Category Archives: Gambling

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The free drinks at casinos make everyone feel like a winner. However, several casinos are killing the buzz: Select properties in Nevada, including Las Vegas, are no longer providing gratis cocktails to bar patrons who are drinking and yakking more than drinking and gambling. The new mantra: Must play for a cocktail.

We are making a concerted effort to reward our larger-spending customers, said Rich Broome, executive vice president of communications at Caesars Entertainment. This discourages people who are just looking for a free drink.

At the moment, the new policy applies only to casino bars with video-poker machines. (To clear up any misunderstandings, the bars never provided complimentary drinks to non-gambling guests, though the rule was not always enforced.) After a short trial in late 2015, Caesars introduced the comp notification system at nine properties throughout Nevada, including those in Las Vegas, Laughlin, Reno and Lake Tahoe.

Ardent Progressive Systems and Games, which created the Ardent Complimentary Validation System used at MGM, has also installed the technology at the Venetian, the Palazzo, Hard Rock Lake Tahoe and Westgate, formerly the Las Vegas Hilton. Also on the Vegas horizon: Golden Nugget, Treasure Island and Hard Rock.

Within the last year, MGM Entertainment has rolled out a similar program at MGM Grand and TopGolf, an entertainment venue on the Strip. A company executive said that MGM could expand the program to its casinos in New Jersey and Mississippi. (Gamblers in Michigan and Maryland dont have to worry; by law, they were never allowed free alcohol.)

[There goes tradition: Las Vegas Strip casinos start charging for parking]

In the 1950s, the industry was trying to incentivize, said Alan Feldman, executive vice president of MGM Resorts. Now, its a reward.

Ardent Progressive Systems and Games, which created the Ardent Complimentary Validation System, has installed the technology at the Venetian/Palazzo, Hard Rock Lake Tahoe and Westgate, the old Las Vegas Hilton. Also on the horizon: Golden Nugget, Treasure Island and Hard Rock Las Vegas.

To earn a drink at the bar, guests must play a certain amount of money over a set amount of time. At Caesars, once you reach the minimum level, a discreet green light will flash as a signal for the bartender to start pouring. Broome said that Caesarss system averages out to $4 a minute, and the light starts blinking after two minutes of play. Each drink is worth about $10 the value of a Johnny Walker Black or Smirnoff vodka but not a top-shelf malt scotch.

If you dont keep up the four dollars per minute, he said, it will start flashing red.

To restore your greenness, you will need to feed the meter.

MGM uses a similar system, with printed vouchers instead of lights. Feldman didnt provide a specific monetary figure but advised customers to ask the bartender how much money they need play to receive a free drink.

This isnt a way of trying to induce further gambling, he said, but is meant to acknowledge a certain breed of customers.

Before the new arrangement, the bartenders had to monitor the video-poker activity while also concocting cocktails, ringing up tabs and bantering with customers. No surprise that some visitors sipped without paying or playing.

The green-light program eliminates the guesswork, Broome said.

Now exposed, the freeloaders can either court Lady Luck at the bar or repair to the casino floor, where the booze still flows freely at least for now.

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At some Vegas casino bars, non-gamblers lose their free drinks - Washington Post

Altoona, Pa. - Michael Larocco works with those suffering from gambling addiction. He says while money plays a roll, it may not be the driving force behind the addiction.

He explained,"It may very well appear to be about the money. The gambler may very well be trying to win back the money, ultimately to lose it again, but again it goes back to that obsession and compulsion where everything else really is irrelevant."

Larocco is a counselor as well as someone in long term recovery. He says other than the financial side, there are many warning signs for someone suffering from addiction.

He said, "There's probably going to missed time from work and missed time from activities and less time spent with family. You know, there's going to be disruptions in sleep, irritability, depression is a major one."

Larocco says patience is key when you have a loved one fighting addiction. Recovery is taken one day at a time. He explained,"You can't just hit a switch and make them stop. You can't lock them in a room and make them stop. When it comes to addiction, typically someone will be ready to stop when they feel like they've really had enough pain."

He believes that addicts are fighting a disease and that it does not define their character.

"These aren't moral deficiencies," He explained, "People who are addicts are not bad people. They are making bad decisions and participating in bad behavior but there's always that sense of remorse and it usually comes in moments of clarity for the person where they don't want to be hurting the people around them."

