Category Archives: Gambling

State legislators will spend the week trying to figure out how they will raise new revenue and close a $1.5 billion deficit before the start of the new fiscal year.

Pennsylvania lawmakers have roughly a week to agree on a state budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year, which starts Saturday, and so far no consensus on how to do that is in sight.

That is not unusual for the Pennsylvania legislature, but this year lawmakers are grappling with the state's biggest cash shortfall since the 2008 recession.

House and Senate Republican majority leaders were expected to meet over the weekend for budget talks before the full legislature reconvenes Monday.

"We are scheduled to be in session all week and probably up until we have something in place," state Rep. Pat Harkins said recently. "I'm looking forward to a very busy and productive week."

Harkins, of Erie, D-1st Dist., said a slew of proposals are on the table to try to raise more than $2 billion in new revenue that would balance a proposed spending plan and close the deficit. Theyinclude expanding gambling in the state, cutting costs and borrowing against future state revenue.

The extent to which gambling should be expanded has already been a point of contention between the House and Senate. Video gambling in thousands of bars, truck stops and elsewhere passed the House earlier this month with bipartisan support, and House Republican leaders have brought it to budget negotiations.

But the Senate has not shown that it would support such a large gambling expansion. Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, a Republican from Centre County, on Wednesday said such a move could be bigger than Pennsylvania's 2004 legalization of up to 14 commercial casinos, and he was "a little nervous about the size and scope" of it.

Many Erie County lawmakers are concerned that legalizing video gaming terminals and regulating them could pull revenue away from brick-and-mortar licensed casinos, which provide a percentage of funds to the communities that host them every year.

"I know the House members that don't have casinos are pushing pretty hard for VGTs because they want some gaming money in their districts," said state Sen. Dan Laughlin, of Millcreek Township, R-49th Dist. "That's going to be part of this conversation."

Gov. Tom Wolf, whose own budget proposal relies on $250 million of new gaming revenue, voiced concerns in recent days about the effect VGTs could have not only on licensed casinos, but on the Pennsylvania Lottery as well.

"I want real revenue, and I want net revenue," Wolf said. "I don't want anything that we do in gaming or gambling to interfere with the revenues that are already in place. If it just cannibalizes and takes from one bucket called gambling to another, the commonwealth isn't doing anything more than it has in the past."

Another option under consideration would borrow from Pennsylvania's annual share of the 1998 multistate settlement with major tobacco companies. The idea has traction among Senate Republicans and would largely fund a $31.5 billion House Republican spending plan.

State Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, of Millcreek, D-3rd Dist., said the idea comes with too many risks.

"We cannot continue to rely on tobacco to fill our deficits," Bizzarro said, referring to a hike in the state's cigarette tax enacted last year as part of the 2016-17 budget.

As opposed to borrowing, Wolf would prefer proposals he outlined in his February budget address, which called for imposing a tax on Marcellus Shale natural gas production, closing corporate loopholes and charging municipalities for state police coverage.

"That's what I'm looking for, something that is recurring revenue, not another one-time fix, not another thing that just kicks the budget problem, the deficit problem down the road for another year or two," Wolf said.

Lawmakers are bracing for a busy week in the state Capitol.

"We are hoping to get it done," Laughlin said. "It seems like everything is going to come down to the last minute."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Nico Salvatori can be reached at 870-1714 or by email. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNsalvatori.

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Lawmakers eye gambling revenue, borrowing to balance budget ... - GoErie.com

News Gaming Business Kenya Ups Its Gambling Tax Rate as Online Betting Booms Across Africa

In an attempt to corral the growth of an industry that has in recent years taken a country by storm, Kenya has imposed a major tax hike on betting companies.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta approved a huge increase to gambling taxes this week, hoping to slow the growth of what politicians believe is an undertaxed online gambling boom. (Image: HapaKenya)

On Wednesday, PresidentUhuru Kenyatta signed a finance bill into law that will levy a 35 percent tax rate on all gambling revenue for bookmakers, casinos, lotteries, and any other business involved in wagers. (Thats in addition to a 30 percent corporate income tax that all companies pay in Kenya.)

