Category Archives: Gambling

As the manhunt for suspected killer Steve Stephens has nationwide, a picture of him has emerged which paints him as an exasperated person with heavy financial burdens, a gambling addiction and relationship problems that drove him to snap, resulting in a heinous killing that he posted to Facebook.

A $50,000 reward is now being offered for information leading to his capture, said Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams.

Stephens, 37, who reportedly worked with youth at a suburban Cleveland social services agency, recorded himself driving along a street on the east side of Cleveland on Sunday looking for a random person to kill over his frustrations. He came across Robert Godwin Sr., 74, who was picking up aluminum cans as he walked from an Easter Sunday dinner with some of his children. Can you do me a favor, Stephens said. Can you say Joy Lane? Goodwin looked confused in the video and held a plastic bag up saying he did not know any such person while Stephens pointed a gun at him.Shes the reason why this is about to happen to you. He then pulled the trigger, killing him.

The disturbing video had been posted on Facebook for a few hours before it was taken down and Stephens account deactivated. But he also posted another video in which he was speaking on a cellphone to an unknown person complaining about his life. Im at the point where I snapped, he said in the phone conversation. Every time I try to talk to yall [expletive], man, yall always [expletive] blow me offI got a lot of built in anger and frustration, man. It is unclear if the person he was speaking with knew of the shooting.

Stephens problems stretch back to at least 2012 when he was sued in a municipal court over unpaid credit card debt, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, which led to his wages later being garnisheed. He filed for bankruptcy in January 2015, declaring $35,000 in debts. He emerged from bankruptcy in August 2015. Last year the managers of an apartment in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, began eviction proceedings against him. They dropped the eviction claim, but sued him for $1,800 in back rent. In January of this year, he was evicted over failure to pay his rent.

In a different Facebook post, Stephens said he gambled away his money at a Cleveland casino. I lost everything I ever had due to gambling, he said on the post.The past years been really [expletive] up for me. He complained that his relationship with the woman he referred to had fallen apart, and that it started making me gamble. I lost everything. I lost everything I have. I dont have [expletive]. Im out of options.

The girlfriend, Joy Lane, sent CBS News a text on Monday, confirming they had been romantically involved.We had been in a relationship for several years, she wrote. I am sorry that all of this has happened. My heart & prayers goes out to the family members of the victim(s). Steve really is a nice guy he is generous with everyone he knows. He was kind and loving to me and my children. This is a very difficult time for me and my family Please respect our privacy at this time.

She has been in police protective custody and authorities say she is being fully cooperative.

Stephens visited his mother on Saturday and saidherIf you see me again, itll be a miracle, she told CNN. Later when she called him, he told her he was shooting people because he was mad with his girlfriend, but the conversation was cut off as her phone died.

Police have issued an aggravated murder warrant for Stephens and are warning residents ofPennsylvania, New York, Indiana and Michigan as well as Ohio to be on alert. A signal from Stephens phone was picked up at a tower in Erie, Pennsylvania, but no signs of him have turned up there.

Supposed sightings of him in Philadelphia and Virginia turned out to be false.

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Did Debt, Gambling Addiction Cause the Facebook Slay Suspect to 'Snap'? - EBONY.com

News Service of Florida

TALLAHASSEE - House and Senate leaders met briefly Monday afternoon to lay the groundwork for negotiations on the two chambers' vastly different approaches to gambling policy.

Sen. Bill Galvano, a Bradenton Republican who will chair the conference committee on gambling, said the panel won't meet again before Thursday but could work over the weekend hashing out differences between the plans.

Lawmakers are trying to reach consensus on a new deal with the Seminole Tribe after a portion of an agreement with the tribe expired in 2015. That component of the 20-year deal gave the tribe "exclusive" rights to operate banked card games, such as blackjack, at most of its casinos. The tribe sued the state over the games, and a federal judge gave the Seminoles permission to continue to conduct the games.

The House is backing what is essentially a status quo proposal that would give the Seminoles permission to operate the banked card games, such as blackjack, for another 20 years. The Senate, in contrast, has endorsed a pari-mutuel friendly plan that would allow slot machines at pari-mutuels in the eight counties - Brevard, Duval, Gadsden, Hamilton, Lee, Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Washington - where voters have approved them.

