Daily Archives: April 2, 2017

By Colin A. Young, State House News Service

BOSTON As the commission looking into online gaming and online gambling presses ahead in its study of ways to regulate and possibly make money from the developing industries, the Massachusetts Lottery is concerned that it could be left behind.

The Lottery is seeking authority from the Legislature to offer its current products scratch tickets, draw games, Keno and more to customers over the internet, arguing that its survival and the hundreds of millions of dollars it returns as local aid are otherwise at risk.

Meanwhile, a special commission formed by the Legislature is looking into legalizing and regulating fantasy sports, eSports and non-Lottery online gaming, and has been tasked with making recommendations for legislation by July 31.

The two interests collided Tuesday: the Lottery Commission met at 10:30 a.m., and commissioners and staff noted that the Special Commission on Online Gaming, Fantasy Sports Gaming and Daily Fantasy Sports had scheduled a hearing for 11 a.m.

After the monthly Lottery sales report, discussion among the commissioners turned briefly to the possibility that Massachusetts could begin to allow online gambling. Keying off media appearances by Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby, Treasurer Deborah Goldberg raised concerns about that possibility.

"It's interesting. You're hearing about the Gaming Commission saying they want online gambling, and then the comment that I read in the paper was that there are only so many entertainment dollars," Goldberg said. "So literally ... if they get online gambling and we do not get iLottery, they would be trying to capture our money that goes to cities and towns for the profit of a profitable entity, like Wynn or MGM."

Crosby, who serves on the Special Commission on Online Gaming, Fantasy Sports Gaming and Daily Fantasy Sports, said Monday on WGBH that the Gaming Commission has no position on whether online gaming should be legal, but does have thoughts on how to regulate it if it's made legal.

"The Gaming Commission has been absolutely emphatic that there is a two-step process here. One is, should online gaming be legal in Massachusetts? That's not up to us, that's up to the Legislature, pure and simple," Crosby told Great Boston host Jim Braude. "If it is legal, then we definitely have opinions on how it should be done and we've made recommendations. But we're not lobbying in favor, nor are we against it. That's not a decision for us to make."

Crosby previously told the special commission that online gaming could become "another modest but real economic engine" for Massachusetts if "you have a stable legal environment, where the law was clear and the parameters were clear and the rules of the road were clear, people would come here to develop new games."

Though the special commission has until July 31 to make recommendations to the Legislature and the chairwoman of the commission said Tuesday she expects the commission to work up to that deadline, the notion that lawmakers could authorize online casino gambling but not online Lottery products struck a nerve with the Lottery Commission.

"As the apolitical and independent comptroller of Massachusetts, I have to tell you that that's enormously disturbing to me, from the standpoint that you have the most successful lottery in the nation, and what you're really doing is not only kneecapping it from the standpoint of not allowing it to participate in any kind of online way, but also you're literally, as the treasurer said, handing the keys over to private industry," Comptroller Thomas Shack, a member of the Lottery Commission, said.

Shack added, "To take those revenues away from cities and towns and to then share them in a significant way with private industry just goes against what we're designed to do as a commonwealth and as a lottery."

The special commission heard Tuesday from experts in online gaming legal and regulatory structures, online game technology and security, and from Marty "Lazerchicken" Strenczewilk, the owner and CEO of eSports team Splyce.

After the hearing, Chairwoman Sen. Eileen Donoghue said she thinks the commission has a lot of work left to do before it decides what it should recommend to the Legislature.

"The more we get into it, I think the more we can appreciate how enormous this task is, to look at all three sectors fantasy sports, online gaming and eSports and any one of them could be daunting," the Lowell Democrat said. "But my sense is we have a ways to go in terms of our research, in hearing the information and then deciding what is the appropriate action to take. And it may not be one size fits all, that's something...we'll see as we go forward."

When asked about the possibility that the Legislature could approve one form of online wagering but not another, Donoghue declined to comment, citing the fact that the Lottery is expressly excluded from the special commission's focus.

Last year, the Senate voted 22-17 to give the Lottery the authority to move online but the matter was never taken up in the House. This year, Goldberg has filed legislation (H 26) to allow the Lottery to sell online, and Lottery Executive Director Michael Sweeney has touted the importance of being online, especially if casinos or other private companies will be allowed to offer online gambling.

"If the Massachusetts Lottery is not allowed to take a significant step into that online world, we will never be able to compete with the advertising dollars that the private casino industry will pour into that effort, if they're allowed to go online," he said Tuesday. "So establishing the brand online, establishing the Lottery's presence online, to me it's really, really critical."

See the article here:

Lawmakers caught up in collision of online gaming, gambling - SouthCoastToday.com

MICHIGAN CITY Three local men accused of participating in an illegal gambling ring appeared in La Porte Superior Court No. 1 Thursday for the first time since the Indiana Court of Appeals overturned Judge Michael Bergersons 2016 ruling that the charges against them be dismissed.

Gregory Czizek was scheduled for jury trial to begin Nov. 13, with a plea agreement deadline of Oct. 12.