Larocco believes that anyone who is battling addiction can beat it and encourages anyone out there who may be struggling to go out and get help.

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Altoona, Pa. - Michael Larocco works with those suffering from gambling addiction. He says while money plays a roll ... - WTAJ

May 12, 2017 9:42 AM by Robert Mann

The issue of gambling at the proposed new Las Vegas home for the NFLs Oakland Raider has yet to be addressed during lease discussions, according to local media reports.

The proposed lease agreement between the Raiders and the Las Vegas Stadium Authority includes specific prohibited uses at the stadium including sexually oriented commercial enterprises; lewd, offensive or immoral signs; massage parlors; paraphernalia used primarily for taking or using illegal drugs; a shooting gallery or target range; and vehicle repair facilities.

Although the gambling issue is not currently addressed, Las Vegas Stadium Authority board member Bill Hornbuckle, president of MGM Resorts International, indicated he does not want gambling at the stadium and would stand against it if the NFL or the authority moved to allow it.

According to Hornbuckle, whose company is a major force on the Las Vegas Strip, the stadium was funded with the intention that there wouldnt be gaming at the stadium.

So far, there has been no differentiation made between traditional casino games and sports betting, which could be accessed by smart devices by fans attending games at the proposed stadium.

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Issue of gambling at new Las Vegas stadium yet to be addressed - GamingTodaySlotsToday

WATERLOO Two Cedar Falls residents have been arrested for allegedly cheating at the Isle Casino Hotel in April.

Waterloo police arrested Ke Jin Chen, 43, and Wei Kui Fang, 52, both of 1616 Ashworth Drive, on Sunday for misdemeanor unlawful betting.

According to court records, both men played the card game baccarat at the Isle on several occasions and allegedly placed late bets or removed losing bets after the outcome of the game was known.

Chen allegedly removed a $20 losing wager during a game on April 2 placed a late $25 wager on April 7 that resulted in a $750 win. He is also accused of placing a late bet on April 17 that led to a $25 win.

Fang allegedly pinched --- removed --- a losing $20 bet on April 2 after the game was decided but before the dealer settled the hands, court records state. He also allegedly posted a late bet after outcome was known in an April 10 game, a move that netted him $50, records state.

Agents with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the incidents and applied for arrest warrants on May 3.

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Two arrested on gambling charges at casino - Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

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DENVER -- There are no legal casinos in Denver, but inside adult amusement business La Fortuna at 9 S. Federal Blvd., the near constant dinging of slot machines are loud enough to be heard from the parking lot.

The colorful windows outside La Fortuna blink with lights and advertise Best Skill Games in Town, promising entrants cash winnings.

The reported operators said they run games just like the ones at Dave and Buster's or Chuck E. Cheese's.

Slot Machine Tests Skills?

But hidden cameras saw something much different.

An employee, who introduced himself as George, said only two things are needed to win: Cash (inserted into what looked a lot like an electronic Las Vegas slot machine) and a rather basic skill."

George showed a row of machines in the center of the facility, declaring the ones in the middle take cash.

The row of slot-type machines on the exterior walls, he said, required a credit card and for the player to provide an ID such as a drivers license.

Near those machines were a pair of signs. One said internet. The other was advertising a game "prize pool of $644.51 for a Lucky Ducky" game. Undercover players chose the cash offer.

After inserting a bill, the slot machine gave a credit similar to a bar-top gambling device in Las Vegas or Atlantic City, N.J.

This is the only prize line -- whats going to pay you, George said.

He was pointing to whats also known as the money line. Its basically the center of the machine. All three slot wheels have to carry the exact same image (or number, such as 7s) in a row across the prize line in order to win.

Because La Fortuna does not have a gaming license from the Colorado Department of Revenue, these particular slot machines are programmed to never have all three images line up for a win.

Instead, the player, at most, can match only two images or numbers on the slot wheels.

This is where the skill of the player comes into play, and how La Fortuna is reportedly attempting to skirt Colorado gaming laws and operate in a legal gray area.

A real example from the undercover video demonstrates how a player can win.

After pushing the spin button, two devils, or el diablos, matched up on the center prize line, but an image of a chicken, or el gallo, appeared in the third spot. In a licensed casino in Black Hawk, this would make the scenario a loser.

However, at La Fortuna, if the player recognizes there is a devil either one spot up or down in that third slot wheel, they can, with their finger, nudge the devil one spot to replace the image of the loser chicken.

