Category Archives: Gambling

New York Times

Manila Casino Attacker Was a Gambling Addict, the Philippine Police Say New York Times The police identified Mr. Carlos as the man seen in security videos of the attack, setting fires in the casino's gambling rooms and stealing more than $2 million worth of gambling chips. The videos were made public Saturday, but the assailant had not ... Police in Manila identify casino assailant as a desperately indebted gambling addictThe Week Magazine Manila casino attack suspect was in debt, hooked on gambling, Philippine police sayCBS News Manila casino attacker was gambling addict, not ISIS terrorist policeRT Inquirer.net -Los Angeles Times -CNN International -CNN all 595 news articles »

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Manila Casino Attacker Was a Gambling Addict, the Philippine Police Say - New York Times

I currently work at the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Council of Saratoga County, as the youth outreach coordinator, partnering with the New York Council on Problem Gambling on the YOU(th) Decide Project.

I am writing to express excitement and gratitude that over 90 resolutions were signed in support of the YOU(th) Decide mission, and 21 policies were signed that affected over 7,000 youth across New York state.

The Mission of YOU(th) Decide is to empower youth to make educated decisions regarding their gambling behaviors, and prepare communities to work together to prevent underage gambling.

Did you know that among United States youth between the ages of 14 and 21, 68 percent have gambled in the past year, and 11 percent have gambled twice a week or more? Of those youth, 6.5 percent are at risk for, or have already developed, a gambling problem.

Underage gambling brings with it a number of negative consequences, including, but not limited to:

Increased likelihood of developing a gambling addiction;

Increased risk of delinquency and crime;

Damaged relationships and poor academic performance;

Mental health issues including depression and substance abuse disorders;

Overall poor general health;

And attempted and completed suicide.

There is not just one person, nor one group of people, who are affected by underage gambling. There is not just one factor in someones life that alone leads to underage gambling. There is also not just one strategy that will along prevent underage gambling.

Kara James

Saratoga Springs

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Keep up fight over underage gambling - The Daily Gazette

Tim Landis Business Editor @TimLandisSJR

Video gaming in Springfield is at the saturation point if trends in gambling tax collections are an indication.

Taxes on gambling terminals have raised approximately $5.8 million, including license fees, since gaming began in the fall of 2012, according to figures from the city Office of Budget and Management. The city also continued to lead the state at the end of April with 576 terminals at 126 locations. Rockford was second with 431 terminals at 90 locations.

But city budget director Bill McCarty said tax revenue from terminals has stabilized at about $120,000 a month for several months, even as the overall number of terminals has increased. At the end of April 2016, 538 terminals operated at 120 Springfield locations, according to figures from the Illinois Gaming Board.

"Given the relative stagnation of revenues in the $120,000 range for many months, it would appear that perhaps we have reached the saturation point with the number of terminals," said McCarty. "The fact is, there are so many machines in place, one has to assume video gaming is convenient for anyone who wants to play, and therefore, most of the revenue produced by new machines will likely come at the expense of existing machines, rather than new money."

The state collects a 30 percent tax on net terminal income -- amount gambled minus amount paid out -- with five-sixths going to the state and one-sixth to local governments. In the year ended April 30, according to Gaming Board numbers, $134.3 million was wagered on Springfield terminals with about $101.7 million paid out and net terminal income (the equivalent of gambling losses) totaling more than $3.2 million. State law sets payoffs as a percentage of wagers.

Springfield gambling taxes have been set aside for road and other infrastructure improvements.

Mayor Jim Langfelder said he believes video gaming has gone well beyond what was intended by the original state law. He added that he has asked city attorneys whether it would be possible to limit further expansion, though he said he does not yet have a specific proposal.

"I always thought it should just be allowed at the bars and nowhere else," said Langfelder. "Today, it's the gas stations, the restaurants; we've had barbershops want them. Everybody wants them because it can add a different aspect to your business.

"What we have to keep in mind is this is entertainment for people 21 years of age and older. Now, I hear people say, 'I take my child into a restaurant, and they think those are video games that you can play, and it's gambling.'"

The widespread availability of video gaming also figures into the possibility of a downtown casino, said Langfelder. There were discussions of a Springfield casino during the spring legislative session, but lawmakers adjourned Wednesday without voting on gambling expansion. Any casino proposal, the mayor said, would be subject to a local voter referendum.

"We want the opportunity to say, 'Yes, we want a casino,' or, 'No, we don't.' But if we do have a casino, it should be in downtown," said Langfelder.

-- Contact Tim Landis: tim.landis@sj-r.com, 788-1536, twitter.com/timlandisSJR.

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Is there too much video gambling in Springfield? - The State Journal-Register

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) on Sunday maintained that it was implementing strict measures to fend off gambling addiction among customers of licensed gaming establishments in the country.

