|
Latest News
GAMBLING CRIMES NEWS EXCERPTS 10/4/09 to 10/11/09 National Gambling Crimes 3 men charged in $420,000 theft from Pa. casinoPA - Three men, including a former police officer, used a slot machine "glitch" at The Meadows Racetrack... To get it to pay them $420,000. One of the biggest slot thefts in casino gaming.
www.forbes.com /
Associated Press /
10.07.09 6 Charged In Senior Scam InitiativeMI - Criminal charges have been filed against six people accused of financially exploiting senior citizens. Crothers... Was charged with one count of embezzlement, $20,000 or more, from a vulnerable adult. He is accused of embezzling his father's Social Security funds to play Keno and gambling away more than $200,000 of his father's assets. Financial exploitation of seniors is one of the fastest growing crimes in America, with as many as 5,000 seniors being victimized a year.
www.clickondetroit.com /
October 8, 2009 9 held in connection with Pagans gambling ringPA - Goat collected $150 in gambling proceeds; Tack, $120; Damian, $150; Pit Stop, $150; Vin Dog, $150; and Prospect Sal, $150, according to an April 28, 2008, FBI property receipt. But that was enough to charge them and Tuna, Casual and Hard Rock, of the Pagans Outlaw Motorcycle Club in Philadelphia, and nine other members in New Jersey, with interstate travel in the aid of racketeering in a 44-count federal racketeering indictment in West Virginia yesterday. In other words, they're accused of transporting illegal gambling funds across state lines. The Pagans' top two national leaders - President David Keith "Bart" Barbieto, of Myersville, Md., and ex-Vice President Flood "Jesse" Moore, of St. Albans, W.Va. - were accused of operating the East Coast-based biker club as a "national criminal organization," engaged in kidnapping, robbery, extortion and conspiracy to commit murder, according to the indictment.
www.philly.com /
Philadelphia Daily News /
/
Oct. 7, 2009 Action filed against Rivers CasinoPA - The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is prepared to get tough with the Rivers Casino unless it turns over the $7.5 million required of it as part of the funding for the city's new arena. Unless the casino pays up or reaches a "mutually acceptable" funding agreement with the city-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority, the bureau is urging gaming board members to impose a $7.5 million penalty or fine -- the same amount due for the arena. Yesterday's action marks the second time since July the gaming board has stepped in to try to resolve a dispute between the casino and the SEA over the timing of the first arena payment. If the casino fails to live up to the agreement, the state would be required to pick up the tab, the complaint stated, adding that the "burden of paying the shortfall ... will fall upon Pennsylvania citizens in the form of additional taxes."
post-gazette.com /
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette /
/
October 08, 2009 Alleged mob scam reached North RiverdaleNY - Work on a North Riverdale commercial building was a focus of a sting in which law enforcement officials charged 29 people allegedly involved in corruption within the city Department of Buildings, DOB inspectors connected to the Lucchese crime family took bribes to grant building permits, The allegedly corrupt buildings inspectors accused of taking the bribes, including a father, Carmine "Snappy" Francomano, and his sons, Carmine Jr. and Frank, are also charged with planning to sell cocaine and the prescription painkiller Percocet, involvement in an illegal gambling ring, and trafficking in firearms.
riverdalepress.com /
/
October 10, 2009 Animal cruelty leads to crimes against humans (Rep. Elton Gallegly)DC - (Stevens) video "Japan Pit Fights" similarly depicts a series of graphic dogfights from beginning to end. They are gruesome pro-dogfighting videos geared specifically to dogfighters. Other crimes often go hand-in-hand with animal fighting, including illegal gambling, drug trafficking and acts of human violence. Virtually every arrest for animal cruelty has also led to additional arrests for at least one of these criminal activities. This is not a First Amendment issue; this is a law enforcement issue. The FBI, U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice consider animal cruelty to be one of the early warning signs of potential violence by youths.
thehill.com /
/
10/05/09 Bond set for woman accused of stealing from sister's businessWI - Suzanne M. Ebert... Is charged with theft in a business setting... While going through bank records, Ebert's sister noticed numerous transactions at the Rainbow Casino in Nekoosa, including $34,303.47 in debit card transactions, $8,961.81 in credit...
