Daily Archives: January 24, 2022

But it may be a difficult row to hoe for the states.

Another National Football League playoff weekend is on the horizon and betting on NFL games is now commonplace in many states. The league itself encourages betting. It has partnerships with gambling businesses. One team, the Arizona Cardinals, will have an in-stadium sportsbook. Not every state has sports gambling but there is a possibility that some of the non-gambling states could have some form of gambling by the 2022 NFL season or in 2023. The candidates for sports betting are Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri and Vermont but there are some major obstacles to overcome in those states.

In Alabama, legislators have advanced a bill that will permit a state-run lottery and statewide mobile wagering. In Georgia, sports ownership groups including the Atlanta Falcons, the Atlanta Braves, the Atlanta Hawks and the Atlanta United along with voters want sports gambling but lawmakers have said no. Kansas politicians are trying to figure out if they can support a sports gambling bill. Kentucky Republicans are not on board with gambling. The Maine legislature supports gambling, the Governor Janet Mills doesnt. In Massachusetts, the Republican Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and members of both parties in the Democrat-controlled General Court support sports betting. But no one can agree on various aspects of sports gambling and that has been a hang up for a couple of years. Missouri lawmakers have problems with video gaming terminals. Vermont lawmakers could move ahead with online sports gambling but nothing is certain at this point. Sports leagues protested when New Jersey planned to open a sportsbook after voters said yes to legalized sports gambling in November, 2011. There were lawsuits with lower courts siding with the sports leagues. In 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act that limited betting on college and professional sports.

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Eight States Could Take Up Sports Gambling Legislation This Year - Sports Talk Florida

23 January 2022, 21:50 | Updated: 24 January 2022, 08:48

This was the moment Camilla Tominey was moved to tears by the story of a caller who was saved from his life of gambling by his daughter.

It comes as three former gambling bosses are lobbying investors andMPs tobegin treating the harm that's caused by betting in the same way that they've treated those of tobacco.

Matthew, 50, from Croydon picked up a gambling addiction in his teens, which started with using machines at amusement arcades.

"I got hooked, I don't know how," he said.

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Camilla replied: "The problem withtoday, and why it's so pernicious, is that now a man of your age at the time can just go online and spend all this money."

Matthew explained that a turning point in his recovery was having a daughter.

"I bought her a bottle of bubbles for 40p from a shop. I remember sitting with her watching her trying to blow a bubble, she just couldn't do it. I helped her.

"I walked away from that and I thought you know what, that's the best 40p I've ever spent in my life, and I never gambledagain."

"Aww Matt you're making me well up here, honestly," Camilla said.

Matt explained he must've gambled up to 500,000 but that that moment of connection with his daughter made him think "why did I do all that?".

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Camilla Tominey moved to tears by caller's gambling recovery story - LBC

The furious Democrats who revile Kyrsten Sinema dont know her very well.

She may not have single-handedly derailed President Joe Bidens presidency by ensuring that none of his ambitious legislative agenda ever reaches his desk, but Arizonas senior senator certainly has become the face of the Democrats circular firing squad.

And her highly choreographed speech a week ago in which she rhetorically dug Bidens political grave from her quavering voice to her purple dress to her silver cross necklace understandably made her public enemy No. 1 for outraged Democrats across the nation.

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In the wake of that speech, and the assurance that nothing will ever persuade her to end the filibuster, change how it works to make it more difficult to use to enforce minority rule orcarve out an exceptionto it for voting rights legislation despite the hypocrisy that, barely a month earlier, shevoted to do just that for a bill that raised the debt ceiling pundits have sought to explain her motivations and predict her political fortunes.

Particularly on the left, theres been near unanimity among national political analysts and talking heads that Sinemas obstruction on the filibuster all but destroys her chances of getting re-elected as a Democrat in a state that is in the deep purple phase of transitioning from red to blue.

But I think any analysis that writes Sinemas political obituary wildly underestimates how shrewd she is and fails to recognize a relatively simple truth about todays politics.

Make no mistake: If Kyrsten Sinema thought it was in her best political interest to change the filibuster, shed have been leading the charge.

