Latest News THE NATION 1/12/08 to 1/18/08 Warrants Obtained To Seize Funds Linked To CockfightsAR - Government investigators have obtained warrants to seize two sums of cash exceeding $8,600 believed to be connected to an illegal cockfighting enterprise, according to court records. McNatt and the Donelsons were arrested May 19 on state complaints of operating a gambling house; criminal use of property or laundering criminal proceeds; engaging in a continuing criminal gang, organization or enterprise; and cruelty to animals.
www.swtimes.com /
/
January 15, 2008 Ex-tribal police chief, officer sentenced in false records caseAZ - The FBI began looking into the use of White Mountain police department funds at casinos in early 2006 and federal prosecutors alleged Perry [former police chief] and Goode [police department investigator] embezzled between $10,000 and $20,000 over a five-year period.
www.azcentral.com /
Jan. 18, 2008 S.F. Police Blotter: Neighborhood crime logCA - Lost at the slots: Officers went to the 500 block of Mendell Street at 11:57 p.m. Dec. 27 regarding a possible case of embezzlement. The officers met with the owner, who told them his employee returned late from making his deliveries, and he was $2,889 short. When the owner asked his employee what happened to the money, the employee told him he gambled it away at a casino. The employee was arrested and booked.
www.examiner.com /
1-15-08 Governor lobbied for big tribesCA - A month ago, when controversial gambling compacts for four Southern California tribes completed a mysterious trip through the federal approval process, aides to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger acknowledged that the administration had made a call to Washington on the tribes' behalf.
weblog.signonsandiego.com /
January 17, 2008 Fugitive killed outside casino is identifiedCA - Authorities on Wednesday identified the 24-year-old fugitive who was shot and killed outside a downtown Palm Springs casino after he allegedly pulled a weapon on law enforcement officers. A casino slot machine technician was hit in the leg by a stray bullet that shattered a glass door in a lounge area, officials said. Five officers fired their weapons at Garcia, Garcia died at the scene.
www.latimes.com /
/
January 17, 2008 Ad Watch: Rich foes say gambling compacts unfair to poorCA - "There are more than 100 Indian tribes in California, but the gambling deals on the ballot benefit the richest tribes and could devastate other tribes. It's unfair to let four powerful tribes control one-third of the state's Indian gaming pie.
www.sacbee.com /
January 16, 2008 Contrary views of RP casino debatedCA - A prominent supporter and opponent of a casino resort proposed near Rohnert Park squared off in a debate Wednesday, alternately describing the facility as either "a dream" or "a nightmare." Susan Adams, the chairwoman of the Rohnert Park Planning Commission, countered that "the beautiful dream (Moore) described for the tribe would be a nightmare for the citizens of Sonoma County." She said a casino would create major traffic problems, generating at least 20,000 more vehicle trips daily, lead to an increase in crime and gambling addiction and hurt existing businesses.
www1.pressdemocrat.com /
Upgrade routes to casino townsCO - State Rep. Al White, R-Winter Park, has proposed asking voters to allow no-limit gambling in Colorado in the three historic towns where $5 bets already are allowed. Removal of the limits could bring Colorado an additional $100 million in yearly tax revenue, White says, and he wants to earmark it for tourism and higher education.
www.denverpost.com /
editorial /
01/04/2008 Gambling a common addiction on campusOH - In the most comprehensive survey of its type, the NCAA found in 2003 that 63 percent of Division I male student-athletes gambled on everything from the lottery to card games. And more than 17 percent of Division I men admitted violating NCAA regulations by betting on collegiate sports. "Gambling is the second-fastest-growing addiction on college campuses, behind alcohol," Turner [professor at Ohio State University] said. Annenberg Public Policy Center... Found that weekly Internet gambling among college-age youth dropped from 5.8 percent in 2006 to 1.5 percent last year. A federal law enacted in late 2006 to prohibit banks and credit-card companies from transferring money to online casinos and poker sites might be eroding Internet play.
www.columbusdispatch.com /
/
January 19, 2008 Conn. nixes casino checksCT - As Indian casinos have ballooned into a $26 billion business, concerns about fraud inside the booming industry have also risen. The National Indian Gaming Commission, which oversees tribal casinos, has been teaming up with federal law enforcement officials in several states to combat fraud at casinos, both inside jobs and scams perpetrated by outsiders. But the federal commission has been unable to set up such a working group in Connecticut, despite approaching the U.S. Attorneys office in that state, according to Phil Hogen, chairman of the commission.
