Category Archives: Gambling

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino introduced an array of new gambling experiences to South Florida, offering a Vegas-like feel right in the Sunshine State. The long-anticipated launch comes after the establishment found itself embroiled in a strenuous legal tug-of-war, according to WSVN.

Following a Supreme Court decision, the Hard Rock Casino threw open its doors amidst celebrations featuring famous personalities such as Gloria and Emilio Estefan, and sports betting enthusiasts were given the nod to place their bets. "Ladies and gentlemen, sports betting is live!" announced the announcer at the venue. Shuffle along, Sinatra, because boxing legend Mike Tyson, also in attendance, placed his faith in the Miami Dolphins, telling WSVN reporters, I dont know, but I placed a bet on them.

On Thursday, the festivities marked the inauguration of 20 new roulette tables, craps tables, and sports betting kiosks equipped with the latest in gaming technology. Before the floodgates were opened to the public, CBS News Miami was given a sneak peek into the stage set for the next chapter of Floridas gambling saga.

Patrons were seen placing wagers on events around the country at private kiosks, a feature Ken Halabi, a casino visitor, appreciated and stated "I've lived in states that have it -- it's a good idea I think"

The NBA's very own Dwyane Wade made his return to Miami feel like a roll of the dice, Every time I come back to Miami it feels good. Glad to be here," he was rolling the dice, according to WSVN.

According to Nova Southeastern University law professor Bob Jarvis, the Seminoles have overcome a Supreme Court hurdle, clearing their initiative for take-off, a sentiment he shared with CBS News Miami. However, he cautioned that new legal challenges, particularly regarding mobile sports betting and its legality off tribal lands, might still be a year out.

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Hollywood's Seminole Hard Rock Casino Rolls Out Glitzy Gambling Expansion with A-List Celebs in Attendance - Hoodline

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By Jason Chorpenning and Shane Sterry

Chorpenning is president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 27 and Sterry is assistant vice president of the Seafarers Entertainment and Allied Trades Union.

On behalf of the more than 5,000 UFCW and SEATU represented employees working at three of Marylands casinos Rocky Gap Casino & Hotel, Hollywood Casino, and Live! Casino & Hotel and approximately 16,000 gaming industry workers who live in the Free State, we take issue with the Lottery Commissions recent report to the General Assembly on iGaming or internet gaming which would bring slot machines and poker games to your cell phones for unlimited gambling.

Well before this report was issued, we expressed to the governor and legislative leaders that the Lottery Commission report would be one-sided and biased. The Lottery Commission hired the Las Vegas-based Innovation Group, a pro-gaming research firm that touts being associated with more than $100 billion in gaming investment decisions. As an organization that gets its bread-and-butter from expanded gaming, we anticipated that they would dangle the free gambling money that iGaming could bring to state coffers from out-of-state and foreign companies who will make little investment in our state. The recently released report has confirmed our fears.

With its myopic focus on the gaming revenue these out-of-state and foreign companies might generate, the report glosses over the massive losses of Maryland jobs that would inevitably accompany iGaming. For example, in neighboring Pennsylvania, iGaming has eliminated 2,000 jobs nearly 10% of all Pennsylvania brick-and-mortar casino jobs. Many other states, like Indiana, have said no to iGaming for the same reason its a job killer.

And it is not only the 16,000 casino jobs in Maryland that are at stake. If iGaming were enacted in Maryland, there would be no incentive for the states brick-and-mortar casinos to make new capital investments to expand gaming floors, increase restaurant and entertainment options, or construct/expand hotel and lodging amenities. This will result in a loss of job opportunities for Maryland across industries and will lead to less real estate tax revenue, less personal property tax revenue, less income tax revenue, less alcohol tax revenue, and less sales tax revenue than are currently being realized.

