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- Latest Senate Odds as Nebraska Now "Lean Republican" and Ohio "Toss Up"
- Bruno Mars Addresses Rumors He was Forced to Play Shows Over Vegas Gambling Debts
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Gambling News/ Regional (North Carolina)
Top GOP Donor Asks Lawmakers to Reject Gambling Expansion
Tuesday April 14,, 2026 (11:39 am EDT)
As Gambling911.com reported last week, a top GOP donor is pushing hard to stop gambling expansion efforts in the state of North Carolina.
Bob Luddy sent out an open letter to state senators last Tuesday.
“Casino gambling corrupts everything it touches and creates long-term costs for law enforcement, Medicaid and families,” Luddy said in a statement. “I am asking lawmakers to refuse casino money and stand with voters who do not want gambling in North Carolina.”
In the letter, Luddy claimed the state’s economic success stems from low taxes, school choice and a “hospitable” environment for business expansion and jobs.
“NC does not need casino gambling because it undermines society and in the long run, corrupts everyone it touches,” Luddy said in a recent letter to lawmakers. “Revenue gained is not needed and will be very costly for law enforcement, the welfare state, Medicaid and civil society.”
Proponents of the budget item argued that casinos would have a positive economic impact on the counties, citing an analysis that estimates a $1.9 billion casino market in North Carolina.
Lawmakers prepared to return to Raleigh for a new legislative session.
Politics
Latest Senate Odds as Four States Show Movement
Tuesday April 14,, 2026 (11 am EDT)
The highly regarded Cook Political Report shows four states moving in favor of the Democrats with three of these priced fairly heavily in favor of that party at BetOnline.
Nebraska has shifted in favor of the Democrats. Well, sort of...
Sen. Pete Ricketts’s (R-Neb.) reelection attempt has moved from “Solid Republican” to “Lean Republican.”
Ohio, Georgia and North Carolina have moved more in favor of the Democrats, thus leading to the Democrats controlling the Senate with odds priced at -130 at BetOnline for the upcoming November Midterm elections.
Gambling Crime
Comedian Prosecution for Online Gambling
Monday April 13,, 2026 (10:24pm EDT)
Comedian Lee Jin-ho, who is accused of illegal gambling, has been sent to prosecutors.
According to police on the 14th, the Yangpyeong Police Station in Gyeonggi referred Lee without detention to the Yeoju branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office in the middle of last month on charges of illegal gambling.
Lee previously admitted to illegal gambling in 2024 through his social media. He gambled through an illegal online gambling site, and in the process, he reportedly borrowed about 2 billion won from a lending company and fellow entertainers.
Was Bruno Mars Forced to Play Shows at Park MGM Vegas to Pay Off Mounting Gambling Debts?
Was Bruno Mars Forced to Play Shows at Park MGM Vegas to Pay Off Mounting Gambling Debts?
The "Uptown Funk" singer Bruno Mars seems to get a kick out of the rumors he owed significant gambling debts to at least one Vegas casino.
On Friday, Mars kicked off The Romantic Tour with a two-night gig at Allegiant Stadium and made mention of rumors floating around that he was forced to perform for a relatively long period of nine years at the Park MGM in Las Vegas where he enjoyed a residency.
“I’m debt-free. I paid the casino off a long time ago," he said in between sets during some on stage banter.
- Chris Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
