Daily Archives: October 2, 2022

The shooting at Roxborough High and the absurd state law that limits local gun safety measures | Editorial – The Philadelphia Inquirer

Posted: October 2, 2022 at 4:52 pm

It should come as no surprise that Mayor Jim Kenneys executive order banning guns and other deadly weapons at city recreation centers and playgrounds did nothing to prevent a 14-year-old boy from getting murdered Tuesday after a football scrimmage outside Roxborough High School.

While Kenneys executive order which was announced hours before the shooting was well intended, it underscores the meager gun safety tools public officials have in a country (and state) that has been hijacked by the gun lobby and a perverted interpretation of the Second Amendment. As a result, Philadelphians are left defenseless by Pennsylvanias absurd preemption law that prevents local governments from implementing their own gun safety measures.

At the federal level, mostly Republican lawmakers have refused for decades to implement basic gun safety measures, while conservatives on the Supreme Court have placed gun rights above human life.

Kenneys executive order was in response to a Department of Parks and Recreation worker who was killed by a stray bullet while sweeping outside of a center earlier this month. The ink was barely dry on the order when a spokesperson for the corrupt National Rifle Association called it illegitimate.

READ MORE: With 750 shootings since Memorial Day, Philadelphia records another summer of mayhem | Editorial

Hours later, a 14-year-old boy was killed and four other teens were shot as they were ambushed while walking off a football field to their school bus. It was the 23rd shooting death of a child and the 400th murder in Philadelphia this year, leaving the city on pace to match last years record of 562 homicides.

Children have been shot in barbershops, on porch stoops, and in their own bedrooms in Philadelphia this year.

Philadelphia has tried numerous times to pass gun safety measures, only to be stopped by the state. Most recently, the city filed a lawsuit challenging the states firearm preemption statutes, which say a local municipality cannot enact its own gun laws. The city argued the GOP-controlled General Assembly has violated the right to life and liberty enshrined in the state constitution by declining to pass gun safety measures.

But in May, a Pennsylvania appeals court rejected the lawsuit. The majority Republican court panel voted 3-2 along party lines. The court ruling and the continued inaction by the General Assembly came despite polls that show the majority of Pennsylvanians want stronger gun laws.

Roadblocks are everywhere when it comes to gun safety.

Despite the rise in gun violence, roadblocks are everywhere when it comes to gun safety. More than 40 other states have preemption laws similar to Pennsylvania.

In June, President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan gun safety bill that was hailed as the most significant measure passed in three decades. While the law will help save lives, it is hardly a game changer.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has paved the way for the return to frontier lawlessness when it comes to guns. In June, the court struck down a New York law that had been in place for more than 100 years that placed strict limits on carrying guns in public. The 6-3 ruling by the conservative majority was expected to spark legal challenges in other states and give Americans broad rights to carry guns virtually anywhere.

The ruling builds on the courts 5-4 landmark 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller that, for the first time, said the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia. The idea that the Second Amendment extends to individuals is a concept that began in the 1980s during the Reagan administration and was aided and abetted by the political rise of the NRA.

READ MORE: As shootings continue unabated, they exact an emotional and economic toll | Editorial

Former Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, a conservative, called the concept of an individual right to bear arms a fraud. Former Justice John Paul Stevens, another conservative, said the Heller decision was the courts most clearly incorrect ruling of his long tenure.

In 2018, Stevens said the Second Amendment should be repealed. That is not happening anytime soon, but gun safety should be treated as a public health crisis and regulated like cars, where owners are required to get licenses, training, and gun locks. But that wont change until voters hold pro-gun lawmakers accountable.

Until then, there will be more and more senseless shooting deaths.

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The shooting at Roxborough High and the absurd state law that limits local gun safety measures | Editorial - The Philadelphia Inquirer

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Clarence Thomas takes the wheel as Supreme Court settles in for post-Roe term – Washington Times

Posted: at 4:52 pm

Justice Clarence Thomas has been on the Supreme Court for more than three decades, and his judicial philosophy rooted in adhering to the original meaning of the Constitution is finally controlling big rulings.

