Gambling
Global Sports Betting Worth $3 Trillion, Most of it Illegal
(AFP) - The global sports betting market is worth up to $3-trillion, the vast majority of that generated by illegal gambling, a United Nations conference on crime being held in Doha heard on Wednesday.
Patrick Jay, a British-based independent betting expert, said around 65 per cent of that global figure was spent on football betting, with the Asian market the centre of sports gambling.
Magnus Hedman the New Man Behind the Curtain at Pinnacle Sports
SBC News has revealed that Touchbet ltd and Sporting Index owner Magnus Hedman is the new majority shareholder in Pinnacle Sports, once among the biggest online sportsbooks catering to North America. The company pulled out of the US market in 2007, opting instead to focus on Europe and Asia.
Guilty Pleas Entered in Illegal Vegas Sports Betting Case: $4.3 Mil to be Forfeited
Four individuals have struck deals with the U.S. Government to plead guilty in a long running investigation into a multi-million dollar sports betting business.
World Exclusive: Live In-Game Wagering Comes to Daily Fantasy Sports
The inventor of the world's first live in-game sports betting system for Las Vegas casinos has now invented the world's first live in-game system for sports fantasy, Gambling 911 can reveal in a world exclusive report.
Barry Mindes, an 83-year-old engineer from New York who now lives in South Florida, created the SportsXaction betting system in the mid-1990s.
SportsXacton, which debuted at the Excalibur casino in Las Vegas, allowed bettors to wager on every pitch of a baseball game while the game was in progress.
Real Money English Premier League Fantasy Contests Debut With FantasyGol
Gauatemala City-based FantasyGol announced on Wednesday the launch of its new pay-to-play real money English Premier League fantasy contests platform they hope will take the industry by storm.
This past fall FantasyGol teamed up with Rochester, New York-based Flower City Gaming, the operators behind Star Fantasy Leagues, in an effort to provide the ultimate daily and weekly fantasy sports experience.
666Bet.com Back Peddling on Payout Promise: ‘We Can Only Pay When Back Online’
Beleaguered 666Bet.com issued a statement on Tuesday informing its customers they can only pay if back up and running online. This comes after assurances the company would refund customers once its licensing authority gives the green light.
Bookie Forced Man to Rob Churches
Attorneys representing Joseph Grieco, 45, of Methuen, Massachusetts have notified a judge about the possible defense for their client, accused of scamming several area churches out of cash and gift cards. His bookie made him do it!
From the Union Leader:
Motorcycle Shooting of Sportsbook Operator Outside CR Bakery Was Failed Hit
A man shot four times outside an Escazu, Costa Rica bakery last month was the target of a failed hit, Gambling911.com can now confirm.
Sources close to G911 tell us that a sportsbook operator from California by the name of Jason was the target of this hit though the incident does not appear to have any ties to a bookmaking/Pay Per Head businesses had ties to.
Atlantic City Finally Sees Revenue Increase
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Associated Press) -- Atlantic City's eight casinos saw their revenue increase by 2.3 percent in March, compared to a year ago.
But when the four casinos that shut down last year are included in the comparison, the city's gambling revenue was down 12.6 percent.
Figures released Tuesday by the state's Gaming Enforcement Division show the eight surviving casinos took in $203.8 million in March, compared to the $199.2 million they won in March 2014.
Vulcan eSports Daily Fantasy Site Raises $12 Million
Daily fantasy sports for video games, also known as eSports, is increasing in popularity even more so than the traditional (if you can call it that) daily fantasy sports sector. And a little known company just months ago, Vulcan, is leading the way.
The firm has secured investment funding to the tune of $12 million.
Suspected ‘Juice Bar Burglar’ Arrested in Underground Gambling Den
A man suspected in a San Fernando Valley, California crime spree was taken into custody over the weekend inside a local gambling den.
Authorities were able to identify the so-called “Juice Bar Burglar” by a distinctive tattoo.
“His tattoo was his undoing,” LAPD Lt. Paul Vernon said in a statement. “We just needed to get the word and the picture out, and he was done as the Juice Bar Burglar.”
Per CBS LA’s report:
Bookmaker Ordered to Serve an Additional Four Month Sentence
FARGO, N.D. – (Associated Press) - A judge says a 69-year-old man convicted of running an illegal bookmaking operation in North Dakota must serve an additional four months in prison on top of a current sentence he is serving in Minnesota.
Fears Mount as 666Bet.com Players Not Getting Paid
Officials at beleaguered online gambling firm 666Bet.com sought to calm customer fears Monday that they will not be getting paid. The company shut down abruptly last night after its Director was arrested on money laundering charges.
Since that time, 666Bet.com customers have had little success accessing their funds.
The company issued this statement Monday:
Louisiana Mulls Over Daily Fantasy Sports Legislation
Louisiana has become the latest state to consider a measure fully legalizing daily fantasy sports for real money.
While not explicitly illegal in Louisiana, State Representative Joseph Lopinto wants his bill to clarify that daily fantasy sports is not gambling.
“We’re not betting on the outcome of a game or a point spread. Fantasy football is a game of skill,” Lopinto said.
FBI Probe San Francisco Sheriff’s Deputies for Gambling on Fights Between Inmates
SAN FRANCISCO — (Associated Press) - The FBI is investigating allegations that San Francisco sheriff’s deputies arranged and gambled on fights between jail inmates and told the inmates to lie if they needed medical attention.
Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi announced the independent probe Friday, and a representative from the FBI confirmed the investigation in an email to The Associated Press. The department’s internal affairs unit and the U.S. Department of Justice are investigating as well.