www.bostonherald.com /
/
January 13, 2008 Indian gambling law stacks deck against communities, Baird says U.S. Rep. Brian BairdD.C. - Congressman Brian Baird sees need for significant reform of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, the 1988 federal law that has spawned an explosion in Indian casinos. "The deck is so stacked right now, in terms of process, against the local community." Gambling is addictive and not a desirable way to raise money or to boost the economy. The local economy would be better served to have the casino site used for industrial purposes.
www.columbian.com /
/
January 15, 2008 Good Decision on Tribal CasinosD.C. - Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne made exactly the right call when he recently denied permission to 11 Indian tribes around the country to acquire more land in order to build casinos. The secretarys reasoning was sound, not least because the casinos would be hundreds (and in two cases more than a thousand) miles from tribal reservations and thus of little benefit to tribal residents.
www.nytimes.com /
Editorial /
January 17, 2008 Delaware still seeking official statusDE - The Delaware, who number around 10,000, are on a short list of Oklahoma's nonfederally recognized tribes. There are 37 federally recognized tribes in the state, many which relocated to Oklahoma during the 1800s. Recognition is the gold standard for Indian groups, bringing with it federal subsidies, grant monies, health care, housing and tribal citizenship. Oklahoma does not grant state recognition, although some states, like California, do. Without recognition, Indian groups have no claim to trust property or to Indian gaming.
www.tulsaworld.com /
/
1/13/2008 Anti-Slot Machine Group Rallies In HialeahFL - A Hialeah-based anti-slot machine group rallied against a gambling referendum Wednesday morning at Hialeah City Hall. "'Expanding gambling will only serve to erode our traditional industries, the industries we aspire to have and our very social fabric,'" wrote Bush in a letter read by Robaina.
www.nbc6.net /
January 16, 2008 Gambling 'a bigger threat' to tennis than drugsFL - The world's No. 34 player, Potito Starace of Italy, calls his six-week suspension and $33,000 fine for gambling "a joke." It will cause him to miss the Australian Open, which begins today. The threat of match-fixing and potential influence by the Russian mob and other criminal elements casts a more menacing shadow over tennis than does drugs, U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe believes. The gambling, overall, I think is a bigger threat. Tennis is a very easy game to fix. You're talking about one player. You can lose and make it look extremely normal." What troubles McEnroe, his brother John and others is that several players have come forward to say they were offered money to throw matches. Belgian player Gilles Elseneer said he was offered $141,000 to lose to Starace at Wimbledon in 2005. Another Belgian, Dick Norman, said he also was offered money to throw a match at a tournament in Italy...
www.palmbeachpost.com /
/
January 13, 2008 Big names line up for, against slotsFL - The debate over Miami-Dade County's slot machine proposal grew from a whisper to a shout this week, with pro-slots ads hitting the airwaves and the staunchly anti-slots former governor, Jeb Bush, finally stepping into the fray. ''As I did two years ago when I was governor, I am urging all of my fellow Miami-Dade residents to join me in voting no on Jan. 29 so that we may continue to protect our community and our families,'' Bush wrote. ``Expanded gambling will only serve to erode our traditional industries, the industries we aspire to have and our very social fabric.'' Robaina said Bush will be filming ads and making calls, among other anti-slots efforts.
www.miamiherald.com /
/
Jan. 17, 2008 Police arrest a full houseFL - Four people have been taken into custody on illegal gambling charges, stemming from a police raid... Stanovcak, Was charged with possession of Xanax, possession of cocaine and gambling.
www.tbnweekly.com /
Jan. 17, 2008 Gambling industry needs to do more for compulsive gamblersFL - The Florida Lottery folks agreed to spend one-half of 1 percent of their profits in 1988 to fund the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling.
www.sun-sentinel.com /
January 16, 2008 Hialeah Mayor Changes Tune, Opposes SlotsFL - For the Jan. 29 vote, Robaina [mayor of Hialeah] said his change of heart and change of position came after speaking to the religious leaders and animal activists who are opposing the slots referendum. He insisted he would oppose slots even if Hialeah Park were eligible to get slots if they were approved.