Yet he is still cranking out opinions just like his days wandering in the legal desert of the liberal living Constitution era.

Hes always been one to kind of identify problems that maybe the court hasnt grappled with or issues that need to be brought up, said Carrie Severino, who clerked for the justice 15 years ago. Its taken decades. Hes been on the court over 30 years now, but the court has ultimately been like Oh, yeah, that is an issue we need to look at.

The difference between then and now, she said, is you now see a majority of justices joining him.

Justice Thomas will take the bench Monday for the start of the 2022-2023 term after his most influential year yet. He led colleagues in forcefully asserting Second Amendment gun rights and First Amendment religious free exercise rights and, of course, defenestrating Roe v. Wade.

That 1973 decision was the guiding star of liberal legal scholarship for decades but succumbed to Justice Thomas brand of originalism last year. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote the chief opinion, saying it was time to reverse years of wrong legal reasoning that had led to and flowed from Roe.

Justice Thomas joined the ruling but wrote a concurring opinion to warn his colleagues that their job was not done. He said the same substantive due process right that Roe applied to establish a national right to abortion has been the basis for other decisions, such as federal constitutional guarantees of access to contraception and same-sex marriage.

Ms. Severino said thats typical of Justice Thomas.

She said he likens the courts use of precedent to engineers adding cars to a train.

Hes like, Look, you want me to add another car to this long train. I dont even know where this train is going, whos driving this train. So what we need to do is trace it back, go forward one car at a time, until we get to the very beginning, we find out what is going on, she said.

Sometimes, he says, youll find theres a chimpanzee driving it. We should not be adding more cases to this line of reasoning.

Thats one reason he is still writing prolifically when his philosophy is controlling more of the courts opinions.

Adam Feldman, who runs Empirical SCOTUS, said Justice Thomas writes a separate opinion for every five cases on which he votes. Thats a full opinion ahead of the runner-up, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the closest Justice the liberal wing has to Justice Thomas.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. writes a separate opinion once in every 14.5 cases of his prevailing, Mr. Feldmans data shows.

Even when [Justice Thomas] agrees with the outcome, he will go further in asserting his own points of view, Mr. Feldman said.

Thats particularly true when it comes to the use of stare decisis.

In the hands of many justices, fealty to justice can be a shield to defend a position or a weapon to attack a colleagues position. For Justice Thomas, its usually just an academic question to be surmounted.

Thomas will go out and say, I dont think its just overturning the law in this case; I dont think theres a distinct place for stare decisis in our jurisprudence that requires our respect. If I dont agree with it, Im going to overturn it, Mr. Feldman said. He takes it a step further.

Over the past term, Justice Thomas wrote eight concurring opinions in which he agreed with the outcome but wanted to make particular points, including in the abortion ruling. He had the highest concurrence rate on the court.

Court watchers figure Justice Thomas will play a significant role in the upcoming term in cases involving voting rights, election procedures, affirmative action in college admissions and First Amendment challenges to laws that require service for same-sex marriages even when it conflicts with a business owners religious dictates.

I could see him having, just because where he sits on these issues of religious liberty and the right to exclude based on a religious perspective, I could see him having some further-reaching opinion than the courts willing to go, Mr. Feldman said.

That the 6-3 conservative court has tilted toward Justice Thomas is mostly a matter of math.

Justice Anthony M. Kennedys retirement and Ruth Bader Ginsburgs death opened slots that had been filled by more conservative-leaning members, tilting a court from moderately originalist to aggressively originalist.

Justice Thomas has found a new voice in oral argument during the pandemic.

He was famously reticent to take part in the back-and-forth during oral arguments and once went a decade without asking a question.

The New York Times sniffed that he had given various explanations for his silence but seemed to settle on one that it was rude to the litigants to interrupt and preen and prod, as has been the practice for oral argument in recent years.

When the pandemic struck, the court went to virtual hearings, and Chief Justice Roberts carved out specific time for each justice to ask questions. On a remote call, talking over one another would be a disaster. Justice Thomas, as the senior member of the court, got the first crack and began to engage again.

