Category Archives: Gambling

LSU running back Lanard Fournette was arrested and booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison after the 20-year-old was allegedly caught gambling with a false ID at the L'Auberge Casino in Baton Rouge, according to state police.

Fournette, the younger brother of former LSU standout Leonard Fournette, was arrested Monday after surveillance video showed and casino personnel confirmed he gained access to the gaming floor Saturday with a different ID than his own driver's license, according to his arrest report.

"Coach Ed Orgeron is aware of the incident," LSU team spokesman Michael Bonnette told The Advocate. "He will be disciplined internally."

Security video showed Fournette playing at a craps table for 16 minutes around 1:30 p.m., before walking to the players services counter. Fournette then allegedly presented his real ID to the cashier for a cash withdrawal, who determined his accurate age and contacted security, the report says.

Fournette, of Slidell, was detained at the casino, but left before the officer's arrival, the report says. When casino security asked Fournette about the incident, Fournette said he used another person's ID to enter the casino, the report says.

Fournette is a redshirt sophomore at LSU who's played in just three games. He redshirted as a true freshman in 2015 before playing against Jacksonville State, Missouri and Southern Miss last year. He's one of five scholarship running backs expected on the roster this fall.

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LSU reserve offensive lineman Adrian Magee was arrested Wednesday afternoon on a count of si

He's the second LSU player to be arrested this spring, joining offensive lineman Adrian Magee. Magee was arrested in April on a count of simple burglary. Magee remains suspended indefinitely, coach Ed Orgeron said last week.

As a first-time offender, the district attorney could potentially offer a pre-trial diversion to Magee, said Brent Stockstill, the attorney representing the player.

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LSU's Lanard Fournette booked for gambling with false ID in Baton ... - The Advocate

Beginning in March, agents conducted undercover investigations and determined the cafes had "games of chance" instead of games of skill.

Law enforcement officers seized more than 170 pieces of electronic equipment during raids at four internet cafes in Ocala suspected of illegal gambling.

With help from Ocala Police Department officers, agents with Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team shut down two of the cafes on Monday and two on Tuesday.

So far no arrests have been made, but agents have confiscated thousands of dollars in cash.

UDEST officials said they had received complaints from businesses and individuals about alleged illegal gambling.

Beginning in March, agents conducted undercover investigations and determined the cafes had "games of chance" instead of games of skill. They conferred with state officials and obtained search warrants.

Two of the cafes had been robbed within the past year. The people complaining to police were also concerned about the clientele the cafes attracted.

The internet cafes were:

Lucky Pearl, 3495 W. Anthony Road

Midas' Measure, 624 S. Pine Ave.

The Room, 426 S. Pine Ave.

Richie's Arcade, 1053 NE 14th St.

UDEST officials declined to say if there would be more raids. However, agents said they would continue to investigate internet cafes.

The equipment seized included table-style and arcade-sytle gaming stations, computers and monitors.

An employee at the Lucky Pearl declined to talk with a reporter.

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Agents shut down 3 internet cafes suspected of gambling - Ocala

WKBN.com

Number of Ohioans seeking treatment for gambling addictions ... WKBN.com YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) Gambling addictions are becoming more of a problem in Ohio, state reports suggest, with the number of people being treated ... and more »

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Number of Ohioans seeking treatment for gambling addictions ... - WKBN.com

The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office arrested 18 people during a simultaneous illegal gambling operation raids in Donna and Weslaco on Thursday, according to a news release. (Photos courtesy of the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office)

Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office investigators arrested 18 people during simultaneous illegal gambling operation raids in Donna and Weslaco on Thursday, according to a news release.

At approximately 2 p.m., Sheriff's investigators executed a search warrant at a building on Val Verde Road in Donna, according to the news release. Investigators arrested nine suspects, and seized 94 gambling machine electronic devices and $20,494, according to the news release.

The second search warrant was executed at a building located on the corner of Mile 12 1/2 North and Farm-to-Market Road 88 in Weslaco, according to the news release. Investigators arrested nine suspects, and seized 149 gambling machine electronic devices and $19,831, according to the news release.

The suspects range in age from 19 to 64.

All 18 suspects were charged with keeping a gambling place, promotion of gambling place, possession of gambling device/equipment/paraphernalia and engage in organized criminal activity.

Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office asks anyone with information on known gambling arcades in Hidalgo County to call Hidalgo County Crime Stoppers at 668-8477.

