Gambling

Professional Sports Bettor Billy Walters Auctions Off Sprawling Estate

One of the world’s most famous sports bettors, Billy Walters, is auctioning off his 21,000 square-foot home in Rancho Santa Fe, California next month without a reserve price.

The home, located at 5425 Los Mirlitos, features seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, three half bathrooms, a tennis court, putting green and, of course, a swimming pool.  It had previously been listed at just shy of $20 million.

Submitted by Don Shapiro on, Jul/23/2014

Two Suspects Wanted in Armed Heist of Atlantic City Casino

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J (Associated Press) - Police are seeking two masked suspects who robbed an Atlantic City casino at gunpoint and made off with more than $180,000.

The heist occurred Monday morning at Caesars Atlantic City.

A law enforcement flier obtained by The Press of Atlantic City says the suspects fled in a car with two plastic boxes containing more than $180,000 in cash.

Police are not releasing any details.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Jul/22/2014

Can You Believe This? Manhunt Follows Gambler’s False Stabbing Claim

A man who fell on a can and slit himself outside a South Wales bookmaker appeared in court where a judge decided his fate.

BetOnline

No, tripping over a can is not a crime.

Calling 999 to say you were stabbed is.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Jul/22/2014

EU Issues New ‘Flawed’ Regulations for Online Gambling

The European Union has issued new regulations for online gambling in a quest to "safeguard health and minimise the eventual economic harm" suffered by the punters.

The EU wants to provide punters with the ability to set their own spending limits, minimize minors exposure to gambling ads and institute health warnings on said advertisements.

Declan Lynch of the Independent suggests these new regulations are flawed.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Jul/21/2014

NHL Player Thomas Vanek Tied to Gambling Investigation

(CSNPhilly.com/Associated Press) - Minnesota Wild forward Thomas Vanek has been connected to a federal gambling investigation, according to Rochester's News10NBC (via ProHockeyTalk).

Submitted by Associated Press on, Jul/21/2014

Turkey Has Blocked 110 Online Gambling Websites Over Past Five Years

Turkey has claimed success in the blocking of 110 illegal online gambling websites over the past five years according to that nation’s telecommunications authority on Monday.

The National Lottery and Turkey’s telecommunications authority have joined forces to prevent access to the unlicensed sites.

Turkey had once been among the most lucrative online gambling jurisdictions, serving a number of big name European bookmakers prior to the government action. Most of these bookmakers have since stopped accepting customers from Turkey.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Jul/21/2014

Online Gambling Ads Popping Up on Purported MH17 Crash Victim Facebook Pages

Scammers wasted no time in their attempt to cash in on the unfortunate victims of Malaysia Flight MH17, which crashed Thursday over the Ukraine after reportedly being shot down by a missile.  All 298 passengers, most of them Dutch, were killed in the crash.

From the London Telegraph:

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Jul/21/2014

One of Nevada Gambling Regulators Most Wanted Fugitives Arrested in PA

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (Associated Press) - One of the fugitives most wanted by Nevada gambling regulators has been arrested across the country at a Pennsylvania casino.

The Express-Times reports 40-year-old Jubreal Chahine was spotted Saturday afternoon at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem.

State police took Chahine into custody without incident after being alerted by Sands employees.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Jul/20/2014

Mounting Gambling Debts Provide Motive for Indianapolis Deadly Explosion

INDIANAPOLIS (Associated Press) — Prosecutors have filed court documents indicating that mounting gambling and credit card debt were the motive behind a deadly explosion that devastated an Indianapolis neighborhood in 2012.

Monserrate Shirley, her then-boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother, Bob Leonard, face charges of murder, arson and conspiracy to commit arson in the Nov. 10, 2012, blast that killed two of Shirley’s neighbors and wrecked dozens of houses in the Richmond Hill subdivision on the city’s far south side.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Jul/20/2014

WSEX.com Founder Jay Cohen Assets Sought Ahead of Possible Lawsuit

Gambling911.com intrepid reporter Thomas Somach has learned that an Ohio man who plans to sue now defunct World Sports Exchange (WSEX.com) founder Jay Cohen for almost $70,000 owed plans to hire an investigative team to locate the ex-convict’s assets believed to be hidden around the world.

