Daily Archives: April 14, 2017

Last weekends news that the NFL is considering disciplinary action against a group of players who took part in a charity arm-wrestling event at a Las Vegas casino has brought renewed attention to the leagues policy on gambling. And its hard not to notice how much of that policy is just the NFL continually pulling things out of its ass.

The seven-page policy from 2015, the most recent version made available by NFL Communications, can be read below. It applies not just to players, but to all NFL Personnel, including owners. Spokesmen for the league and the NFLPA confirmed to me that it was not collectively bargained.

The policy is full of contorted logic. It wraps itself in the rectitude of preserving the games integrity, and vests all authority in the whims of commissioner Roger Goodell. This makes it of a piece with the NFLs drug, disciplinary, and domestic violence policies, which long ago revealed themselves to be more about public relations than anything else. But in light of recent events, the gambling policy now particularly stands out as an intentionally impenetrable tangle of words.

The NFL has always had an arms-length relationship with gambling, welcoming it as a tool to enhance fan interestremember when ex-bookmaker Jimmy the Greek Snyder used to run down the point spreads on the CBS pregame show?while carefully keeping it just over there to maintain appearances. The policy is ostensibly aimed at preventing the outcomes of games from being influenced by gamblers, which is fine. But it goes on to include language about vague gambling associations and advertising and promotional activities that reasonably can be perceived as constituting affiliation with or endorsement of gambling or gambling-related activities. This includes, without limitation, stuff like:

Thats the clause under which the league may choose to punish the players who took part in the arm-wrestling event, which took place at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, which no doubt appreciates the additional publicity this controversy has so ironically generated. CBS, one of the NFLs major broadcast partners, will be airing the arm-wrestling competition. Per USA Today, the active players who were there included James Harrison, Kenny Stills, NaVorro Bowman, Maurkice Pouncey, Marquette King, Mario Edwards, and Patrick Chung. All could face discipline, though the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, citing a source, reported that discipline would likely be a fine, rather than a suspension.

The situation is reminiscent of the NFLs decision two years ago to shut down a fantasy football convention organized by Tony Romo simply because it was held at a convention center whose naming rights had been sold to a casino. Keep that in mind, as Ill explain later. Now consider all of this in light of what Andrew Brandt of The MMQB pointed out the NFL is perfectly fine with:

Back to the gambling policy. As noted above, the promotion of state or municipal lotteries is a no-no, as is working for any of the following:

any casino (whether or not such casino operates a sports book or otherwise accepts wagering on sports), or other gambling-related enterprise, including, without limitation, any on-line, computer-based, telephone, or Internet gambling service, card rooms, lotteries, slot machine operations, horse or dog racing tracks, off- track betting services, as well as advisory services such as publications, tout services, and the like, whether or not such services address professional football or any other team sport.

Where does fantasy football fit into all this, you might be wondering? The policy makes a specific exception for traditional fantasy football, while making no mention whatsoever of daily fantasy:

Why the agnosticism toward fantasy football? As Vegas boxing promoter Bob Arum recently told the Wall Street Journal:

These owners are not dumb. Other than gate and TV, whats another source of revenue that they can go after thats bigger than both of them? Fantasy football. Believe me, they will organize whether the owners individually, or the league, they will get it licensed in Nevada, which will do it in a second, and they will use it to expand around the country. The proceeds from fantasy football will dwarf the revenues from TV and gateand these guys know it.

As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also noted, DraftKings runs ads on the scoreboard during Steelers games at Heinz Field, yet the NFL is waging a court battle to prevent New Jersey from legalizing gambling on pro sports, even as Delaware allows gamblers to bet on three-game parlays of NFL action. And on and on. None of that even comes close to the most obvious contradiction of all, though.

As the Raiders decision to relocate from Oakland to Las Vegas was taking shape, Goodell said, All of us have evolved a little bit on gambling. To me, where I cross the line is anything that can impact on the integrity of the game. If people think it is something that can influence the outcome of a game, we are absolutely opposed to that.

Last October, with Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson as a partner who helped provide some political muscle, the Raiders won approval from the state of Nevada for $750 million in public money to build a stadium. Adelsons company operates the convention center where Romos fantasy event was to be held, before the league found it to be in violation of the gambling policy. Adelsons primary interest was to prevent the state of Nevada from using those funds to make improvements to a rival, publicly owned convention center, according to this fascinating story by ESPNs Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. Adelson eventually backed out of his partnership with the Raiders, who lined up someone else to loan them the balance of the stadiums costs before convincing the leagues owners to approve their move to Vegas.