www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com /
Daily Tribune /
October 6, 2009 Cambridge man once accused of stealing from elderly father charged in North Branch bank robberyMN - A Cambridge man, once accused of draining his elderly invalid father's life savings and credit cards of more than $34,000 to play blackjack, now faces a bank robbery charge. Wallat, 58, took $8,850 from a teller at a bank in North Branch... Reed-Hall, the assistant Isanti County attorney who prosecuted Wallat in the case involving his father's life savings, said she wasn't shocked that Wallat had another run-in with the law. Wallat lived with his father, who was nearly blind and bedridden. He said he figured his son was using his own money when he left the house at night to go to the casino. Wallat told the investigator that when his son would leave for the casino, "he would be left alone in bed with no way to move around the home through the night and into the afternoon the next day." Wallat testified at trial that he knew he didn't have enough money to cover the first four checks but that "he intended to cover the checks by money he won gambling and that he was prevented from winning money at gambling when Unbank refused his fifth check,"
www.twincities.com /
/
10/08/2009 Carolina Strip Club Finds Unusual Way to Sidestep Gambling LawNC - A North Carolina strip club not only hosted illegal gambling games, but paid the winners with alcohol, drugs, and sex. The strip club... Was raided after an intensive investigation over many months led officers to believe the Gastonia business was fronting for illegal gambling and prostitution.
www.onlinecasinoadvisory.com /
/
October 8, 2009 Casino bosses go after Francis' assetsNV - Have been granted the right to obtain... Francis' [Girls Gone Wild] assets after he failed to pay back his [$2,000,000} gambling debts...
www.abcactionnews.com /
10/06 Chicago cop accused of stealing $800 from fellow officerIL - In an unusual theft case, a veteran Chicago police officer has been charged with stealing $800 -- from another officer who was undergoing treatment for cancer, Porter made three more unauthorized withdrawals, prosecutors alleged. Two of the withdrawals took place at ATM machines in the Blue Chip Casino in Indiana, they said.
www.chicagotribune.com /
Tribune /
/
October 9, 2009 Connecticut: Former Manchester Cop Accused Of Theft Accepted Into ProgramCT - A former police sergeant accused of stealing more then $19,000 from Police Explorer and child safety seat funds has been accepted into a special program in lieu of going to prison. Police said she stole the money because she had more than $240,000 in gambling debts.
www.courant.com /
/
October 9, 2009 Couple robbed after winning $10,000 at Broward casinoFL - A Southwest Miami-Dade couple was robbed outside their home Wednesday night as they returned from a Broward County casino after winning $10,000, police said.
www.miamiherald.com /
10.09.09 Credit union robber gets 40-month termND - Man has been ordered to serve 40 months in a federal prison after robbing a Fargo credit union at gunpoint... Lawyers also said Tergesen suffers from a gambling addiction that's a symptom of chronic post traumatic stress disorder.
www.inforum.com /
/
October 08 2009 Dillon authorities arrest 9 in gambling operation investigationSC - Nine people were arrested Tuesday after Dillon authorities along with State Law Enforcement Division agents foiled a Dillon gambling operation that involved betting on professional sports, Johnny Jennings i[Pool Room] charged with operating a gambling house and simple possession of marijuana.
www2.scnow.com /
October 6, 2009 Driver convicted in fatal California bus crashCA - The driver of a bus that crashed in Northern California last year, killing 11 people, has been convicted of 11 counts of gross vehicular manslaughter. Bus carrying 41 mostly elderly Hmong and Mien immigrants to a casino...
www.kansascity.com /
The Associated Press /
Oct. 09, 2009 Ex-DHS worker sentenced for theftOR - An ex-Department Of Human Services worker has been sentenced... Pleading guilty to theft, aggravated theft and computer crime. To feed his gambling addiction.
www.ktvz.com /
Associated Press /
October 7, 2009 Feds: Biker gang plotted to kill, extort rivalsUS - National Pagans Motorcycle Club leaders and more than 50 members and associates of the outlaw biker gang are accused of plotting to kill and extort rivals to consolidate the club's power in the eastern U.S., according to an indictment... Many of the charges detail violent efforts to intimidate and extort smaller biker gangs and clubs, and illegal gambling centered on raffles for nonexistent motorcycles. Other crimes listed in the 83-page document include drug dealing and weapons violations. Forty-nine people were arrested...
www.kansascity.com /
Associated Press /
/
Oct. 06, 2009 Fight Dogs Await AdoptionTN - As man accused fighting dogs makes his first court appearance, the injured animals await their fate at the animal shelter. "You have illegal gambling going on, plus the cruelty to animals and then in some big dog fights you have prostitution going on. So, there are a lot of elements involved in dog fighting."
www.wreg.com /
/
October 5, 2009 Firefighter fund thief gets time on probationMN - A Lewiston, Minn., man was ordered Tuesday to spend two years on probation after he admitted in August he stole money last year from Lewiston Fire Department pull-tab games to support his terminally ill wife. Forhan was the owner of Rizzo's Pizza Subs N Dawgs, one of several Lewiston, Minn., businesses that ran games in a fire department fundraiser. He admitted he stole money from pull tab boxes...
www.winonadailynews.com /
/
October 7, 2009 Former Port St. Lucie physician convicted of manslaughter to be retried for third timeFL - A former Port St. Lucie physician once convicted of recklessly prescribing prescription drugs and manslaughter in the death of a patient will go on trial for the third time... The appeals court ruled evidence of Luyao's offshore gambling, offered by prosecutors as a potential motive for her to increase her patient load and have patients return regularly, should not have been admitted at trial.