The court has gone back to in-person argument, but Chief Justice Roberts has maintained the structured format for each member to have a dedicated chance for questions, and Justice Thomas remains engaged.

I think his colleagues recognized the value that added, Ms. Severino said.

Justice Thomas success on the bench has led to a rocky summer.

George Washington Universitys law school, where he has co-taught a constitutional law seminar for years, faced a rebellion of sorts from students who demanded that he be fired.

The school rejected those calls. Although the justices views didnt represent the schools beliefs, it said, an open debate was part of the point of education. Still, Justice Thomas withdrew from teaching the class.

An online petition circulated over the summer demanded the impeachment of the justice and garnered more than 1 million signatures. Democrats on Capitol Hill dismissed the idea as a non-starter.

Justice Thomas wife, Virginia Ginni Thomas, has been under scrutiny for communications surrounding the 2020 election and her attendance at the pro-Trump rally on Jan. 6, 2021. She testified Thursday to the House committee investigating the mob attack on the U.S. Capitol later that day and reportedly told lawmakers she believed the election was stolen.

She also said Justice Thomas doesnt discuss his court work with her.

His detractors wonder whether the 74-year-old jurist will quit soon.

Ms. Severino doubts it.

No way, she said. On the Supreme Court, the mid-70s is like the new 40s.

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Clarence Thomas takes the wheel as Supreme Court settles in for post-Roe term - Washington Times

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It is war against illegal gambling operations – Khmer Times

Posted: at 4:50 pm

Police have cracked down on more than 9,000 illegal gambling dens and arrested 13,000 people across the country since the clampdown was initiated by the government.

Some of the people detained were schooled on the negative and social impacts of gambling while others were sent to court to face legal action.

Sok Phal, secretary of state of the Ministry of Interior and chairman of the task force to suppress illegal gambling, said crackdowns on gambling throughout the country started on September 15.

He said 12,786 people were advised about the ills of gambling and 246 were sent to court.

Phal said authorities will continue to take strict action in their crackdowns on illegal gambling in villages, communes and districts.

Phal added that intense action against illegal gambling dens will be carried out until July 1 next year.

He said authorities will actively seek out illegal gambling masterminds and those who continue to violate the law and instructions of the local authorities.

Banteay Meanchey Information Department director Sek Sokhom said 80 dens in the province have been raided.

He said after receiving instructions from the government, provincial, district and commune authorities started concerted efforts against illegal gambling dens.

We have observed that illegal gambling has reduced and it has ceased in most of the places that have been raided.

We will continue with our crackdowns until all illegal gambling activities have been stopped.

In Oddar Meanchey province, deputy governor Dy Rado said some illegal gambling dens have closed voluntarily when they heard that the government is going all out to arrest them.

Illegal gambling offences in Oddar Meanchey province have come down and people appear to be following the instructions of the authorities.

We will continue to take action and monitor those who have closed down to see if they start operations again.

We will immediately act against them if they do, he said.

Takeo deputy governor Ly Saveth said about 800 gambling sites were raided and the gamblers were educated.

Relevant authorities have been told to monitor the back of peoples houses and cafes to stop illegal gambling, he said.

On September 14, Minister of Interior Sar Kheng appointed Phal to lead a working group to crack down on illegal gambling in the country.

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It is war against illegal gambling operations - Khmer Times

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Twitch gambling ban announced for certain content following streamer theft – Top Class Actions

Posted: at 4:50 pm

Twitch gambing ban overview:

Twitch announced that it will ban certain gambling content from appearing on its live-streaming service, including gambling websites that have slots, roulette or dice games that arent licensed in the United States

The policy update will take place on Oct. 18 and is being made following an effort by some people to circumvent rules currently in place regarding gambling content to expose our community to potential harm, according to Twitch.

The company, which is owned by Amazon.com, enacted the Twitch gambling ban amidst a slew of criticism from some of its top streamers who had been threatening to leave the platform if it didnt change its gambling stream policy, CNBC reports.