In addition, we believe that iGaming will increase problem gaming to epidemic levels in Maryland if enacted. The National Council on Problem Gamblings 2021 Survey on Gambling Attitudes found that online gamblers were as much as eight times more likely to report compulsive gambling problems and addictive behavior. Marylands own Center of Excellence, which reviews problem gaming, is still looking at the impact of mobile sports betting on problem gambling but we do know that certain demographic groups are two-to-three times more likely to be high-risk gamblers according to studies.

There is a reason that more than 40 states, including Nevada, have not pursued iGaming. Regardless of the Lottery Commissions recent report, we are convinced that iGaming is a bad bet for Maryland workers and families. Now is not the time to gamble with thousands of Maryland jobs. We urge the governor and General Assembly to not take the bait and say NO to iGaming.

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Opinion: iGaming is a bad bet for Maryland - Maryland Matters

A few days ago, I read with interest an opinion piece from an anti-gambling former leader of the Christian Coalition of Alabama. In that piece, John Giles was heavily critical of efforts to legalize, regulate and properly tax gambling in Alabama, and instead insisted that the state needed only to shut down the illegal operations, not reward them.

These are good talking points, I guess, if you know next to nothing about the state of gambling illegal or otherwise in Alabama. Or if youre purposefully trying to mislead people on the issue. Now, Im not necessarily saying that Giles was attempting to do the latter, but he was the head of an organization that was, prior to his tenure at the top, raking in millions of dollars, according to lobbyists who testified under oath before the U.S. Senate, from Mississippi Native American casinos to spout off rhetoric bemoaning the ills of gambling in Alabama. So, maybe hes not the best source.

If you do have some understanding of the reality of gambling in Alabama, however, you recognize immediately that a position such as Giles is pure fantasyland nonsense.

If you doubt that for even a second, allow me to introduce you to Steve Marshall. Hes the publicity-hungry attorney general for our state, and he would love nothing more than to shut down illegal casinos in every county except, mysteriously, some casinos in Greene County and hold press conferences and send out press releases weekly touting his grand accomplishments in doing so. In fact, he did so just Wednesday.

But while announcing that the AGs office had thwarted yet another gambling operation this one the White Hall Entertainment Center in Lowndes County he also included a sentence in the press release that explains just how ludicrous Giles position really is.

It was this: This facility was previously shut down after the Supreme Court of Alabama issued an order in September of 2022 declaring that the operation of so-called electronic bingo was an ongoing nuisance in Lowndes County and should be abated by the Circuit Court.

Now, Im not exactly a math major, but I can count to 14. Thats how many months have passed since that ruling from the ALSC and since White Hall Entertainment was shut down. In that time, I know from people in Lowndes County, that White Hall has operated at least 600 gambling machines almost every single day, funding a variety of local charitable organizations, for more than half of those 14 months.

Did this occur because Steve Marshall and other law enforcement officials in the county and state chose to turn a blind eye to this illegal gambling? Did they want to reward the operators in Lowndes County, as Giles suggested?

Of course not.

It happened for a variety of reasons, not least of which is that there is a legitimate legal argument to be made that the facilities shuttered in Lowndes County are operating legally. That the people of the county voted to approve the operation of those games and that the county has in place a valid constitutional amendment that protects those casinos. And according to the Alabama constitution, the local sheriff, not the ALSC or the AG, is the law enforcement official tasked with verifying the legality of those gambling operations.

But regardless, even if you dont buy that, there are some other realities at play here. Not least of which is the fact that the crimes in these cases are misdemeanors. Which means youre asking the AG and other law enforcement agencies to expend limited resources to chase down misdemeanor crimes that the local citizenry mostly approve of, and you want them to do so over and over and over again, all the while butting heads with local law enforcement and state politicians.

These are facts. You dont have to like them, and while you can certainly ignore them while writing up opinion pieces, state lawmakers cant do the same when they sit down to craft laws that might actually address the gambling problem we have in this state.

The first step, as with any problem, is admitting we have a problem. Weve got a big one.

As House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter told me a few weeks ago, the problem is so massive and so out of control that most people cant grasp it. There are literally thousands of gambling establishments operating in this state today in every county, in most cities, and mostly operating in plain sight.

