Gambling
Poll Finds Voters in PA Don’t Want Online Gambling
They are loving it in neighboring New Jersey but Pennsylvania voters have spoken and they say there is no place for legalized online gambling in their state.
Casino Exec With Ties to Online Gambling Rejected as ‘Unsuitable’ by NV Gaming Board
A onetime executive of the Golden Nugget and Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas has lost his bid for a Nevada gambling license after regulators rejected his application.
Philadelphia Whacks Contract With Reputed Mobster Charged With Hiring Hitman
Reputed mob associate Ronald Galati's American Collision & Automotive Center has raked in more than $1.2 million in taxpayer money since 2011. Now the city of Philadelphia has severed the lucrative contract with the auto body repair shop.
Man Dies Following Altercation in Reno Casino
Reno police are investigating the suspicious death of a man taken by ambulance from Reno’s Eldorado Casino at about 2 am Sunday morning.
“Preliminary investigation has revealed the victim was involved in a physical altercation prior to being transported to the hospital,” police said in a statement Tuesday night.
The victim’s name and age had not yet been released as police await the final results of an autopsy.
Smooth Landing: Dennis Rodman Back in North Korea After Purging, Execution
Former NBA player Dennis Rodman has landed safely in North Korea along with a documentary film crew to help coach the rogue nation’s men’s basketball team.
Rodman, whose trip is being sponsored by Irish bookmaker Paddy Power, arrives just days after the execution of supreme leader Kim Jong-un's uncle, Jang Song-thaek.
Rodman was met at Pyongyang's airport by Vice Sports Minister Son Kwang Ho.
Director Nick Cassavetes Sues Friend Over Gambling Debt, $72k Bounced Check
Famed film Director Nick Cassavetes is suing his buddy over a $72,000 check that bounced and, according to TMZ.com, it’s for a gambling debt.
The friend, Kevin Washington, reportedly gave Cassavetes a handwritten check for $72,600 and allegedly stopped payment.
Cassavetes is a known gambler who has bet large sums of money at private home games.
Oddly enough, the film director was sued himself in 2011 for nearly an identical amount. The trustee of a convicted hedge fund manager claimed Cassavetes owed hi a $73,000 poker debt.
Bwin Sees World Cup Bringing Growth in 2014
LONDON – (Reuters) - Online gambling company Bwin.Party said on Wednesday the outlook for next year was positive thanks to betting on the soccer World Cup and growth prospects in the United States.
Trading in 11 weeks since the end of September 2013 has been in line with its expectations, the company said.
Bwin is focusing on fewer, better-regulated markets and is expanding in the United States, as gambling rules are relaxed in places like New Jersey.
SC Bookie and Convicted Murderer Brett Parker, Dad Sentenced to Five Months
Irmo, South Carolina bookie Brett Parker, his dad Jack Parker and an associate Douglas E. Taylor were sentenced Wednesday morning in a federal court in Columbia following convictions for illegal bookmaking.
First Pot, Now Possibly Legalized Online Gambling in Colorado
A Constitutional amendment would be required to allow real money online gambling in Colorado and voters could ultimately decide whether or not to allow the activity some time in the approaching year (2014).
Tribe Suing New Mexico Over Failed Gambling Compact Negotiations
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Associated Press) - One of New Mexico's American Indian tribes is suing the state over failed negotiations concerning its gaming compact.
Pojoaque Pueblo Gov. George Rivera says the agreement being sought by Gov. Susana Martinez's administration would further restrict tribal gambling operations and would increase taxes, fees and other charges.
Rivera says such a compact would not help New Mexico's gaming industry compete with other states, especially since casino revenues have been flat since 2008 and government funding for tribes has diminished.
Paddy Power Places Dennis Rodman in the Line of Fire With North Korea Trip
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman is on his way to North Korea where he will meet with his so-called “friend for life”, the Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un. The timing couldn’t be any better. Kim Jong-un, it is believed, just had his uncle executed and his aunt, the one believed to be responsible for the purging and subsequent execution, is reportedly missing.
Convicted Mobster Whitey Bulger Transferred to Oklahoma Prison
Former Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger has been moved to a federal prison in Oklahoma, although it was not immediately clear if he is there to stay.
The 84-year-old Bulger was being held Tuesday at FTC Oklahoma City, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons website. The facility is a transfer point for many federal prisoners.
Churchill Downs, Wynn, Station Casinos Gets Seats on AGA Board
The American Gaming Association (AGA) announced three new seats to its board on Tuesday. Among the new additions are Wynn Resorts, Station Casinos and Churchill Downs.
Station Casinos is behind the first ever licensed real money online poker site to operate from the US, Ultimate Poker. The company currently operates within both Nevada and New Jersey but does not permit customers to play beyond those respective state borders.
Internet Gaming Expo to be Held in Atlantic City, New Jersey January 25
The first ever Internet Gaming Expo will be held at the Atlantic City Convention Center January 25 (2013). The one-day event is being organized by iGamingPlayer.com.
91,000 Online Gambling Accounts Set Up in New Jersey After One Month
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Associated Press) -- New Jersey casinos added 20,000 Internet gambling accounts last week.