The reported boycott threat came after a streamer with the moniker Sliker allegedly misled viewers and other streamers who gave him as much as $200,000 to gamble with, Kotaku reports.

Twitch, which already prohibits link or referral code sharing from sites featuring slots, roulette or dice games, says that the streaming of gambling websites Rollbit.com, Stake.com, Duelbits.com and Roobets.com will no longer be allowed on the platform.

Streamers will still be able to host streams of websites that focus on sports betting, poker and fantasy sports, however, according to Twitch.

Gambling content on Twitch has been a big topic of discussion in the community and something weve been actively reviewing since our last policy update in this area, Twitch says in a statement posted to Twitter.

Last October, Twitch announced that it suffered a major data breach that led to an anonymous hacker posting 125gb of its data, including source code, to the anonymous online image board website 4chan.

Do you use Twitch to view or stream online gambling content? Let us know in the comments!

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Nevada gambling revenue tops $1B for 18th consecutive month in August at $1.2B – Yogonet International

Posted: at 4:50 pm

Nevadas winning streak shows no sign of slowing down: the Silver State has now reported its 18th consecutive month of more than $1 billion in gambling revenue. According to the lastet data released by the Nevada Gaming Control Board on Thursday, the state collected $1.2 billion from its casinos in August, a figure 26.7% up from the same month in pre-pandemic 2019.

The impressive August results have pushed the year-to-date state revenue 14% ahead of 2021s record performance. As for the individual month, it was ahead by 3.5% from August 2021, which further proves how quickly the industry has been recovering from the worst days of the pandemic.

Casinos on the renowned Vegas Strip collected the lions share of Augusts revenue, at $660 million, up 5.2% from last August. The Strip is carrying the load, said Michael Lawton, senior economic analyst at the Nevada Gaming Control Board, as reported by Forbes.

But the Strip wasnt alone in delivering solid results. After a four-month downturn, the markets outside of the Strip are back up. With monthly revenue decreases between April and July, the states other gambling jurisdictions grew slightly in August, by 1.6%.

As for gaming verticals, slot machines expectedly brought the most revenue at $847.1 million, up 2.5% from last year. Meanwhile, players lost $361.4 million in table games, a 6% increase, with baccarat coming in third with $96.7 million, up by 4%. As for Nevada sportsbooks, they collected $16.1 million, up 12%, with mobile betting accounting for $9.9 million of the total.

While August gaming win was up on a year-over-year basis, revenue for the month was about $100 million down from July, a month in which the Silver State posted $1.3 billion in gaming revenue. However, the trend is not a surprising one, with August typically seen as a slower month, partly due to the extreme heat in the state. According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, August gambling revenue is normally down about 9% compared with July, says Forbes.

With the economy potentially heading towards a recession, Lawton said Nevada has a solid buffer due to all the growth it has experienced during the rebound: even if gambling revenue drops 10%, the state will still be above pre-pandemic levels. The expert said the Silver State would have to fall off a significant cliff to be lower than 2019 levels, an unlikely scenario.

While Nevadas streak may eventually come to an end, that doesnt seem likely to occur in the near future, with Lawton saying the state could hit $1 billion-plus in revenue through the rest of 2022. I dont see an imminent drop-off. Theres no softness on the horizon, he noted.

And hes right: thus far, Nevada is on pace to beat its record of $13.4 billion in annual gambling revenue, which it posted in 2021. Through August this year, Nevada has collected $9.8 billion, a 14% increase compared to the same period last year. Strip casinos in particular are seeing solid results: through eight months, they are almost 25% ahead of 2021s record $7 billion in revenue.

J.P. Morgan gaming analyst Joe Greff also shared an optimistic viewpoint, telling investors: Broadly speaking, demand was resilient in light of macro concerns and higher gas prices impacting the consumer, as reported by The Nevada Independent.

Lawton credited special events, including concerts at Strip resorts and sporting events at Allegiant Stadium and T-Mobile Arena, as driving visitation and gaming play. The event calendar continues to impress me along with no sign of a downturn in visitation in the near future, he noted, as per The Independent.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authoritys latest report supports these claims, with the body reporting that 3.2 million came to Sin City in August, a 6.4% increase over the past year. However, visitor volume in the gambling hub is still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels, down by 11% when paired against 2019 levels.