Wickershams and Van Nattas story makes it clear that a number of NFL owners were skittish on the prospect of moving a team to Vegas, and on having Adelson working in tandem with Davis. Yet they were swayed by some politicking from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who has increasingly become the leagues true power broker.

Heres Wickersham and Van Natta:

Jerry Jones told [Nevada Gov. Brian] Sandoval that if that amount of public money were to be allocated for the stadium, the NFL would approve the relocation. The league would be a fool to turn down $750 million, Jones explained. And during their chat, Jones asked the governor for a return favor: to work to legalize daily fantasy sports in Nevada.

So thats where the NFL is headed, which ought to come as no surprise. Yet when it comes to the arm-wrestling event, the league still seems dead set on a strict reading of its gambling policy. Joe Lockhart, the NFLs vice president for communications and public affairs, told USA Today that no one involved in the arm-wrestling tournament sought pre-approval from the league. Had we been asked in advance if this was acceptable, we would have indicated that it was in direct violation of the gambling policy, Lockhart said. Brian McCarthy, the leagues vice president of communications, further reminded the Post-Gazette that [t]his is a longstanding policy.

Alan Brickman, one of the organizers of the arm-wrestling tournament, told USA Today he had sought approval from two different league departments, and that the league even suggested guidelines, even as it declined to participate as a partner.

Not aware of any contact with the league, Lockhart told me via email when I followed up. It would be helpful to know who they talked to so I can try to run that down.

Brickman did not return a request for comment.

The gambling policy states that Clubs are required to provide the league office with copies of all proposed gambling-related advertising and/or promotional agreements for review and approval prior to execution. I emailed Lockhart again to ask why a player, on his own time, out of season, independent of his team, would have to seek the leagues approval before partaking in a promotional event at a casino. He replied by sending me the following, which he said is from a manual distributed to all players, which he said also pertains to all club and league personnel (emphasis his):

NFL Personnel are prohibited from engaging in any advertising or promotional activities that reasonably can be perceived as constituting affiliation with or endorsement of gambling or gambling-related activities including, without limitation, the following:

(1) Making promotional appearances at casinos or other gambling-related establishments;

(2) Making promotional appearances at events that are sponsored by or otherwise marketed or advertised in connection with casinos or other gambling-related establishments;

(3) Using or allowing others to use ones name and/or image to promote, advertise, or publicize casinos, other gambling-related establishments, or events sponsored by or otherwise marketed or advertised in connection with casinos or other gambling-related establishments.

I wrote Lockhart back to ask why (3) did not apply to an NFL owner who had partnered with a casino owner to get approval for a publicly financed stadium. As of press time, he hasnt responded.

You can read the NFLs gambling policy here:

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The NFL's Gambling Policy Is A Mess - Deadspin

ALBANY Multiple law enforcement agencies raided two Albany businesses Thursday, charging owners with violations of Georgias commercial gambling laws and arresting Naineshkumar Patel, 40, and Michael Grier, 54.

Both individuals have been charged with felony commercial gambling.

More than 30 officers from the Georgia Bureau of Investigations Commercial Gambling Unit, the Dougherty Judicial Circuit District Attorneys Office and the Albany Police Department raided the BP Station located at 1817 North Slappey Blvd., the Shell Station at 2824 Old Dawson Road and a residence in Lee County, simultaneously and in coordinated fashion, according to the GBI.

We launched a raid at two Albany businesses and one Albany residence today, said Cindy Ledford, Special Agent in Charge of the Commercial Gambling Unit. The investigation has been going on for a little over a year. We were brought in by the district attorneys office based on some complaints from citizens about these locations making cash payouts from commercial gambling machines.

Reports indicate that both businesses were licensed to operate coin-operated amusement machines. However, in Georgia, state law prohibits cash payouts for winning credits. Credits may only be redeemed for lottery tickets and or store merchandise.

We came in to work with the district attorneys office, and its been a year of undercover activity with repeated documented violations of Georgias gaming laws, said Ledford.