www.local10.com /
January 17, 2008 Dade slots debate is catching fireFL - United for Family Values kicked off the effort last month, vowing to bring pastors into a battle over the morality of gambling. This week, two more groups announced opposition: No Casinos Miami and The Truth for Our Community. They raised additional objections to slot machines including accusations of cruelty toward greyhounds used for racing, fears that casinos won't provide the promised economic benefits and anger that the famous but still-shuttered Hialeah Park race track has been kept out of the slots deal. None of the opposition groups claims to have much money yet. And already, some are talking about joining forces. United for Family Values, the pastor-driven group, may pair up with No Casinos Miami, a coalition that includes conservative Christians, Miami-Dade mothers against gambling and Grey2K USA, a national organization that opposes greyhound racing. If voters approve the referendum, it would allow the county's three parimutuels -- Miami Jai-Alai, Calder Race Course and Flagler Dog Track -- to install Las Vegas-style slot machines like those already in play in Broward County.
www.miamiherald.com /
Jan. 12, 2008 Commission to discuss more casino licensesIA - The Iowa Racing and Gambling Commission has scheduled a meeting to discuss whether it should issue more gambling licenses. The state now has 20 casinos. That includes 14 riverboat casinos, three racetrack gambling operations and three American Indian casinos.
www.siouxcityjournal.com /
January 12, 2008 Approval of Ponca Tribe casino causes alarm in IowaIA - A major source of Iowa gambling tax revenue is in jeopardy in the wake of a federal decision that permits a Nebraska-based Indian tribe to open a casino in Carter Lake, an Iowa community on the Nebraska border. The National Indian Gaming Commission has ruled the Ponca Tribe should be permitted to establish a gambling operation on five acres of land it purchased in September 1999 to establish a health care facility. The action last month reversed a decision in October that determined the site did not meet federal requirements. Competition from a tribal casino in Carter Lake could potentially slice into Iowas tax revenue and have an impact on Council Bluffs casinos, officials said. American Indian casinos in Iowa dont pay state, city or county gambling taxes.
www.desmoinesregister.com /
/
January 17, 2008 Iowa Lottery drops TouchPlay lawsuit against Cedar Rapids companyIA - But a lawsuit filed by dozens of former TouchPlay operators against the state is scheduled to go to trial this spring.
hosted.ap.org /
Jan 14,2008 After ID bingo scandal, Lottery seeks to tighten reporting rulesID - Charities that offer bingo and raffle games could face stricter requirements for tracking their proceeds under legislation proposed by the Idaho Lottery Commission in the wake of a bingo scandal that sent two men to federal prison. William J. Tway, a disbarred lawyer, and Robert J. Ford, who ran Big Bucks Bingo, were eventually sentenced last July in a separate federal case to six months in prison, nine months of home detention and fines of $30,000 apiece for a scheme to defraud the government through the gaming parlor they had operated in the Boise area since 1996. The Lottery Commission determined that they were inappropriately profiting from the games and that bingo revenues weren't being allocated to the charities in accordance with state law.
hosted.ap.org /
/
Jan 15, 2008 Casino warrant checks net hundredsIL - More than 300 Illinois casino patrons were arrested in 2007 as a result of criminal warrant checks... In addition to running the names of patrons age 30 and under through a database to ensure self-excluded problem gamblers weren't getting in casinos, Illinois State Police are also checking IDs against criminal databases for warrants and unregistered sex offenders.
www.dailyherald.com /
/
1/16/2008 Fleece the votersIL - The average loss in a visit to an Illinois casino has risen from $61.97 to $118.88. Attendance at casinos in the state has risen from 6.7 million to 16.1 million. With such numbers, the state could not go "cold turkey," but we believe the time has come to at least move away from the expansion of gambling and more to the control of gambling. Like tobacco and alcohol, treat it as a legal but undesirable addiction, which it is.
daily-journal.com /
01/12/2008 Illinois Gaming Expansion StallsIL - Gaming expansion, including authorization for slot machines at racetracks, appears to have been left at the starting gate once again in the Illinois General Assembly. Companion legislation, using money from gaming expansion to pay for downstate infrastructure improvements, was not called for consideration.
news.bloodhorse.com /
January 11, 2008 Capital bill could be on the horizon...or notIL - While party perspectives remain clear, passing a statewide construction bill will ultimately hinge on establishing a funding source for the multi-billion legislation currently pitched as an expansion of gambling. The gaming bill would generate the necessary revenue to fund a statewide construction plan, and although lawmakers downstate wouldn't have to live with the ethical dilemmas of a casino in Chicago, the prospects of making Illinois the second largest state for gambling does have some searching for alternatives. "I think we have to be really careful about tying a teacher's salary to someone's gambling habits," said state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, one of nine Democrats who did not support the transit bill during its final vote Thursday.
www.southernillinoisan.com /
/
January 15,2008 Cities Join To Prevent Tax LossIN - Michigan City and other communities that host casinos must make the case that while the casinos have funneled millions of dollars into their communities, there are also costs involved for the communities in provide services, police and fire protection. And as casinos expand, so does the burden of providing those services.