A lot of this has to do with the decades of patchwork laws weve passed, combined with federal laws, that allow for this gambling here and that gambling there. For instance, you know that bingo parlor your granny likes to hit on a Friday night? Welp, that bingo hall operating means that the Poarch Band of Creek Indians are allowed to operate the three electronic bingo casinos they own in this state.

You see, to operate a local bingo hall, the county had to get approval from the state legislature and then get approval from county voters. If that happened, a new county amendment to the state constitution was put on the books and bingo gambling was allowed in that county. Just like it works with liquor sales in each county. And that county amendment means that a federally recognized Native American tribe is free to operate games on a similar classification level.

To compete with the Poarch Creeks, in some counties in the early 2000s, amendments were passed that sought to bring existing facilities into competition with the tribe. The citizens understood full well what they were approving, and in most cases the local amendments include wording that mentions electronic means of playing the games.

That patchwork of laws, in addition to the entities that are simply offering games outside of any laws and the federal laws that cover the games offered by the Poarch Creeks, are the root of this issue.

Its complicated. And it cant be boiled down to a simple arrest everybody solution.

Unless you think you can pass a bill that bans all forms of gambling which would include outlawing everything from church raffles and church bingo to the electronic games (good luck with that) fixing this issue will require new laws, a regulatory body that deals with the legal gambling and a number of new law enforcement officers to properly patrol the state.

The only logical option for doing that is to once and for all pass laws outlining what is legal, whats illegal, and how were going to monitor it all.

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Opinion | There is no easy or quick fix for Alabama's gambling situation - Alabama Political Reporter

Mark Cuban is no stranger to taking big bets and has previously said he wants the Dallas Mavericks in a new arena with a resort and casino.

Selling the team to the family behind the Las Vegas Sands gives him a gambling partner who is no stranger to Texas politics.

The Las Vegas Sands and Resort company has hired lobbyists and pushed ads to build casinos in Texas.

So, will their new ownership of the Mavericks mean Dallas is getting a casino?

I dont know, laughed State Senator Carol Alvarado. This session, we got a lot further than weve ever been.

The Houston Democrat has fought to legalize gambling for more than a decade. A bill to build casinos received a vote in the Texas House for the first time this spring but failed to advance.

Rob Kohler, a consultant for the Christian Life Commission, the public policy arm of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, has lobbied against gambling.

He said news of the Sands investment in the Dallas Mavericks doesnt change the math in the legislature.

[Theyre] joining a long list of people in the waiting line, some people have been in that line for 30 years, Kohler said.

Republican strategist Vinny Minchillo said the votes arent there.

The bulk of Republican voters probably go to Oklahoma to gamble or go to Louisiana to gamble and would probably like to have a casino closer, said Minchillo. But those that are in power now, the more conservative hard-right Republicans, they cant afford to support casino gambling because their donors and primary voters just wouldnt have it.

The Adelson and Dumont families did not mention gambling in a statement Wednesday announcing their intent to buy a majority share of the Mavericks, saying, in part, The goal is to win and have a team that proudly represents the greater DFW area

Alvarado says she and others are playing the long game that gambling will one day be legal.

The Sands people and others in the gaming industry have been investing in Texas now for quite a number of years, so I know that they are going to continue that investment, and Im going to continue to do my part, Alvarado said.

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What will new Dallas Mavericks ownership mean for future of gambling in Texas? - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

If I were a gambling man, I would wager that as soon as humans started competing for sport, there was someone right there gambling on the outcome of that contest. In fact, the first records of gambling date back to 2300 BC, when ancient humans placed bets on animal fights or games with six-sided dice and since currency wasnt invented until at least the seventh century settled those bets with livestock, land, food or anything else that was considered valuable.

But the world has come a long way since then, and Id bet good money that those early gamblers heads would explode if exposed to the big-money onslaught of ads, apps and addicts that make up todays billion-dollar gambling industry. The sports world has become particularly infested with gambling in recent years, ever since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law that prohibited states from allowing sports betting back in 2018.