Hotel room occupancy reached 76.8% in August, 4% ahead of last year, while occupancy on weekends was 90.1%. Convention attendance was at 406,500, 20.5% higher than August 2021, adding to the eight-month total of nearly 3.2 million.

Longer term, we see the return of conventions and a strong sports and event calendar in the next couple of years to provide some level of support for Strip gaming revenue and non-gaming revenue, said Macquarie Securities gaming analyst Chad Beynon in a research note this month.

Next years scheduled NCAA March Madness Regional Championship round in April, Formula 1s Las Vegas Grand Prix in November, and Super Bowl LVIII in February 2024 at Allegiant Stadium are expected to act as huge tourism drivers to the state.

See Nevada's full gaming revenue report for August here.

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Nevada gambling revenue tops $1B for 18th consecutive month in August at $1.2B - Yogonet International

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Crypto Gambling on the Rise as Bitcoin Casinos Proliferate – UrbanMatter

Posted: at 4:50 pm

The online gambling industry has been on the rise in recent years, with more and more people looking to gamble online instead of at brick-and-mortar casinos. And as the industry has grown, so too has the popularity of Bitcoin casinos. Some of the best crypto casinos have beenpublished here, and if you are interested, you could go through them.

Bitcoin casinos are online casinos that accept Bitcoin as a form of payment. They are similar to traditional online casinos in many ways, but there are also some key differences. For one, Bitcoin casinos usually have much lower fees than traditional online casinos. They also offer anonymity to players, which is something that many traditional online casino players value.

The popularity ofcrypto gamblingcan vary depending on a number of factors. However, it is safe to say that crypto gambling is becoming increasingly popular, especially as more people become aware of the benefits of using cryptocurrencies.

The traditional gambling industry is already feeling the impact of crypto gambling. With the rise of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, more and more people are using them to gamble online. This is because crypto gambling offers several advantages over traditional gambling, including anonymity, lower fees, and faster payouts.

The traditional gambling industry will feel the pinch as more people turn to crypto gambling. This is because they will be losing customers to the new kid on the block. To stay competitive, they will need to offer similar advantages to crypto gambling. Otherwise, they will continue to lose market share.

There are a few risks associated with crypto gambling, but they are relatively minor. The first is that you may not be able to cash out your winnings in cryptocurrency. This is because most casinos only accept fiat currency (e.g. USD, EUR, GBP). So if you win big, you may have to convert your winnings back into fiat currency before you can withdraw them.

The second risk is that the value of cryptocurrency can fluctuate quite a bit. So if you deposit $100 worth of Bitcoin into your casino account, and then the value of Bitcoin drops by 20%, your account balance will also drop by 20%. This means you could lose money even if you win some bets.

The third risk is that there are still some scams out there. There are a few casinos that will try to cheat you out of your winnings or that will simply disappear with your money. So its important to do your research and only gamble at reputable casinos.

Overall, crypto gambling is on the rise as more and more Bitcoin casinos proliferate. This trend is likely to continue as cryptocurrency becomes more mainstream and accepted by more businesses and individuals.

Featured Image Credit: Pexels

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Crypto Gambling on the Rise as Bitcoin Casinos Proliferate - UrbanMatter

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Why a new gambling law in Meghalaya has been met with fierce resistance – Scroll.in

Posted: at 4:50 pm

The state governments move to legalise and regulate certain forms of gambling in Meghalaya has been met with fierce resistance.

The government argues opening casinos would boost tourism, which is facing competition from other North Eastern states, and earn revenue. This has not gone down well in predominantly Christian Meghalaya, where public opinion is often shaped by powerful tribal organisations such as the Hynniewtrep Youth Council as well as by church groups.

Trouble started when the government passed the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act in 2021, which appeared to reverse the states decades-old ban on most forms of gambling. Opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress, joined the Hynniewtrep Youth Council and various church groups in demanding the repeal of the new law.