thenewsdispatch.com /
1/13/2008 Bar bets gain favorIN - Lawmakers in both the House and Senate have filed legislation to allow bars and taverns to offer paper pull tabs and other small-stakes gambling opportunities. And, Bell [Rep] said, this proposal is not the behemoth of electronic gambling they have sought in the past that brought to mind mini-casinos on every corner. Pull-tab distributors describe them as small paper games of chance used for profit-making or fundraising. The front side of the pull tab shows winning combinations of symbols and prizes a player can win. The back side of the pull tab has windows to open. If the symbols underneath the pull-tab windows match the winning combinations on the front of the pull tab, the player wins. Legions and private clubs have offered paper pull tabs for years under a bingo license. Under the bill, thousands of businesses with alcoholic beverage retail permits could pay a $250 fee to obtain a license to offer the games. The annual renewal license fee would become more expensive, between $50 and $26,000, depending on the adjusted gross gaming revenue generated by a retailer in the previous year.
www.journalgazette.net /
/
January 13, 2008 GOP knocks plan to pay on bonds with gambling dollarsKS - Sebelius wants to use more than $57 million in gambling dollars in that way during the fiscal year that begins July 1.
www.hdnews.net /
1/16/2008 Governors budget foresees $81 million in gambling revenueKS - Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius presented her detailed budget recommendations to lawmakers today that included $81 million in spending from gambling revenue. Its troubling to be spending gaming dollars before the (Kansas) Supreme Court has ruled on it, said Rep. Kevin Yoder, Its balancing the budget on funds that may or may not be there.
www.kansascity.com /
/
Jan. 15, 2008 Gambling revenue earmarked for debt reduction, programsKS - While Sebelius made plans to spend gambling revenue, the Supreme Court is evaluating whether the Kansas Constitution allows construction of resort casinos and placement of slots at tracks. Under state law, the new gambling money must be used for state debt reduction, infrastructure improvements or property tax relief. Sebelius decided not to devote a portion of this new gaming revenue to cutting property taxes.
cjonline.com /
/
January 16, 2008 Betting on the casinosKY - If the efforts in Kentucky, Florida and Illinois are successful, Churchill could achieve its long-standing goal of having expanded gambling at all its racetracks. "All three have aligned about the same time and just happens to be concurrent with our slot operations at Fair Grounds Louisiana," said Steve Sexton, an executive vice president for the company and Churchill Downs track president. " We've got four pretty active states, in some cases very active, in terms of getting expanded gaming in place." Churchill has sought expanded gambling -- slot machines, table games and other electronic games -- since the 1990s. The company reported spending $770,000 on political activities in the third quarter of 2007, and President Bob Evans has said Churchill planned to spend $2 million during the last three months of the year. "We're really looking for the governor to take the lead on it and determine how it will play out, but I think that in and of itself -- the leadership in the governor's office -- is far ahead of where we've been in the past," Sexton said.
www.courier-journal.com /
/
January 13, 2008 Fly-by-night casino casts dicey pall on arcadesFL - Raymond and Margaret Freeswick were owed a combined $325 in gift cards when Atlantis abruptly closed its doors. At gaming arcades customers pay money for cards that they use on casino-style slot and video machines. The player adds more credit to the card by paying more money or through winnings. The cards can be redeemed for Visa gift cards or gift cards from local retailers and restaurants. Bursiek and Murphys [Atlantis owners] dishonesty adds credence to the position that adult arcades are nothing more than criminal enterprises masquerading as family entertainment. Couple that with addiction specialists opinions that arcades feed and foster compulsive gambling among seniors, and Florida Legislators may heed the call to shut these operations down.
www.news-press.com /
January 13, 2008 Debaters turn up the heat on casinosKY - Questions such as whether casinos would lead to increased crime if Kentucky expands gambling brought sometimes heated exchanges yesterday in a Louisville Forum debate over offering slot machines and other games in the state. John-Mark Hack, chairman of the Say No To Casinos campaign, cited statistics showing Atlantic City, N.J., has a higher crime rate than the nation as a whole. "Harrison County, Indiana, doesn't have a large population," Hack said after citing the Atlantic City crime statistics. "But I will tell you this, the West End of Louisville cannot afford another source of addiction. And addiction is what prompts crimes, and casinos are documented to draw their clientele disproportionately from disadvantaged communities, lower-income communities, regardless of race."