Which pari-mutuels get slots - and where - is one of the biggest sticking points for the negotiators, according to Galvano and Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, a Miami Republican who is vice-chair of the gambling conference committee.

"Obviously, there are members from each of those communities that are looking out to make sure that one county doesn't get new slots and their county is left out," Diaz told reporters after the meeting.

Another point of contention involves controversial "designated player" card games operated by a number of pari-mutuel cardrooms, which are at the heart of the state's legal dispute with the tribe. The Senate plan would legalize the card games, while the House proposal would ban them. The tribe, which is seeking to add craps and roulette at its casinos, has maintained that the House measure - which would require a minimum guarantee from the tribe of $3 billion over seven years-- would not get the requisite approval from federal authorities.

We're going to have to figure out what's more important, (not) giving them those new games or getting more money for the state, because you might not be able to do both, Diaz said.

Lawmakers, who for years have been unable to reach consensus on broad gambling legislation, could be more motivated this year by a series of court decisions that could jeopardize the nearly $120 million in annual payments paid to the state by the Seminoles. Given what has occurred over the last several years, but especially recently with the judicial branch and the decisions that are coming out and the complexity and the ambiguity of the issues that we're dealing with, inaction is not an option. We have to act, Galvano said.

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House, Senate begin trying to reach gambling deal - Holmes County Times Advertiser

BOYNTON BEACH

A 31-year-old Boynton Beach man was arrested Thursday in connection with a shooting that occurred in January in the northern end of the city.

Police say that James Young II shot two men the evening of Jan. 24 during an argument over drugs and gambling. He faces charges of aggravated battery with a firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm and marijuana possession.

Young was released Saturday from the Palm Beach County Jail after posting $203,000 bail.

On the night of the shooting, police responded to the 300 block of Northeast 13th Avenue, between Seacrest Boulevard and Federal Highway. They found one man with a gunshot wound to his arm and a second shooting victim lying in the roadway. Both men were taken to Delray Medical Center, according to a city police report.

During the investigation, detectives tried to speak to a man whose residence had security cameras facing the shooting scene. The buildings manager informed officers that Young lived there. Young reportedly told the manager the cameras were not working, and he refused to cooperate with police, the report said.

Detectives received numerous anonymous tips indicating that Young was the gunman. They obtained a warrant to search his apartment. It was unclear from the police report whether investigators found video evidence of the shooting.

However, officers did find a bag filled with marijuana, an electronic scale and clear plastic bags, according to the report. One of the shooting victims gave police a brief statement before being rushed into the surgery.

The man told officers Young shot him, the report said.

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NEW: Police say dispute over drugs, gambling led to Boynton shootings - Palm Beach Post

The New Hampshire Senate continues work on the state budget this week. Meanwhile the House will take up some contentious issues ranging from voting laws to gambling.

A bill to tighten residency requirements for voting purposes gets a public hearing in the House Tuesday. Under the measure, people lacking proof of residency would have to fill out a form and provide proof within 10 days. If they dont, an election official could stop by their house to check.

Those for the measure say this will prevent voter fraud but those against say it could disenfranchise voters.

The Republican backed bill cleared the Senate last month along party lines.

The House will also hold a public hearing on a bill to expand full-day kindergarten to low-income school districts statewide. A similar proposal was part of Gov. Chris Sununus budget plan.

Theres also a hearing on a bill to legalize casino gambling in the state a similar measure has passed the Senate before but has historically fallen flat in the House.

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N.H. House to Debate Voting Laws, Gambling - New Hampshire Public Radio

A prominent religious figure in Philadelphia is accused of embezzling more than $500,000 from the Catholic Church to fund a lavish lifestyle that included trips to local casinos.

The federal government said earlier this month that Msgr. William Dombrow, 77, went gambling at Harrahs Casino in Chester with money that was for a home for retired priests.

Dombrow was in charge of the homes finances.