We are opposing the act from the religious and morality point of view, said Hynniewtrep Youth Council general secretary Roy Kupar Synrem. Meghalaya being a Christian state, we dont want activities like casinos and gambling. The youths will be addicted to gambling and we dont want those kinds of activities and environment in the state.

Given the opposition, the government seemed to pull the brakes on implementing the law. A fresh furore broke out last month when the government told the state assembly that temporary licences had been issued to three firms in March. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma then gave assurances that the government had ordered a halt on all processes to start casinos after it held talks with church groups and non-governmental organisations. The temporary licences, issued before the talks, would lapse automatically, he claimed.

However, pressure groups want the gambling law to be scrapped altogether.

Till last year, the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970, had prohibited most forms of gaming in the state. The new law aimed to introduce licences and regulation for games of skill, where a players skill determines the game rather than luck, such as bridge, backgammon, poker and bingo. It also sought to regulate games of chance, where luck mattered over skill, such as baccarat, roulette and the three card game. Both online and offline games are mentioned.

What the new law does not mention is teer, a game of archery where the players place bets on the number of arrows that stick to the target at the end of each round. The practice of betting on archery contests is believed to date back to the early 20th century. The state is dotted with thousands of such teer gambling parlours, with about 1,500 in the capital of Shillong itself.

Till 1981, teer gambling was banned. Since then, it has been regulated by the Meghalaya Amusements and Betting Tax (Amendment) Act, 1982, and conducted under the aegis of the Khasi Hills Archery Sport Association. In 2018, the government introduced the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow. Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.

Those who oppose the new gambling law do not object to teer, arguing that the game has deep cultural roots in the Khasi community, combining art, entertainment and skill.

Archery is not harmful, it is a sport, said EH Kharkongor, secretary of the Khasi Jaintia Christian Leaders Forum.

Synrem also agreed teer was a traditional betting game which could not be compared to casinos where lakhs and crores could be lost and won.

The anxieties about casinos are outlined in a letter sent by the Khasi Jaintia Christian Leaders Forum to the chief, demanding the repeal of the new gambling law as it came with a high price to the society.

The legitimisation of gambling is detrimental to the society as it has negative effects on quality of life such as loss of self-esteem, breakdown in relationships, depression and even suicides and fatal self-inflictions, the letter said. Gambling can increase criminality in several ways such as forgery, fraud, robbery and murder to finance ones gambling habit.

Kharkongor told Scroll.in that they opposed the law because it would enable all forms of gambling, not just the games mentioned in the law. The introduction of casinos will affect so many dimensions of human lives and communities, he said. It will promote violence, drugs related incidents, flesh-trade and violent crimes and so many other immoral and criminal activities.

Synrem complained the government had not consulted stakeholders before introducing the new gambling law.

As the controversy blew up last month, Sangma argued in the state assembly that the new law would only help regulate gambling. He claimed the rules said locals cannot play.

Hence, we thought that we should have gaming zones which are far away from the core of the state and capital in areas which are at the border areas so that our people are nowhere close to it. We thought it was a win-win situation for the state, the chief minister said in the assembly.

He also suggested the aim behind setting up casinos was to generate Rs 500-600 crore in revenue at a time when other sources of revenue, especially mining, had dried up.

The Hynniewtrep Youth Council was not convinced. Synrem pointed out that the 2021 act only said that licensees had to ensure a player anyone taking part in a game online or on physical premises was above 18 years old.

[It] speaks of nothing when it comes to participation of local youths or residents of the state in online Gaming or betting, he said.

The Hynniewtrep Youth Council dashed off a letter to the chief minister saying, If the state government can check the revenue leakages as has been repeatedly pointed out and flagged by the CAG Reports every year, it can easily save about Rs 1500-2000 crore annually.

Kyrsoibor Pyrtuh of Thma U Rangli Juki, a civil society organisation, also said it was unlikely to help Meghalayas economy since most investors were likely to be from outside the state.

