Gambling
Paddy Power Pistorius ‘Will He Walk’ Bet Ad Most Complained About Ad Ever
The UK Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) has said that Irish bookmaker Paddy Power’s Oscar Pistorius murder trial 'Money Off If He Walks' ad was the single most complained-about advertisement ever recorded.
Paddy Power was forced to pull the ad after the ASA issued it a dire warning.
The ASA in its findings released Wednesday said: "We acknowledged that the ad had appeared in the context of a high profile murder trial that had received extensive media coverage and was of interest to the public.
William Hill, Other UK Bookmakers Hit Hard by Budget Blow
(Reuters) - The FTSE 100 slipped on Wednesday, with insurer Legal & General and gambling company William Hill slumping as changes imposed by the UK budget threatened their profits.
Taj Mahal Killer Confesses to Two More Atlantic City Murders
Raheem Simmons, 20, pleaded guilty Tuesday (March 18, 2014) to two counts of aggravated manslaughter for the 2011 shooting deaths of Antwan Brown and Travon Kinard in Atlantic City. Both victims were 20 years old at the time of they were killed. All three resided in Camden, New Jersey.
Pope Francis Plays Down Mafia ‘Hit’ Fears: Toddler Latest Victim of Italy Mob
The Vatican announced this week that Pope Francis was set to visit with victims of Italy’s Cosa Nostra.
“For the families of innocent victims, this meeting with the Pope is a gift,” Fr. Luigi Ciotti expressed in a March 15 article on Vatican Radio.
Fred Done Done With Manchester United: Refunds Bets to Win Premier League
BetFred.com’s colorful founder Fred Done has been widely criticized in the past for refusing (at least for a short while) to pay an Olympian’s granny the bet she placed on her long shot grandson and, more recently, proposing to slash employee salaries in half (something that does not appear to have come to fruition just yet).
Ladbrokes Boss Rewarded £4.7m: 85 Per Cent Pay Raise: Still Faces August Axe
Richard Glynn may be on the hot seat if he can’t turn things around at the UK’s second largest bookmaker, Ladbrokes. Glynn has already been issued a dire warning that he will be getting the axe come August if financials don’t improve come August.
PartyPoker Founder Sued by Chevron Over Alleged Fraud
A judge in Gibraltar has that oil giant Chevron can move forward with a lawsuit seeking unspecified damages from PartyPoker (now Bwin.Party) co-founder Russell DeLeon in connection with his financing what the oil company says was a liability suit that ultimately turned into a racketeering conspiracy.
Caesars to Develop Casino in South Korea
SEOUL/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Caesars Entertainment Corp looks set to build its first gaming resort in Asia after South Korea granted preliminary approval for a large-scale foreigners-only casino - a key boost for a company that has largely missed out on the region's boom in gambling revenues.
The consortium of Las Vegas-based Caesars, Singapore's OUE Ltd and Hong Kong-based Lippo Ltd is also one of the first foreign ventures to gain an entry into South Korea's casino industry, a promising market by virtue of its proximity to China and the country's wealthy punters.
BetOnSports Founder Gary Kaplan Assessed $36.5 Mil Tax Bill
BetOnSports founder Gary Kaplan will have to pay $36.5 million to the IRS after losing an appeal.
Kaplan’s attorneys initially argued double jeopardy as he was already ordered to pay the US government $44 million after having served a 51-month prison sentence.
Funeral Set for Las Vegas Gambling Pioneer Jackie Gaughan
LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) - A funeral is set Monday for a Las Vegas gambling pioneer who once owned much of the downtown casino market.
The service for Jackie Gaughan is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Saint Viator Catholic Community.
Gaughan died in hospice care Wednesday at the age of 93.
He was most closely associated with the El Cortez casino, which he used to own. He lived in a penthouse apartment there and was known to play poker in the casino almost every day.
Billionaire Macau Real Estate Developer Joseph Lau Found Guilty of Bribery
(Reuters) - Real estate developer Chinese Estates Holdings said on Sunday its Chairman and Chief Executive Joseph Lau has resigned after he was found guilty of bribery and money laundering charges in Macau.
New York State Senate Approves Gambling in Airports
Albany, N.Y. (Associated Press) - The state Senate is proposing that New York authorize video lottery terminals, A.K.A slot machines, at international airport departure terminals to catch gamblers on their way out of the country.
The airports serving Buffalo, Albany and Syracuse, among others, appear to be out of luck.
The Senate budget resolution says it's for international departure terminals located within a city of one million or more.
That would appear to apply as proposed only to Kennedy and LaGuardia airports in New York City.
Will Bookies Begin Offering Betting Odds on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370?
Since Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 carrying 227 passengers mysteriously went missing almost a week ago today, online bookmakers have so far shied away from offering odds on this event. The more riveting this story becomes, the less some bookmakers may be able to resist.
New Hampshire House Kills Gambling Bill
CONCORD, N.H. (Associated Press) - New Hampshire's House has stuck to its long-term tradition of opposing a casino and killed a bill that proposed licensing one casino with up to 5,000 video slots and 150 table games.
The House voted 173-144 Thursday to kill a bill that was the result of a special commission appointed to study regulatory issues after a casino bill failed in the House last year. The House has repeatedly rejected efforts to legalize casinos.
The New Name in Swedish Gaming
The Swedish gaming market is an extremely competitive one, as until recently only a handful of companies were granted permission by the government to operate. With state-owned company Svenska Spel dominating the market of sports gambling, it was tough – and even unlawful – for anyone to attempt to set up a private operation.