That puts three devils on the prize line, which racks up credits and win money.

We were told cash out by calling George to the machine. He reviewed how many Lucky Ducky points were acquired or had left over.

At a collections window, he converted the remaining credits to cash.

The cashier, however, said they had a daily limit on winnings, so if we won too much, wed get paid on an installment plan.

Our limit is $500 a day, so for example, (if) you win $3,000 you -- every day I give you $500. Because we have certain rules, George said.

On March 29 and on May 8, the FOX31 Problem Solvers checked with Denver Excise and Licensing, but employees could find no record of La Forturna, or any business at the 9 S. Federal address, with any kind of license, registration or tax ID number.

While opening the store one early afternoon, George declined to say who owned La Fortuna or who, if anyone, paid his salary.

Tammy Garamova of La Fortuna

Within a few hours, Tammy Garamova stepped forward to speak for La Fortuna, saying she was a co-owner.

Garamova, flanked by a lobbyist near the State Capitol, said La Fortuna was operating under a different name on its state business license, GBE, LLC.

The city of Denver said it had no record of an amusement license or tax ID under that name.

Garamova said that games of skill such as the slot-type machines at the establishment are legal.

"Ours is just an arcade. You come in and play arcade games," Garamova said.

When asked if the payout is cash, Garamova said, "The payout is cash, but that does not make it gambling. Gambling, limited gaming is defined by skill vs chance."

Colorado law does a poor job of defining what a skill game is. Revised criminal statutes do state simulated gambling is illegal.

Simulated gambling is defined as: A device that functions as, or simulates the play of, a slot machine, uses software to create a game result, and requires a deposit of any currency.

Garamova strongly denies La Fortuna is simulated gambling because the player, according to her, always has a chance at winning based on skill.

"All based on your skill. If you are skillful, you will win every time," she said. "Just like Candy Crush, you can clear the board every time.

But undercover customers did not find that to be the case.

We won some, but lost more because the slots did not always match up the first two wheels, so it was impossible to nudge the third wheel for the win.

Other games with additional images and wheels performed similarly.

Originally posted here:

Are they games of skill or gambling in Denver business? - FOX31 Denver

OKLAHOMA CITY The finger-pointing over revenue-raising measures, including a proposed expansion of gambling, continued Monday at the Capitol as a state budget agreement remained elusive.

This time House Democrats and Senate Republicans feuded over whose idea it was to include a tribal gaming bill in a $400 million revenue package proposed by House GOP leadership.

The bill, if adopted, would allow tribal casinos to add forms of roulette and craps and, possibly, sports betting.

House Minority Leader Scott Inman, D-Del City, said Monday morning that Senate Pro Tem Mike Schulz, R-Altus, had reneged on the revenue package, which prompted Schulz to claim the deal fell apart because Inman wanted full-blown, Vegas-style gambling in Oklahoma.

Inman denied any part in the gaming bill, and charged Republican leaders with trying to blame him for their inability to reach an agreement that accounts for a $1 billion hole in the fiscal year 2018 budget.

House Democrats did not propose this idea, Inman said Monday evening, nor did we demand it as part of the state budget package. Any claim by (Schulz) we did is simply false.

Inman said the gaming proposal was brought to him by House GOP leadership Sunday night, and that he agreed to present it to his caucus Monday morning. Before that occurred, though, Inman said Schulz scuttled the deal.

Inman then called a press conference to say Senate Republican leadership had backed out of the deal.

Schulz followed with his own press conference to deny the agreement ever existed.

There was no agreement last night, Schulz said. It was a proposal that was laid on the table and one that we were honest with last night with House leadership and said that is a very heavy lift.

The measure in question, House Bill 2376, was one of 12 revenue bills passed by a House revenue and budget panel Monday afternoon, but was not heard in the corresponding Senate committee.

Schulz said the gaming bill entails dice and a full-blown roulette wheel with the marble dice and marbles rather than cards, Schulz said. It is a huge expansion into that area and just something our caucus has a lot of difficulty accepting.

The bill also allows for expansion into sports betting if allowed by the federal government and negotiated by the governor with the individual tribes.