Trinamool Congress legislator George B Lyngdoh also spoke at protests asking for a repeal of the law altogether, not just a halt on casinos. Everyone possesses cellphones and has the power in their hands to participate in online betting and gambling, which will lead to addiction even though they do not go to casinos, Lyngdoh said. They would play at home, at educational institutions.

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Gambling revenue nets Illinois a record $1.9 billion in a year: Here’s what’s generating it – Daily Herald

Posted: at 4:50 pm

Gambling revenues in Illinois during the last fiscal year hit an all-time high for the state, with almost $1.9 billion going into its coffers.

That beat the previous record in 2019, when the state generated $1.4 billion in gambling revenue.

Raking in more than $833 million, lottery sales generated the most gambling revenue for the state from July 2021 to June 2022, according to a recently released report by the Illinois General Assembly's Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. That's up nearly 6% from the previous fiscal year, and it comes despite a decrease in actual sales, which was offset by fewer winners and reduced operating expenses.

Lottery officials touted the growth of the state's "iLottery platform" for part of the increased fortunes, accounting for almost $279 million in sales, a 64% increase from the prior year. Players can access lottery games online or through a mobile app.

"Online lottery play is an integral and growing segment of the Illinois Lottery's offering," said Keith Horton, general manager of Camelot Illinois, the state's lottery contractor. "Regular technology updates to the online platform improve the player experience and have helped drive growth over the past few years."

But gambling foes have argued online initiatives through the state have made it too easy to place bets, leading to an increase in gambling addiction.

WalletHub ranked Illinois the 14th "most gambling-addicted" state in an April study that compared access to gambling and addiction treatments.

"Gambling addiction provides a number of problematic outcomes in people's lives," said Zach Savella Stallard, coordinator at the Illinois chapter of Stop Predatory Gambling. "It's a source of revenue that takes advantage of people experiencing addiction, and that's not the way we should be funding our state and actually causes more costs because of the social costs of this addiction."

Lottery revenues generally go toward education funding.

Video gambling revenue generated another $762 million for the state, another record-breaking figure for that category.

It was up more than 52% from the previous fiscal year, according to the report. That's due in part to changes in the law in recent years that increased the state's share of video gambling revenues and allowed venues to add more machines.

At the end of June 2022, the state was generating video gambling revenue from 43,128 machines in 7,967 establishments. That amounts to 7.4% more terminals in 4.5% more establishments than the end of the previous fiscal year.

Much of the increase in revenue is a result of the video gambling terminals being accessible for the entire fiscal year, something that wasn't the case during the pandemic.

The majority of video gambling revenue goes to the state's capital improvement fund.

After suffering major losses during the pandemic, state revenues from casinos rose to $140 million last year, the commission's report shows. That's still well below pre-pandemic levels. Industry officials are optimistic about the future, though.

"Casinos are getting back to revenue totals they were seeing before the pandemic, and that's at a time when there are multiple new gaming outlets available to casino patrons," said Tom Thanas, executive director of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association. "I think there was pent-up demand and people wanted to get out and socialize."

Casino revenues largely go toward education funding in Illinois.

Sports betting in Illinois took in another $142 million last year, according to the report. Now in its third year, sports betting tax revenues for Illinois were more than double the previous years' take.

Revenue from sports betting goes toward capital improvements.

Horse racing generated $7 million last year for Illinois, but that's expected to take a significant dip this year because of Arlington International Racecourse's closure.

Various other gambling operations such as raffles, bingo and pull tabs generated another $4 million for the state last year, the report shows.

The commission's report concludes with a warning about relying too heavily on future gambling revenues.

"With so many entities competing for the gaming dollar, the question continues to be whether Illinois can support this level of expansion," the report reads. "If so, State and local government coffers will greatly benefit from the additional tax revenue generated by these gaming sources. If not, more questions arise, such as which entities will be the winners and losers of this resulting oversaturation."