The government said that the scheme went on for nearly nine years until the bank became suspicious of some transactions and alerted the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

According to Philly.com, Dombrow was charged with four counts of wire fraud by way of a criminal information. If convicted, he could face 80 years in prison.

His attorney said that Dombrow is ashamed to have shed such a bad light on the Archdiocese.

Dombrows case isnt the first of its kind.

In 2014, a priest in Ottawa was sentenced to a year in prison after admitting to stealing $130,000 from the church to fund his gambling addiction.

In 2015, a Roman Catholic priest in Massachusetts was given five years of probation for stealing a sum of $240,000 to feed his years-long gambling habit.

Catholic nuns and Buddhist monks have also been charged with stealing money to fund casino trips.

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Priest Accused Of Stealing $500K For Gambling - CardPlayer.com

Artificial intelligence is crushing poker these days, but there could be a better application for the technology than learning how to use blockers to run massive river bluffs.

According to a report from SBC News, a group called Kindred Futures recently hosted a roundtable discussion in London on how AI could spot problem gambling behaviors.

Kindred is an offshoot of the online gambling company formerly known as Unibet.

Because early signs of problem gambling can vary, AI could be a tool to analyze the incomplete information. The roundtable included researchers and industry insiders.

This was a fascinating discussion, bringing together experts from several different fields," said Will Mace, Head of Kindred Futures. The outcome was very encouraging we agreed there was significant potential for an AI capability to bring together and analyse many data sources to give a much-improved ability to detect signs of a developing problem. We also agreed there was real value in doing this both socially and commercially.

Earlier this year, a poker bot from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA defeated a group of four poker pros in a historic 120,000-hand match.

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AI Could Help Prevent Problem Gambling - CardPlayer.com

The chatter on the Hill is that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is considering a federal ban on state-regulated online gambling.

That's despite a lack of any public support for such a ban, concerted pushback from states rights advocates, and overwhelming opposition from the National Governors Association.

Banning states from making their own choices on regulated online gambling is a terrible idea that represents federal politics at its very worst.

New Jersey has realized over $80 million in tax revenue in the last three years from regulated online gambling. Regulation has created or supported some 3,300 new jobs in the state.

The flagging casino industry in Atlantic City has been resuscitated by the introduction of online play. As the Associated Press recently reported: "There's no longer much of a debate about it: Internet gambling is helping to save Atlantic City's casinos."

Pennsylvania is one of a half-dozen other states looking to regulation to solve budget gaps without raising taxes. The Keystone State is set to take in nearly a half a billion dollars in revenue over the next five years through legalizing online casino and poker.

Any move by the federal government to tamp down on this dynamic industry would:

- Immediately threaten thousands of high-quality American jobs.

- Stop the creation of tens of thousands of additional jobs across America.

- Leave states with little choice but to take the economy-killing step of raising personal or business taxes to close budget gaps.

Americans will gamble online regardless of what the federal government does.

A simple Google search for "online casino" reveals the hundreds of offshore casinos, poker sites, and sportsbooks happily - and illegally - allowing Americans in all 50 states to bet with their credit cards.

State-regulated online gambling in New Jersey has been a resounding success story in terms of providing safeguards, responsible gaming tools, and other key protections to those consumers.

Without regulated sites, consumers are left to play at illegal offshore gambling sites that may funnel money to criminal organizations and national security threats.

A federal ban on regulated online gambling would be a tremendous loss for consumers and states.

It would be a massive victory for the illegal, offshore betting industry, which has no interest in competing with state-regulated sites.

That can hardly be an outcome AG Sessions hopes to achieve. But it is the inevitable effect of any federal action to rob states of their ability to decide whether online gambling regulation is right for them.

Most reporting around the issue points toward casino mogul Sheldon Adelson as the driving force behind efforts to enact a federal ban on state-regulated online gambling.

Regardless of AG Sessions' actual motivations, it will be difficult to see a federal ban as anything more than the fulfilment of Adelson's wishes to eliminate a product that might compete with his land-based casino empire.

What's worse, scholars and lawyers agree that a federal ban would be unlikely to hold up in court.

That means the entire exercise would be little more than a waste of time - a waste of time that will cost real people good jobs and put cash-strapped states in a tougher spot than they already are.