The state's Gaming Enforcement Division said Monday that 91,531 accounts had been created as of Sunday. The number of individual gamblers who have played so far has yet to be determined, though, as some users have created accounts with multiple gambling websites in New Jersey.
Wynn Resorts Suitable to Open Casino in Massachusetts
(Associated Press) - The Massachusetts Gaming Commission's investigative unit has found Wynn Resorts suitable to open a resort casino in Everett.
The commission wasn't planning to take a final vote Monday, but the recommendation is another hurdle Wynn has cleared as it seeks to win the one eastern Massachusetts casino license allowed under the 2011 casino law.
The commendation comes after four commission members signed off on a revised real estate deal for the proposed casino.
Colorado Latest State to Consider Legalizing Online Gambling
The state of Colorado is the first in the Mountain Zone to consider legalizing online gambling.
Already three states in the US have legalized Web gambling within their respective borders: Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware.
PayPal Admits to Sharing Customer Info With Company Tied to UB Poker Scandal
According to PayPal's Privacy Policy, the popular payment company contracts Iovation to "retrieve risk information regarding the IP and device from which you are accessing PayPal [and] research and testing as to appropriateness of new products and services."
Former Crime Boss Son Charged With Possession of Kiddie Porn
The son of one-time Genovese Crime boss Arthur (Artie) Nigro was arrested in the Bronx Wednesday for promoting a sexual performance of a child under the age of 17.
Adelson Ditches Plans to Build $30 Billion Mega Casino in Madrid
Feisty 80-year-old gambling tycoon Sheldon Adelson has cancelled plans to build a $30 billion gambling and leisure complex outside of one of Europe’s biggest metropolises, Madrid, Spain.
No way had been found to meet the "necessary criteria" for the project, the head of Las Vegas Sands Corporation said in a press release.
North Korea Leader Kim Jong Un Uncle Executed Over Gambling, Drug Usage
The uncle of North Korea leader Kim Jong Un has been executed after being charged with disloyalty to the regime.
Skrill to Stop Online Gambling Transactions in Canada
The popular payment processing firm Skrill has decided to halt transactions for online gambling activity for the foreseeable future.
The change is anticipated as of January 2 of this coming year (2014). Transactions from merchants will end effective January 31.
New Jersey Gambling Expansion on the Table
TRENTON, New Jersey — (Associated Press) - Some New Jersey lawmakers are busy preparing for the day they expect casino gambling to expand to the Meadowlands.
A state Assembly committee on Thursday is considering a bill that would create a commission to study expanding casino gambling to East Rutherford.
Caesars Files Suit Against Massachusetts Gambling Panel Head
BOSTON — (Associated Press) - A lawsuit filed by Caesars Entertainment against the state's top gambling regulator alleges he failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest in a timely manner.
Caesars had been a partner of the Suffolk Downs horse track in a casino bid but withdrew after a background check by commission staff.
The federal lawsuit challenges the ''constitutionality, objectivity and fairness'' of Caesars' treatment by Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby.
Graphic Video of Shooting Outside Bally’s Nightclub Drai’s Released (Video)
Video surveillance of an October 21 shooting outside Drai’s After Hours club inside Bally’s Las Vegas casino was released to the public on Tuesday.
Benjamin Frazier, 41, is charged with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder and one count of carrying a concealed firearm or other deadly weapon.
Frazier opened fired following a dispute over a $30 cover charge, according to a Metro Police arrest report.
Breaking News: New Jersey Suspends Review of PokerStars
In a major blow to the world’s largest online poker firm, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has suspended the review of PokerStars application for an online gambling license for two years.
Tribes Set to Begin Offering Online Gambling, Some to Target Most US States
Some of the 240 Indian tribes in the U.S. are eager for a piece of that market, writes Pamela M. Prah of PewStates.org
The tribal online gambling efforts might exceed those at the state level where only three states have so far legalized Web gambling: Nevada, New Jersey and tiny Delaware.
Prah notes:
The Hill: Sheldon Adelson’s Futile War on Internet Gambling
TheHill.com released a compelling op-ed piece this week on Nevada gaming tycoon Sheldon Adelson’s attempt to quash legalized Internet gambling in the US, calling it “futile”. Michael Minton of TheHill.com writes:Congressional Subcommittee Looks at Internet Gambling at Federal Level
(Associated Press) - Organizations and advocates on all sides of the online gambling debate are cheering a Congressional hearing on the state of online gambling.
The hearing took place Tuesday before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade.
In his testimony, American Gaming Association President Geoff Freeman praised the hearing as timely. He said the gambling lobby appreciated Congress' leadership.
The Gaming Association is pushing for a national regulatory structure for online gambling.
NJ Governor Chris Christie Going to Supreme Court Over Sports Betting
Fourth time is a charm perhaps as New Jersey’s attempts to legalize sports betting in the Garden State have failed three times already in federal courts.
Governor Chris Christie has cried foul against the National Basketball Association, National Football League and other professional sports association that filed suit against the state to prevent such wagering in Atlantic City casinos.