In the five years since, over 35 states have legalized sports betting in some form, and Americans have placed more than $250 billion through legal gambling outlets while online betting platforms like FanDuel and DraftKings have jumped the barrier from startup to corporate partners, with their logos and advertisements plastered on stadiums in many major sports leagues making it near impossible for a sports fan to avoid their charms. As of this year, the two companies control over 70% of the legal sports betting market in the country.

And these companies have gotten unnervingly creative with their honey traps. They offer free bets (if you win, you could get another free bet!) or micro-betting, where gamblers not only place bets on the outcome of a football game, but also whether the next play will be a run or a pass or which player will score next. When thats not enough, gamblers can customize multiple-game parlays, putting up a small price for the chance to win a big pot if they can correctly call the winner in every match.

Its extended to sports media as well, seeping into broadcasts and game coverage, with commentary becoming less about who will win the game and more about whether theyll cover the spread or crack the over/under line. ESPN, the once mighty home of sports news, has become a bettors paradise ever since 2023 when the network announced a $2 billion brand deal with a casino company to create its own online sports betting platform called ESPN Bet.

I understand the temptation and the thrill of gambling, and Ive surely placed a bet or two with friends, but the proliferation of sports betting companies and the sheer amount of money and power these companies have amassed cannot erase the real-life damage that gambling has caused to individuals and to the sports industry as a whole.

Just last year, the Iowa State football team was involved in a gambling scandal when several team members were found to have placed thousands of dollars worth of bets through DraftKings, including games they were playing in. Across the country, sports gambling addiction has risen tenfold in the past five years as online betting has become more accessible, making it easier than ever to spiral into a gambling habit and inescapable debt because, regardless of how lucky anybody is, the house will always win.

Sports betting was on the California ballot in 2022, with two separate propositions that would have legalized sports betting either in tribal casinos or online. Lobbyists for the casinos and online sports books spent a record-breaking $600 million trying to get the measures passed, but voters resoundingly denied both, with over 70% of voters opposed to sports betting in casinos and 83% opposed to online sports books.

It was a small win for the state, but with a lot of money to be made from the millions of sports fans in California, the tribal casinos and online platforms are not going to give up their chance to win big. If anything, the scales will continue to tip toward legalized sports betting as the gambling industry crawls out of the underground world of bookies and handshake bets and into the primetime, giving these groups even more sway to convince voters that legalized gambling is the only way to those sweet, sweet tax dollars (lobbyists for Prop. 27, which would have legalized online betting in California if passed, claimed that the state could rake in hundreds of millions of dollars through sports betting taxes).

But Im still not convinced that legalizing sports gambling is the best course of action. I dont mind a small bet with friends, but with the corporate monsters trying everything in their power to win the right to squeeze every possible dollar from hard-working sports fans, it takes the fun out of the game. I wouldnt venture to bet against them, but then again, Im not much of a betting man.

Ryan P. Cruz is the sports editor for Coastal View News. This is the latest installment of a monthly column where he explores local sports, sports history, and whats in store for the future of Carpinteria sports. Have an idea, tip, or sports story? Email me at sports@coastalview.com.

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Why sports gambling is a bad bet | Sports | coastalview.com - Coastal View News

Source: shutterstock.com/Dugger94621

With both the Chinese gambling hub of Macau and Las Vegas casinos doing very well, this is an excellent time to buy the top gambling stocks. In Macau, gross gaming revenue (GGR) soared 400% last month versus the same period in 2022 to $2.42 billion. That marked the regions highest monthly GGR since the pre-pandemic period. Meanwhile, in September, the gambling revenue of the Las Vegas Strip jumped 6.9% year-over-year to $741 million.

Also noteworthy is that the citys casinos and hotels likely benefited a great deal from the huge Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix auto race, held in Las Vegas from Nov. 16 to Nov. 18. Also very likely to help casinos and hotels in the area is the upcoming CES tech conference in January, which should be bigger than ever, given the excitement over artificial intelligence (AI). The Super Bowl will also happen in Las Vegas in February. On top of all that, online sports gambling has become huge, as legal U.S. wagers on sports jumped 33% in Q3 versus the same period in 2022.