The state-run gaming firm issued the statement after authorities discovered that Jessie Carlos, the gunman behind the deadly attack on Resorts World Manila which left 38 people including himself dead, was a gambling addict.

It is the agencys hope that gaming in the country will remain to be a form of entertainment and not a means to destroy individuals and families, Pagcor said.

As the governments gaming regulator, Pagcor ensures that such strict measures on responsible gaming are implemented not only by Pagcor-operated gaming establishments, but by all its licensees, it said.

Pagcor said it had been strictly enforcing a code of practice for responsible gaming in casinos and other similar gambling establishments nationwide to prevent gambling addiction and minimize potential harm to individual players and the community.

Aside from using traditional and social media platforms, Pagcor said it had set up a 24/7 hotline and tapped the assistance of private groups to raise awareness on gambling addiction and help in the rehabilitation of gambling addicts.

Carlos had been barred from entering any gambling facility upon the request of his family, according to Pagcor.

Aside from player exclusion Pagcor also enforces stricter regulations for its electronic games and e-bingo sites. Among these were banning of minors, known addicted players and the strict enforcement of distance requirements for electronic gaming sites, Pagcor said.

Meanwhile, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) expressed condolences to the victims of the attack on Resorts World Manila.

On behalf of the international tourism community, UNWTO conveys its heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the families and friends of the victims and to the Filipino people, UNWTO secretary general Taleb Rifai said in a statement released through the Department of Tourism.

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Pagcor sets measures vs gambling addiction - Inquirer.net

Wall Street Journal (subscription)

Philippines Says Casino Attacker Was High-Rolling Gambling ... Wall Street Journal (subscription) The gunman who went on a deadly rampage at a metro Manila casino complex was a Filipino gambler in heavy debt, who had been recently barred from the ... and more »

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Philippines Says Casino Attacker Was High-Rolling Gambling ... - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

BATANGAS CITY Jessie Javier Carlos, the gunman in the recent attack at the Resorts World Manila, was also a big player in cockfighting in Tanauan City in Batangas province where he used to own a two-hectare farm for breeding his fighting cocks.

He used to gamble big (amounts) like P100,000 to P500,000, a city official, who refused to be named, said on Sunday.

He was very impulsive. Malakas pumusta (A big bettor). He would allow himself to lose P1 million (in cockfighting) in just one night, said Dodong Ablao, village chairman of Barangay Darasa where Carlos farm used to be, adding that he and Carlos had been friends for the last five years. Ablao also runs the cockpit in the village.

In November 2016, Carlos sold the farm to another person for P10 million and Carlos received half of the payment only in January.

Ablao said Carlos had debts to pay and the last time they saw each other was when Ablao brokered the sale of the property.

He also sold away some of the fighting cocks, the others he transferred to another location, Ablao said.

On Friday, Carlos wielded a rifle as he attacked the casino, setting baccarat tables on fire and stealing P113.1 million worth of casino chips before he burned himself to death. He sustained a gunshot wound before he committed suicide by burning. Thirty seven people, among them guests and employees, died mostly from suffocation.

It was only on Sunday when police confirmed the identity of the gunman.

The Department of Finance also confirmed Sunday that Carlos was their former employee. But it said Carlos was dismissed from government service in 2012 for failing to disclose all his assets in his SALN or statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth.

An earlier report said Carlos acquired the Batangas farm in 2010 for P4 million.

Never violent

I was shocked (upon learning the casino incident). He was addicted to gambling but was never a violent man, Ablao said.

Aside from the farm, Carlos also offered his rifle, the same weapon he used in the attack, for P100,000 to Ablao but the village chief refused to buy it, saying he was not into guns. He said he was not sure if Carlos had secured a permit for the rifle.

Thinking about it today, I feel guilty. If I had bought the gun, he wouldnt probably have the guts to attack (Resorts World), Ablao said.

Carlos also asked his help in selling his chainsaw, which Ablao described as heavy-duty and imported.

Casino addiction

Asked why Carlos owned a gun, Ablao said Carlos liked firing his gun just to show off to his friends coming to the farm.

But one time, I told him that if (the city) mayor gets wind of it (the gun firing), I would not be able to answer for him. He stopped (gun firing) since, Ablao said.

He said Carlos did not have any other addiction aside from gambling.

Ablao said Carlos became addicted to casinos after he lost big in a cockfight.

He tried the casino and won back a big amount. Thats how it began, he said.

Even after losing his job at the DoF, Ablao said Carlos kept betting big amounts in the casino or to cockfighting.

I believe he also brokered in the customs, he said when asked where Carlos might have obtained his money for gambling.