Ledford confirmed that both stores, as well as the residence in Lee County, are owned by Patel.

Both stores raided today were owned by Patel. Grier was an employee, said Ledford. Both will be arrested for commercial gambling, which is a felony charge and carries a penalty of one to five (years imprisonment) and up to a $20,000 fine.

The Albany Herald was granted access to the crime scene under the strict agreement not to take photos of undercover agents faces or tag numbers.

We have a whole squad of undercover agents, and we have to protect their identities, Ledford said.

According to Ledford, throughout the past year undercover agents visited the stores multiple times, played the lottery machines and received cash payouts. But with the launch of Thursdays raid, all machines at both locations were shut down by lottery headquarters.

The machines have been turned off, because the lottery has already been here, said Ledford. They can work those machines remotely from headquarters. They literally hit a button, and it turns the machines off. All of the machines have been opened and marked as evidence, but the machines do not actually belong to the store owner and will not be seized. They belong to a master license holder. There is a master license holder, and then there is a location license holder.

The master owns the machines. So he will likely come get them and probably move them to another location. Technically, he (the master license holder) distances himself. He puts them with the store owner and says, I dont know what they are doing with them at the store.

Ledford pointed out that there were signs posted at both stores around the machines explaining that no cash payouts were permitted, but the yearlong investigation gathered evidence that suggested otherwise.

There are plenty of signs posted around the machines that say, We dont pay cash, said Ledford. Based on our undercover agents that came in, they do.

According to Ledford, violations of the state commercial gambling laws are widespread. The raid in Albany is not an isolated incident, the agent said. Only last year, Ledfords team conducted a similar raid in Dawson which included four convenience store businesses, one motel and one residence, a gambling operation that netted more than 11 arrests.

This type of gambling violation seems to be everywhere, Ledford said. It is all over the state. It is not just a problem here in Southwest Georgia, it is everywhere. Every store that these machines are in, the incentive to play is cash, as opposed to store merchandise, which is what you are supposed to redeem credits for. If you win, you can legally get lottery tickets, fuel, snacks, store credit, no alcohol or tobacco though. But they have to be redeemed here on the premises. Of course, if you pay cash, more people play, but it is illegal.

This can be very lucrative for an owner who gets a percentage of the proceeds that go into the machines. The owner splits the proceeds with the master license holder.

Ledford said her team has been very active investigating illegal gambling activities all across the state of Georgia.

We have pretty much been across South Georgia this week, she said. We did stores in Midway on Tuesday; yesterday we were in Valdosta, and today we are in Albany. We are just rolling on.

The two locations in Albany, according to Ledford, earned more than $1 million per year.

These two stores were making well over $1 million per year cash in the machines, she explained. Now let me clarify that. The lottery hooks their machines up to a central reporting system, so they see every dollar that goes into a machine and they see every credit redeemed. So if this owner brought in, I dont know the exact total, I know it was over $1 million, but lets just say $1 million. He may have redeemed $500,000 worth of credits. That then leaves $500,000 for them to split. This is over a 12-month period, and I dont know the exact numbers off the top of my head from these two locations, but it is a lot of money.

More arrests are pending, according to Ledford, as well as the seizure of any property or monetary assets gained from the illegal use of gaming machines.

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Local and Georgia officials conduct gambling raid at two Albany ... - The Albany Herald

Rob Centorani , rcentorani@pressconnects.com | @PSBRob Published 11:01 p.m. ET April 12, 2017 | Updated 24 hours ago

Sergio Garcia's playoff victory over Justin Rose on Sunday in the Masters didn't turn out well for at least one gambler.(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

Never have I heard, Honey, can you please stop gambling away our mortgage payment?

Thats a good thing.

If youve spent any time around competitive environments, youve been exposed to gambling. Want to settle an argument? One person says Roger Maris hit his record-setting home run on the final day of the 1961 season and another guy swears it came on the second-to-last day.

If, Wanna bet? arent the next words out of someones mouth, you hang around different clientele than me.

Spent a lot of time in pool halls, even co-owned the room that existed for decades in the Binghamton Plaza for a year a 12-month unpaid vacation as I remember it. When that place was popular, money seemed to change hands in 30-second intervals.

Pool gave way to golf in the 1990s. The gambling increased, round after round, each one with something riding on it.