Inman, whose caucus has proposed a revenue package that includes hikes in gross production taxes and income taxes for top-earning households, said he agreed to other measures, including: increasing the cigarette tax by $1.50; a cap on itemized deductions; restoring the Earned Income Tax Credit; eliminating the vendor discount for some box stores; eliminating about $50 million in oil and gas credits; and the changes to tribal gaming compacts.

Both legislative budget panels on Monday passed a stand-alone cigarette tax increase, which would require a super majority in both houses to make it into law. Gov. Mary Fallin has said she supports raising the tax.

The deal did not include a 6-cent hike in gasoline and diesel taxes that had been coupled with the cigarette tax in an earlier bill, nor did it include a gross production tax increase.

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Proposed expansion of gambling latest snag in state budget talks - Tulsa World

Disney Worldwide Services, which claims to make dreams come true, has helped dash the dreams of those who long for expanded gambling in the state of Florida.

Financial data posted on the state Division of Elections website showed that Disney is working silently in order to prevent gambling expansion in Florida pouring thousands of dollars to the political committee Voters in Charge on April 3, 2017.

In all, the committee raised $287,675 in April, with $250,000 coming from Disney Worldwide Services and $30,000 from the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association. The committee spent $140,709, with $103,792 going to the firm National Voter Outreach, Inc. for petition gathering.

According to the groups information on Facebook, Voters in Charge is sponsoring a ballot initiative to give Florida voters, not politicians, the exclusive right to approve or disapprove casino gambling.

Many, however, see the group as a thorn that will make it harder to expand gambling in Florida.

Disneys support for Voters in Charge jibes with the corporations previous claims that destination casinos would spoil the family-friendly vibe that its DisneyWorld resort prefers to give off. Disney is one of the highest if not the top contributor in the political committees campaign last month.

The push for Florida voters to have the exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling is gaining traction in recent weeks.

Last month, the Florida Supreme Court threw its support for proposed state constitutional amendments on voter approval of new gambling.

The SC vote was 4-2 with Chief Justice Jorge Labarga and Justices Barbara Pariente, Peggy Quince and Charles Canady in the majority, while Justices Ricky Polston and R. Fred Lewis dissented. Justice Alan Lawson, who joined the court at the end of December, did not take part.

Voters in Charge must submit hundreds of thousands of verified petition signatures to elections officials to get the measure on the November 2018 ballot.

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Disney backed initiative to restrict Florida gambling - CalvinAyre.com

Massachusetts looks poised to enter a new gambling frontier.

First, we had the Lottery that allowed people to gamble at their corner store, and then casino gambling that is bringing slots and table games to a resort destination near you.

Now we appear ready to enter the world of online gaming that would allow everyone with a laptop or smartphone to gamble anywhere, anytime.

As we speak, the Legislature is considering a bill that would establish an iLottery, and is holding special commission hearings on issues of legalized online gambling, Daily Fantasy Sports, and eSports betting.

To some, the move to online gambling is a natural evolution to keep up with the way we do business and consume products. They say that this is the way the world operates now and we must find a way to best regulate it. In the case of the Lottery, they also want to avoid a decline in support for our local communities.

We at the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling understand those considerations, 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 too embarrassed to seek help.

There is no question that gambling is an addiction and a disease like alcohol or drug abuse. A recent study showed that more than 500,000 Massachusetts adults struggle with or are at high risk of problem gambling or gambling addiction. We also know it impacts certain populations more than others, including African-American men, our veterans, immigrants and those with other behavioral health challenges.

That is why if Massachusetts is to move forward with online gambling, it must do so very cautiously. The Legislature and Gaming Commission implemented nation-leading responsible gambling measures as we brought casinos into Massachusetts. As we consider online gambling, we also must put in place significant protections for consumers and services for problem gambling prevention and recovery, or not move forward at all.

With an eye toward protecting those most at risk of compulsive gaming, any meaningful piece of online gambling-related legislation should include:

Research. All player data should be anonymized and used by third-party researchers to report on the trends and play of all players, including those that end up with a problem. There is currently little to no research on online gambling in the United States.

Education information. Every online product 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 own individual gambling history and withdrawal amounts, which acts as both as an education tool and deterrent.

Individualized tools to limit gambling. The state should provide guidelines on the amount one should reasonably gamble over certain periods, and allow consumers to set their own more restrictive limits. All products should allow for self-exclusion.

Strong advertising restrictions. Online gambling advertising should go through rigorous review and never target young people. Advertising should also include accurate information about the odds of winning/losing so people understand their risk.