The potentially prohibitive tax increase will apply to all forms of gambling, including online gambling, whichaccounts for most of the gambling currently taking place in Kenya. Previously Kenya taxed bookmakers at 7.5 percent, casino gambling at 12 percent, raffles and competitions at 15 percent, and lotteries at 5 percent.

Supporters of the tax and members of President Uhurus Jubilee party said it was time to contain the growth of gambling that is being facilitated by technology but otherwise is going unchecked.

We were very concerned about betting among school-goers so we made it difficult for people to bet, President Uhuru said during an online town hall in April. We want people who bet to have their money go to constructive projects through tax.

Kenyas Treasury Secretary Henry Rotich believes the rapid growth of online gamblinghas been driven by the proliferation of smartphones and improved mobile internet speeds, and creates a danger to the young and vulnerable. Therefore he wants to stunt the industry.

Kenya is currently the third-largest gambling market in Africa, behind South Africa and Nigeria. Online sports betting in particular has thrived in the past few years, in cyber cafes and via mobile phones.

According to recent analysis, the second-most visited website in Kenya is SportsPesa, which happens to be the countrys most popular sports betting platform. The only website that gets more traffic in Kenya is Google.

(SportsPesa is fixed on global expansion and recently made inroads into the UK by becoming a shirt sponsor for Premier League soccer team Everton. )

Currently licensed operators in Kenya have balked that the new tax is unworkable, saying it will drive them out of the market while deterring international operators from setting up shop in Kenya.

I know there is a big cry in the gaming industry because of the 50 percent tax,Uhuru had said during the April town hall, but we can sit down and engage with the affected parties.

But Uhuru would find that lowering the tax to 35 percent did not appease detractors of the new rate.

Wanja Gikonyo, head ofBetways Kenya division, told the local Star newspaper that the impact of this tax increase will stretch beyond current gaming providers and will discourage investors from considering Kenya, shifting their focus instead to countries such as Uganda, Ghana, and Zambia, which offer less punitive taxation.

From a regional point of view, if as a country we end up being the highest taxed it would affect potential investors coming in, Gikonyo said. If they look at the environment vis-a-vis countries next to us, they might go there because (they have) a more favorable tax environment.

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Kenya Ups Its Gambling Tax Rate as Online Betting Booms Across Africa - Casino.Org News

A police pickup truck transports gamblers to the Muang police station after security authorities raided a gambling den in Muang district of Samut Prakan province on Saturday night. (Photo by Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)

SAMUT PRAKAN -- Seventy-four gamblers were rounded up by a combined police and military team in a raid on a house in Muang district late on Saturday night, police said.

Pol Col Torpong Tantrawanich, the Muang district police chief, said the raid followed complaints from residents that the one-storey house with two rooms in Soi Noree in tambon Thai Ban Mai had been opened for gambling on Chinese card games.

During the raid, the police and soldiers rounded up 38 gamblers from the first room and 36 from the second room. They also seized three television sets, three computers, 17 closed-circuit television cameras, 1,440 setsof cards, two card dispensers, 377,910 baht in cash, and other gambling equipment.

Veerapong Vehacha, 28, admitted to being the banker of the card games. He allegedly confessed to have operated the gambling den for about a year. He was charged with operating a gambling facility without permission.

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74 gamblers rounded up in raid - Bangkok Post

The Appanoose County Community Fund awarded 29 applicants from around the county in May. A total of $113,000 was given for projects inside the county.

The organization receives funds from state gambling revenues each year. The structure was developed in 2004 by the Iowa Legislature to spread gambling funds to counties in Iowa, whether they have a casino or not. The Appanoose County Community Fund was set up in 2005.

Over the last decade, funds have went to various causes. From updating the the 4-H stand at the Appanoose County Fairgrounds to buying new helmets for Moravia firefighters.

