Gambling
Vegas Visitor Count Up Slightly in August
(Associated Press) - Tourism authorities say the number of visitors to Las Vegas went up slightly in August compared with last year.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported Monday that about 3.4 million visitors came to town in August, up 0.9 percent from the same month last year.
The number of conventions and meetings held in Las Vegas in August was down 13 percent year-over-year.
Room occupancy ticked up slightly from last August to just more than 84 percent, and average hotel room rates ticked up more than 3 percent to $105 per night.
Robert McGuigan Talks of How Gambling Killed His Son – Part III of This Woo Report
Gambling911.com International Correspondent Jenny Woo concludes her riveting report on Robert McGuigan and how gambling addiction ultimately lead to his son’s untimely death. This is Part III of the series.
Prosecutor: Mobster Claims he has Bladder Cancer to Get Lighter Sentence
An 86-year-old mobster got a lighter sentence than the two years in prison he had previously been facing after claiming a series of ailments, including bladder cancer.
Explosive Revelations in Nuke Boss Gambling Probe
A vice admiral and the second in command of the US nuke program at the United States Strategic Command outside of Omaha, Nebraska, has been suspended for his alleged role in a counterfeit casino chip probe.
Number 2 Nuke Commander Tim Giardina Suspended Amidst Gambling Probe (Updated)
A senior defense official has confirmed that Vice Admiral Tim Giardina was suspended from his duties earlier this month following a probe into gambling offenses. The U.S. Navy vice admiral is second in command of U.S. Strategic Command.
Melco-Crown Entertainment to Invest USD 5 Billion in Japan Casino
Melco-Crown Entertainment, a joint venture between Macau casino tycoon Lawrence Ho and Australian gambling billionaire, James Packer, has announced plans to invest US$5 billion into a new casino resort in Japan.
Speaking to Bloomberg News, Ho state: "If Japan opens up and allows integrated resorts in Tokyo, Osaka, the market could easily be in excess of $10 billion to $15 billion or more."
US-based casino operators Wynn Resorts and MGM are also seeking to expand its casino empire in Japan.
Slot Cheat Added to Nevada Black Book
(Associated Press) - A convicted Las Vegas slot cheat has been added to Nevada's Black Book of people barred from entering casinos.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board on Thursday added Larry Green to what's officially known as Nevada's Excluded Person List.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports Green did not attend the Nevada Gaming Commission meeting.
Famed Gambler Archie Karas Arrested for Cheating at Casino
A world famous gambler was arrested in his Las Vegas home Tuesday, charged with cheating at the Barona Casino in San Diego.
Anargyros Karabourniotis, known better as Archie Karas, was charged with burglary and winning blackjack by fraudulent means. It is anticipated he will be extradited back to San Diego to face those charges.
Film ‘Runner, Runner’ Could Help to Make Costa Rica Croc Bridge Famous (Video)
Sure, much of the online gambling film “Runner, Runner” is a fictitious account of what really occurs in the mysterious multi-billion dollar industry. Set in the real world online gambling Mecca of San Jose, Costa Rica but filmed almost entirely in Puerto Rico, “Runner, Runner” goes a bit overboard in its depiction of the Web gambling world (literally in some cases).
Washington Campaign Director Charged With Embezzlement: Gambled Away Funds
(Reuters) - The former head of a Democratic Party fundraising committee in Washington state has been charged with embezzling up to $300,000 in campaign contributions to feed a gambling habit, prosecutors said on Wednesday.
‘Runner, Runner’ Reviews Are All In: ‘Uncompelling, Sketchy, Charmless, Limp’
The reviews are in for the online gambling thriller “Runner, Runner” and they aren’t very good. In fact, to date, just 20 percent of critics at movie review aggregator site RottenTomatoes.com have given the film a thumb’s up. Audience reviews were equally as harsh, though somewhat limited.
Former Manchester United Winger: ‘Gambling Plunged Me Into Serious Debt’
Excerpts have been released from ex-Manchester United winger Keith Gillespie’s new book “How Not to be a Football Millionaire”.
AGA Uses ‘Runner, Runner’ Film to Highlight Ills of Current Online Gambling Sector
Executives with the American Gaming Association (AGA) want everyone to know that today’s online gambling industry is unregulated with shady operators who offer paybacks to corrupt Banana republic politicians and routinely throw deadbeat gamblers into alligator infested waters.
Mass Congressman Owes Attorneys After Fighting Offshore Gambling Claims
US Representative John F. Tierney of Massachusetts has set up a legal defense fund to help pay for attorneys utilized while defending himself from allegations that he failed to disclose funds derived from his brother-in-law’s offshore gambling business.
US Online Gamblers Spent US$2.6 Billion in 2012
WASHINGTON—(AFP) - Americans spent US$2.6 billion on gambling websites in 2012, according to a study released Tuesday by the casino industry as it renewed a push for Congress to regulate online betting.
The American Gaming Association, which released the study, said it highlights the need for federal legislation to end the state of “ambiguity” on Internet wagering.