An online service is needed to view this article in its entirety. You need an online service to view this article in its entirety.

Need an account? Create one now.

kAm$E2?=6J |2KFC 8@E 2 s64] `` EC:2= 52E6[ 2?5 2 }@G] h A=62 28C66>6?E 5625=:?6]k^Am

kAmq@E9 2C6 C6AC6D6?E65 3J E96 D2>6 5676?D6 2EE@C?6J[ H9@ :?5:42E65 96 >2J A6E:E:@? E96 4@FCE E@ ;@:? E96 EH@ 42D6D]k^Am

kAmy2>6D t] {:G6C>2? H:== 8@ E@ EC:2= @? y2?] g[ 8:G:?8 9:> F?E:= s64] f E@ 6?E6C 2 A=62 28C66>6?E] w6 C6BF6DE65 2 AF3=:4 5676?56C[ 3FE E96 ;F586 H2D F?23=6 E@ 56E6C>:?6 H96E96C {:G6C>2? 😀 :?5:86?E 32D65 @? E96 :?7@C>2E:@? 96 AC6D6?E65 E@ E96 4@FCE] q6C86CD@? H:== 962C E96 :DDF6 282:? @? |2J ``[ 27E6C 96 92D 366? 23=6 E@ C6G:6H {:G6C>2?D 7:?2?4:2= DE2EFD 😕 36EE6C 56E2:=]k^Am

kAmp 7@FCE9 5676?52?E[ 7@C>6C 4:EJ 4@F?4:=>2? s2G:5 y] q:6=2[ H:== 2AA62C 7@C 2 DE2EFD 962C:?8 @? pAC:= a_[ 2E H9:49 E:>6 96 😀 =:<6=J E@ 36 D4965F=65 7@C ;FCJ EC:2=]k^Am

kAm%96 >6? 92G6 366? 244FD65 @7 CF??:?8 2? :==682= 82>3=:?8 C:?8 3J >62?D @7 q:6=2 2==6865=J AC:?E:?8 A2C=2J 42C5D 7@C E96 C6>2:?:?8 5676?52?ED E@ 5:DEC:3FE6 E@ 32CD 2?5 C6DE2FC2?ED E9C@F89@FE {2 !@CE6 r@F?EJ] %96 >6?[ E@ H9@> E96 DE2E6 92D C676CC65 2D 3@@<:6D[ 2==6865=J G:D:E65 >F=E:A=6 6DE23=:D9>6?ED H66<=J E@ 5C@A @77 ?6H 42C5D 2?5 4@==64E H286CD @? AC@76DD:@?2= 2?5 4@==686 7@@E32== 82>6D 5FC:?8 E96 a_`ba_`d D62D@?D]k^Am

kAmt249 7246D 2 D:?8=6 4@F?E @7 4@CCFAE 3FD:?6DD :?7=F6?46[ 2 {6G6= d 76=@?Jj 2?5 >F=E:A=6 4@F?ED @7 AC@>@E:?8 AC@76DD:@?2= 82>3=:?8 7:G6 7@C q:6=2 2?5 |2KFC[ 7@FC 7@C {:G6C>2? 2?5 E9C66 7@C rK:K6<]k^Am

kAmpD E96J 2H2:E E96 C6D@=FE:@?D @7 E96:C 42D6D[ E96 5676?52?ED C6>2:? 7C66 @? 3@?5] x7 4@?G:4E65[ E96J 7246 `e J62CD 😕 E96 x?5:2?2 s6A2CE>6?E @7 r@CC64E:@? @? E96 {6G6= d 76=@?J 492C86[ 2?5 e >@?E9D E@ a]d J62CD 7@C 6249 {6G6= e 76=@?J 4@F?E]k^Am

kAmp 7:7E9 >2? 492C865 2D 2 A2CE @7 E96 2==6865 82>3=:?8 @C82?:K2E:@?[ y@9? %] vC66?6[ A=62565 8F:=EJ 2?5 H2D D6?E6?465 =2DE J62C E@ EH@ J62CD AC@32E:@? 7@C EH@ 4@F?ED @7 AC@>@E:?8 AC@76DD:@?2= 82>3=:?8] &A@? DF446DD7F= 4@>A=6E:@? @7 9:D AC@32E:@?[ 96 >2J A6E:E:@? E96 4@FCE E@ C65F46 9:D 492C86D E@ >:D56>62?@CD]k^Am

kAmq6C86CD@? 2==@H65 vC66?6 E@ 6?E6C 2 A=62 28C66>6?E[ 2D 96 925 366? @3D6CG65 2446AE:?8 >@?6E2CJ 36ED @? EH@ @442D:@?D 😕 a_`c] w@H6G6C[ 96 5:D>:DD65 E96 42D6D 282:?DE E96 C6>2:?:?8 5676?52?ED[ ?@?6 @7 H9@> H2D H:E?6DD65 92G:?8 3=2E2?E=J 6I492?865 >@?6J[ @? E96 32D:D E92E E96 DE2E6 925 72:=65 E@ 2==686 4C:>:?2= 4@?5F4E]k^Am

kAm%96 r@FCE @7 pAA62=D 42==65 q6C86CD@?D 564:D:@? 2? 23FD6 @7 5:D4C6E:@?[ 2?5 :?5:42E65 :E 😀 ?@E FA E@ 2 ;F586 E@ 56E6C>:?6 H96E96C E96 6G:56?46 😀 DF77:4:6?E E@ AC@G6 E96 492C86D]k^Am

See the original post here:

Trial dates set for gambling ring case - News Dispatch

TALLAHASSEE

The House and Senate advanced diametrically opposed gambling packages Thursday, setting the stage for the first serious negotiations in years between legislative leaders and the Seminole Tribe of Florida on the thorny issue.