www.tcpalm.com /
/
October 5, 2009 Former Rockies pitcher Chacon arrestedCO - Former major league pitcher Shawn Chacon has been released from custody after being arrested in Colorado on a charge related to unpaid gambling markers in Nevada. Chacon faces a felony charge related to three bad checks written for $50,000 to Caesars Palace...
www.kansascity.com /
The Associated Press /
Oct. 06, 2009 Fraud case tied to escrow checksFL - Two days before Christmas, Brady was arrested -- charged with illegally using $80,000 of his clients' money from escrow accounts to pay off gambling debts in the Bahamas. Although it's unclear whether any real estate transactions were disrupted because money was removed the from escrow account, the money belonged to other people -- deposits toward purchases of homes, or mortgage money released to pay home sellers. In September, he filed for bankruptcy, listing about $8 million in debt, including $500,000 in casino markers. According to the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, Brady traveled to the Isle of Capri Casino in Lucaya, the Bahamas in August 2008. While there, he wrote five checks totaling $45,000 to pay off his gambling markers -- IOUs -- to the casino. Brady has since moved to Durango, Colo., where he has been licensed to practice law since 1991 and has opened a law practice. The [Supreme] court is particularly concerned when a lawyer is charged with a crime involving honesty and has a large gambling debt, said John Gleason, the chief regulations counsel for the Colorado Supreme Court. "We worry about any lawyer engaging in conduct that is a risk to the public," Gleason said.
www.floridatoday.com /
FLORIDA TODAY /
/
October 7, 2009 Gaming security failed to record slots theftPA - State gaming officials said the theft of money from a high-stakes slots machine at The Meadows Racetrack and Casino went unnoticed for several weeks because the false jackpots that the machine was paying out to a trio of suspects were not recorded internally by the machine. State Gaming Control Board spokesman Doug Harbach said that detecting the theft of more than $430,000 would have been easier if the winnings displayed on the machine matched its internal records. A Las Vegas casino security expert yesterday, suggested the casino "failed to respond" quickly enough to the two-month long crime spree and is partly to blame for not doing a better job of monitoring its slots machines. Other employees didn't notice the oversight, and for the next two months the trio exploited the glitch through a complicated set of keystrokes that would cause the machine to display jackpot winnings that didn't exist. "Management failed to respond to the information that was given to them by the machine," he said. "It was their fault."
www.post-gazette.com /
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette /
/
October 08, 2009 Harrah's Chester Casino fined $45KPA - Harrah's Chester Casino and Racetrack was fined $45,000 today by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board for improperly dealing with a disruptive patron last year.It was the largest fine that the state has assessed for that reason, according to the board.
www.philly.com /
INQUIRER /
/
Oct. 7, 2009 Homeowner association president sentenced for embezzling $87,000OH - Griffin must repay the restitution at the rate of $1,000 per month and receive counseling for gambling addiction. Rice also ordered that a lien be placed on Griffin's home.
www.daytondailynews.com /
/
October 9, 2009 Illegal Gambling Conviction In South Carolina OverturnedSC - Five men were arrested for illegal gambling in South Carolina when authorities discovered that they were playing a game of poker. In South Carolina, an archaic law makes it illegal for most games involving dice or cards to be played, punishing offenders with imprisonment and fines. A victory came early in October when the courts ruled that poker, one of the most commonly played card games, is a game of skill, rather than a game of chance.
www.usaplayers.com /
/
October 7th, 2009 Illegal gambling bust lands 10 behind barsSC - Agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division have recovered a large amount of gambling paraphernalia and $17,000 following an undercover gambling bust... According to SLED, officers seized more than $17,000 in cash, seven cars, several guns, an illegal poker machine, pool tabs, moonshine, homemade wine and marijuana. Investigators say the suspects had been gambling on professional football and basketball games.
www.wistv.com /
Oct 07, 2009 Iowa man accused of trying to rob woman at casinoIA - A 21-year-old... Man is accused of breaking a 76-year-old woman's arm as he tried to rob her at a casino. He knocked her to the ground. She suffered a broken arm, dislocated shoulder and broken ribs.
www.chicagotribune.com /
Associated Press /
October 10, 2009 Kansas judge rules Kandu Challenge card game illegalKS - A Kansas judge ruled Friday that a card game known as Kandu Challenge is chiefly a game of chance and therefore illegal under Kansas gambling laws. Judge... Lahey issued a written decision in favor of the state attorney general's office in a lawsuit filed by the game's inventors and the owners of Highlands Gastropub and Cardroom in Wichita. The case went to trial last month. The Kansas attorney general's office contended Kandu Challenge is a thinly veiled illegal poker game. "The court finds that Kandu Challenge is predominantly a game of chance and prohibited by Kansas law."