Then things settled down. In a two-year span, I became a father, changed jobs, lost contact with pool and golf buddies, and before you knew it, life became boring.

But one day a year takes me back to my 20s and 30s. One day when responsibilities are cast aside, a day I turn into a deadbeat dad, a no-show husband, let my hair down and have fun with the boys.

Twenties fly out of my pockets with regularity. Investments come from a variety of angles, different sizes and its all so confusing.

Im talking about Masters Sunday. The one day unlike any other. I run a pool, enter another, Im in a season-long golf league and Sunday is the time to gather with the fellas for numerous drafts. Throw in some side action here or there and a lot is happening.

By 4 p.m. Sunday, I had reason to root for Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler, Jimmy Walker, Matt Kuchar, Ryan Moore, Charl Schwartzel, Kevin Chappell, Brendan Steele, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Jordan Spieth. I also had reason to root against many of those players.

In the playoff, I needed Rose to hit the fairway and Sergio Garcia to miss it (the opposite happened). Also had reason to pull for Garcia to miss his birdie putt in the playoff (he made it).

My easiest path to a payday was Rose winning the tournament. Early on the back nine, he had a two-shot lead and still led by a stroke after 16 holes. Had that lead held, it would have led to a fruitful windfall.

Of course, Rose blew the lead. Nothing else panned out, either.

Yep, took an 0-for. It happens and for one day a year, just good, clean fun.

Couldnt imagine going through that on a daily basis not anymore.

Anyone who says gambling isnt stressful, be it on ones own talents, or sweating out some pro or college game on TV, probably isnt being truthful.

My response to that nonsense?

Wanna bet?

Centorani can be reached at rcentorani@pressconnects.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PSBRob

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Gambling on Masters Sunday? It's a safe bet - Press & Sun-Bulletin

Americas governors want Congress to end a longstanding ban on internet gambling at least, enough of them do to warrant the National Governors Association firing off a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff SessionsJeff SessionsColo. drops marijuana club plans over Trump admin uncertainty: report Feds only have funding for 7 miles of Trump's border wall: report 'Sheriff Joe' Arpaio wants Sessions to testify at contempt trial: report MORE.

The regulation of gaming has historically been addressed by the states, the governors explained. While individual governors have different views about offering gaming in a variety of forms within their own states, we agree that decisions at the federal level that affect state regulatory authority should not be made unilaterally without state input.

In his opening remarks during his confirmation hearing, then-Senator Sessions assured his colleagues that if confirmed to lead the agency he would respect your Constitutional duties, your oversight role, and the particularly critically important separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches. Sessions also expressed disdain for agencies that set about their own agendasfocused only on what they feel are the goals of their agency (without giving) sufficient respect to the rule of law.

Yet, during that same confirmation hearing, Sessions indicated that as attorney general he would revisit and likely overturn a 2011 opinion by the agency that restored federal gambling law to Congresss original intent and returned power to regulate intrastate gambling to the states.

Conservative split with GOP mega-donor (and casino owner) Sheldon Adelson over his efforts to block online gambling. https://t.co/3a7JHI4hpG pic.twitter.com/e3U6rmPx2r

Whats your view of Obamas administrations interpretation of the Wire Act law to allow online video poker, prompted Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey GrahamGraham pleased US bombed Afghanistan Graham: Time for Congress to pass Russia sanctions Russia blocks UN resolution on Syria MORE, who has twice introduced bills to ban online gambling. I was shocked at the memorandumand criticized it, Sessions answered. Apparently, there is some justification or argument that can be made to support the Department of Justices position, but I did oppose it when it happened. When asked if he would revisit the decision, Sessions nodded. I would revisit it and make a decision about it based on careful study and I havent gone that far to give you an opinion today, he said.

The comments sent shockwaves throughout the states many of which legalized some form of Internet gambling and many others are still considering proposals to do so. The memo at issue was one issued by the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) in 2011 making it clear that the Wire Act, a law enacted by Congress in 1961 to prosecute the mobs telephone sports betting rackets, only prohibits interstate sports gambling.

Though Graham and a handful of other Republicans insist that the OLCs opinion was a unilateral reinterpretation of the Wire Act, it actually restored the law to the original meaning intended by the Congress that enacted it. As I thoroughly detailed in a 2014 study for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, there is no doubt that law was meant to assist the states in the enforcement of their laws, and not to create a blanked federal prohibition on all Internet gambling.

