigarette during a break from the video slot machines. "I'm a smoker, but you pick up secondhand smoke and it gets in your clothes." To hear casino operators and some lawmakers, however, Ms. Rodriquez is the exception and not the rule. In New Jersey, antismoking advocates are regularly reminded when it comes to casinos that progress is often measured in inches. And now in New York, where an agreement with the St. Regis Mohawks has paved the way for a casino in the Catskills, they are finding that it is a game played in the fine print. In both states, arguments over the dangers of secondhand smoke run headlong into the mantra of casino owners that smoking bans will jeopardize their ability to do business and will send gamblers fleeing to less restrictive areas or to other forms of gambling. But the owners of racinos, racetracks with video slot machines, say smoking bans have not cut into their popularity or their profitability. So far, say officials at Yonkers Raceway, one of seven such gambling emporiums in New York State, the smoking ban has proved to be more of an attraction than a deterrent to business. While racinos, with their slot machines, blur the lines with casinos, with their table games, there is little question that operations like the one in Yonkers have brought new revenue to the tracks and to the state, rescuing harness and thoroughbred racing from extinction. In New Jersey, the efforts to ban smoking have been as tremulous as a smoke ring. Last year the Legislature approved a total ban on smoking in restaurants and bars, but exempted casinos. This year, the City Council in Atlantic City, under pressure from antismoking advocates and casino employees, broached the notion of a total smoking ban. After casino operators warned of economic harm, the Council relented and last month approved a measure allowing smoking on 25 percent of the gambling floors. About three weeks later, the State Senate Health Committee unanimously passed a measure that would do away with the exemption, but obstacles thrown up by the casino operators are considerable, and prospects for its final passage are uncertain. Besides the millions in revenue they bring into the state, casino operators are also large political contributors. In New York, a coalition of antismoking groups has raised concerns about a new pact with the St. Regis Mohawks, which on its face would require that their proposed casino observe the state's ban on smoking in the workplace. But according to Peter Slocum, a spokesman for the antismoking groups, buried in the 92-page agreement is wording that would allow only a "portion" of the casino floor to be smoke-free. A statement from Gov. Eliot Spitzer's office on the compact with the St.
Regis Mohawks initially said the tribe would observe all state health and
safety laws even though the proposed casino would be on sovereign Indian
land. But Christine Pritchard, a Spitzer spokeswoman, conceded that the
compact's language regarding smoking was inconsistent, and that efforts were
being made to resolve any confusion. Russell Sciandra, president of the American Cancer Society, one of the
groups favoring a ban, said in a letter to Governor Spitzer, "We believe the
compact's failure to meaningfully address smoking is backsliding and a bad
deal for the health of New Yorkers." A similar kind of buyer's remorse has descended on some New Jersey
legislators who supported last year's exemption for casinos. State Senator
Joseph Vitale, a co-sponsor of the latest bill calling for a total smoking
ban, said he accepted the exemption because 95 percent of bars and
restaurants would be covered. "But afterward, a number of lawmakers
regretted granting the exemption, based partly on the outcry from unions
representing casino workers," Mr. Vitale said. "I feel confident that we can
get this complete ban out of the Senate."
Casinos should pay price for gambling addictions
ACalifornia Senate committee recently learned that while many of us love to gamble, quite a few suffer from addiction as casinos empty their pockets. The state's legal gambling operations make $13 billion a year - and rising - yet such operations put no money into assisting those with gambling problems, including addiction. The committee also learned some disturbing facts - there are 1.5 million problem gamblers and much of the state's efforts in this area center on a hot line number. Experts say there are only 15 state counselors certified to deal with pathological gambling. The state spends a paltry $3 million on the problem - to say this is inadequate is an understatement. The Senate Governmental Organization Committee vows to get to the bottom of this problem. A statewide plan was introduced in February by the Office of Problem Gambling that would center on public awareness, prevention services and building a better treatment infrastructure at a cost of $150 million annually. Thirty states have such programs. A national organization is pushing for federal legislation to help with the problem. We would like to offer our own suggestion. Instead of figuring out how to fold this problem into the state budget and creating more bureaucracy, why can't we shift the cost to the casinos and gambling establishments that are raking in billions from gamblers and - quite frankly - we're not talking about a huge chunk of their profits. Casinos do not contribute much toward the treatment of gambling addiction, other than cases with their own employees. The state of California hasn't been a big help, either. We have too few qualified professionals to deal with gambling addicts, who often end up resorting to crime or committing suicide. And, lawmakers were so brilliant that they gave back $3 million donated by Indian casinos years ago to address problem gambling because it was never used. In 2002, U.S. legal gaming revenue amounted to $68.7 billion. The National Council of Problem Gambling says up to 9 million Americans have a problem. California is a pacesetter in many areas, here's another where we could be. Gambling establishments in this state should voluntarily come together and make major donations toward centers and programs to help those with gambling problems. It could be a model for the rest of the nation. If the establishments hedge their bets, perhaps the state should levy a tax on these businesses, maybe draw funds from state-commissioned operations like horse racing to help those in need. Gambling establishments have received numerous breaks on taxes and land acquisition, among other things; now it's time to show that Californians are more than just paying customers.