www.kansascity.com /
The Associated Press /
/
Oct. 09, 2009 Man in Ghana charged in Atlantic City casino robberiesNJ - Osei fled New Jersey after he was charged with a brazen series of armed robberies in Atlantic City. "The former Trump Taj Mahal poker dealer had taken in more than $60,000 from the holdups of six casinos and a bank, Arrest(ed) in Ghana...
www.casinocitytimes.com /
6 October 2009 Man who robbed Fargo credit union gets less than four years in prisonND - A man convicted of robbing a Fargo credit union at gunpoint has been sentenced... Tergesen's attorneys said gambling addiction is a symptom of chronic post traumatic stress disorder.
www.crookstontimes.com /
Crookston Daily Times /
/
Oct 08, 2009 Mother Sentenced for Robbing Video ParlorWV - A mother is sentenced for robbing a video gambling parlor with her two young children in tow. Spencer was sentenced to five to18 years... She was caught on surveillance video holding a pellet gun at the head of the clerk, who thought the gun was real.
www.statejournal.com /
/
October 7, 2009 Mother Sentenced in Video Gambling Parlor RobberyWV - A Kanawha County woman is headed to prison for robbing a St. Albans gambling parlor with a bb gun while her two young children waited outside. "You can actually see Ms. Spencer entering the establishment, pressing the gun against the victim's temple... "And the words the defendant used that day demanding the money was 'Give me the money or I'll blow your [expletive] head off,"
www.58wchs.com /
10-7-09 Owner of BetOnSports Withdraws Guilty PleaUS - The United States government is becoming notorious for their targeting of online gambling ventures as criminal enterprises and BetOnSports is just one... Carruthurs (owner) had been awaiting trial for his alleged crimes, but a shocking development occurred this week when Carruthurs withdrew his guilty plea.
www.usaplayers.com /
Gambling News /
/
October 8th, 2009 Pa Attorney General & Humane Society team up against dog-fighting; $5,000 rewardPA - A reward program offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals involved in illegal dog and animal fighting was announced today by the Attorney General's Office... "It is a cruel and violent crime that impacts hundreds of thousands of animals every year, According to the HSUS, more than 40,000 people are involved in organized dog-fighting nationwide, and almost as many are involved in organized cockfighting. Animal fighting is closely associated with drug dealing, illegal gambling, gangs, guns and other violent crimes.
pottstownherald.com /
October 6, 2009 Pennsylvania Gaming Board Fines Harrah's Chester Casino $45KPA - One of those messages was delivered from the Pennsylvania Board when they fined Harrah's Chester Casino $45,000. The fine was handed out because the gaming board found that the casino did not properly handle the situation involving a disruptive patron last year. They felt that the way security handled the problem placed the patron at risk of bodily harm.
www.casinogamblingweb.com /
CasinoGamblingWeb.com /
/
October 7, 2009 Petition seeks to suspend Durango lawyer's licenseCO - He is charged with grand theft, misappropriating escrow account funds, uttering a forged check and forgery on allegations he wrote checks on a business escrow account to pay his casino debts.
www.miamiherald.com /
The Associated Press /
10.09.09 Prosecutors are cracking down on phone card machines used for gamblingOK - State prosecuters are going after convenience stores with inconveniently illegal operations. The popular machines can be found in stores, bowling alleys and bingo halls - an attraction that's about to change. Attorney General... Edmondson decided phone card sweepstakes machines are illegal and no different than slot machines. That decision now gives state prosecutors the authority to crack down on businesses that offer the games to customers.
www.kfor.com /
/
October 3, 2009 Punishments deemed 'severe'OK - The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association received the $421,500 repayments from former executive secretary Danny Rennels, OSSAA board member Rocky Burchfield said Wednesday. Rennels agreed to the repayment when he plead guilty to embezzlement last month. Rennels was placed on probation for five years, must complete 175 hours of community service and must follow special conditions "for gambling addicted persons. Records show Rennels admitted he embezzled the money to pay off loans and gambling debts.
www.tulsaworld.com /
The Oklahoman /
/
10/8/2009 REGION: Bookkeeper admits massive theft from dentistCA - A Temecula bookkeeper a ccused of embezzling $1.6 million from the Oceanside dental office where she had worked pleaded guilty Monday to theft, The victim, dentist James Hargas, said he believes the motivation was gambling at casinos. Hargas said authorities told him the woman had gambled away much of the money at casinos.