Cohen served nearly two years behind bars for his role in running World Sports Exchange.  Last year, co-owner Steven Schillinger gave new meaning to the term “deadbeat” when he blew his brains out, at the time owing countless numbers of customers well over a million dollars.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Jul/18/2014

Romanian Princess Pleads in Cockfighting Case

(Associated Press) - Romanian princess Irina Walker pleaded guilty Wednesday to operating an illegal gambling business in connection with a cockfighting enterprise in rural Oregon.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Jul/16/2014

Casino Boat Passengers Rescued After 16 Hour Ordeal

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. — (Associated Press) - After 16 hours stuck at sea, passengers stranded on a casino boat that ran aground off Georgia’s coast were ferried to shore Wednesday aboard two Coast Guard cutters.

About 94 of The Escapade’s 96 passengers and 27 crew members arrived at the dock shortly after 4 p.m., nearly a full day after the boat left for the maiden voyage of its operator’s new Savannah service Tuesday night. A second cutter carrying 20 more people arrived shortly afterward. Four people were ferried ashore by helicopter.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Jul/16/2014

Brand New Casino Boat Stuck Off Georgia Coast With 123 People On Board

A casino boat making its maiden voyage has gotten stuck off the coast of Savannah, Georgia with 123 people on board.

BetOnline

The Escapade was supposed to return to dock around 12:30 am local time but the ship instead ran aground off the north end of Tybee Island Wednesday.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Jul/16/2014

US Attorney Charges 6 With Illegal Gambling, Money Laundering in Texas

TYLER, Texas — (Associated Press) - Authorities say six people from east Texas have been charged with illegal gambling, money laundering and drug trafficking.

U.S. attorney John Bales says police seized more than $30,000 in cash during the arrest earlier this week. Officers also took several firearms and methamphetamine.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Jul/16/2014

Thailand Nabs 5064 for Betting on World Cup

Note to self: If planning to place wagers on the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Thailand is probably not the best option.

Police in that Southeastern Asian nation announced the arrest of 5064 people for illegally gambling on this year’s World Cup. That is a sharp increase from four years ago, according to media reports.  3800 were arrested at that time.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Jul/15/2014

Bwin to Make Additional Cuts of More Than $13.6 Million to Meet Targets

(Reuters) - Online gambling company Bwin.Party, under pressure from an activist shareholder to boost its performance, said an additional 10 million euros ($13.6 million) of cost cuts would help it to meet its targets for the year.

Bwin said last month it was looking at ways of boosting shareholder value but denied a report it was considering a break-up or sale of its business.

In a trading statement on Tuesday, bwin said sports betting had benefited from the soccer World Cup but described the performance of its poker and casino business as "soft". 

Submitted by Reuters on, Jul/15/2014

Eight Accused of Illegal World Cup Betting in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) — Eight people from Malaysia, China and Hong Kong were accused Monday of operating a temporary, illegal gambling ring from exclusive high-roller villas at a Las Vegas Strip resort that investigators said logged millions of dollars in bets on FIFA World Cup soccer games.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Jul/15/2014

You’re Fired! 1000 Employees at Trump Plaza Get Pink Slips

(Reuters) - Layoff notices went out on Monday for roughly 1,000 employees of Atlantic City's Trump Plaza Casino Hotel, in anticipation of a Sept. 16 closure, the company said in a statement.

The pink slips came as the company that owns the casino, Trump Entertainment Resorts, has begun "reviewing alternatives for the property," the company statement said.

Submitted by Reuters on, Jul/14/2014

Another One Bites the Dust: Trump Plaza Latest AC Casino to Close

They are falling like dominoes.  Yet another Atlantic City has announced its intention to shut down.  This time it’s the Trump Plaza.

Trump Entertainment Resorts told The Associated Press that no final decision has been made on the Boardwalk casino. But the company said it expects the casino to close its doors on Sept. 16, immediately following the busy summer season.

Industry observers had predicted that the seaside gambling resort could lose as much as one quarter of its casino properties by year’s end.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Jul/14/2014

Where Will Dad Bet Next? Singapore Ad Follow Up Won’t Say

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore tried its best to save an own goal on Monday by updating an anti-gambling ad that starred a despairing boy named Andy telling friends his dad had bet his life savings on Germany winning the World Cup.

The National Council on Problem Gambling's commercial was lampooned around the world after Germany thrashed Brazil 7-1 in the semi-finals, sparking jokes that the ad would encourage rather than deter gambling.