Online Gambling: BestLine Sports Looks to Capitalize
BestLine Sports is positioning itself as one of the leading online gambling establishments in the world of sports betting for North American sporting enthusiasts as they capitalize on a void left by its competitors. Once a small niche book, BestLine Sports (see website here) since the start of the new year has transformed itself by taking over a nice size chunk of Pinnacle Sports players looking to bet with reduced juice (BestLine Sports offers -107 reduced juice and is one of the few US facing online betting shops to do so). The company also has one of the best processing systems in place, which allows for a rather high credit card acceptance rate. "For Gambling911.com readers, it is important to realize that BestLine Sports is the second longest tenured online sportsbook on the Gambling911 website," commented Payton O'Brien, the marketing brainchild behind the G911 website. BestLine Sports has been part of the Gambling911.com family since 2002. During the football season, BLS took some time off to refine its business following a move to a much larger facility in Panama City, Panama. "For years, BestLine Sports has been running like clockwork but now its owners are taking the business to a whole other level while some of the competition is bowing out," said O'Brien. Marketing wise, the company now utilizes one of the most powerful firms in online gambling. From a processing standpoint, the feedback has been very positive ever since NETeller pulled out of the US facing market. BestLine Sports has also embraced professional sports bettors. "BestLine Sports has filled a void left by PinnacleSports," commented O'Brien. "Many sports bettors were overjoyed when BestLine Sports came in to assist those left blindsided by PinnacleSports sudden decision to leave the US market without warning." The company offers 15% signup bonuses when opening an account with $100 or more and $1 minimum bets. In addition, customers are permitted one free payout per month (meaning you won't be charged any credit card, bank wire, etc.. fees to withdraw).
Authorities Crack Down On Illegal Gambling
The district attorney is making it harder for illegal gambling to take place in Allegheny County. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that 400 video poker machines were confiscated during raids throughout the week. State, local, county police and the liquor control board said they are targeting organized criminal activity, but have not made any arrests in connection with the poker machines. Giving payouts on video poker play is a misdemeanor in Pennsylvania.
Any bets on when Catholic board's gambling habit will end?
Calgary Catholic schools are back where they started. Those Catholic schools currently raising cash through gambling still don't have a date to stop sucking up casino and bingo bucks after a school board task force couldn't come to a decision. But Catholic school board chair Cathie Williams says the board will now huddle and decide on a date later this month. "We have to come up with a date. It has to be resolved," says Cathie. "I would think within a month we'll have this all wrapped up. We can't leave it open. Our schools can't continue to keep doing what they're doing. We know where the bishop wants us to be." Schools are all over the map about when they want to stop making money off casinos and bingos, some desiring as much as seven years to wean themselves off the loot. This isn't easy stuff. Recall the argy-bargy leading to a handshake between Bishop Fred Henry and the board last September? To many souls it probably seemed a curious conflict. When you can fit the accumulated consistency of most so-called leaders into a thimble, Bishop Fred actually has a backbone. Like him or loathe him, the words he speaks mean something. In this situation, Bishop Fred drew the line in the theological sand. Stop taking gambling money to raise funds for schools. It is immoral, he said. It preys on the vulnerable, he continued. Schools need money. The provincial Tories do not put sufficient dollars into education. But the end does not justify the means. Catholic schools must act Catholic. Otherwise what is it to be a Catholic? The bishop was willing to give wiggle room on the date when schools had to stop taking the moolah. But they had to quit the cash. The bishop is one tough cookie. He's taken on the likes of Ralph and Conrad Black and got grief from the Alberta Human Rights Commission. Bringing the local Catholic school board back into the fold should have been a piece of cake. It wasn't. The school board disagreed with the bishop. They insisted they were taking the money for the good of students. The bishop was not amused. He didn't celebrate the district mass marking the opening of the school year. He threatened to pull priests out of schools not toeing the line. He talked of stripping the Catholic designation from schools defying his position. The bishop and board talked and last September there finally was a deal. A board task force would set a Get Out of Gambling date in early 2007. Hello, early 2007. There was supposed to be "disengagement" from gambling "as quickly as possible." Well, the task force asked schools when they were willing to exit from the proceeds of gambling. Elementary and junior highs wanted a five year maximum reprieve and senior high schools wanted seven. Six out of 10 schools expected to opt out of bingos and casinos earlier, by June 2009, but some wanted to drag things out until June 2014. The task force waffled. Some members wanted schools to decide for themselves within the five-year and seven-year suggested deadlines. Others agreed but also wanted to "encourage" schools to go faster. A third group backed the bishop and, according to this week's task force