www.nctimes.com /
/
October 5, 2009 Illegal Gambling Conviction In South Carolina OverturnedSC - Five men were arrested for illegal gambling in South Carolina when authorities discovered that they were playing a game of poker. Now that both South Carolina's courts and Pennsylvania's courts have ruled in favor of poker being a game of skill, legislation making online poker a regulated and legal industry may have an easier time moving forward. Bills from Representative Frank and Senator Menendez are both in the works at legalizing online gambling, or at the very least online poker,
www.usaplayers.com /
/
October 7th, 2009 Seattle senior center director charged with embezzlementWA - Accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the non-profit he ran, the former director of a South Seattle senior center has been charged with felony theft. Totaling about $84,400 in less than a year. Haverkate said Williams told his former colleagues he'd taken the money to support his gambling problem.
www.seattlepi.com /
SEATTLEPI.COM /
/
October 6, 2009 Sweepstakes: How Internet Cafes & Online Gambling Are Sweeping JacksonvilleFL - They operate under such innocuous names as "Allied Veterans Of The World Internet Cafe... Some are, perhaps, more appropriately named "Vegas Sevens... Not all are geared towards gamers, but a good number seem to share one thing in common---they are accused of being nothing more than a front for illegal gambling operations. Howard Korman, owner of Jacksonville Racing Inc, filed a lawsuit... Against Allied Veterans of the World Internet Cafe that claimed exactly that---the "internet cafe" being run by the organization housed an illegal gambling operation. Despite Korman's lawsuit, cafes continue to materialize around Jacksonville at an alarming rate. According to statistics from the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling... 35% of "adult problem gamblers" have children under the age of 18 living at home. The same group reports that, of all the calls to their help line in 1999, 52% reported family conflicts, 63% were having difficulties paying bills and 77% had used their savings to gamble. Despite the alleged illegal activity involved in many of these internet cafe's around Jacksonville, local officials appear to be moving slowly...
jaxpoliticsonline.com /
/
October 5, 2009 The End of the LineIL - The I-Team has learned that the Chicago Police Department's renowned gambling unit has been disbanded. It's a decision that some call a bad bet. Herion spent four decades chasing mob bookmakers and their bosses for the Chicago police and the Cook County sheriff before retiring in 2000. Herion says the mob will never retire its gambling operation and the Chicago police shouldn't have closed theirs. "It seems to me that they almost just legalized it by having no one chase bookmakers. If you don't have anybody chasing a dog you're not going to catch a dog are you?" said Herion. Herion, who wrote a book about outfit gamblers and now consults on Hollywood crime movies, says bookies are more tech-savvy and it may be that they have just outsmarted Chicago police who last year made less than 100 gambling arrests.
abclocal.go.com /
/
October 7, 2009 Woman loses $25,000 in jewelry at Joliet casinoIL - She hung her purse on a door hook of a casino restroom stall... When she turned back, the purse was outside the stall and open, and a jewelry case containing $25,000 worth of jewelry was missing.
www.suburbanchicagonews.com /
October 10, 2009 International Gambling Crimes 'Paramedic' conman strikes againUK - A CONMAN who has posed as a paramedic working for the Armed Forces in a series of audacious scams is thought to have struck again as he looks to obtain cash to pay for a gambling habit.
www.yorkshirepost.co.uk /
/
06 October 2009 Abstaining Calgary gamblers face fines for showing up at casinoCanada - Problem gamblers who stop by a casino after signing up for Alberta's voluntary self-exclusion program soon will face a $250 fine. "It's to help deter individuals from violating their agreements," About 1,600 Albertans have enrolled in the program. By signing up, participants agree to have their names and photos distributed to gaming facilities across the province. But the evaluation of the program found numerous cracks in the system. It suggested additional measures such as facial recognition, card-based technology, random ID checks and fines.
www.calgaryherald.com /
Calgary Herald /
/
October 9, 2009 Addict cheated bookie out of #5,000UK - A WORKER at a betting shop knew the odds were against him when he was caught fiddling customers' bets. Gambling addict Steven Rankin switched losing bets to winners, pocketing the cash for himself, Sunderland Magistrates' Court heard. "He had at the time it's fair to say a gambling addiction.
www.sunderlandecho.com /
/
08 October 2009 Cafe's secret gaming denAustralia - INSPECTORS swooping on a suburban cafe during the morning coffee rush found nine illegal gambling machines, including five pokies. "Even ignoring the illegal nature of backroom gaming dens, they have no such protections in place, and people gambling there illegally are risking everything from their wallet's contents to their own safety when they get involved.'' Investigations of the coffee-shop casino continue. Anyone found guilty could face fines of up to $1100 and/or 12 months in jail.