Ive seen up close how her ambition and politics have changed since 2004, when she was first elected to the Arizona Legislature, and I have no doubt that shes as canny and conniving a politician as Arizona has ever seen. What shes doing now with the filibuster and Biden echoes things she did years ago that have flummoxed if not infuriated her ostensible progressive allies.

Like how she praised Russell Pearce, the scion of xenophobia and nativism who was facing a recall election in 2011, and boasted about being able to work well with him. Or when she co-sponsored legislation that was used to criminally prosecute immigrants who paid to be smuggled into the United States.

Those were both done in service of shoring up her centrist bona fides in advance of a 2012 congressional bid in a purple district. Sinema rightly calculated that those policy positions and votes may anger progressives, but wouldnt alienate most of the white liberal voters she needed to win over in a three-way primary. And when the general election rolled around she could (and did) point to those and other bills as examples of how she would work across the aisle in Congress.

Sinema was elected in 2018 by a slim margin, and she achieved victory because she won over enough moderate Republicans and right-leaning independents who were turned off by Donald Trump. Her opponent was Martha McSally, a fellow congresswoman and a moderate Republican who, in the pre-Trump days, had fashioned herself as someone with an independent streak who wouldnt be beholden to the GOP.

That was a problem for Sinema and the Democrats, who would have much preferred Trump sycophant Kelli Ward who now heads the Arizona Republican Party win the primary, as McSally was tailor-made to appeal to the center-right crowd.

But Trump changed the GOP and McSally, faced with a primary election against Ward, ditchedher outspoken criticism of Trumpand insteadembraced the then-president, believing her senatorial hopes would be dashed if she didnt. That hard pivot gave Democrats all the ammunition they needed to paint McSally as a Trump lackey and for Sinema to present her record of independence as the real deal, unlike her opponents politics of convenience.

In the process, Sinema went so far in crafting her brand as an independent that shewholly distanced herself from the Democratic Party, didnt endorse its candidate for Arizona governor and refused to say if she planned to vote for Republican Gov. Doug Ducey

Heres where the conventional wisdom about Sinemas chances in 2024 falters: There wont be someone who can present themselves as a middle-of-the-road Republican on the ballot. Extremism is the coin of the realm in the modern Republican Party, and its all but certain that whoever wins the partys nomination in 2024 will be less like Martha McSally and more like Kelli Ward. As angry as they might be with her, Sinema knows Democrats will still side with her over a Big Lie-spouting, pandemic-downplaying, misinformation-peddling Republican.

And shes banking on that in her craven pursuit of power. The most important audience ofthat speech about the filibusterwas those center-right voters she won over in 2018. Sinema campaigned as a centrist, and centrists dont do anything that could remotely be considered radical and theres little more radical in the Senate than scrapping the filibuster to pass controversial legislation.

Of course, her gambit isnt without risk. Just this week, Sinema lost a longtime supporter when pro-choice groupEMILYs List withdrew their support.An effort is well underway to mount a primary challengeagainst Sinema, with hundreds of thousands of dollars being pumped into it. Progressive icon Bernie Sanders sayshe would support a challengeto his colleague. A few dozen well-heeled donorstold Sinema theyll close their walletsif she doesnt reverse course on the filibuster.

But if progressives cant find a viable candidate someone who already has a base of support, can raise money and mount an aggressive campaign their disgust with Sinema wont matter. Phoenix Democratic U.S. Rep.Ruben Gallego would fit the bill, and will top progressives wish list. Barring someone like him getting into the race, Sinemas strategy to piss off the left in order to attract the center-right is likely to pay off and position her for a 2024 campaign win.

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Kyrsten Sinema is gambling that her filibuster vote will help her win again in 2024 - Ohio Capital Journal

PayPal has introduced Gamban as part of its online payment settlement service. As a result, online casino players and sports bettors will have the option to self-exclude gambling services. The Gamban software is used to enable vulnerable and at-risk players to take control over their spending habits and ensure that they keep themselves in check when it comes to their hobbies.

Consumers are now able to block payments towards games of chances and games of skill, casino games that run the full spectrum of table and card titles, such as sic bo, pai gow poker, pachinko, keno, blackjack, craps, and more.