Source: Michael Neil Thomas / Shutterstock.com

MGM Resorts (NYSE:MGM) reported very strong third-quarter results on Nov. 8, as the casino owners revenue jumped 16% versus the same period a year earlier, and its net income came in at an impressive $161 million, versus a loss of $577 million in Q3 of 2022.

BetMGM, the companys online betting joint venture, generated $13 million in profits for MGM last quarter. With BetMGM growing very rapidly and continuously expanding to new markets, the ventures contribution is likely to easily constitute 15% to 20% of the parent companys bottom line within the next year.

Meanwhile, MGM is opening a new casino and hotel in Japan and looks poised to obtain a casino license in New York. Both of those markets should become very lucrative needle movers for the company.

Changing hands at a very reasonable 21 times analysts average 2024 earnings per share estimate, MGM stock has an attractive valuation, solidifying its status as one of the top gambling stocks to buy.

Source: Shutterstock

Melco Resorts (NASDAQ:MLCO) is getting a big boost from the rejuvenation of Macau, as the lions share of its revenue comes from the region.

Indeed, last quarter, the companys operating revenue soared 321% year-over-year to $1 billion, while its operating income came in at $94.7 million versus an operating loss of $198.5 millionin Q3 of 2022.

Also encouragingly, CEO Lawrence Ho, speaking on the companys Q3 earnings call on Nov. 7, said, Were feeling good about Macau. And travel and tourism is the leading sector in China right now. He added, I think after 3 years of being not being able to travel during COVID, people are coming to Macau in force.

The forward price-earnings ratio of MLCO stock is a very low 10.

Source: Richie Chan / Shutterstock.com

Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ:WYNN) is benefiting tremendously from the huge rebound of Macau and the continued strength of Las Vegas.

The firms revenue from Las Vegas climbed $74.6 million versus the same period a year earlier to $544.4 million, while its Macau sales advanced by $450 million to $524.8 million.

Wynns overall EBITDAR, excluding some items, soared by $356.9 million to $530.4 million.

Looking ahead, we have a strong pipeline of forward group demand, very healthy gaming market share and a robust programming calendar with F1 and Super Bowl just ahead of us, CEO Craig Billings stated on the companys Q3 earnings call, held on Nov. 9.

In September, research firm Trefis estimated that the value of WYNN stock was about $109, well above its current level of around $84.

On the date of publication, Larry Ramer held a long position in MGM. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.comPublishing Guidelines.

Larry Ramer has conducted research and written articles on U.S. stocks for 15 years. He has been employed by The Fly and Israels largest business newspaper, Globes. Larry began writing columns for InvestorPlace in 2015. Among his highly successful, contrarian picks have been PLUG, XOM and solar stocks. You can reach him on Stocktwits at @larryramer.

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Roll the Dice on These 3 Gambling Stocks for Big-Win Potential - InvestorPlace

In addition to contributing to gaming addiction as pointed out in The Baltimore Suns recent editorial, Can elected officials resist the lure of more online betting to balance Md.s budget? (Nov. 28), the expansion of online gambling would eliminate casino jobs and reduce the incentive to invest in or expand Marylands casinos. It will harm thousands of Maryland workers who rely on in-person gaming and tips. It will undermine the promise of good jobs and economic development that the industry made to Marylands voters in 2008.

Legalizing iGaming will reduce Marylands brick and mortar casino revenue by 10.2%, according to a report produced by The Innovation Group for the Maryland Lottery. It found that from 2019 to 2022, states with iGaming saw in-person revenues decline 8.2% while states without iGaming saw in-person revenues grow 2%, implying a cannibalization rate of 10.2%. There would be less money to local jurisdictions that get a percentage of the revenue from their casinos and benefit from the local business and taxes that are generated.