www.smh.com.au /
/
October 4, 2009 Canadian gambling on the riseCanada - Gambling and its big money is a win-win for the government -- but for problem gamblers it's lose-lose, with health, homes, families and jobs at risk. It has also caused havoc in the lives of problem gamblers. The average gambling revenue per person 18 and over in 2008, ranged from $114 in the three territories to $825 in Saskatchewan, with a national average of $528.20. Linda Bell, who co-founded Bellwood Health Service 25 years ago, says that while 70% of Canadians gamble, about 3.5% of adults in Ontario are problem gamblers. "I never gambled until I was 55. I used gambling to escape from business problems. I initially went to the casino once a month, then it became four times a week and before I knew it, I neglected my work, my family ... and violated the honesty of everything I did in my life," Ken says, adding he took money from his company. "We never hear about families that are destroyed and break up of marriages and financial losses of problem gamblers," Ken says.
www.intelligencer.ca /
SUN MEDIA /
/
10-6-09 Casino theft to pay school fees ends in jailAustralia - A northern Tasmanian woman who stole nearly $200,000 from her former employer has been jailed... The Supreme Court... Heard Peck stole the money over more than five years from the Country Club Casino and Hotel...
www.abc.net.au /
Oct 7, 2009 Dad who left child outside casino gets house arrestCanada - A Calgary father who left his toddler alone in a van outside a casino in March has been sentenced to house arrest. The judge also imposed a 12-month ban on gambling in casinos, bingo halls or any place with video lottery terminals. According to court statements, the 52-year-old father is a pathological gambler who has lost more than $2 million since moving to Canada 13 years ago. The child was strapped in his car seat, covered in vomit. His feet and hands were cold to the touch and he was only wearing light pyjamas, with no shoes or socks. The temperature was -9 C.
www.cbc.ca /
October 8, 2009 Elderly priest conned by fraudsterAustralia - Using fake documents and sad stories about suffering, cancer surgery and her mother dying, Olivia Raymond convinced 83 year old Melbourne priest Father Paul Kane to give her nearly $400,000 from parish accounts and $50,000 of his own. Was used for gambling and drugs, Priest was a... Unworldly elderly man.
www.cathnews.com /
October 06, 2009 English FA wants betting ban for players, coachesUK - England's top soccer official wants a complete ban on betting on the sport by players, managers and officials. Outlining the proposed measures, Football Association chairman David Triesman told The Associated Press that he wants to end any ambiguity to protect the integrity of the Premier League and English soccer in general. The AP revealed last month that UEFA is investigating 40 matches of suspected match-fixing, mainly from the early stages of the Champions League and Europa League and mostly involving eastern European clubs. Four players were fined and suspended earlier this year for betting on their team's game in a suspected match-fixing scheme...
www.usatoday.com /
AP /
/
10/9/2009 Ex-bookkeeper sentenced for fraudSouth Africa - A gambling addict was on Friday jailed for six years for stealing more than R2-million from two legal firms while in their employ as a bookkeeper. She stole from her employers, taking money from their respective trust accounts. "As a pathological gambler, you had an overriding urge to gamble, but after a night at the casino you go home - one wonders what went on in your mind as you lay in bed," Chabillal (Magistrate) said.
www.iol.co.za /
October 09, 2009 Former store manager jailed for 16 monthsUK - A supermarket manager who stole more than #100,000 to fuel her gambling addiction has been jailed for 16 months. The solicitor described Baxter's "terrible gambling addiction" to the court and said she had been spending nearly all her spare time in casinos. "She has lost her family a fortune. She spent her husband's Christmas bonus gambling, she has had to have her home remortgaged, and her credit card bills are astonishing. She was always chasing that final jackpot at the roulette table."
www.pressandjournal.co.uk /
/
09/10/2009 Four top Polish politicians to depart amidst gambling lobby scandalPoland - Prime Minister Donald Tusk dismissed one high- ranking politician, and three others resigned Wednesday amidst a gambling lobby scandal that has threatened his Civic Platform party's image one year before Poland's presidential election. The affair erupted after the daily Rzeczpospolita reported that both politicians had lobbied on behalf of gambling companies to block provisions to a bill that would have increased the companies' taxes.
www.monstersandcritics.com /
Europe News /
Oct 7, 2009 French government's new gambling law bans Betfair and all exchangesFrance - The French government has effectively outlawed the online betting exchange Betfair after passing an amendment to new gambling laws. These are being closely watched by sports bodies in the UK which are lobbying the government to bring in similar regulations. France's new laws have opened up the betting market for the first time, but also enshrined the principle that any bookmaker must apply for a licence and agree to pay a proportion of their revenues to sport. The French parliament also referred to a 2007 report from the British Gambling Commission that said 9.8% of punters using betting exchanges developed gambling addictions, compared to a rate of between one and three per cent among the general gambling population. Bookmakers should be forced to pay a levy to offer odds on their sport, a proportion of which would then be spent on fighting corruption.