report, "expressed the view bingos and casinos are immoral and therefore
schools should get out of them right away." For them, "there is a strong desire to disassociate the Church from an
activity that is seen as morally problematic." The only puzzler. What were all the others thinking? As for a district target date to be out of casinos and bingos, numbers were
thrown around, with no agreement. Now, it's up to the trustees. "We always wanted to work with the bishop," says Cathie, insisting there
will soon be "a reasonable ending" to end the aggravation on this issue. "Our difficulty was in doing what the bishop wants us to do without harming
the schools." Last fall, Williams and Bishop Fred did a grip-and-grin for the cameras,
cementing their agreement to come up with a no-gambling date. "We're there," said Cathie at the time to the bishop. Yesterday, she's not backing away much. "We'll get there," she says.
Club owner gets probation in gambling case
The two-year saga surrounding a $100,000 Super Bowl pool ended Friday with the co-owner of the Legacy Supper Club placed on probation for one year on gambling charges. Mary Blair, 54, appeared before Outagamie County Circuit Judge John Des Jardins on twin charges of permitting premises to be used for gambling and placing a bet. Des Jardins endorsed a plea agreement that recommended one year of probation, 25 hours of community service and $120 in court costs. But it was clear Des Jardins was uncomfortable sentencing someone for operating a sports pool of the kind found in most workplaces this time of year. "Gambling is pretty pervasive and this is March madness right now and you can go anywhere in the community and place a bet," said Des Jardins. Des Jardins acknowledged the unusual size of the $1,000-a-bet board drew the attention of authorities. "The reason we have laws is so citizens know where the line is and if they cross it they can be prosecuted for that," he said "It would be helpful to know that. I don't feel it is a very serious crime and the people participated in it voluntarily." The case started in February 2005 when agents from the state Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation executed a search warrant at the Legacy Supper Club, N5334 N. Richmond St., Grand Chute. They seized $101,848 in cash and betting records, with the majority of participants betting under nicknames. The pool consisted of 100 squares costing the bettor $1,000 each with a payout at the end of each quarter. The pool was designed to pay out $95,000 with $5,000 retained by the house. About six months later the case was turned over to the Outagamie County District Attorney's office for prosecution. The case languished there for another 18 months before District Attorney Carrie Schneider issued charges last week. Then, only Mary Blair, not her husband, Robert Blair, was charged. "She was the one who wanted to run the pool and she was the one who kept the records," said Assistant District Attorney Melinda Tempelis, who handled the sentencing hearing. It was revealed at the sentencing that the money seized was forfeited to federal authorities. On the same day the Legacy Supper Club was raided, a consent search was conducted at Tommy G's, a Kaukauna tavern, where between $10,000 and $15,000 were seized as part of another Super Bowl pool. Schneider was asked about the status of that case earlier this week. "Given the scope, I will likely not be pursuing charges in that case," said Schneider. "The scope was not anything near what we had at the Legacy." Des Jardins suggested he was left conflicted by the prosecution of a
gambling case where more and more gambling is now legal or conducted in the
workplace. "It puts the court is a difficult position," he said. "And then there is
legal betting and the court has seen the results of that here where we have
had huge embezzlement cases. The majority of the people in the community
have participated in illegal bets."
Iowa gambling regulators agree to delay on expansion
State gambling regulators have agreed to delay until next year a debate on whether to issue new licenses allowing additional casinos in the state. The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission decided unanimously Thursday that more time is needed to assess the financial performance of four new casinos that were granted licenses in 2005 before deciding if the state can support additional casinos. Three of the casinos which received licenses have already opened -- in Worth County, Emmetsburg and Riverside. A fourth casino in Waterloo has faced repeated construction delays and is not expected to open until summer, officials said. Commission head Kate Cutler, of Council Bluffs, said she doesn't expect the panel to take up the issue of additional licenses until at least January. Even if the panel decided to consider applications for new licenses, a timeline for considering them likely would stretch until March of 2008,
| | | |