Designated funding stream for prevention, treatment and recovery services. This is something that the Legislature did for the casino gaming law, and it has become a national model. We should do so again here. If we are going to move down the online gambling path, we must adequately fund addiction services. And a designated stream takes that out of yearly political whims.

These are just a few of the many best practices that should be established before the Legislature considers establishing online gambling or an iLottery. 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 executive director of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, the state's central resource for problem gambling prevention and recovery services.

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MARLENE WARNER: Fighting addiction is new frontier of online gambling - Lowell Sun

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The owner of a company licensed by the state to operate video gambling machines has pleaded guilty to lying about how much money he made on them.

Sandip Patel, a 41-year-old McDonough resident and owner of Sudama Resorts, Mondaypleaded guilty to three counts of commercial gambling and was sentenced to one year of house arrest and fouryears probation, according to the Macon Telegraph. The plea arrangement includes a promise from Patel that he will testify for the state in other gambling cases, if needed.

Patel was among 10 arrested in October 2015 as part of a sweep of businesses across central and south Georgia by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Lottery Corp. All of the machines seized in the raid belong to Sudama Resorts.

A technician opens a coin-operated amusement machine at a Duluth gas station in 2015. BOB ANDRES / BANDRES@AJC.COM

The machines are commonly seen in gas stations and pool halls and resemble video poker machines. Under state law, owners of the machines are not allowed to pay cash to winners. At the time of the raids, GBI officials said an undercover investigation determined players were receiving cash payouts at more than a quarter of the locations where Sudama machines were placed.

According to the Telegraph, investigators discovered Patel was dramatically under-reporting how much money the machines were making. Prior to July 1, 2015, owners of the machines were responsible for reporting the take, but a new state system that automatically reported earnings showed Sudama machines took in much more.

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gambling machine owner pleads guilty to state charges - Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)

OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahoma lawmakers said Monday that a proposal to expand casino gambling has stalled a tentative budget agreement that would have raised hundreds of millions in new revenue.

House Minority Leader Scott Inman, D-Del City, said House lawmakers thought they had reached a bipartisan budget framework that would have closed about half of the nearly $900 million budget gap by taxing cigarettes, capping itemized tax deductions, restoring an income tax credit and slashing about $50 million in oil and gas subsidies. It also would have expanded tribal gaming agreements, he said.

He said Monday, though, that state Senate Republicans had torpedoed the deal.

For the Senate Republicans to continue to stand in the face of the citizens of Oklahoma who are calling for an increase in the gross production tax, who are calling for significant revenues to help fund education, health care and public safety, is a tragedy, he said.

But Senate President Pro Tem Mike Schulz said theres no way his Republican caucus members could support any budget agreement that would allow full-blown Vegas gambling in Oklahoma.

Budget officials estimate that expanding gambling to allow Oklahomas tribally run casinos to offer dice games and roulette could generate an additional $20 million a year in revenue for the cash-strapped coffers. Under agreements better known as compacts tribes pay the state a portion of their gambling revenues each year.

Schulz, of Altus, said the proposed gambling component also would have given tribes the exclusive right to take sports bets if the federal government ever legalizes the practice beyond Nevada.

For me, personally, yeah, its a moral objection, Schulz said of expanding gaming. I think we have too much gambling going on in this state. I think its too accessible. I think we have people who are spending milk and bread money in a casino rather than taking care of their kids.

Senate Majority Floor Leader Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said Senate Republicans back the plan to hike the pack of cigarettes by $1.50 a pack. That tax could generate more than $184 million a year.

They also support a plan to increase that states gasoline tax by 6 cents a gallon as well as eliminating the oil and gas rebates and back the plan to cap itemized deductions at $17,000 that would generate another $148 million, he said.

Were tired of the gimmicks, Treat said. We want a package not contingent on us expanding to Vegas-style gambling to bring revenue in to fill these holes that we all agree we have.

But Inman said its time for senators to act and do the right thing for the public that relies on crucial state programs.

Weve said all along that a cigarette tax is just simply a Band-Aid on a bullet hole, he said. It will not solve the states budget problems. Youve got to have additional revenue.

Janelle Stecklein covers the Oklahoma Statehouse for CNHI's newspapers and websites. Reach her at jstecklein@cnhi.com.

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Gambling expansion stalls tentative budget agreement - Theadanews