www.guardian.co.uk /
8 October 2009 Gambler dad avoids jail timeCanada - Leaving his toddler alone in a van in frigid temperatures while he gambled in a casino has landed a Calgary dad a 12-month conditional sentence. Judge... Ordered the gambling addict, who in the past 13 years has lost $2 million, to serve the first three months of his sentence under house arrest. "The child was left in very cold circumstances, underdressed, and was ultimately found in his own vomit," the judge noted. The 21-month-old boy was left strapped in his car seat wearing a light sleeper without shoes or socks in - 9C weather last March 29.
www.calgarysun.com /
SUN MEDIA /
/
October 12, 2009 Gambler swindled nearly $500k from priestAustralia - AN elderly Catholic priest was conned into handing over nearly $500,000 to a drug-using gambler, a court has heard. She also conned the priest out of nearly $50,000 of his own money - much of his life savings. Raymond used excuses including that her mother had died and that she had had cancer surgery.
www.news.com.au /
AAP /
October 05, 2009 Gambling Goes BankruptBulgaria - Even if one wins at a game, it is not sure he will be able to receive the money. "The small betting houses have difficulties in paying the wins and we have to interfere," Gambling suffers damage coming from the inflow of illegal gambling machines...
paper.standartnews.com /
October 6, 2009 Gambling Surges in Russia, Despite Near Total BanRussia - Moscow authorities expressed concern Monday about the rise of "surrogate" gambling technologies such as lottery machines and online gambling three months after an almost total ban on gambling in Russia. He said about a third of Moscow's 525 casinos and slot machine halls have opened "lottery parlors" to sell instant lottery tickets, while the number of Internet cafes providing access to online gambling resources has risen threefold since July. Moscow authorities are continuing to search out illicit casinos and slot machine halls. Police seized 33 slot machines late Sunday, and have shut down 35 underground casinos since the legislation passed, Federal authorities would close the legal loopholes that allow online gambling and the unrestricted sale of lottery tickets.
www.foxnews.com /
October 05, 2009 Gambling addict got therapySouth Africa - The Western Cape branch of the Gambling Board referred a gambling addict to a clinical psychologist for therapy after she started having suicidal thoughts, As bookkeeper, Cronje first stole from the Trust bank account of the Paarl attorneys firm, Van Wyk Fouche Inc, to support her addiction. Stole to pay for stolen money... He said Williams had evaluated Cronje as having suicidal thoughts, caused by her serious gambling addiction. He said she had initially gambled with her salary, but later started stealing from her employer.
www.news24.com /
2009-10-05 19:04 Gambling board sends gambling addict, fraudster for therapySouth Africa - The Western Cape branch of the gambling board referred a gambling addict to a clinical psychologist for therapy after she started having suicidal thoughts, As bookkeeper, Cronje first stole from the Trust bank account of the Paarl attorneys firm, Van Wyk Fouche Inc, to support her gambling addiction. Williams had evaluated Cronje as having suicidal thoughts, caused by her serious gambling addiction.
www.busrep.co.za /
October 6, 2009 Hong Kong cracks down on illegal bookiesChina - A... Crackdown on illegal bookmakers in Hong Kong uncovered betting orders totalling 12.2 million Hong Kong dollars (1.5 million US dollars), Twenty-three people were arrested... 12 websites taking bets...
www.earthtimes.org /
/
05 Oct 2009 IOC sets up system to watch for illegal bettingCanada/UK - The International Olympic Committee is setting up a new system to watch for corrupt betting practices linked to Olympic competitions. The monitoring program is part of broadening efforts in sports to tackle irregular betting and match-fixing. All those accredited for the games, including athletes, are barred from betting on Olympic competitions. UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, is investigating 40 cases of suspected match-fixing in the Champions League and UEFA Cup, mostly involving eastern European clubs. Tennis also has a unit to investigate suspected corruption. "It's a much larger threat to sport than doping,"
www.kansascity.com /
AP /
/
Oct. 04, 2009 Lahore SHOs facilitating drug, prostitution rackets: ReportPakistan - Various police officers and criminals are named in the report for their alleged involvment in drug business, gambling, land grabbing and prostitution in Lahore.
www.dailyindia.com /
/
Oct. 10 Merseyside gambling addict given second chanceUK - A GAMBLING addict who stole a colleague's credit cards to try and pay off his debts has been given a second chance. Was a "chronic gambler", who had been in denial in the past, but was now ready to tackle his problems.
www.liverpoolecho.co.uk /
Liverpool Echo /
/
Oct 10 2009 OTTAWA: Licenses suspended for gamblingCanada - Ottawa Mayor Robert Eschbach, who doubles as city liquor commissioner, said Monday he suspended the liquor licenses for two bars where Ottawa police found illegal gambling in the spring.
mywebtimes.com /
/
10/05/2009 Poland's sports minister resigns amid allegationsPoland - Poland's sports minister resigned Monday over allegations he illegally tried to influence a new gambling law. Drzewiecki announced his decision to step down at a news conference after Rzeczpospolita newspaper last week published transcripts of tapped telephone conversations in which a gambling parlor owner is allegedly heard lobbying a governing party lawmaker to block plans for casino taxes and mentions Drzewiecki as someone who could help.