www.courier-journal.com /
/
January 17, 2008 Lawmakers react to gambling projectionKY - A projection that casino gambling will bring Kentucky much less tax revenue than the advertised $500 million may be dampening some lawmakers interest in the plan.
www.herald-dispatch.com /
Jan 19, 2008 From: Casino Watch <photofixr@casinowatch.org> - Opponents of expanded gambling in Kentucky argued today that legislators voting to allow a statewide ballot question on casinos would be endorsing the idea. Battling the odds. Casino opponents speak outKY - Pastor Kenneth Stone says, "One man in particular was sitting in his living room with a revolver about to take his life and for a couple of hours, I had to try and reason with him. He'd lost everything, he lost his job, he lost his family, he lost his children, he was going to lose his home. All because of the compulsion the gambling offered him."
www.14wfie.com /
/
Jan 14, 2008 Casino, horsy set gave heavily(KY) - Donors from the horse and casino industries -- including the co-owners of the Island View Casino of Gulfport, Miss. -- pumped about a half-million dollars into a little-known Democratic Party fund-raising committee last fall. $117,000 of the Victory Committee's money went directly to the Kentucky Democratic Party, which was supporting Gov. Steve Beshear's campaign... Throughout last fall, casino, racetrack officials and horse owners and breeders gave heavily, shelling out at least $489,500 to the Kentucky Victory Committee...
www.kentucky.com /
Jan. 12, 2008 Casino conflict a safe betMA - Rick Burnett, of Plympton, left, shows his opposition to the Middleborough casino, while Christopher Amaral, 11, of Middleborough, shows his support prior to the town meeting over the proposal last summer. The battle has continued and been complicated by Gov. Deval Patricks bill to site three regional casinos in the state. Casinofacts.org PAC members have fanned out across the region over the last six months with the message: The casino bill overestimates revenue, underestimates social and environmental costs and will lead to a glut of non-lucrative gaming ventures as neighboring states build more gambling venues to try to compete. Casinos make lawyers and wealthy developers a whole lot wealthier, Frank Dunphy, of Casinofacts, said. Its just not an answer to fix the budget.
www.wickedlocal.com /
/
Jan 16, 2008 Police: Andover bank teller stole money from elders to gambleMA - Police said an employee of an Andover bank bilked tens of thousands of dollars from at least three local people in their 80s and spent the money on lottery scratch tickets and visits to casinos. In one instance, an 85-year-old nursing home patient lost $65,000. The other two octogenarians lost $12,000 and $7,000 each, police said, adding that there could be more victims. Gorrie stole at least $12,000 from the 88-year-old man.
www.eagletribune.com /
/
January 17, 2008 Gambling interests turn high-rollers on Beacon HillMA - Would-be casino developers and other gambling interests are shelling out big bucks lobbying on Beacon Hill, having spent nearly $900,000 over the past year to woo state lawmakers, records show. The surge in spending comes as Gov. Deval Patrick pushes his plan to sell casino licenses in the Boston area and other locations to companies interested in building $1 billion gambling resorts.
www.bostonherald.com /
/
January 16, 2008 Former city hall worker charged with theftMA - A former employee in the city tax collector's office was arraigned today on charges she stole $11,600 [for gambling and bills] over the course of a year while she worked in the office.
www.thesunchronicle.com /
January 18, 2008 January 16, 2008MA - Fees reported by lobbyists representing gambling interests skyrocketed to $1.2 million in 2007, a flood of money that is expected to continue rising in 2008 as the Beacon Hill debate continues to heat up... All told, 40 lobbyists from 25 companies registered to lobby on casino issues last year, The track [Suffolk] spent $240,700 last year... Trump... $150,000, Opponents of casino gambling do not appear to have any paid lobbyists, The Westwood Group, which owns Wonderland Greyhound Park in Revere, spent $137,000 last year. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, which wants to build a resort casino in Middleborough, paid $135,000 to a team of five lobbyists.
www.boston.com Coast bucks casino trendsMS - Mississippi Gaming Commissioner John Hairston said Coast casino revenues topped $100 million in only one month in 2006. "In 2007 we had only had one month (October) that was below $100 million. We've already exceeded by a long shot the numbers from last year. The numbers aren't so rosy in other states. Atlantic City saw its first yearly decline in 28 years, dropping 5.7 percent after only three casinos posted gains in 2007. At the city's 11 casinos, the same number as on the Coast, revenue sunk from $5.21 billion in 2006 to $4.92 billion this year. The second largest casino market after Las Vegas, Atlantic City lost ground to number three, Mississippi.