The following local organizations received funding this year:

Appanoose County Baseball

Appanoose County Girls Softball

Appanoose County Historical Society

Appanoose Family Alliance

Boy Scout Troup 33

Camp Appanoose

Centerville Band Boosters

Centerville Garden Club

Cincinnati Fire Department

Eagles Club

Friends of Appanoose County Historical Society

Friends of Oakland Cemetery

Garrett Memorial Library

Grow Centerville & Centerville Main Street

Historic Preservation Corp

Indian Hills Community College

Kid's World

Moravia Betterment

Moravia Community Schools

Moravia Historical Society

Moulton Historical Museum

Moulton Pulliam Park

Moulton Udell A Club

Mystic Community Center

Mystic Fire Department

New Hope Ministry

Rathbun City Park

Rathbun Lake YMCA

Walldog Public Art

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Grants from gambling funds given - Centerville Daily Iowegian

Money talks, and when those who handle the money talk, casino leaders listen.

Such was the case earlier this month when four experts gave Wall Streets perspective of the gaming market during GameOn, a two-day conference for casino gaming operations executives across the country, presented by AGS at the MGM National Harbor near Washington, D.C.

The news was mostly good. They say casino fundamentals are strong, with a boost from table games. Some more mergers and acquisitions are forthcoming. And even though skill-based games have yet to provide a solid revenue source, investors will continue to be interested.

The past couple of years, from a gross gaming revenue standpoint, its been at GDP or just a little short, said Chad Beynon, an analyst with Macquarie Capital. The trends are pretty positive, although earlier this year there were some weather issues in certain parts of the country. But the data weve seen so far is pretty good.

Beynon said he also is encouraged by the upcoming gaming products he has viewed at shows.

Theres a lot of good stuff out there, he said, citing IGTs new products, but adds projections can be indefinite until the games are actually played.

If Whole Foods has a new lower priced concept and 1,000 units, thats a tangible number you can put into your number. That doesnt quite translate to our product.

Brad Boyer, associate VP of equity research for St. Louis-based Stifel Nicholas, said investor sentiment is also strong, with a nice tailwind behind Macau, fueled by VIP play, as well a wave of consolidation.

And he agreed with Beynon, expanding on his thoughts.

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Wall Street Likes Gambling Market Outlook - South Florida Reporter

Bellator NYC is upon us, and Bloody Elbow has all of your gambling odds to better help you bet on these Big Apple bouts. The headline matchup has Chael Sonnen (-160) playing the role of favorite to Wanderlei Silva (+150), who will be sporting an underdog tag tonight. The co-main event has Matt Mitrione (-130) as the solid favorite to Fedor Emelianenko (-105/+120), who can still be found at plus and minus odds.

The widest odds of Bellator 180 belong to Neiman Gracie vs. Dave Marfone, as Gracie can be found north of -1100 with Marfone rocking a fat dog tag at around +660. The pickem fight of the evening will be Matt Mitrione vs. Fedor Emelianenko, as Fedor can still be had at both favorite and underdog odds. It should be noted that Phil Davis vs Ryan Bader was a pickem fight when the midweek betting odds came out, but Davis has since then solidified his position as the favorite, with Bader now only rocking a dog tag.

The 3 world titles on the line at Bellator NYC:

(C) Douglas Lima (+175) vs. Lorenz Larkin (-190): Welterweight

(C) Michael Chandler (-750) vs. Brent Primus (+600): Lightweight

(C) Phil Davis (-125) vs. Ryan Bader (+115): Light Heavyweight

The Bellator NYC main card will air live on Pay-Per-View at 10:00 P.M. ET with the TV portion starting at 8:00 P.M. ET on Spike TV. The Bellator 180 prelims will be streaming on the interweb for your viewing pleasure, starting at 6:00 P.M. ET.

There has been quite a bit of up and down gambling action going on for the Bellator NYC card, as the betting lines are bubbling, yet the majority of fighters are still rather close to the spot in which their lines initially opened. There are a few exceptions, though:

Bellators welterweight champion, Douglas Lima, opened up with an underdog line of about +120, and despite a few wagers here and there, has steadily climbed up to a much more attractive value of around +175. On the flip side, promotional new comer Lorenz Larkin, began his Bellator 180 betting life with a favorite tag of around -160, and has since edged further towards the tune of around -200 on some sites.

