Gambling
Forbes: Sheldon Adelson Winning His War Against Online Gambling
Forbes.com’s Nathan Vardi argued on Tuesday that casino billionaire and mega GOP donor Sheldon Adelson is now winning his war against Internet gambling.
It was a war mounted last fall that included slickly produced so-called public service messages coupled with lobbying efforts from some big name former politicians the likes of one time New York Governor George Pataki and former Arkansas Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln.
UFC Boss Dana White Banned From Gambling at Palms Casino After $2m Win
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White has been banned from playing in the Las Vegas Palms Casino after winning $2 million at blackjack.
"I beat them for [nearly $2 million], and they asked me not to play anymore," White told
FBI Unable to Tap Phone Calls of Gambler Billy Walters as Part of SEC Probe
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will be unable to use electronic surveillance in its investigation into golf pro Phil Mickelson and professional sports gambler Billy Walters. Public knowledge of a probe into alleged insider trading prevents the law enforcement agency from tapping into the phones of both individuals.
Ex-Bayern Chief Begins Three-and-a-Half Year Prison Term: Gambled on Markets
The former Bayern FC boos Uli Hoeness began serving his three-and-a-half year prison sentence for evading $28.5 million euros in taxes. The 62-year-old will serve time at a prison in Landsberg am Lech effective Monday (June 2).
Hoeness admitted to the tax evasion charges back in March. He was originally facing a sentence of between five and ten years.
"I'm glad that this is all out in the open now," Hoeness said in March. "I deeply regret my wrongdoing. I'm doing everything I can to put this unhappy chapter behind me."
Election Betting in Nevada Opposed by Governor Sandoval
CARSON CITY, Nev. (Associated Press) — Gov. Brian Sandoval has come out against a proposal to make Nevada the first state to permit betting on federal elections.
The Republican governor described himself as "more of a traditionalist" when it comes to betting.
"As I think through it, unless I'm convinced otherwise, it is not something I would support," he told the Las Vegas Sun (http://bit.ly/RQjFSE ) on Friday. "The state has done fine on sports and horse-race betting and other events."
Mickleson Says He Did Nothing Wrong: Cooperating in Probe Involving Billy Walters
Hall of Fame Golf pro Phil Mickelson confirmed to the Associated Press that FBI agents approached him at the Memorial Tournament in regard to an insider trading probe. Mickelson insisted Saturday he did “absolutely nothing wrong”.
FBI, SEC Probe Into Big Time Gambler Billy Walters, Carl Icahn, Phil Mickelson
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating possible insider trading involving billionaire investor Carl Icahn, golfer Phil Mickelson and Las Vegas gambler William Walters, a source familiar with the matter said.
Atlantic Club Casino Purchased by Florida Company TJM
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Associated Press) — A Florida company bought the former Atlantic Club Casino Hotel on Thursday, and plans to operate it as a non-gambling facility.
TJM Properties paid an undisclosed sum for the casino and its 800-room hotel, which shut down in January.
It is the second acquisition this year of a former Atlantic City casino that the company plans to run as a non-gambling facility. In February, TJM bought the 500-room hotel portion of the former Claridge Hotel Casino, which was part of the Bally's Atlantic City casino, for $12.5 million.
Facebook Will No Longer Offer Real Money Bingo, Slots Friendzy App
London-based operator Gamesys has informed its players that Bingo & Slots Friendzy will no longer be available on the social network according to eGaming Review Magazine.
Macau Scraps Bill on Big Payouts Following Record Protests
(Reuters) - The top official in Macau, the world's gambling capital, said on Thursday a bill providing lavish perks for senior civil servants would be withdrawn days after the largest protest in the enclave since China restored control over it in 1999.
The climbdown represents the first time the government has taken heed of a large civic movement in Macau, a former Portuguese territory with autonomy and provisions for free speech much like neighbouring Hong Kong.
John Daly Had Fun Losing $55 Million Gambling
Appearing on “Depth With Graham Bensinger” this week, American professional golfer John Daly admitted he blew around $55 million gambling after a review of his tax records between the years 1991 and 2007.
Man Serving Time for Property Fraud Indicted for Running Sportsbook
A Minnesota man currently serving a four year prison sentence for property fraud has been charged with running an online sportsbook with servers based in Costa Rica.
Massachusetts to Award First Casino License, Nevada Casino Revenue Flat in April
BOSTON (Associated Press) -- State gambling regulators say they'll begin the final, four-day long deliberation on awarding Massachusetts' first Las Vegas-style casino license on June 10.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission said Thursday that the June 10 and 11 meetings will be in Springfield, the June 12 meeting in Boston and a June 13 meeting - when it is expected to issue a decision - will be in Springfield.
Churchill Downs, Showboat Hotel Online Gambling Lawsuit Moved to NJ Court
As if things couldn’t get any worse in the Garden State for its new online gambling industry, Churchill Downs and Atlantic City’s famed Showboat Hotel and Casino are embroiled in a lawsuit over a vendor agreement.
Churchill Downs had entered into a deal to purchase the Showboat Hotel.
NLR Entertainment owner Nicholas Ribis was paid $2.5 million as “earnest money" by Churchill Downs to be the exclusive vendor of NLR for the period 2014 until 2021.
Philadelphia Mobster Heading to Prison for Role in Illegal Gambling Business
PHILADELPHIA — (Associated Press) - A man who authorities say worked for the Philadelphia mob is heading to prison for his role in an illicit video poker operation.
Forty-three-year-old Eric Esposito is described by federal prosecutors as a foot soldier of La Cosa Nostra. A judge sentenced him Wednesday to 27 months behind bars.