Marylands six brick and mortar casinos directly employ 6,715 people and generate an annual economic impact of $2.96 billion that supports 15,364 jobs in the state. A 10.2% reduction in gaming revenue would mean a loss of 685 direct jobs and 1,567 total jobs in Maryland.

Since Maryland legalized online sports betting, in-person sports betting wagers have fallen 42% in the state. This is already harming Marylanders who work at in-person sportsbooks as attendants, bartenders, servers and cleaners. Many rely on tips from customers.

In 2008, Maryland voters approved legalizing casino gaming for the promise of good jobs and economic development. Online gaming will endanger these economic development opportunities at casinos throughout the state, slashing future job creation.

Maryland, say no to iGaming.

Tracy Lingo, Baltimore

Paul Schwab, Washington, D.C.

The writers are, respectively, president of UNITE HERE Local 7 and executive secretary-treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 25. UNITE HERE is the largest union of gaming workers in the country, representing 100,000 casino workers nationwide.

Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.

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Union leader: Online casino gambling would cost Maryland ... - Baltimore Sun

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. Indiana University researchers have released results from the 2023 Indiana College Substance Use Survey, which gauges the use of substances like vaping products, tobacco, marijuana and alcohol among college students across the state. It also looks at the mental health of students, as well as gambling behaviors.

More than half of surveyed Indiana college students reported consuming alcohol in the past month. Marijuana was the second most frequently reported substance used by Indiana college students, with nearly one of four (24.1%) reporting marijuana use in the past month. And 37% of surveyed students indicated theyve experienced significant sadness or hopelessness lasting two weeks or longer in the past year. (Because of the methodology used each year, researchers say they cant compare year-to-year data.)

Knowing more about student behaviors and their mental health helps both college and state leaders gain a better understanding about student needs and can also help in the development of plans to improve the well-being of students across the state, said Kaitlyn Reho, research associate with Prevention Insights at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington. Each participating school receives their own campus-level report, so they can use the data to identify important issues they may need to prioritize on their campus.

This is the 13th survey conducted since 2009. Among the findings:

Surveyed students were also asked how many days over the past month they felt their mental health was not good, including when they experienced stress, depression or problems with emotion. The average response was 9.3 days per month, and 27.9% of responding students said their mental health was poor on 15 days or more in the past month.

The survey also asked about the prevalence of suicidal ideation. Nearly 13% of responding students reported seriously considering attempting to die by suicide within the past year. Men reported the lowest prevalence of having serious thoughts of attempting suicide, at 9.6%, followed by women at 12.7% and students who identify as a gender other than man or woman at 34.7%.

Students who experience poorer mental health are more at risk for experiencing adverse consequences, like substance use or decreased academic performance, Reho said. This data can help universities as they work to provide more mental health services and support on college campuses.

When it came to gambling behavior, in the past year:

Students who reported gambling in the past year and identify as a woman reported lower rates of consequences due to gambling (3.1%), compared to men (9.3%) and students who identified a gender other than man or woman (10.5%).

The most frequently cited consequence experienced was feeling bad about their gambling, at 8.5% overall, with women reporting the lowest prevalence at 5.2%, followed by men at 10.6%, and students who identify as a gender other than man or woman at 21.9%.

Twenty-two Indiana colleges participated in the 2023 Indiana College Substance Use Survey, which considered responses from 5,387 18- to 25-year-old students in spring 2023. It uses a convenience sampling methodology, and all Indiana colleges are invited to participate. Funding was provided by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Mental Health and Addiction.

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Survey looks at substance use, mental health, gambling among ... - IU Newsroom

29 November 2023

The Gambling Commission has launched a new set of consultations aimed at making gambling in Britain safer and fairer.

Earlier this year the Commission opened its first set of consultations to implement proposals by Government in its Gambling Act Review White Paper High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age. (opens in new tab)

Today the Commission has launched the second set of consultations on proposals contained in the White Paper and is calling for views from consumers, gambling businesses and other interested groups.