www.sunherald.com /
/
Jan. 13, 2008 Missoula woman facing theft, embezzlement chargesMT - A Missoula woman, who says she has a gambling problem, is accused of stealing from businesses, friends, and from unlocked vehicles.
www.montanasnewsstation.com /
January 18, 2008 Federal gambling investigation targets more officersNC - The federal government has targeted more law enforcement officers in its sweeping investigation into illegal video gambling in Western North Carolina, a prosecutor said in court Tuesday. Twenty-seven others also have been charged in the federal governments investigation, which alleges the operation of backroom video-gambling operations in businesses across the region. Twenty already have pleaded guilty. Edwards [U.S. Attorney] said Medford [former Buncombe County Sheriff] as sheriff gave 400 special deputy badges to supporters known as Medfords Army. Some were illegal video-poker operators. Medford is charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under the color of official right, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud and deprivation of honest services of a public official, conspiracy to commit money laundering, false statements and obstruction of state and local law enforcement.
www.citizen-times.com /
/
January 16, 2008 SBI investigating WPD officer shootingNC - A Wilmington police officer who shot a man last night is under investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation. The shooting happened last night around eight-thirty at a business suspected of running an illegal video poker gambling house. The search warrant says officers found four video poker machines -- which are illegal in North Carolina...
www.wwaytv3.com /
18 January 2008 Double trouble for barNH - In the midst of being punished for illicit gambling, the State Street Saloon was shut down for two days for health code violations. The downtown saloon is also scheduled to face the N.H. Liquor Commission today for breaching three statutes by allowing the premises to be used "for illegal purposes" and unlawful gambling.
www.seacoastonline.com /
/
January 15, 2008 $25M Bader Field deal to help with Atlantic City tax reliefNJ - An agency that pumps casino money into redevelopment projects around the state will handle bids for a lucrative 150-acre tract that casino operators are drooling over, The historic former airport property... Is being eyed for development projects including one or more new casinos.
www.newsday.com /
/
January 15, 2008 Woman accused of 60 counts of ID theftNM - She stole an ex-boyfriends identity, Then racked up $17,000 of debt in his name.
kob.com /
/
1/18/200 Ex-convict gets prison in parking-space knife attackNV - A Reno man who stabbed a 24-year-old Carson City man over a casino parking space two days after the defendant was released from prison was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in Nevada State Prison.
www.nevadaappeal.com /
/
January 16, 2008 Casinos a wild card in Nevada caucusesNV - In all, nine hotels and casinos on or near Las Vegas Boulevard will host voting for the Nevada caucuses, The casino caucus sites, now at the center of a controversial lawsuit challenging their legitimacy, are just one of the many quirky wrinkles in a Nevada campaign that has brought presidential candidates into close contact with blackjack dealers and within a few miles of brothels. Under rules set by the state Democratic Party, only hotels and casinos organized by the state's most powerful union, the culinary workers, were selected as caucus sites.
www.chicagotribune.com /
/
January 15, 2008 Judge hears casinos challenge to tax petitionNV - Lawyers for major Nevada casinos urged a judge on Monday to toss out a teachers union petition to raise gambling taxes to fund education. That would increase their tax rate from 6.75 percent to 9.75 percent. NSEA President Lynn Warne has said the rate would still be among the lowest casino tax rates in the world.
news.rgj.com /
1/15/2008 Casino proposals fail to note hidden social costsNY - Interior Secretary Dirk Kemphorne has denied two Sullivan County off-reservation casino applications, Each new casino spreads its negative effect in an outward radius of some 50 miles, Creating crime, traffic and social problems;
www.timesunion.com /
January 13, 2008 Lottery ticket thief sentencedNY - An East Greenbush woman who admitted stealing a $25,000 winning lottery ticket was sentenced Thursday to six months of weekends in jail, despite pleas from her attorney that the court show some mercy and drop the jail time.
timesunion.com /
January 11, 2008 Lottery ticket thief sentencedNY - An East Greenbush woman who admitted stealing a $25,000 winning lottery ticket was sentenced Thursday to six months of weekends in jail, despite pleas from her attorney that the court show some mercy and drop the jail time.
timesunion.com /
January 11, 2008 Warren police: Last illegal gambling site shut downOH - Police have dried up all the illegal gambling parlors in the city that use electronic gaming devices, a detective says. Detective Jeffrey Hoolihan made the assessment in the wake of a Friday night raid at Wild Cherry Gaming, 20 electronic games were seized. The parlors were warned two months ago... That they must conform to Ohios gaming law or close down.