The Senate overwhelmingly approved a gambling proposal (SB 8) that is friendly to the pari-mutuel industry. The bill would allow slot machines in eight counties where voters have approved them, legalize controversial card games at the heart of a legal battle with the Seminoles and allow nearly all tracks and jai alai frontons to do away with live racing or games, a process known as decoupling.

Hours later, a major House committee supported a more status-quo measure (HB 7037) focused on a 20-year agreement with the Seminoles, called a compact. A portion of a 2010 compact that gave the tribe exclusive rights to operate banked card games, such as blackjack, at most of its casinos expired in 2015, prompting a new round of negotiations and litigation with the state.

But discussions about a new compact failed to gain traction last year, after lawmakers did not approve a deal struck by the tribe and Gov. Rick Scott late in 2015.

While the House and Senate now are approaching the complicated gambling issue which many have likened to a three-dimensional game of chess from opposite ends of the spectrum, Republican legislative leaders acknowledged Thursday the packages provide a starting point for lawmakers to work toward a consensus during negotiations.

Right now, I think weve demonstrated the two bodies can disagree as to what the fundamentals of a bill can look like, but that doesnt mean the idea is dead, House Commerce Chairman Jose Felix Diaz, R-Miami, told reporters after his committee supported the House version Thursday. Were very far apart. Thats for sure. Theyre almost like alternative bills. I dont know what our pressure points will be.

Diaz said the House could vote on a gambling proposal as early next week, which would pave the way for formal negotiations between the House and Senate.

Senate bill sponsor Bill Galvano, a Bradenton Republican slated to take over as president of the chamber after the 2018 elections, said lawmakers need to act to provide certainty for the industry and to maximize revenue from the tribe and the pari-mutuels.

We have this ambiguous, unpredictable state of flux out there that needs to be wrangled in, Galvano told reporters.

One of the primary objectives for lawmakers on both sides will be settling at least three pending gambling-related lawsuits.

The cases include one in which a federal judge recently sided with the Seminoles regarding the tribes ability to continue offering blackjack and other banked card games after the portion of the 2010 compact expired in 2015.

Another lawsuit focuses on whether pari-mutuels in counties where voters have approved slots can add the lucrative machines, even without the express permission of the Legislature.

And a third centers on a recent decision by a Tallahassee judge approving electronic games that critics, including the Seminoles, argue are effectively slot machines and warn could start popping up in convenience stores, bars and gas stations throughout the state.

Meanwhile, the Seminoles, who want to add craps and roulette at tribal casinos, have warned Scott and legislative leaders the U.S. Department of the Interior, which must sign off on a compact, would not approve any deal that requires the tribe to pay more to the state unless the terms also include additional exclusivity.

I cant tell you if well ultimately reach a full resolution this session but I can tell you that the major interests and the people who would be part of this resolution such as the Florida House, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the governors office they also understand that at this point inaction is not an option, Galvano said before Thursdays 32-6 vote on the Senate bill.

Senators spent less than four minutes on the measure, which sailed through two committees prior to being considered by the full chamber.

Galvano told reporters he would walk away from any deal that did not resolve the legal disputes.

The movement of the proposals before the legislative sessions midpoint and the promise of a conference committee to negotiate the issue, a departure from the past cheered the pari-mutuel industry, which has been unable to force lawmakers to approve major gambling-related legislation for years.

Obviously, the Senate is going to have to come toward the House position and the House is going to have to come toward the Senate position, and where that middle ground is is still a guessing game to all of us. But the fact that we have two leaders willing to try and hammer this out is something thats making us all hopeful, said lobbyist Nick Iarossi, who represents dog tracks in Jacksonville and Melbourne.

The additional pressure of the litigation also buoyed the industrys hopes, Iarossi said.

The House and Senate are both tired of the court dictating what the gaming environment in the state looks like, Iarossi said.

But House Speaker Richard Corcoran told reporters late Thursday any potential gambling deal has a long, long way to go.

Its a heavy lift. Theres a reason it hasnt been passed in decades. But this is the first time that anyone probably could recall where you have two bills moving, Corcoran, R-Land O Lakes, said.

ALSO ONLINE

Get The Posts complete coverage of the Florida Legislatures 2017 session, PalmBeachPost.com/legislature

Read the original:

Florida Senate, House gambling bills 'very far apart' - Palm Beach Post