Ryan Couture inexplicably opened up with an astronomical line of around -705, before the betting public woke up and realized what was happening. Some descent coin was dropped on Haim Gozali, which sent the Israelis line from +435 down to around +360. Were not exactly sure if people are betting on Gozali, or betting against Couture?

Betting on Chael Sonnen or Wanderlei Silva, at this stage in their careers, is a really bad idea. Period.

Bellators welterweight champion, Douglas Lima, seems to be a bit undervalued here. If you think Lima can shutdown the kicking game of Larkin en route to retaining his title, then Douglas Lima at +175 is your ticket.

For an in-depth breakdown of each Bellator 180 televised bout, check out The MMA Vivisection with Bloody Elbows own Zane Simon, Vic Rodriguez, and Eddie Mercado. Stay glued to Bloody Elbow for all of your event coverage including play-by-play, results, highlights, and more! Happy hunting!

Do you or someone you know have a gambling addiction? Get help by contacting The National Council on Problem Gambling at 1-800-522-4700.

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Bellator NYC closing betting odds: Is gambling on Chael Sonnen smart money? - Bloody Elbow

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

North Strabane gambling company makes its bet on the Royal Ascot horse races Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Dressed in a top hat and a slick black suit, Ron Luniewski president of Xpressbet, a horse-race gambling company headquartered in North Strabane cut a stark figure against the 2,500 or so mostly plain-clothed spectators of the race unfolding ...

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North Strabane gambling company makes its bet on the Royal Ascot horse races - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Live Casino & Hotel in Hanover teamed up with the American Gaming Association Thursday to promote business opportunities for small, minority-owned firms and highlight the industry's economic impact in Maryland.

Association representatives are touring U.S. casinos to highlight gambling's impact on local businesses. Events at the Hanover facility included a minority business outreach fair and panel discussion with industry, state and county officials led by Donald Fry, president and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee.

"I've seen firsthand the positive impact the industry has had in Maryland" in creating jobs and spurring economic development and tourism, Fry said.

The casino has spent about $100 million for services and products from local and minority-owned businesses and continues to seek such vendors out, said Rob Norton, president of global gaming for casino owner Cordish Cos.,

Panel member Tony Hill, a managing partner of Annapolis-based office furniture supplier Edwards and Hill, said the casino has given his business a boost.

"There are lots of clients where you have some work and have to move on ... but they continue to make sure they are good partners," Hill said. "It helps small businesses like mine to create a pipeline of business, which is what we need to be able to grow."

The U.S. gambling industry supports 350,000 small-business jobs, according to research by Spectrum Gaming Group for the association. The report looked at nearly a dozen markets in the U.S. to assess gambling's direct and indirect impact on small local businesses. It found gambling has the largest impact in small to midsized communities.

The five-year-old Live Casino employs 3,000 people and was the top taxpayer in the state last year, casino officials said.

Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the gambling association, said the group is trying to correct misconceptions and "shine a light on what the industry's doing."

lorraine.mirabella@baltsun.com

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Live Casino hosts event to connect small firms to gambling industry ... - Baltimore Sun

Connecticut is poised to launch the biggest expansion in gambling in two decades: a trifecta of building a third casino, adding more off-track betting venues and laying the groundwork for online sports betting.

But those who advocate for problem and addicted gamblers and others who research the causes don't see the same kind of payoff as some Connecticut lawmakers eager to preserve state revenue and jobs.

They only see trouble ahead.

"What we've seen in many, many jurisdictions that get major introductions of gambling is a sharp uptick in problem gambling for one or two years and then a decline in prevalence," said Rachel A. Volberg, president of Gemini Research in Northhampton, Mass., who studies gambling. "But these people still remain at a greater risk, and that's more people in population with a potential problem with gambling."