Rob Crandall / Shutterstock.com

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Federal online gambling ban is job-killing, tax-raising cronyism - and a waste of everyone's time - Huffington Post

With their joint venture to put a casino in East Windsor to intercept potential traffic to the resort casino being built just over the Massachusetts line in Springfield, the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Indian tribes say they aim to save jobs for Connecticut and gambling royalty revenue for state government. This isn't quite accurate.

The real objective of the interceptor casino is to replace gamblers from Massachusetts who have been patronizing the tribes' casinos in southeastern Connecticut and who are expected to start gambling in Springfield instead. The Massachusetts gamblers are to be replaced in East Windsor with gamblers from Connecticut itself.

This change in the source of gamblers and revenue should bear heavily on the General Assembly's decision whether to authorize the casino in East Windsor. For it is one thing to draw money from Massachusetts gamblers and send them home with the consequences of their excesses and addictions and their increased inclinations to rob and embezzle. At least then the money comes from out of state and the social burden is borne there.

It is something else to draw money from Connecticut gamblers and stick Connecticut with the consequences of excessive gambling. For if the casino revenue is to be drawn from Connecticut itself, it will come only from other commerce in the state, and the social burden of increased gambling will be borne here.

What then is the advantage of saving casino jobs in Connecticut if those jobs come at the expense of other commerce and jobs in the state? And gambling royalty revenue to state government cannot be fairly calculated without also calculating the expense of increased financial crime and broken homes and lives.

The casino racket is just about finished for state government. Connecticut has pushed its neighboring states into the business and now there's no one left to plunder but the state's own people. There's little profit in that except for the casino operators.

* * *

NO PRIDE IN PAYING FEDERAL TAXES: This is income tax week, and a new book by Vanessa Williamson of the Brookings Institution argues that Americans on the whole are "proud to pay taxes," considering it their civic duty to support their government.

But on the national level, rather than the state and municipal levels, taxes are not really needed to support the government at all, since the national government has the inherent power of money creation and to finance its operations it does not need to borrow money or obtain gold or any other monetary commodity.

The purposes of taxation at the national level are quite different. In 1946 the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Beardsley Ruml, described them this way:

"1. As an instrument of fiscal policy to help stabilize the purchasing power of the dollar.

"2. To express public policy in the distribution of wealth and income, as in the case of the progressive income and estate taxes.

"3. To express public policy in subsidizing or penalizing various industries and economic groups.

"4. To isolate and assess directly the costs of certain national benefits, such as highways and Social Security."

That is, the purpose of federal taxation is to advance certain social and economic policies, to shape the people's behavior, and to allocate power in society.

So while people justly can be proud of paying taxes on the state and municipal levels, where their taxes really do underwrite government, and while they can be proud of their country, on the national level their taxes are mainly the mechanism by which government controls them. On the whole those controls may be good ones but there's nothing particularly to be proud of in doing as one is told. Those controls are just the terms of the right to live in the country.

-----

Chris Powell is managing editor of the Journal Inquirer.

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Connecticut gains little by replacing Massachusetts gamblers with its own - Journal Inquirer

As discussed in a previous article by Casino News Daily, Latin America has been drawing more and more attention as a region where gambling may be a particularly profitable industry. Several Latin American countries have been considering the adoption of gambling-friendly regulations that could open their markets to international developers and operators.

Aside from Mexico, which was the main focus of that previous article, it can be said that Brazil is yet another country from the region whose legislators seem to have finally recognized the importance and usefulness of the creation of a regulated gambling environment.

With very few exceptions, gambling is illegal in Brazil under a federal law from the 1940s. However, it has been almost a quarter of a century now that lawmakers have been trying to legalize one form of gambling or another and to create a gambling legalization and regulatory framework that would lift the ban completely.

Both chambers of the countrys bicameral legislative body the National Congress have been discussing legislative proposals that would legalize different forms of gambling, including online gaming and sports betting within the countrys borders. However, it can be said that the Senate has made more significant progress with its PLS 186/2014, so that particular legislative piece will be paid more special attention in the current article.