Ablao said Carlos continued playing even when heavily indebted already until he was banned from the Resorts World on April 3.

He, however, did not know exactly the reason for the ban but thats probably when he lost it (his senses), Ablao said. SFM

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Resorts World gunman a 'gambling addict, a big cockfight bettor ... - Inquirer.net

Connecticut may be poised to enter a new gambling frontier, one that requires better safeguards for the state's most vulnerable populations.

The General Assembly is being asked to consider many gambling-related bills. One would authorize a new gaming facility operated jointly by the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes. Another would establish a competitive bidding process to establish a third casino. And still others propose establishing an internet-based lottery or changes to the charitable gaming laws.

To some, the move to expand gaming is a natural evolution and vital to keeping consumers within the state. With the creation of the MGM casino in Springfield only miles away, marketing projections show that as early as next year thousands of patrons of the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casinos could be lost. There is also a significant threat of loss of jobs and annual revenue for the state.

We at the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling understand these concerns, but also see this issue through a different lens. We see it in the context of the hundreds of people who call our helpline every year because they or a family member are struggling with problem gambling. We see it through the experience of many of our veterans who started gambling overseas and came home in the throes of addiction, often reluctant to seek help. And we see it through the many people who started gambling in college, or on a whim, only to see their play grow into a problem and cause them to go into significant debt threatening their homes, their jobs and their families.

There is no question that gambling is an addiction and a disease like alcohol or drug abuse. We also know it impacts certain populations more than others including African American men, our veterans, immigrants and those with other behavioral health challenges.

We have learned much about addiction in the years since casino gaming was first established in Connecticut. If the state seeks to continue on this path of expanded gambling, it should update the law to include significant protections for consumers and resources for problem gambling prevention and recovery or not move forward at all.

Here are some tools that we believe should be included in any gambling expansion law:

Research All player data should be collected anonymously and used by third party researchers to provide reports on the trends and play of all gamblers, including those who end up with a problem.

Education information Every casino location, slot machine, online product, etc. should include prominently placed problem gambling information and access to help services (such as a hotline). They should also provide players with records of their individual gambling history and withdrawal amounts, which acts as an educational tool and deterrent.

Individualized tools to limit gambling The state should provide guidelines on the amount that can be gambled over certain periods, and allow consumers to set their own more restrictive limits. All products should allow for self-exclusion, which lets problem gamblers ask casinos and online operators to refuse to let them play.

Strong advertising restrictions Advertising for every gambling product, including online, should go through rigorous review, include information on responsible gambling and never target young (under age) people. Advertising should also include accurate information about the odds of winning and losing so people understand their risk.

Designated funding stream for prevention, treatment and recovery services If we are going to expand gaming within the state, we must adequately fund addiction services. These funds should be from a designated stream that takes it out of yearly political whims.

These are just a few of the many best practices that should be established or enhanced before the legislature moves forward with any gambling expansion in Connecticut. We know that too many families will fall behind without them, and the costs to those families will be far greater than any perceived benefits of moving forward into this new gambling frontier.

Marlene Warner is the acting executive director of the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling.

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Casino Backers Must Aid Problem Gamblers - Hartford Courant - Hartford Courant

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is opposed to gambling, including lotteries sponsored by governments. Church leaders have encouraged Church members to join with others in opposing the legalization and government sponsorship of any form of gambling.

Gambling is motivated by a desire to get something for nothing. This desire is spiritually destructive. It leads participants away from the Savior's teachings of love and service and toward the selfishness of the adversary. It undermines the virtues of work and thrift and the desire to give honest effort in all we do.

Those who participate in gambling soon discover the deception in the idea that they can give little or nothing and receive something of value in return. They find that they give up large amounts of money, their own honor, and the respect of family members and friends. Deceived and addicted, they often gamble with funds they should use for other purposes, such as meeting the basic needs of their families. Gamblers sometimes become so enslaved and so desperate to pay gambling debts that they turn to stealing, giving up their own good name.

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Gambling - lds.org

HomeNewsIndustry

This week's installment of Inside Gaming gets you up to date on Illinois lawmakers' discussions of gambling-related legislation concerning both casinos and online/DFS, shares the story of a new "match poker" league in India and reports on Thursday's devastating attack upon a Manila casino.

Illinois became a focus of attention this week as far as gambling legislation is concerned, with gambling-related proposals before both the state's General Assembly and Senate.

Over in the General Assembly their spring session ended Wednesday without lawmakers dealing specifically with a bill proposing to expand gambling in the state by adding six new casinos. As the State Journal-Register reports, the Senate has already approved a measure allowing for casinos in Chicago, Rockford, Danville, Lake County and in south Chicago, but the General Assembly did not take up the bill for a vote.