Judge Again Sides With Golden Nugget in Card Shuffling Flap
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — (Associated Press) - Luck appears to have run out for a group of gamblers who won $1.5 million from an Atlantic City casino that was using unshuffled cards.
A judge has again sided with the Golden Nugget against 14 gamblers who say they won the money through no fault of their own playing mini-baccarat in April 2012.
Sports Tout Adam Meyer Sees Bail Revoked: Accused of Multi-Million Dollar Fraud
A Fort Lauderdale, Florida man charged with running an elaborate sports handicapping fraud scheme has had his bail revoked by a judge.
Adam Meyer, 43, was arrested last October for trying to extort $25 million from a Wisconsin businessman.
In British Vote Too Tight to Call, Gamblers Seek the $150 Million Answer
(Reuters) - If Prime Minister David Cameron forms Britain's next government after the tightest election in a generation, it will not just be the Conservative Party leader who will be smiling. Scott Moorhead will be laughing all the way to the bank.
As part of a record 100 million pounds expected to be gambled on the British election, Moorhead stands to win 250 pounds on a 500 pound bet that the Conservatives will win most parliamentary seats in the May 7 election.
PokerStars Parent Company Amaya Trading Probe Details Emerge
Parent company to the world’s largest online poker site PokerStars, Amaya Gaming has reportedly been the subject of a probe by the Quebec securities regulator Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF).
Atlantic City’s Revel Casino Gets Second Life
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — (Associated Press) - Revel, the multibillion-dollar resort bust that was once widely viewed as the potential savior of Atlantic City’s struggling casino industry, is getting a second chance as part of a Florida developer’s ambitious plan to remake the East Coast gambling resort into a destination for bettors and tourists alike.
No Resort Casinos Coming to Florida as Bid to do so Ends
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — (Associated Press) - A push to bring Las Vegas-styled resort casinos to South Florida is once again being rejected by the state Legislature.
The idea was a long shot from the start, but a top House Republican on Tuesday filed a revamped gambling proposal that drops any mention of casinos.
Connecticut Casinos Stand to Lose $570 Million
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The Native American tribes proposing to build new casinos in Connecticut released a report Monday that says new facilities in New York and Massachusetts, if left unchecked, will siphon away $570 million annually in gambling revenue.
The leaders of the Mohegan Tribe and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation said they were not surprised by the forecast, but they hope the report they commissioned will help inform others including the governor, who has been noncommittal about his position on opening more casinos.
Shooting at Las Vegas M Resort Casino Leaves One Man Dead
A self-inflicted gun wound has left one man dead at the Las Vegas M Resort Casino.
The incident occurred at 4:50 pm Sunday near the casino’s buffet.
Police said one adult who fell while escaping the scene was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Another person was checked out on scene. A car fire in the casino garage at the exact time of the shooting was also being investigated.
Chairs Go Flying as Dozens Brawl at Resorts World Casino in Queens (Shock Video)
A melee involving dozens of casino patrons turned into an epic brawl at the Resorts World Casino at the Aqueduct Race Track in Queens, New York, all of which was caught on cell phone videos.
The incident occurred at the opening of a Fat Tuesday daiquiri bar within the establishment and quickly escalated into the neighboring food court.
Harry Reid Now Wants Ban on Internet Gambling
One-time Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid has said he will make banning Internet gambling a number one priority during his final years in Congress.
Reid announced he will be retiring at the end of his term in 2016.
The Democrat had previously pushed to have online poker legalized at the federal level.
“Online gaming is not good for our country,” Reid told a Vegas radio show last week.
World Exclusive: Indiana Drops Efforts to Legalize Sports Betting, Fantasy Sports
The State of Indiana is dealing with plenty of issues these days, but two things it won't be dealing with any time soon are sports betting and fantasy sports wagering at the state's casinos.
DraftKings Now Official Daily Fantasy Sports Sponsor of Major League Baseball
With the new Major League Baseball season starting next week, the world’s second largest daily fantasy sports provider, DraftKings, has announced a deal to become MLB’s official DFS sponsor.
Jarred Cosart Emphatic Amidst Probe: ‘I Never Have, Never Will Bet on Baseball
JUPITER, Fla. (Associated Press) — Speaking directly about the topic for the first time since gambling-related tweets appeared on his Twitter account last week, Miami pitcher Jarred Cosart denied ever betting on baseball.
"I never have, never will bet on baseball," Cosart said Wednesday.
Tweets that appeared on Cosart's account discussed gambling advice received from a gambling expert. They did not appear to involve baseball bets.
Cosart briefly addressed the situation last week, stating he was cooperating with Major League Baseball’s investigation.
Las Vegas Drags Down State Overall Gambling Numbers
LAS VEGAS — (Associated Press) - Nevada's casinos won $916 million in February, but it was less than they won a year ago and still a ways from the state's more than $1 billion winning high-point two years ago.
The Las Vegas Strip lagged, dragging down the state's overall numbers.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board released its latest statistics Tuesday. They showed the amount casinos won from gamblers rose everywhere except the Strip, where winnings declined 4.38 percent to $531 million.
Morgan Stanley Cuts Online Gambling Estimate in Half
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Associated Press) — Morgan Stanley has cut its estimate of the potential U.S. Internet gambling market by nearly half.
The firm now estimates the nationwide online betting market at $2.7 billion by 2020, down from an initial estimate of $5 billion.
In a report issue Tuesday, the firm predicts no additional states will approve Internet gambling this year, but foresees California, Pennsylvania, New York and Illinois getting into the game within a few years.