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18 arrested during simultaneous illegal gambling operation raids in ... - KGBT-TV

Bill Cotterell(Photo: Democrat files)Buy Photo

I will admit to holding a grudge against casino gambling.

When my son was about 7, we went out to Reno and he was fascinated by what he called machines that give you money. Children arent allowed in casinos, not even in Nevada, so we decided to teach him a lesson at the airport as we left town at about 5 a.m.

There were slot machines at the departure gate, which was deserted. With a furtive look around, I gave Chris a nickel and let him pull the handle. Of course, he won $20. Can you imagine how heavy 400 nickels are when there are no shops open to make change at the airport?

My botched attempt at an object lesson didnt turn my son into a compulsive gambler. I dont play poker with friends and have never been tempted by all the easy-money opportunities weve got in Florida, from Seminole casinos to lottery sales at Publix. My attitude is still what I tried to teach my kid: A game of chance wont work, if both sides have an equal chance.

Or, as the great Florida folk troubadour Gamble Rogers used to say, The surprisin thing aint that a fool and his money are soon parted, its that a fool and his money got together in the first place.

The casino industry, which certainly has unlimited money to lobby the Legislature and finance constitutional amendment campaigns, has been trying for more than 40 years to change the face of Florida tourism into something more resembling Nevada. In 1978, voters rejected a public-petition constitutional amendment backed by a group of Miami Beach hotel owners, who were tired of seeing tourists change planes in Miami and Fort Lauderdale en route to casino resorts in the Caribbean.

Variations on the gambling theme riverboats, county option, nowhere cruises have gained ground in a few referendums since then. The Seminole Tribes and pari-mutuels got differing forms of what is euphemistically termed gaming (which sounds like playing, not risking). But the Legislature has repeatedly rolled snake eyes in attempts to legalize, regulate and tax the lucrative business. Weve had cruise ships and dog tracks, jai-alai frontons, horse racing, the lottery even a short-lived fling with internet cafes that cost us a lieutenant governor.

The Legislature has paid for six-figure consultant studies, held hearings all over the landscape and listened to lobbyists advocating giant destination resorts or warning that more gambling will besmirch the family vacation image Florida has cultivated for nearly a century. Theres even a backlash petition campaign now which, if it gets on next years ballot and musters 60 percent support, would require voter approval for gambling expansion.

The House and Senate left town this month without resolving their differences on gambling legislation just as they failed to agree on implementing medicinal use of marijuana, workers compensation and some other important issues. The budget they passed, in overtime, was no prize either, so theyll probably be back in special session pretty soon perhaps to override a budget veto, implement the medicinal marijuana thing or take care of other unfinished business.

Special sessions are not a bad thing, by the way. Sure, it would be nice if legislators did all their work in 60 days. It would be nice if they passed only good bills that please everybody, too. But youre not going to get that with 160 decision-makers of whom four to six actually make decisions so would you rather they pass lousy bills on time, or come back and do a bit better?

But back to casinos. Its not just a yes-or-no proposition. Theres are good arguments for them. Its not like we havent had gambling for many, many mango seasons, ranging from old folks bingo to Hialeahs horseys. The state depends on gambling revenue, so much so that it has an entire department to run its own bad-bet business. People obviously want to do it, and theres a limit to how much the state should protect us from our folly.

If necessity is the mother of invention, coming up with a new gambling policy became more necessary than ever for the Legislature last week. The Florida Supreme Court unanimously rejected an effort by Creek Entertainment Gretna to add slot machines, which were authorized in a Gadsden County referendum.

Seven other counties Brevard, Palm Beach, Lee, Duval, Hamilton, St. Lucie and Washington voted for slots at pari-mutuels in local elections, following legislative action in 2009 that allowed the Seminole Tribe of Florida to have blackjack in its casinos. Only some dog and horse tracks in Southeast Florida were allowed slots, under a statewide constitutional referendum.

The justices reasoned, quite logically, that a county government could no more exceed the state Constitution in authorizing gambling than it could hold a local referendum to impose a state income tax, suspend term limits for its legislators or do other things not authorized from above.

Bill Cotterell is a retired Tallahassee Democrat reporter who writes a twice-weekly column. He can be reached at bcotterell@tallahassee.com

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Cotterell: Legislative action on gambling more important than ever - Tallahassee.com

A Premier League WAG allegedly blew 100,000 while gambling in the same casino that Wayne Rooney lost 500,000.