Sports betting and race betting are also part of the Gamban solution which will allow players to suspend anything from off-track betting to pari-mutuel betting, sweepstakes, or simple betting. Peer-to-peer offers through dedicated exchanges are also part of the available exclusion and so are lottery ticket sales.

PayPal also can introduce further control on spending habits to help consumers avoid loopholes such as using third parties to facilitate betting or sending money to services that process the funds to send to offshore gambling companies.

As the United States and United Kingdoms gambling industries continue to expand rapidly, PayPals decision to step up and introduce new exclusion and gambling recovery tool is refreshing. The solution comes on top of existing options such as GAMSTOP and GamCare, which allow consumers to exclude themselves further.

Gamban emphasized the importance of payment processors being more involved with gambling-related transactions. One case cited by the company involves a young man in the United Kingdom who had been able to wager $202,000 (150,000) overnight. He used PayPal to deposit, Gamban said detailing the case.

The company reminds us that there are no available statistics that indicate how much money people spend on gambling using PayPal. In the meantime, Revolut, another payment method, introduced changes last week that guarantees that players in Ireland would not be able to use credit cards to fund their accounts and then subsequently deposit into gambling sites.

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PayPal Adds Gamban Solution to Tackle Excessive Gambling in UK, USA - GamblingNews.com

Russian President Vladimir Putin has moved to escalate tensions with Ukraine in recent months by putting a huge and unprecedented Russian military force on its borders while launching a concerted coercive diplomatic effort sketching out new red lines for NATO.

While his next steps are uncertain, some still believe he will ultimately deescalate. However, it is far from clear whether he can do this without losing face if, as seems likely, NATO and Ukraine only concede to very few of his demands. This will loom large in his decision-making process from here on.

So far, Putin has secured a number of wins from the current crisis.

He has got the attention of the Biden administration and the West in general. Biden rewarded him with a summit call in late December, while there have also been subsequent high-level meetings between Blinken and Lavrov and their deputies.

It is important to remember here that the likes of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had earlier persuaded Biden to pivot to Asia and focus on the three Cs: Covid, Climate and China. Instead, this year it has been all about Russia. Putin has made clear that he is not just a footnote in US foreign policy but remains the first chapter and maybe an entire book to be written later this year.

Putin has enhanced his image as the guy who calls the shots and the poker player with all the cards. More than ever, he is seen as a leader who everyone has to contend with if they want solutions to the geopolitical problems that he typically creates himself.

He has also forced NATO to focus on security challenges in Europe. By setting outrageous red lines in terms of no NATO deployments to members that joined after 1997, he has made people question further enlargement, particularly to Ukraine.

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By creating a crisis in Eastern Europe, Putin has succeeded in exposing Western weakness and divisions, both within the EU and in terms of Europe's relations with the US. Herein note Emmanuel Macrons ludicrous idea that Europe can decide on its own security arrangements. How does the French President hope to defend Europe against Moscows overwhelming conventional military superiority without US troops?

Germanys role has also been brought into question by tribulations over NS2 together with Berlins incredible double standards in not providing defensive weapons to Ukraine and preventing others from doing so.

Meanwhile, energy prices have been driven higher by the current geopolitical crisis, helping improve Russias balance sheet. That said, this could have been achieved without a military escalation and by just restricting energy supplies to Europe, which also seems to have been done according to IEA chief Fatih Birol.

The crisis has allowed Putin to highlight Russias significant military capability to the world and demonstrate his willingness to use it in support of coercive diplomacy. The build-up along the border with Ukraine has served as a showcase for the huge upgrade achieved thanks to the investments made in the Russian military over the past decade. However, this impressive vision of military might has yet to pass the ultimate test of effectiveness in action and might still be a Potemkin Village.

These are all clear wins for Putin, even if he chooses to go no further. But what about the other side of the ledger?

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If the Russian leader does not proceed with some form of military action in the weeks ahead, his bluff will have been called. Critics will inevitably say that while he was able to move thousands of troops up to the border and make threats, he lacked the gumption to pull the trigger. He had the chance to take Ukraine and he bottled it, they will argue. As a result, any future attempt to threaten a major escalation may not be taken seriously.