Submitted by Reuters on, Jul/14/2014

Las Vegas Sands Sued for $5 Billion: Accused of Misappropriating Funds

HONG KONG — (Reuters) A former Macau business partner of Las Vegas Sands Corp. accused the casino operator of misappropriating trade secrets and is suing the company for at least $5 billion in profits that it says are owed via their joint ownership of copyright related to a casino license bid.

Asian American, headed by Taiwanese businessman Marshall Hao, filed the complaint in U.S. District Court in Nevada on Wednesday. The case is in addition to two separate, ongoing legal actions in Macau over an alleged breach of contract.

Submitted by Reuters on, Jul/13/2014

Atlantic City Making ‘Painful Shift’ Away From Gambling

(Associated Press) - Atlantic City's mayor says his city is in the midst of a painful transition from a gambling-centric resort to one where betting is only one of many things to do.

Mayor Don Guardian says he believes top elected officials still strongly support his city, and will give it the full five-year turnaround time that Gov. Chris Christie promised before considering expanding gambling to the northern New Jersey Meadowlands and elsewhere.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Jul/12/2014

Moldea: ‘No Fewer Than 26 Past and Present NFL Team Owners had Ties to Mafia’

MediaBistro.com reveals that five eBooks have been selected as part of an ongoing series curated for Open Road Integrated Media by NYU Professor of Media Studies Mark Crispin Miller.

Among those titles, Dan E. Moldea’s “Interference”.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Jul/10/2014

Missouri Bookies: St. Louis, Columbia, Texas County, Shannon County More

No matter where you are located in the Show Me State of Missouri, local bookies are only a stone’s throw away.  You just have to know how to find them.

Submitted by Don Shapiro on, Jul/09/2014

Former Rep. Connie Mack Added to Adelson Arsenal

Former Rep. Connie Mack has been brought on to help lobby in favor of a bill to ban online gambling across the USA.

Mack, who lost his Congressional seat in 2012, will lobby on behalf of Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands Corp.

Adelson has been on a crusade to abolish Internet gambling for the better part of a year now.  The GOP mega-donor had his lobbyists help draft anti-online gambling legislation introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) earlier in the year.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Jul/09/2014

Maryland Casinos See 8.4 Percent Increase in Gambling

(Associated Press) - Maryland's casinos are reporting gambling revenue of $72 Million for the month of June, up 8.4 percent from the same period last year.

Numbers released this week by the state Lottery and Gaming Control Agency show that the Maryland Live casino near Arundel Mills mall accounted for $56.5 million of the total, an increase of 10 percent from last June.

Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Cumberland reported the largest year-over-year increase, with gambling revenue up 50 percent compared to last June.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Jul/08/2014

Bookies in the Topeka, Manhattan, Kansas Area

Bookies can be found throughout the Manhattan and Topeka region of Kansas thanks to the hardcore sports fans backing local Kansas State University, home of the Wildcats.  USA Today has pegged Kansas State to be one of the top 25 football programs in the nation for 2014, thus making the demand for Price Per Head outsourcing that much more important.

Submitted by Mary Montgomery on, Jul/07/2014

Nahmad Partied Hard Before Jail Stint: Had Role in Russian Mafia Gambling Ring

The New York Post this weekend reported that art gallery owner Helly Nahmad was spotted partying with the likes of magician David Blaine and other big name celebrities the weeks leading up to his 366 day jail sentence.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Jul/07/2014

Online Gambling Operators in France Detained for Running Illegal Bitcoin Exchange

TOULOUSE, France – (Reuters) - French police have dismantled an illegal Bitcoin exchange and seized 388 virtual currency units worth some 200,000 euros ($272,800) in the first such operation in Europe, a public prosecutor said on Monday.

Submitted by Reuters on, Jul/07/2014

Breaking News: Amaya Considers London, New York for Secondary Listing

(Reuters) - Canada's Amaya Gaming Group Inc is working towards a secondary listing, either in London or in New York, the online gambling company's head told the Times on Saturday.

The company was weighing the benefits of a dual listing, but had not finalised which city it would be in, the daily quoted Chief Executive David Baazov as saying.

Amaya Gaming could not immediately be reached for a comment outside of regular business hours.

Submitted by Reuters on, Jul/06/2014

Breaking News