The consultations, which will run for 12 weeks, will cover the following topics:

Tim Miller, Gambling Commission Executive Director for research and policy, said:

The White Paper set out that a top government priority is ensuring that gambling happens safely. We share this commitment and today's consultations propose how we can deliver on it.

"We need as many people as possible to have their say on any potential changes to the rules operators must follow.

"These views will ultimately help shape gambling regulation across the country."

View consultations and have your say (opens in new tab)

As set out in Tim Millers blog earlier this month, the Commission will shortly be launching a further consultation covering two topics relating to business as usual matters. This consultation will include proposals relating to clarity and transparency to the way financial penalties are calculated, and financial key event reporting by licensees to ensure the Commission has the right information for risk-based regulation.

Last updated: 29 November 2023

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Views wanted on proposals to make gambling safer - Gambling Commission

Surveillance video captures the moment an elderly reputed Genovese capo punched the owner of a fancy Manhattan steakhouse in an attack federal prosecutors hope to prove was part of a gambling extortion conspiracy.

Anthony Rom Romanello was 80 years old when he swung on Shuqeri Bruro Selimaj after a heated exchange at Lincoln Square Steak on the Upper West Side on May 11, 2017.

Romanello, now 86, and another reputed Genovese crime family gangster, Joseph Celso, are on trial in Brooklyn Federal Court on charges that could land them in prison for decades.

Selimajs nephew, Toni, and Tonis brother-in-law, Eddie, had racked up an $86,000 sports gambling debt with Michael Regan, who was accused in 2019 of running a bookie operation in Queens, according to court filings.

Romanello was a regular customer at Selimajs steakhouses, and the feds say he paid three angry visits to demand that the restaurateur settle the debt himself.

The punch came on visit number three, after Romanello confronted Selimaj in a private room, while Regan, Celso and Romanellos son waited in the restaurant, Selimaj recounted on the stand Wednesday.

The video shows Selimaj flanked by Regan and Romanello, right before he leans in and makes a remark to the aging wiseguy. Romanello leans back at the comment, then punches Selimaj in the jaw.

The other men then surround Selimaj as he walks backwards. Regan can be seen grabbing Selimaj by the lapels as he retreats.

Selimaj told the jury Wednesday that he told Romanello he was willing to make good on his nephews $6,000 debt, but he wouldnt cover the brother-in-laws $80,000 and that angered Romanello.

According to Selimaj, Romanello repeated, I would like to punch you! I would like to punch you! and he responded, You have no guts to punch me.

Romanellos lawyer, Gerald McMahon, presented a different version of the exchange, and tried to make Selimaj out as an Albanian tough guy and a bully.

Bruno told him that he was a washed-up Italian, that he had no balls, that he was nothing, McMahon told the jury, saying the punch was meant to answer that insult, not to collect a debt.

McMahon also downplayed the assault, noting that his client punches like a girl.

On Thursday, Selimajs brother Nino the owner of Ninos Restaurant on the Upper East Side, who played himself in the 2019 film Uncut Gems took the stand to describe his role in making sure the debt was paid.

Bruno Selimaj filed a police complaint, which he withdrew the next day after Celso warned him things would be ugly, Nino said.

Joe told me if Rom gets arrested, somebodys going to pay the price, he said.

In 2019, after Nino Selimaj was subpoenaed, Celso told him, Go ahead, testify, but keep me away from this, he told the jury.

Nino Selimaj said he and Celso were close friends, almost like family, and that Celso was his bookie. To settle the debt, he gave Celso $6,000 from his brother, plus another $49,000 from Eddies dad, he testified.

Typically, Nino said hed bet $5,000 on a sporting game and made several bets a week three or four, usually, but sometimes as many as 10 in a week.

Marrone asked if Nino declared his winnings on his taxes, and when he said no, the lawyer asked, I know you dont know the law, but is that against the law?

Nino responded, to the laughter of the courtroom, Yeah, but I lose more than I win. The government has to pay me back.

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Video shows the moment 86-year-old reputed mafioso punches ... - New York Daily News