It has allegedly left an international superstar worried that his wife has a gambling problem.

According to The Sun on Sunday , the splurge occurred during a one night session on the roulette wheel at the Manchester 235 casino.

A source allegedly said: He is sensible with his money and has earned millions throughout his career and done all the right things - bought a house, made investments and sorted out a nice pension.

His wife enjoys the finer things in life and the trappings of wealth. But he was shocked to learn she had lost so much money in one go.

He doesnt mind her having a flutter, but he remains a working-class lad at heart and he wouldnt dream of losing that kind of money gambling.

Manchester United and England captain Rooney is said to have lost half a million pounds gambling at the same casino earlier this year.

The 31-year-old spent over 4,000 a minute during his visit to the venue in the early hours of the morning.

Onlookers claimed that Rooney entered the casino alone, and played roulette and blackjack and he knocked back a few beers.

One witness said: He was gambling a lot on red when he was playing roulette which seemed appropriate and was putting long-shot bets on solo numbers. He kept losing but that just prompted him to bet more.

He was chasing his losses, which was just making things worse for him. People in the casino were looking at him and were stunned at what was happening.

He was cursing under his breath and seemed to be in his own little world fixated on the tables and all the machines around them.

The spree comes after UK football has been rocked by a series of gambling scandals including an 18-month ban for Burnleys Joey Barton over betting on matches.

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Premier League WAG 'loses 100k in one night while gambling at same casino Wayne Rooney lost 500k' - Mirror.co.uk

Twenty-five South Koreans have been arrested in metropolitan Manila on suspicion of internet fraud or illegal online gambling, Philippine authorities said Friday.

Twelve of the suspects are wanted back home for allegedly duping their compatriots into investing money in bogus real estate projects in the Philippines, Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said.

Their arrests Wednesday in a posh condominium followed the bureau's apprehension on Monday of four other South Koreans for alleged fraud and voice phishing. They're accused of duping hundreds of their compatriots who lost money after revealing private information to callers impersonating legitimate companies.

The National Bureau of Investigation also presented to the media on Friday five South Korean nationals arrested for running a website for illegal online sports betting and casino gambling in an upscale subdivision.

The arrested men, wearing orange T-shirts, tried to cover their faces with their hands or shirt as they faced the cameras during the news conference. They are facing illegal gambling complaints, said NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin, adding the activity also facilitated money laundering.

The five were apprehended Tuesday, a day after the NBI also arrested four South Korean women for allegedly operating an illegal online casino inside a mall.

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Philippines arrests 25 Koreans over alleged fraud, gambling - ABC News

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Tulsa World Editorial: Gambling bill goes bust - Tulsa World

Crime most often comes at a cost to taxpayers.

From the act itself, which can rob someone of everything from property to their very life, to the incarceration that follows, which is paid for by taxpayers, illegal actions carry financial consequences for the public.

Thats one interesting element in the arrest of Ron Elhi, a former Chehalis man who avoided authorities for nearly a decade after skipping town in the wake of an investigation into a multimillion dollar gambling operation.

Alas, time ran out for Elhi, who was nabbed at the Nicaraguan border and shipped to the United States to be held accountable in Lewis County Superior Court.

The Washington State Gambling Commission seized about $4.8 million from banks associated with the illegal online gambling operation. Per the letter of the law, a cut of that sum went to the Lewis County Prosecutors Office and the Chehalis Police Department, both of which had assisted in the investigation.

I was very surprised to see them come walking in with a check, former Lewis County Prosecutor Michael Golden told me back in 2010.

The police department and the prosecutors office each received more than $600,000 to put toward combatting fraud and enforcing the law.

It might be a rare case where crime does pay, fortunately not for the criminal in this case.

Interestingly, the man who hid from authorities for nearly a decade was released on $10,000 unsecured bail this week. Im guessing prosecutors have some sort of assurance Im unaware of he wont flee, because I cant think of a greater flight risk than a man who once had access to millions of dollars and was arrested after years hiding in a foreign country.

I dont think hes a violent guy, Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher said this week. He doesnt have a passport he cant go anywhere.

When someone asks if I played sports in high school, Ill immediately note that I received All League honorable mention for my prowess at the plate as a member of the Forks High School baseball team.

I may or may not mention the fact that it was for the position of designated hitter as I was a less than adequate (terrible, actually) fielder, and I certainly wont let it slip that there were only two designated hitters in the entire league (the other made the All League team and was not simply honorably mentioned).