Opponents of state efforts to legalize online gambling have seized on Sessionss comments, claiming it is indicative of an unstable legal environment as a way to scare state legislatures that are considering proposals to legalize online gambling. Everyone is sort of waiting to hear what the DOJ has to say, Pennsylvania Rep. Aaron Kaufer told reporters. With the fluid situation in Washington, internet gambling is an unreliable and possibly nonexistent source of revenue, David Cookson warned during this months joint hearing on Internet gambling proposals before the Pennsylvania legislature. Cookson represents casino-owner Sheldon Adelsons Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling.

While a small number of Republicans want a federal online gambling ban, many other Republicans, free market organizations, and proponents of federalism have loudly opposed a ban. As he indicated in his testimony, Sessions should be on the side of letting Congress make the lawsnot the DOJ.

As a Republican, he should also favor letting people and the states that represent them make their own decisions and be very cautious about setting a dangerous anti-federalism precedent, not just for online gambling, but for any number of other politically disfavored activities. The decisions made now about online gambling will impact all sorts of issues for years to come.

Michelle Minton is a fellow specializing in consumer policy for the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.

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Republicans of all people should shun federal online gambling ban - The Hill (blog)

News Service of Florida

Lawmakers could start hashing out differences between two vastly different approaches to Florida's gambling footprint as early as Monday.

During floor action Wednesday, Sen. Bill Galvano, who is shepherding the upper chamber's gambling plan, asked Senate President Joe Negron to appoint members of a "conference committee" to negotiate with the House.

A House bill represents what its leaders call a "status quo" gambling plan that would revamp a 20-year agreement, known as a "compact," with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. In contrast, a Senate bill is friendly to the pari-mutuel industry and would lead to an expansion of gambling, including allowing pari-mutuels to add slot machines in eight counties where voters have approved them.

Negron named Galvano, R-Bradenton, as the Senate chair of the conference committee, with other members including Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers; Senate Minority Leader Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens; Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami; Sen. Travis Hutson, R-Elkton; and Sen. Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale. Negron, R-Stuart, said Wednesday the conference won't begin before Monday.

Legislative leaders and Gov. Rick Scott's office are trying to strike a new deal with the Seminoles after the 2015 expiration of a provision in a 20-year compact approved in 2010. That provision gave the tribe exclusive rights to operate banked card games, such as blackjack.

The tribe filed a lawsuit over the banked card games, accusing the state of breaching the compact by allowing what are known as "designated player" games at pari-mutuel card rooms. A federal judge last fall sided with the Seminoles, heightening the desire on both sides to craft a new agreement. Under the 2010 compact, the tribe agreed to pay the state $1 billion over five years in exchange for the exclusive rights to conduct the banked card games, an amount the Seminoles have exceeded.

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Stage set for legislative gambling talks - Holmes County Times Advertiser

Seaborn Larson, Great Falls Tribune 4:54 p.m. MT April 13, 2017

Dylan Hayes Stephens(Photo: Courtesy Photo)

Police arrested a man Wednesday after he unknowingly dropped a bag of heroin on the floor of a Great Falls casino, according to court documents.

Dylan Hayes Stephens, 41, is charged with criminal possession of dangerous drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia, both felonies, as well as carrying a concealed weapon.

If convicted, he faces a possible $51,000 fine and a maximum six years imprisonment.

An employee at Lucky Lils at 1401 10th Ave. S. told Great Falls police he saw a customer dropping a small baggie of what looked like heroin on the ground. The employee picked it up and called police while the customer, later identified by police as Stephens, continued gambling, according to court documents.

Two officers arrested Stephens at the casino and allegedly found three more small bindles of what appeared to be heroin, a syringe and a brass knuckle/knife weapon, according to police reports. The heroin weighed 1.8 grams, according to court documents.

According to charging documents, Stephens has been convicted of theft, criminal trespass to vehicles, obstructing a police officer and theft of a nonferrous metal, which are non-magnetic metals like aluminum and copper. Court documents state these convictions occurred in Montana and Georgia, in addition to a drug possession conviction in Michigan.

The state requested his bail bet set at $10,000.

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Man allegedly drops heroin in casino, keeps gambling - Great Falls Tribune