The gaming expansion backed by the state legislature two weeks ago does not compare with the introduction of two southeastern Connecticut casinos Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun in the 1990s.

Even so, Volberg and others say the prospect of more access to gambling shouldn't be ignored, despite the already strong presence of the gaming in Connecticut. Hartford-area residents, for instance, can take a short drive to a casino in East Windsor rather than driving to the southeastern corner of the state.

The satellite casino in East Windsor is expected to add 2,000 slot machines and up to 150 table games.

"It's important for people not to be complacent because we've had casinos here and other forms of gambling for several decades," Marc N. Potenza, a professor of psychiatry and director of the Center of Excellence in Gambling Research at Yale University in New Haven.

Tecton Architects / HANDOUT

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy must still sign the legislation. And it could be months before ground is broken, and it could be another two years before the casino actually opens. Court challenges also loom. The Hartford-area gambling venue would be jointly run by the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes that have built vast gambling empires just outside of New London.

The East Windsor casino is intended to blunt the competitive effects of a $950 million casino and entertainment complex under construction in Springfield. The state's 25-percent share of slot revenue has been eroding as casinos in neighboring states have challenged the dominance of Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. Gaming industry jobs also are at risk, supporters of gambling expansion argue.

But to push through legislation, the addition of OTB sites and setting up a regulatory framework of future, but not yet legal, online sports betting were both critical to gathering enough votes for casino expansion.

The state now draws revenue from OTB operations and regulating sports betting would also bring funds to state coffers, a potent lure for a state that has come to depend on gaming revenue to help balance its budget.

Cloe Poisson / Hartford Courant

Tucked into the legislation creating the third casino, the Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans have agreed to contribute $300,000 a year for research and treatment for problem gambling.

One gap in understanding gambling problems is knowing the extent of the trouble. No statistics exist for Connecticut because a comprehensive study has gone unfunded, said Marlene Warner, acting executive director at the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling.

The council now has an annual budget of $800,000, compared with about $2.5 million for a similar council in Massachusetts, said Warner, who describes the council's budget as "woefully underfunded."

Warner said the bulk of the Connecticut council's funding, $600,000, is split evenly by Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. Those funding levels date from when the casinos first opened, a time when the state's gambling landscape was far different from what it is today, Warner said.

The additional $300,000 for the third casino will help, but it will only go so far, Warner said.

Rep. Fred Wilms, R-Norwalk, pushed for more funding for treatment and research for problem gambling when casino expansion was considered by the House earlier this month, his voice joining others warning about the social costs of increased gaming.

Wilms proposed that the East Windsor casino deposit 5 percent of its gross gaming revenue annually into a chronic gamblers fund. The figure, he said, was drawn from statistics showing 2 percent of all adults nationwide are gambling addicts and another 3 percent are considered to be problem or chronic gamblers.

"My familiarity with this is unfortunately a family member of ours has been a gambling addict for the past 35 years," Wilms told his House colleagues. "And so, we have had to spend a lot of time in the addiction and recovery community."

Wilms said he was troubled about casino expansion when the website of state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services notes that problem gambling is twice as high for individuals who live within 50 miles of a casino.

A Google search yielded 19 towns and cities where Gamblers Anonymous meetings for scheduled for the next week. Two of the towns, Middletown and Norwich, had two meetings.

"And it goes to show it's not somebody else's town, it's not some other place far away," Wilms said. "It's pretty close to where we live."

Wilm's amendment was ultimately defeated, and he voted against the multi-pronged gambling expansion.

Cloe Poisson / Hartford Courant

'Very Few' Become Problem Gamblers

Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun downplayed the affect of casino expansion, arguing that "very, very few people become problem gamers." But the state's original agreements with the tribes that gave the state a share of slot revenue also required the tribes to financially help problem gambling support programs.

Since the casinos opened in the 1990s, Foxwoods has contributed $5.5 million and Mohegan Sun, $6.7 million to the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling.

Just to the north, in Massachusetts, the state is drawing direct links between casino expansion and problem gambling in a 21st-century environment where gambling is increasingly widespread and legal.