www.vindy.com /
/
January 15, 2008 Local NewsOH - Judge: 'I think prison is an appropriate sentence' Former Westfall treasurer Scott Glandon was sentenced to three years in prison for stealing $57,154 from the district and the Ross County School Employees Insurance Consortium in an attempt to cover Internet gambling debts. Glandon, 42 of Frankfort, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft in office in November and was sentenced to three years on each third-degree felony count by Pickaway County Common Pleas Court Judge P. Randall Knece, with the sentences to be served concurrently.
circlevilleherald.1upmonitor.com /
Friday, January 11, 2008 Agencies must be able to respond to online gambling addictionOH - A case in the news this week brings to the forefront the dangers of becoming addicted to online gambling. Glandon [Westfall Local Schools treasurer] reportedly stole $57,000 from the district and Ross County School Insurance Consortium to cover up his addiction.
www.chillicothegazette.com /
Jan 13, 2008 Many are praying for GlandonOH - Scott was sent to prison for three years. He made the awful mistake of taking money from the Westfall school district as treasurer, to help cover up a gambling addiction. I become sad when I learn many are trying to legalize more forms of gambling in Ohio, threatening more families with the pain of this addiction.
www.chillicothegazette.com /
Jan 16, 2008 Two charged as gambling ringleadersOH - A current Ohio University baseball player and a former teammate were charged Monday with heading a gambling ring believed to encompass at least eight individuals. Andrew Shisila, 22, and Brent DeCoster, 22, both of 27 N. Court St., Athens, were charged with a first-degree misdemeanor count of gambling, Athens Law Director Patrick Lang announced. Also, the NCAA is likely to conduct a follow-up investigation of its own. Under NCAA rules, athletes who wager on their schools' sports teams permanently lose all athletic eligibility. Those who bet on other collegiate or professional sports are banned for a year and lose that year of eligibility.
www.athensmessenger.com /
1/15/2008 Grove City Council opposes plan to put casino land in federal trustOK - Council voted... [BIA] not put 30 acres of lakefront property in trust for the Seneca-Cayuga tribe, which plans a $60 million casino...
1/18/08 Grove council poses objection to Seneca-Cayuga casino planOK - By a unanimous vote, the Grove City Council voted Friday to go on record to the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs as being opposed to the placement of 30 acres of lakefront property in trust for a proposed $60 million casino. The Miami-based tribe spent more than $1 million to acquire 33 acres with the goal of building a 100,000-square-foot lakefront casino east of Sail Boat Bridge.
www.joplinglobe.com /
/
January 18, 2008 Casino-Free Philly Takes To SuburbsPA - Gladwyne - Members of Casino-Free Philadelphia took their cause to the suburbs over the weekend, passing out flyers and talking to residents about the effect of casinos along the Delaware River. Citing corruption, crime increases, no new revenue and false hope, members of Casino-Free Philadelphia beseeched neighbors to get involved and join the cause.
www.thebulletin.us /
/
01/16/2008 9 charged in alleged Washington gambling ringPA - Federal authorities have filed charges against nine members of an alleged Washington County gambling ring. They are accused of being part of an illegal operation involved in sports betting, a numbers-betting game based on the Pennsylvania Lottery and a ticket-drawing scheme, from 2002-06.
www.pittsburghlive.com /
/
January 17, 2008 'Lobby Talk' to address the problem of sports gamblingPA - Sports betting continues to be a growing problem on college campuses nationwide. Spaniers second guest [broadcast] is a former high-ranking member of La Cosa Nostra (LCN), a Sicilian mafia group in America, who became a government witness. His testimony led to the conviction of more than 50 members and associates of the LCN as well as a sitting mayor and a police officer. His knowledge and experience of the mob's influence and control of illegal gambling is the result of 50 years of bookmaking, betting, collections, extortions and shakedowns.
live.psu.edu /
January 14, 2008 Daniel Rubin: An embarrassing display of a citizen's rightsPA - Griffin was called into the general manager's office [Tierney Communications] and told she had violated one of the terms of her employment. Before she'd reported to work, the 40-year-old South Philadelphia resident had written a letter to the editor of The Inquirer, blasting the casino set to be built three blocks from her house: The problem was, Tierney Communications represents Foxwoods. Cease or quit Griffin said executives told her she had to make a choice: Stop writing letters, signing petitions, being active in protests against the casino, or quit her new job. When they hired her after she'd shone as a consultant, she told them she vigorously opposed the casino. Human resources replied that what she did after working hours was not their concern - as long as she didn't identify herself as a Tierney employee or embarrass the company.