By backing away from a military escalation, Putin would risk being accused of failing to secure serious concessions on Ukraine or from NATO. He would be seen as a man who talks a lot and threatens but, when faced with a tough response from the other side, eventually backs down.

While exposing divisions in the West, Putins coercive diplomacy has also shown him to be the main threat to European security. Even in Germany and France, the PR campaign has been lost by Putin and public opinion is shifting against him. The West is uniting around the idea that Putin is a problem and needs to be countered.

This crisis and the pressures put on energy markets in Europe will re-enforce the view that Russia is an unreliable energy supplier. Irrespective of the ongoing debate over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, this will accelerate Europes diversification away from Russian energy and Russian trade in general, weakening the Russian economy and increasing its dependence on China. This might not be particularly appealing for Putin as Russia faces a huge long-term security threat from China in its Far East.

Crucially, Ukraine has not buckled under Kremlin pressure. Instead, Putins military build-up and the threat of a full-scale invasion have cemented opposition to Russia in the country. Ukrainians have rallied in large numbers to join self-defense units, while the West has come out clearly in defense of Ukrainian sovereignty and the countrys right to self-determination.

Ukraine is currently being re-armed at an accelerated pace, despite this being one of Russias main concerns. Ukraine is now considerably better able to defend itself that at the beginning of the crisis just a few months ago. US military aid has increased while Britain, the Baltic states, Poland, Canada, the Czechs and the Dutch have all stepped up military support or vowed to do so. As a result, the cost of any Russian military victory in Ukraine is now likely to be significantly higher.

Putin is already paying a price for the current confrontation, which is further damaging Russias image as an investment destination. Geopolitical and sanctions risks have increased. Fewer foreign investors will want to invest in Russia and those already there will reduce exposure.

This means higher cost of capital and lower growth. It also means lower living standards for Russians and a greater risk of Kazakhstan-style social unrest. Putin will likely respond with more repression. Russia risks becoming trapped in a vicious cycle of less foreign investment, lower growth, and declining living standards.

Given the numerous negative outcomes Putin presently faces, I would argue that he risks emerging from the current crisis as a net loser unless he proceeds further. Does he see it the same way? If so, will he escalate from here? At this point, he may feel that he has little choice.

Timothy Ash is a Senior Sovereign Strategist at Bluebay Asset Management in London.

The views expressed in UkraineAlert are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.

The Eurasia Center's mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting stability, democratic values and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe and Turkey in the West to the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia in the East.

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Image: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin at the Kremlin. January 20, 2022. (Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool via REUTERS)

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Ukraine Crisis: Putin the gambler may have gone too far to back down - Atlantic Council

It certainly isnt uncommon for a prep student-athlete to earn three varsity letters in a single school year.

Four isnt unheard of, with some athletes crossing over, like in soccer and football, for instance. Five? Thats pulling some serious double-duty. Six? Now thats some uncharted territory, and it takes a special kind of student-athlete to pull that one off.

Say hello to Columbia junior Emily Gambler. Shes on pace to earn wait for it six varsity letters this school year, as the Crimson Tides busy body crosses over in two events in the fall, winter and spring.

Gambler ran cross country and was a varsity cheerleader in the fall; she plays basketball and is the schools lone swimmer this winter; and shes set to play softball, as the teams shortstop, and run distance events for the track and field team later this spring.

Thats six varsity letters, and thats certainly something you dont see every day. By the way, Gambler isnt just along for the ride as a bench player; shes qualified for Lancaster-Lebanon League finals and the District 3 finals in her prep swimming and running careers.

It gets to be a lot, Gambler admitted, but Im glad Im doing it. Its fun, and I get to be with all of my friends and teammates and coaches. It gets hard, but everyone supports me, and Im thankful for that.

Gambler didnt set out on the first day of her freshman campaign to chase six varsity letters every year. This is her third season swimming for the Tide she competes in the 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly in the outside lane at meets as an exhibition competitor to earn qualifying times for the L-L League finals and she recently came back out to play basketball for the first time since eighth grade, and she joined the softball team just last year.

Gambler earned a starting spot, and shes a defensive wizard, shot-blocker and rebounder for the Tides basketball team, which roared to a 15-0 start this season.