A last-minute attempt to add Springfield to the list of potential casino sites was blocked by a House committee, although the delay now means renewed hope for those wishing for the state's capital to be added.

While proponents of adding Springfield continue to make their case, the casino expansion bill may come up again during an extra summer overtime session needed to pass a budget (something Illinois lawmakers have failed to do for two years now).

Meanwhile over in the Senate many were surprised when lawmakers ended their session on Wednesday by passing a bill to legalize both daily fantasy sports and online gambling (including online poker).

The Senate passed HB 479 by a 42-10 margin, and while the House failed to address it before the close of business Wednesday, they could pick it up when reconvening for the extra summer session.

Earlier in the week, State Sen. Kwame Raoul, a sponsor of the bill, spoke to The Chicago Tribune about "controversy last year as to why are we regulating daily fantasy sports activity, which is ongoing in the state, and not regulating internet gaming, which is also occurring."

It therefore made sense to Raoul and those voting in favor of HB 479 to back a bill covering both. As Raoul explained, "what this bill attempts to do is also regulate and bring licensure and supervision of internet gaming under the jurisdiction of the Gaming Board. And it would limit the operation of internet gaming to existing casinos."

There are competing bills, however, including one for DFS only, that may hinder further advancement of the bill passed by the Senate this week.

Yesterday the International Federation of Poker shared its plans to stage a professional "match poker" tournament in India in September, an event described by Focus Gaming News as marking "the first time a legal and professional poker tournament" will be staged in the Indian market.

The IFP's announcement describes the organization having signed an "agreement with top Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra and her entrepreneur husband Raj Kundra's Viaan Industries Ltd to launch the Match Indian Poker League."

The Match IPL "will see city-based teams compete in the world's first professional match poker league." The first eight teams in the Match Indian Poker League will represent the cities of Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Kolkatta and Mumbai.

"Players will be selected for the teams based on their skill based ranking, where their performances have been assessed while playing against one of the world's most advanced Poker 'Bots using the Match Poker app which launches in August," the IFP explains.

"Match Poker" is a team sport that incorporates the "duplicate poker" concept some may remember being introduced about a decade ago.

Team members are split up with one player at each table in each of the different seats. The same hole cards and community cards are then dealt at each table (e.g., everyone in Seat 1 gets the same hand, etc.). The game is usually played as pot-limit preflop and no-limit postflop. The team whose members collectively accumulate the most chips by the end of a session wins.

IFP President Patrick Nally describes the organization as having "worked tirelessly for many years to develop the sport and the technology to support it and make it... a truly 21st century mind sport."

"It is a mind sport in an e-sport wrapper," says Nally, who adds that interest in India "has been simply phenomenal."

The International Federation of Poker describes itself as "the international governing body for the sport" and is a member of the International Mind Sports Association. First launched in 2009, the IFP currently has 60 member Federations worldwide.

Finally, in a still developing story, the popular Resorts World Manila casino in Newport City in Manila was the site of a brutal attack on Thursday in which a gunman carrying a container of gasoline set fires in the casino causing panic among patrons, with the latest reports indicating at least 36 dead, most from smoke inhalation.

The New York Times today describes the chaotic scene in detail, including how the attacker shot his weapon upwards but not at anyone, filled a backpack with a "large quantity of casino chips" (worth 113 million pesos or around $2.3M USD, according to other reports), then set fire to tables before escaping into a hotel room where he committed suicide.

Other news outlets have reported the terrorist group ISIS having claimed responsibility for the attack, with U.S. President Donald Trump also describing it as a "terrorist attack" prior to his speech yesterday announcing the U.S. was leaving the Paris climate agreement.

However authorities in Manila deny such a characterization and dispute ISIS's claim, with a police spokesman describing it as an unsuccessful robbery attempted by an "apparently... mentally disturbed" individual.

Photo: "Illinois State Senate," Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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Inside Gaming: Illinois Senate Passes DFS, Online Gambling Bill - PokerNews.com

Island Packet

The Latest: Thick smoke had trapped dead in gambling space Island Packet The Metropolitan Manila police chief says thick smoke trapped people in the gambling area where a gunman set fires, causing the 36 deaths tallied in the attack. Police chief Oscar Albayalde said Friday the gunman carried a 2 liter bottle of gasoline ... 36 die from smoke in Philippine casino after gunman set fire to gambling tablesChicago Tribune Dozens killed after gunman storms casino-hotel and sets fire to gambling tablesIrish Independent Philippines hotel attack: 37 victims suffocated after 'white' gunman shot gambling machines and started a fire in ...Telegraph.co.uk CNN all 1,090 news articles »

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The Latest: Thick smoke had trapped dead in gambling space - Island Packet