Legislation in 2011 allowed three commercial casinos in Massachusetts. One, Plainridge Park Casino, opened in 2015 and two others on are on the way, in Boston and Springfield.

Cloe Poisson / Hartford Courant

As part of the legislation, the casinos must pay up to a $5 million assessment, plus 5 percent of gross gaming revenues annually into a public health trust fund focused on problem gambling. Once all three casinos are open, those contributions could amount to $15-$20 million a year.

Warner, the acting director of Connecticut's problem gambling council who also serves as the executive director of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, said the Bay State will have the most aggressive approach to dealing with the problem gambling in the country.

Although the Connecticut problem gambling council operates on a shoestring budget, Warner did note good efforts by the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

Connecticut benefits from $2.5 million in Connecticut Lottery Corp funding for gambling treatment and prevention, Warner said. Those services are provided through the state mental health department, she said.

More OTBs

State regulated gambling in Connecticut dates back to 1972 when the lottery sold its first ticket. The introduction led to the opening of the first OTB parlors four years later.

Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun later brought glitz to the state's gambling scene. But there have been other, more recent pushes into gaming, smaller than what is envisioned by the recent legislation.

In April of last year, the state lottery launched Keno, which brought the casino-like game to all its 2,900 retail locations in the state, including some bars and restaurants.

And more gambling now may be on the horizon.

Sportech Venues Inc., the state only licensed OTB operator, has its eye on what many experts say is the inevitable legalization of state-regulated sports betting. Sports betting has long existed in a shadowy world, much the way alcohol production and consumption did during Prohibition.

New Jersey is now leading the charge against a federal ban, and Connecticut and other states have joined a growing list of states preparing for legalization. Gamblers have online access to sports betting tied to sites some of them outside the country where they are legal.

Cloe Poisson / Hartford Courant

In recent years, Sportech has worked to remake the image of OTB, once predominantly sought out by older men.

In 2014, Sportech invested nearly $5 million at Bradley Teletheater in Windsor Locks to bring a Bobby V's Restaurant & Sports Bar to the venue. Bobby V's is intended to also attract visitors who aren't necessarily interested in gambling and a wider range of ages and families.

Ted Taylor, Sportech's president, said he sees sports betting as a logical step for the company. The legislation on Malloy's desk would increase the potential number of OTB locations to 24. Sportech now operates 16 sites, including its newest in Stamford.

"We are already licensed and regulated to manage gaming, so we could implement sports betting rapidly under a new sports betting regulatory framework," Taylor said. "If this occurs, it will strengthen our position against increasing out-of-state competition and provide much needed jobs and revenue to Connecticut."

But Taylor said Sportech also is paying attention to problem gambling.

"Sportech wants to ensue that everyone is playing responsibly," Taylor said. "However, to combat problem gambling, Sportech contributed $180,000 last year to supportive programs."

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State Poised To Launch Biggest Expansion Of Gambling In Decades, But Some See Trouble Ahead - Hartford Courant

Australia's football codes should follow the lead of the English Football Association and sever ties to gambling companies, says Nick Xenophon.

The FA has ended its sponsorship deals with betting company Ladbrokes and confirmed it will cease all commercial arrangements with gambling firms.

Senator Xenophon said he believed all Australian football codes should follow the FA's lead.

"The UK has recognised the potential of gambling to undermine and compromise sport and the harm it can do to fans," Senator Xenophon told AAP on Friday.

"Some of the biggest gambling addicts in the country are the AFL and NRL because of their deals with gambling companies."

He said if the codes did not act voluntarily he would seek to legislate the ban.

A "weaning off" period of three to five years would be appropriate, the South Australian senator said.

In April, former Manchester City and Burnley midfielder Joey Barton was banned for 18 months after he was found to have made more than 1200 bets on football matches.

Barton, who said he had a gambling addiction, had pointed out the heavy involvement of the gambling industry in British football where bookmakers act as sponsors at several levels.

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Give gambling firms the boot: Xenophon - NEWS.com.au