www.philly.com /
/
Jan. 14, 2008 Colonial Downs to be soldVA - [Colonial Downs] will sell any tracks that do not feature "multiple forms of gaming" such as poker and other gambling opportunities. The sale of Virginia's only horse-racing track would include the nine off-track betting...
www.inrich.com /
Jan 11, 2008 Attorney General Bob McDonnell and Sen. Thomas Norment Announce Support of Virginia Anti-Animal Fighting LegislationVA - At a press conference held today at the General Assembly, Attorney General Bob McDonnell and Sen. Thomas Norment Jr. announced their support of legislation that aims to end animal fighting in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Animal fighting is associated with illegal gambling, organized crime, drug trafficking, illegal guns, and homicides. Firearms and other weapons are common at animal fights, mainly because of the large amounts of cash present. A raid in January 2006 in Mecklenburg County resulted in the arrest of MS13 and Mexican Mafia members by the Department of Homeland Security. Illegal gambling, narcotics and children as young as the age of 4 were present at the pit. "Dogfighting and cockfighting are not only cruel practices, but they are often associated with other crimes such as illegal gambling and drug dealing. I [Sen. Norment] am proud to introduce this legislation for the sake of animals, our communities and our children."
media-newswire.com /
1-18-08 ANIMAL FIGHTING GETS ATTENTIONVA - Bills sponsored... Would make cockfighting a felony, the same as dogfighting, and make it a misdemeanor to attend cockfights or dogfights. "Obviously the case involving Michael Vick helped shine a spotlight not only on the scope of the problem but on deficiencies in Virginia's law," McDonnell [AG] said... McDonnell said animal fighting has connections to other criminal activities and illegal gambling,
fredericksburg.com /
/
1/16/2008 Kirkland WA high-roller gets nearly 3 years for bilking neighborWA - A judge sentenced the former owner of a waterfront mansion on Lake Washington to nearly three years in prison Monday for scamming his retired next-door neighbor out of $800,000. "About the only positive thing I can find (to say) about Mr. Hong is that he may have a gambling problem," U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said during the sentencing. Members of a Bellevue church were fighting in court to get back $340,000 they had given to Hong, believing they were investing it.
seattlepi.nwsource.com /
/
January 14, 2008 More gambling is the answerWI - Chicago (and Illinois) has reported a deal is almost done to create a Chicago casino with more state casinos to follow elsewhere. Minnesota is currently looking at proposals to fund casinos to help build a new stadium for the Twins and Vikings, and provide much needed debt relief for other venues. Texas governor is proposing a plan calling for almost 10,000 state-owned slot machines... Pennsylvania has a new Vegas style gambling venue located in the Pocono Mountains... Massachusetts governor has proposed casino-style resorts... Is there any reason Wisconsin is not pursuing this very viable avenue of revenue to help put Wisconsin in the black?
www.haywardwis.com /
January 16th Eliminate Conflict Involving GamblingWV - West Virginia Lottery officials dont seem to see anything wrong with requiring that the states Problem Gambler Help Network give them a little boost, through use of the Lotterys logo in advertising for the network. There also is evidence that Lottery officials asked the Network for names of their employees who may have sought help with gambling problems. Such help is offered on a confidential basis.
www.theintelligencer.net /
January 16, 2008 Police: Andover bank teller stole money from elders to gambleMA - Police said an employee of an Andover bank bilked tens of thousands of dollars from at least three local people in their 80s and spent the money on lottery scratch tickets and visits to casinos. 85-year-old nursing home patient lost $65,000. Two octogenarians lost $12,000 and $7,000 each, Gorrie stole at least $12,000 from the 88-year-old man. Double trouble for barNH - In the midst of being punished for illicit gambling, the State Street Saloon was shut down for two days for health code violations. The downtown saloon is also scheduled to face the N.H. Liquor Commission today for breaching three statutes by allowing the premises to be used "for illegal purposes" and unlawful gambling. Fleece the votersIL - The average loss in a visit to an Illinois casino has risen from $61.97 to $118.88. Attendance at casinos in the state has risen from 6.7 million to 16.1 million. With such numbers, the state could not go "cold turkey," but we believe the time has come to at least move away from the expansion of gambling and more to the control of gambling. Like tobacco and alcohol, treat it as a legal but undesirable addiction, which it is. daily-journal.com / 01/12/2008 |
Copyright © 2007 Casino Watch, Inc. All Rights Reserved.