Caesars Claims Hidden Agenda Behind Mass Unflattering Background Check
Attorneys for Caesars Entertainment are citing newly released information from a Massachusetts Gaming Commission report as the main reason for an “unflattering background check” that prevented the casino giant from landing a lucrative contract in the state.
Mandalay Bay Will Pay Half-Million Dollars After Drug, Prostitute Bust
LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) - The Mandalay Bay Resort plans to pay a half-million-dollar fine after employees at an upscale Las Vegas Strip lounge provided prostitutes and drugs to undercover officers.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board filed a proposed settlement with the casino this week. It’s awaiting approval by the Nevada Gaming Commission.
Bwin.Party Sees Return to Growth Ahead of World Cup: Activist Investor Watches
(Reuters) - Online gambling company Bwin.Party said this year's soccer World Cup would help it to return to growth after problems in Greece and a shift away from riskier markets cut earnings in 2013.
Bwin.Party is concentrating on fewer markets where regulations are more clear cut and is expanding in the United States as gambling rules are relaxed there.
Rival Betfair, another of a cluster of online gambling companies that have grown up over the past decade, is pursuing a similar strategy.
New Jersey Governor Christie Backs Away From Online Gambling Forecast
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s aggressive forecast for online gambling revenue was mostly seen as unattainable. On Tuesday, the Christie Administration backed off those initial projections, relaying its concerns to a leading Democratic leader in the state.
"Given the complex connections between internet and on-site gaming, we do not break down the anticipated total collections between the two sources," state Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff wrote in a letter today to Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen).
Internet Gambling Growth Slows in New Jersey
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Associated Press) — The growth of New Jersey's Internet gambling market slowed somewhat in its third full month of operation, with the Atlantic City gambling websites posting a nearly 9 percent revenue increase in February.
The 16 online gambling sites had posted a 28 percent gain in January, to $9.5 million. In February, the online sites won $10.3 million.
Bayern Munich President Evaded $18.5 Mil in Taxes: Used Money for Gambling
(Reuters) - Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness stunned a German court on Monday by admitting he had evaded taxes of 18.5 million euros ($26 million) using a secret Swiss bank account - more than five times the amount on a prosecutors' charge sheet.
Once one of Germany’s most admired managers, Hoeness apologised and appealed for leniency at the start of a trial in a case that shocked Germany and prompted other tax dodgers to turn themselves in.
Las Vegas Gambling Pioneer Jackie Gaughan Dies at 93
(Associated Press) - A Las Vegas gambling pioneer who once owned much of the downtown casino market has died. John "Jackie" Gaughan was 93.
Clark County coroner's officials say Wednesday that Gaughan died in hospice care.
Gaughan is most closely associated with the El Cortez casino, which he used to own. He lived in a penthouse apartment there and was known to play poker in the casino almost every day.
He has also been associated with the Showboat, the Golden Nugget, the Pioneer and Boulder clubs, the Flamingo and the Royal Inn.
‘Mob Wives’ Star Ex-Hubby Testifies Against Gambino Associate in Murder Trial
The ex-hubby of “Mob Wives” reality star Renee Graziano took to the stand Tuesday to testify against former buddy and Gambino mob associate Luigi Grasso.
Admitted killer Hector Pagan says he pulled the trigger and killed Luchese associate James Donovan outside a Gravesend body shop in 2010. But Pagan knew enough about Graziano that he agreed to become a Mob turncoat in return for a reduced sentence.
Massachusetts Weighs in on Web Gambling
BOSTON — (Associated Press) - The head of the state's gambling commission suggested on Tuesday that lawmakers hold off on key decisions about Internet gambling until after the panel completes the process of awarding casino licenses in Massachusetts.
The commission convened an all-day hearing to examine the potential impact of online gambling should it be legalized in the state. Lawmakers and gambling regulators worry that it could take a bite out of revenues currently produced by the state lottery and that are expected to be generated by taxes on casinos in the future.
Bad Weather Hits Casino Revenue in Snow States
Arctic winter weather continue to chill the gambling business across the midwest and eastern states.
Tribes Position Themselves Ahead of New York Casino Expansion
BUFFALO — (Associated Press) - With New York state about to take bids for its first non-Indian casinos, tribes have been upgrading their existing casinos and exploring new ones.
The Seneca Indian Nation, which operates three casinos in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Salamanca under a 2002 compact with the state, bought 32 acres outside Rochester last week for a potential fourth location.
Dan Gosling Admits to FA Misconduct: Broke Gambling Rules
LONDON (Associated Press) — Newcastle midfielder Dan Gosling has admitted to a Football Association misconduct charge related to multiple breaches of betting rules.
The FA says Gosling has requested a personal hearing and a date had not been set.
No details of the case have been revealed publicly. Players are prohibited from betting on matches in competitions they are involved in or have any influence over.
Lead Investigator Into Pete Rose Still Believes He Should Not be in Hall of Fame
The lead investigator in the 1989 Pete Rose Major League Baseball gambling matter tells the Washington Post he still believes Rose does not deserve to be entered into Baseball’s Hall of Fame.
John M. Dowd led the investigation, later dubbed the “Dowd Report”.
Mayweather Late for Maidana Promotional Press Conference Due to Gambling
LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) — Floyd Mayweather took his time selecting an opponent for his May 3 fight, then took some more time to formally announce it.
At least he had a Vegas kind of excuse for showing up an hour late for a Saturday news conference promoting the bout with Marcos Maidana.
Sands Casino Guest Credit Card Information Hacked Into
If you have stayed at the Sands Bethlehem Casino or any of the other Sands Las Vegas affiliated casinos, including the Venetian, you may want to double check your credit card bill. It turns out that customer credit cards have been compromised as part of a hacking that took down all of Sands site an entire week last month.