A skilled athlete, I was not.

That embarrassing bit of personal trivia is a segue into inviting all who have interest in local prep athletics to the first Athletes of the Year awards at 7 p.m., Tuesday, at the brand spanking new TransAlta Commons on the Centralia College campus. The Chronicle and its burgeoning prep sports website LewisCountySports.com are hosting the event, which is meant to act as additional recognition for student athletes in the greater Lewis County area.

Coverage of youth athletics is a point of pride in our newsroom. We dedicate more people and resources to prep sports than any newspaper our size in the region.

We dont make it to all the games, but we try to be calculated and fair when it comes to deciding where we send our reporters and photographers each day.

Im not aware of another local newspaper that will use the entire front page to celebrate a state championship, pushing all the news of the day to the inside of the edition to allow local youths to shine on the most prime real estate each edition has to offer.

The Athletes of the Year awards are meant to be an expansion of our existing dedication to covering the successes of hard-working area youths.

If you cant make it, no worries. Well have a special section announcing the finalists and winners for the awards in Thursdays edition of The Chronicle.

Eric Schwartz is the editor of The Chronicle. He can be reached at 360-807-8224 or eschwartz@chronline.com.

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Editor's Notes: How Illegal Gambling Helped Fund Law and Order in Lewis County - Centralia Chronicle

Oswego has authorized its third video gambling cafe.

Trustees in a 5 to 1 vote approved the gambling licensing and liquor license for Milly's Cafe that will open in a 1,200-square-foot storefront in the Ogden Center strip mall near Routes 34 and 30 on the village's east side.

A representative of Hana's Hospitality, which operates a gambling cafe in Bradley with plans to open two other locations, approached village trustees in March with a proposal for an Oswego location.

Fadi Mohammed returned with his concept to have a video gambling cafe with a New York deli style menu. Bradley-based Hana's Hospitality owns New York City Deli in Bourbonnais.

Trustee Joe West voted against the idea of another gambling cafe in the village. He previously had said he thought the village was getting away from its original intent with video gambling, which he said was to help local establishments compete with other businesses in neighboring municipalities.

Trustee Karin McCarthy-Lange decided to support the business even though she previously had stated she would prefer the village not approve any new video gambling in the village.

"The last time you were here, I may not have been very friendly," McCarthy-Lange said. "I was impressed with what you came back with."

The village has two other video gambling cafes. Stella's Place opened earlier this year in the Townes Crossing shopping center at Route 30 and Douglas Road. PD's Place opened in the Mason Square shopping center at Route 34 and Douglas Road in 2015.

Nine other sites in Oswego, which include restaurants and bars as well as one fraternal organization and a club, have video gambling as a part of their operations.

Village Administrator Dan Di Santo said the Village Board has discussed limiting the number of gambling parlors, but decided to consider each location on a case-by-case basis.

"We plan to discuss regulation of gaming again at a Committee of the Whole meeting this summer," Di Santo said.

Milly's Cafe will have five gambling machines. Mohammed said the state requires gambling cafes to serve food as part of their operations. With the local liquor license, he will be able to serve liquor, beer and wine. However, at his other locations, he has been authorized to serve beer and wine only.

Mohammed said he has no preference either way.

"To me, it doesn't really matter. We don't really get people that drink often. It's not what they are there for," he said.

When asked about the proportionate share of revenues from serving alcohol and food, he said, "The majority of it will come from the gaming. We are required to have food and some kind of alcohol beverage. The majority of the revenues for us is from the gaming itself."

Mohammed said the state receives 25 percent of the gaming revenues, while Oswego will receive 5 percent.

He said the lounge will have seating for six.

"I don't see that being an issue, Mohammed said. "Our Bradley location has 900 square feet. The idea of the business is a gaming venue 99 percent of the people know they are coming in to game."

Only people 21 years old and older will be permitted in the establishment.

Village officials said the storefront has been vacant since the strip mall was built about 10 years ago.

Mohammed said he had no problem being next door to an indoor virtual gun range that will open in two storefronts in the same commercial strip center.

The village also has no problem with having them side-by-side.

"I don't see any issue land use wise," Di Santo said.

Under the village's requirements, the business will not be permitted to have neon or window signage.

"We want to ensure gaming parlors have aesthetically pleasing curb appeal as not to negatively impact surrounding storefronts and property," he said.

Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News

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Third gambling cafe OK'd in Oswego - Chicago Tribune