Long Time Chicago Politician Sentenced for Gambling With Campaign Funds
CHICAGO - (UPI) -- A longtime Chicago politician will serve 6 months in jail after being convicted of tax evasion and mishandling campaign funds, prosecutors said.
William Beavers, 78, a Democratic Cook County commissioner since 2007 and before that Chicago's 7th ward alderman since 1983, was convicted of tax evasion in March for concealing his under-reporting of income, U.S. Attorney Gary S. Shapiro said Wednesday.
Man Received $250k Penalty, No Jail Time in Legends Sports Case
A New York State man has received a $250,000 penalty and no jail time in connection with a billion dollar international sports betting ring that shut down popular online site Legends.com.
Craig Hayner, 44, became the fourth defendant based out of the Albany area to receive a sentence with no jail time.
World’s Biggest Gambling Conference Kicks Off in Vegas
LAS VEGAS -- The world's largest gambling conference got underway in Las Vegas on Tuesday with flashing slot machines, chain smoking businessmen, and glittery performers dressed as characters from "Avatar" and the "Walking Dead."
Defense Attorneys in South Carolina Bookie Case Want New Trial
The defense attorneys in a federal gambling case against an Irmo, South Carolina bookie, his father and an associate are calling for a new trial. The Trio was found guilty last week.
Man Accused of Australian Football Match-Fixing Denied Bail
MELBOURNE, Australia (Associated Press) -- A Malaysian man accused of being the local organizer of a syndicate that tried to fix matches in an Australian provincial football league has been denied bail in a Melbourne court.
Magistrate Jelena Popovic told the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday she refused to grant bail to Segaran "Gerry" Gsubramaniam with "grave reluctance" because it might be two years before his case is finalized.
Man Wins $1.3 Million in a Single Weekend at Bitcoin Online Casino
One lucky individual managed to win $1.3 million this past weekend at Just-Dice.com, a European-based online casino offering a bitcoin dice game. The amount translated into bitcoins was 11,000.
Snitch Banker in Full Tilt Poker Case Told By Bosses She Would be Arrested
LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) — A banker who took on an online gambling operation was the star of an anti-money-laundering conference in Las Vegas on Monday.
Compliance officer Cathy Scharf told an auditorium full of aghast colleagues about her experiences at a Utah bank that illegally processed a quarter billion dollars for the offshore gambling sites PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.
She said her bosses told her the bank would fail without the illegal income, and they threatened her with arrest if she told on them.
New Jersey Expects to Have Online Gambling Sites Going by November 26
ATLANTIC CITY — (Associated Press) - New Jersey says it remains on track to start offering Internet gambling by the end of November, although a final launch date has not yet been determined.
The state Division of Gaming Enforcement says it is trying to meet a state deadline of Nov. 26.
The division said Monday that casinos submitted additional information it requested by last Friday's deadline so that regulators can evaluate their applications to begin online betting.
888 Inks Deal With Wynn to Offer Online Gambling
Wynn Resorts has entered into a deal with 888 Holdings to offer online gambling in the United States it was revealed on Monday.
Wynn’s website will operate on the 888 network, All American Poker Network (AAPN).
888 is already partnered with Caesars Interactive, which last week launched the real money version of its WSOP.com website.
888 is now the world’s 3rd largest online poker company after overtaking PartyPoker this month.
Established Gambling Destinations Like Vegas Faltering According to Moody’s
LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) — Established gambling towns like Las Vegas and Atlantic City are hurting as more states start welcoming bettors’ dollars, Moody’s Investors Service warned last week.
The credit rating agency issued a report describing a shift in casino tax revenues away from New Jersey, Indiana and Nevada to new markets in places like Pennsylvania, Illinois and Ohio.
Son-In-Law of India’s Cricket Boss Charged in Betting Scandal
(Reuters) - Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf and the son-in-law of the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) president were charged by Mumbai Police on Saturday in a betting scandal surrounding the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.
Gurunath Meiyappan, son-in-law of BCCI president N. Srinivasan, was arrested in May after being quizzed by police probing illegal betting on the Twenty20 league.
A total of 22 people have been charged for gambling, cheating and fraud, the police said.
Why Extradite Amanda Knox: Italy Refused Extradition of Anhang ‘Black Widow’ Wife
A lot has been made as to whether the US Government should extradite Amanda Knox back to Italy.
Test Drive Perhead.com’s Betting Software
Perhead.com now offers demos for agents looking to place their clients with one of the first established per head shops offshore.
Queens DA Indicts 6 for Running Gambling Ring, Trafficking Cocaine and Heroin
NEW YORK (Associated Press) — Authorities say six people have been indicted in connection with a New York gambling ring that handled an estimated $1 million in bets a year.
Authorities say about 30 betting parlors operated through a central wire room in Brooklyn.
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown says the family-run ring operated in Queens, Brooklyn and Nassau County.
Dozens of TSA Employees Fired Over Illegal Gambling (Video)
An illegal gambling ring involving Transportation Security Administration workers at Pittsburgh International Airport had been broken up with dozens of employees either fired or suspended. Some 300 more employees working at the airport were also scrutinized as a result of the scandal.