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Gambling revenue nets Illinois a record $1.9 billion in a year: Here's what's generating it - Daily Herald

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Boston College Football vs. Louisville : Gambling Odds and Predictions – BC Interruption

Posted: at 4:50 pm

Last weekend, I did have a slight glimmer of remaining optimism in this Eagles team. It would have been a gutsy pick to take BC +17 (which creeped up to +18.5 by kick-off), but I went with my brain instead of my heart and laid the points which ended up being the right call. This decision became even more solidified once I heard the news that Jordan Travis would be under center for the now 4-0 Noles.

All hopes for this season, in my mind, are now out the window. The chances of this being a winless-ACC season are becoming more and more plausible and any responsible gamer would look to bet against BC in most cases for the remainder of the season. In looking forward to their next contest, lets do a quick analysis and see if that advice holds true.

On Saturday, the Eagles welcome in the 2-2 Louisville Cardinals who have notched wins against Syracuse and UCF on the season. They also choked an opportunity to close out a win against Florida State two weeks back but were dealing punches against the same team that effectively beat us within the first 2 minutes of action. They come into the contest boasting a -15.5 spread against the Eagles with the O/U hovering around 51.5.

The main threat here against the Eagles will certainly be Senior QB Malik Cunningham who operates as a dual threat for the Cardinals attacking both through the air and with his feet. Cunningham has not been insanely effective through the air throwing for just 782 yards with 2 TDS and 3 INTs. On the ground, there has been a different story. He currently leads the team in rushing yards with 395 to go along with 6 TDs.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Cardinals will give the Eagles some challenges. They give up just 20.8 points per game and average letting up 187 yards through the air and 163 yards on the ground to their respective opponents. Granted, their opposition as been against different levels of talent, but these number should certainly not be disregarded.

In all honesty, I dont see BC getting anywhere close to Lousivilles averagesm, especially on the ground. Currently, the Eagles average 42.7 RYPG putting them as the 127th best rushing team in all of the FBS. Yes, you read that correctly. Our passing offense also is now one of the worst in the country where we average 191.3 PYPG ranking us 101st in the country in that category. Our QB sacked percentage is also now 10.8% which is quite the number that jumps of the page as this point in the season.

Putting this all together, the consensus remains the same on my opinion. Louisville is having a mediocre season with bowl eligbility still hanging in the balance while BC is, as we all know, having a dumpster fire of a season. The throttling by FSU last weekend was a sure-fire testament that this season is all but over at this point and my money on this team will be put on other games where BC is not in question. However, if you are feeling gutsy and want to play this game I would heed the advice of most at this point. Lay the points, take Louisville and go bet on something more exciting. Nothing new is going to be clicking on this BC offense and it is going to be difficult for their defense to keep them in it for all four quarters.

If I were to entertain this game at all, I would primarily look at the O/U which looks a tad too high for me. BC, obviously, cannot score at all and Louisville averages just 24.8 per game so I think the Under is in question. Even then, this game could quickly become another blow out with the Cardinals getting ahead early and BC fighting to simply not be shutout like last week. I most likely will just stay away entirely from this one.

Prediction: Louisville -15.5 | Under 51.5 | Louisville ML (-770)

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Boston College Football vs. Louisville : Gambling Odds and Predictions - BC Interruption

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Your guide to sports betting and everything else to know about gambling in California – Lompoc Record

Posted: at 4:50 pm

In California, you can bet on a horse race, buy a lottery ticket, put money on poker in a card room and play slots at a tribal casino all in the same potentially expensive day.

The gambling industry, like many, took a hit during the pandemic. Nationally, commercial gaming revenue after winnings shrank bymore than 25%between 2019 and 2020. Then, in 2021, it came roaring back even faster than the rest of the economy and brought in more money than any previous year. Tribal casinos also had arecord breaking year in 2021.

During this years November election, Californians will decide whether they want to expand gambling further and allow sports betting. A pitched battle between gaming companies, tribes, card rooms, and others has brokencampaign cash recordsand has landedtwo separate initiativesto legalize sports betting on the ballot.

Heres what you need to know about gambling in California.

This article was originally published by CalMatters. You can read more of their coverage of California state government on their website, CalMatters.org.

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Your guide to sports betting and everything else to know about gambling in California - Lompoc Record

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