With so many sports and so many practices and so much on her plate to juggle, Gambler has mastered time management at an early age. Shes responsible to get to swim practice at Lititz Rec in the afternoon shes on her own for a practice routine with no high school coach and then must hightail it to basketball practice or a game in the evening.

Figuring out softball and track routines in the spring are next up on her agenda.

It all just kind of came to me and now its happening, Gambler said. A lot of my coaches and my friends are always asking me how I do it. Some of my friends said Im the only athlete at Columbia since I play so many sports.

Gambler is a regular on the blacktop courts at Taylor Middle School in Columbia. If youre a kid growing up in Tide Country, odds are youre at a park Glatfelters, Rotary Club, Jansens honing your skills against your peers.

We all grew up here running through backyards and stuff, Gambler said, laughing. Hey, its Columbia. Sports are a big deal here. Its always crazy to see all the people that support you and want to come out and watch us play. We all grew up playing sports together; Ive been playing with all of these girls growing up, and its fun to get to do it in high school.

In Gamblers case, on six different teams.

Its safe to say athletics are in Gamblers genes. Her dad, Joe, played football and baseball for Columbia. Her mom, Brandi, played basketball for the Tide. Her older brother, Matthew, played football for Columbia, and hes a student at Millersville University.

Ive grown up in a very competitive family, and that makes it fun, Gambler said. Were always outside and were always active. I grew up outside, playing kick-ball, baseball, wiffle-ball, swimming, T-ball. It was hard for me to pick one sport, and thats probably why I ended up doing them all.

Heres another fun factoid: Gambler owns a 4.0 GPA and shes currently ranked No. 2 in Columbias junior class. She has another school year to contemplate her college plans, and shes considering attending a smaller local school to continue her swimming career or going big-time and heading to the University of Alabama a family favorite where shed compete in club sports.

For now, shell keep chipping away at those six varsity letters this school year. And if all goes according to plan, Gambler will take another stab at participating on all six teams in her senior year.

I think Ill stick it out, she said, because to me, this is fun.

TWITTER: @JeffReinhart77

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Joining a rare club: Columbia's Emily Gambler poised to earn 6 varsity letters this school year - LNP | LancasterOnline

By BETH CHAPMAN | Guest Columnist

This session is likely to be a sensitive one for most legislators. For at least 23 of them, it is their last session and for the rest, it is an election year.

One must wonder what the legislators spending their last session will place their priorities on. The ones up for election must be careful not to trip over anything too controversial. It will be hard to do because this session is all about gambling, guns and other legislative issues.

As for gambling its the proverbial elephant in the room. A gambling bill passed in the Senate last year but not in the House. If I were a betting person (and Im not), I would lay you odds 10:1 the same thing will happen this year. If it passes, it will be on the ballot in November so call your legislator now and let your voices be heard if you dont want it on the ballot.

As for guns, who in Alabama doesnt own one? Very few. But should people be allowed to carry concealed weapons without a permit? That is the question and again, if I were a betting person, I would say the law enforcement community will lobby hard enough against it to make it a challenge to pass.

So, what may pass you ask. An abortion bill, titled the Alabama Heartbeat Act, has a lot of traction. It is modeled after a Texas bill that conservatives love. And what is the Alabama Legislature filled with? Conservatives 25 in the House of Representatives alone have already co-sponsored the bill. This bill would make it illegal for medical providers to perform an abortion once cardiac activity is detected. This bill also makes it possible to file civil lawsuits and collect damages against anyone violating or assisting in violating the law.

Then there is the $1.5 billion Alabama is receiving from the federal government the American Rescue Plan. How it will be used and whether the Legislature or the Governor allocates those funds will be an issue. The expansion of rural broadband and banning critical race theory in our schools will also be hot topics.

I only hope education gets its proper place in the Legislative debate. Our future and the future of our children depends on it. Ranking 52nd in third grade math is not acceptable. There is legislation to address this issue, hopefully it will offer a solution to this problem.

This column is full of questions which will start being asked on Jan. 11. The answers will only be known on Monday, April 25. That is the last day this Legislature can meet in this, the last session of this quadrennium.

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Gambling, guns and other issues - Shelby County Reporter - Shelby County Reporter