www.kfvs12.com /
Associated Press /
/
Oct 05, 2009 Polish PM Shakes Up GovernmentPoland - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk ditched three ministers and sacked the head of an anti-graft body on Wednesday in an effort to draw a line under a lobbying scandal that has harmed his centre-right government's image. Tusk said the interior, justice and deputy economy ministers had resigned over the affair, which involves claims that key PO officials had contacts with businessmen seeking to water down plans to hike taxes on gambling. The officials deny wrongdoing.
www.nytimes.com /
/
October 7, 2009 Polish Premier Dismisses Several Cabinet MembersPoland - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk shuffled his cabinet Wednesday in an effort to minimize the consequences of an alleged corruption scandal involving ruling-party officials. Mr. Szejnfeld on Monday said he had been involved in drafting gambling legislation that was allegedly the subject of illegal lobbying by Civic Platform politicians at the request of a businessman who owned gambling outlets.
online.wsj.com /
/
OCTOBER 8, 2009 Problem gamblers to start facing finesCanada - Problem gamblers in Alberta who have signed up for voluntary bans will be subject to fines of up to $250 if they're found inside gaming establishments, starting Nov. 1.
www.inews880.com /
10/8/2009 Punjab police arrests Batala bank robbery accusedIndia - Police has arrested the accused involved in Bank robbery here on Saturday... Police said the accused was a habitual gambler and used to spend his salary on lotteries.
www.punjabnewsline.com /
Punjab Newsline Network /
05 October 2009 SKorean building firm hit by 162 million dollar theftSouth Korea - A former executive of a top South Korean construction firm has been arrested for allegedly embezzling a whopping 162 million dollars from his employers, He suffered heavy losses in stock trading and on horse race bets.
www.google.com /
10-8-09 Supermarket manager stole #112k in fortnight to fund roulette addictionUK - A SUPERMARKET boss who stole #112,000 from Lidl in a fortnight to fund her gambling addiction was jailed yesterday. Baxter blew the lot after getting hooked on roulette. Baxter was thought to have blown more than #190,000 at casinos by betting the stolen cash as well as any of her winnings. In the past, she has cost her family a fortune. "Her house has been remortgaged and her credit card bills are astonishing. She would squander up to #4000 a night...
www.dailyrecord.co.uk /
/
Oct 9 2009 Swindler stole #30,000 by inventing a familyUK - A FRAUDSTER swindled a co-worker out of #30,000 after telling her he wanted to leave his wife to be with her, But 26-year-old Shields didn't have a wife, and used the cash to feed his gambling habit.
edinburghnews.scotsman.com /
07 October 2009 Taxi driver who drugged customers gets nine yearsAustria - Serb Milovan L. Had given his victims, mostly women, ice-tea laced with drugs in a series of robberies... Oldest victim was an 88-year-old woman... Turned to robbery to finance a gambling addiction.
austriantimes.at /
/
08. 10. 09 Three Polish Officials Resign in Scandal Over Gambling MeasurePoland - Poland... Cleaned house Wednesday in an effort to move past a political scandal over gambling legislation and charges of influence peddling. The allegations... That public officials used their influence to reduce the burden of new gambling taxes on the casino industry in Poland have damaged the reputation of the government of Mr. Tusk's center-right Civic Platform...
www.nytimes.com /
/
October 7, 2009 Why big losers keep coming backCanada - Gambling and its big money is a win-win for the government -- but for problem gamblers it's lose-lose, with health, homes, families and jobs at risk. The average gambling revenue per person 18 and over in 2008 ranged from $114 in the three territories to $825 in Saskatchewan, with a national average of $528.20. Linda Bell, who co-founded Bellwood Health Service 25 years ago, says that while 70% of Canadians gamble, about 3.5% of adults in Ontario are problem gamblers. It's estimated that 300 to 500 suicides a year in Ontario are a result of problem gamblers. Ken, 68, (who requested anonymity), a former successful Toronto CEO and father of three, lost everything and has been separated from his wife for five years. He took money from his company. Casino's music, the pumping in of extra oxygen contributes to keeping people in their seats longer.
cnews.canoe.ca /
/
October 6, 2009 #2,500 stolen from friends by gambling addictUK - A GAMBLING addict became so desperate for cash he fleeced friends out of #2,500 claiming he could get them a cheap holiday... He took the money hoping he would gamble and be able to return it all, the court heard.
www.gazettelive.co.uk /
Evening Gazette /
/
Oct 8 2009
Copyright © 2007 Casino Watch, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
|
Latest NewsGambling Crimes News Excerpts 10/4/09 To 10/11/09