Waddell & Reed Buys 16.96 Million Las Vegas Sands Shares
HONG KONG (Reuters) - U.S. fund manager Waddell & Reed Financial Inc said Wednesday it raised $1.38 billion by selling its remaining stake in Macau-based Sands China Ltd, and shifted most of its holdings to parent Las Vegas Sands to boost its global gaming exposure.
The sell-down comes as Macau gaming stocks face pressure due to a raft of negative news, after clocking a scorching pace of growth over the past two years.
Supreme Court Says Mich. Can't Block Indian Casino
(Associated Press) - A divided Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Michigan can't block the opening of an off-reservation American Indian casino because the state's legal challenge is barred by tribal sovereign immunity.
In a 5-4 decision, the high court said the state could not shutter the Bay Mills Indian Community's casino about 90 miles south of its Upper Peninsula reservation.
Bitcoin-Only Casino Generates Over $1.4 Mil in Turnover in its First 3 Months
BitCasino.io, the first ever licensed bitcoin-only casino has grown to a player base of 7,000 users betting over 3,000 BTC (~$1,400,000) since February 2014. The success of the casino has been built around its world-class software that includes Live Dealers, Live Dice/Lottery and over 150 HD video slots as well as traditional table games.
Amaya Gaming Looks to Calm PokerStars Acquisition Rumors
Amaya Gaming’s share price rose 5% on rumors that it was in pursuit of a possible acquisition. The main target appears to be the world’s largest online poker room, PokerStars. Such a move would allow Stars to re-enter the US market on a clean slate.
The company was forced to issue a response Monday afternoon.
Slump in Online Gambling Adds to Christie’s Budget Woes
Bloomberg News on Monday evening reported what was already widely known throughout the gambling sector, that New Jersey has failed to meet its early expectations when it comes to their newly rolled out Internet gambling sector. Even some operators are stepping forward to say it’s been a complete disaster up to this point.
Brian Mattingley, chief executive officer of London- based 888, said in a telephone interview with Bloomberg News this weekend, “We are absolutely shocked by the slowness of the (New Jersey online gambling) market.”
Hard Rock Casino Ban of Ben Affleck Could Prove to be Big Mistake
Professional gambler and Pittsburgh Gazette columnist Mark Gruetze believes that the Las Vegas Hard Rock Casino’s recent decision to ban Hollywood actor Ben Affleck from playing blackjack in their establishment could backfire.
Gulfstream Park's Rainbow Pick Six Pays Out $6.7 Million
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. (Associated Press) — Gulfstream Park got its Rainbow 6 record, a day early.
The track says only one player correctly picked all six winners needed to cash the bet on Sunday, a day before Gulfstream officials were expecting to pay out what would have been a massive wagering pool on the exotic ticket.
The winning payout Sunday was $6,678,939.12.
888.com CEO on Internet Gambling in NJ: ‘We Are Absolutely Shocked by Slowness'
Brian Mattingley, chief executive officer of London- based 888, said in a telephone interview with Bloomberg News this weekend, “We are absolutely shocked by the slowness of the (New Jersey online gambling) market.”
And he’s not the only one.
New Jersey casinos are in the process of shifting their marketing focus from poker to the online casino, which traditionally has been the cash cow for internationally based Web betting firms.
Racketeering Law Does Not Cover Online Gambling Losses in Arizona
PHOENIX (Associated Press) — A state court decision says people who voluntarily engage in online gambling can't use Arizona's anti-racketeering law to sue websites' operators to recover gambling losses.
The state Court of Appeals decision issued Thursday upholds a Maricopa County Superior Court judge's ruling against a man who had sued several operators of gambling websites after he lost $800,000.
The man's lawsuit alleged that the websites were an enterprise engaged in civil racketeering.
American Gaming Association Drops Support for Online Gambling in US
American Gaming Association chief executive Geoff Freeman said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal Wednesday that his Las Vegas-based organization will no longer support legalization of online gambling in the US, citing a nasty split between casino operators on both sides of the issue.
"One of the things I've learned in this industry is we are extraordinarily competent at shooting at one another," he said. "The snipers in this industry are of the highest quality, and if you let that be the focus, we'll kill each other."
Sheldon Adelson Insists He is Not Retiring: Right Hand to Step Down
80-year-old Las Vegas Sands Corp CEO Sheldon Adelson has dispelled rumors that he will be retiring any time soon following in the steps of 76-year-old President and COO Michael A. Leven, who announced his retirement this week.
Online Bet Startup Costs Shrink AC Casino Earnings
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Associated Press) - Startup costs associated with Internet gambling, and the closure of one casino in January lowered Atlantic City's casino earnings by 8.4 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2013.
Figures released Thursday by the state Division of Gaming Enforcement showed the casinos had a gross operating profit of $38.7 million.
Las Vegas Casino Strike Planned to Begin June 1
LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) - Hotel workers and bartenders plan to strike at nine downtown Las Vegas casinos next month if contracts aren't reached, labor leaders announced Wednesday.
Officials with the Culinary and Bartenders unions said employees are prepared to walk off the job at 5 a.m. June 1 at The D, Four Queens, Fremont, Main Street Station, El Cortez, Binion's, Golden Gate, The Plaza, and Las Vegas Club.
Breaking News: Jason Ader, Spring Owl Group Wins Settlement Deal With Bwin.Party
Gambling911.com – May 22, 2014 at 6:49 am EDT - Agreement with SpringOwl: Further to the Company’s announcement on 16 May 2014, concerning planned changes to the composition of the Board, bwin.party announces that it has agreed to work closely with SpringOwl on the appointment of its new directors and confirms its agreement to consider Michael Fertik, one of SpringOwl’s nominees, as a potential candidate.
Internet Gambling Attorney Sees Legal Online Gambling Coming to All 50 States
Stuart Slotnick Says It’s a “Good Revenue Model”