Under the bill, originally produced by Senator Ciro Nogueira Lima Filho back in 2014 as its name suggests, both land-based and online casinos, slot parlors, bingo halls, sports betting options, and the particularly popular lottery-type game Jogo do Bicho (Animal Game) should be legalized within the countrys borders.

A modified version of PLS 186/2014 was broadly discussed last year and was even approved by the countrys Special Committee for National Development. Gaining certain momentum, it was believed that the legislative piece could reach the full Senate floor by the end of 2016 and be voted on one final time. However, the expected final vote did not occur, which means that gambling debates may be renewed anytime this year.

Although the bill has been supported by key lawmakers, it has also been met with staunch opposition. According to opposing legislators, the legalization of gambling services could worsen the countrys economic situation. Gambling was even compared to drugs and alcohol in terms of compulsiveness and harmfulness.

On the other hand, proponents of Brazils gambling legalization effort counter-argued that if the local market is regulated, it would draw international gambling companies and additional investment and would generate much-needed tax revenue.

PLS 186/2014 needs to be passed by all chambers of Brazils National Congress in order for its provisions to come into effect as law. If signed into law, the bill would create a regulatory framework for the operation, regulation, and taxation of gambling. The new regulatory regime would also feature measures for preventing and combating money laundering and corruption.

Here it is important to note that state-run lotteries, poker, and betting on horse racing are legal in the country, as these are considered activities whose outcome is based on skill and not on luck. Bingo was also declared legal in the 1990s, but was banned in 2007.

Brazil has been described as the sleeping giant in several publications and in relation to its huge potential to turn into one of the worlds biggest regulated markets. Gambling has already been a big thing in the country. According to the Brazilian Legal Gaming Institute (Instituto de Jogo Legal IJL), the approximate amount of R$20 billion ($6.4 billion) is generated annually from illegal gambling services. What is more, the Jogo do Bicho market could be worth around R$12 billion ($3.8 billion). In terms of stakes placed, the local market could be valued at around R$55 billion ($17.6 billion), the IJL has noted in a report on Brazils gambling market.

As many other gaming options, brick-and-mortar casinos are also prohibited in Brazil. It has been estimated that around 200,000 country residents travel to neighboring Uruguay to gamble at local casinos.

Bearing all the above figures in mind and the fact that gambling is strictly prohibited in Brazil and only conducted illegally, the IJL has suggested that the country annually loses R$6 billion ($2 billion) in what could be contributed to coffers in gambling taxes.

With population of 207.8 million people (World Bank: 2015), Brazil could be the worlds largest regulated gambling jurisdiction. There clearly is big demand for gambling services and given Brazils proverbial love for football, sports betting could be a hit in the country. There is also no lack of interest from international gambling companies to enter the region and Brazil, in particular, so it can probably have a happily ever after in a way, in case it legalizes gambling and regulates its market in a manner that would attract investment, entertain and protect customers, and help it derive the maximum benefit from its legalization effort.

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Brazil Could Become Largest Regulated Gambling Jurisdiction - Casino News Daily

Kawasaki Frontale held Guangzhou Evergrande to a 0-0 draw in the ACL in Group G.

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has warned Guangzhou Evergrande midfielder Paulinho following his involvement in a gambling advert alongside a Japanese porn actress, advising players in the Chinese Super League against such behaviour in the future.

Paulinho, 28, appeared in the advertisement for the Philippines-based website earlier in the month with Tsukasa Aoi -- a Japanese actress and model who has starred in adult films.

The former Tottenham player was shown wearing a T-shirt bearing the company's logo, brandishing a wad of notes and a mobile phone while standing beside Aoi.

As a result of Paulinho's involvement in the advertisement, the CFA moved on Saturday evening to put an end to players signing similar deals.

"Following an investigation, the representation was the player's own decision, and he has not reported it to his club," read a statement on the governing body's official website.

"The Guangzhou Evergrande club has criticised Paulinho and asked him to stop the commercial activities with the betting company immediately in order to put an end to any similar activities in the future.

"Every Chinese and foreign citizen living in China should comply with Chinese laws. Recently, FIFA and the AFC [Asian Football Confederation] have been working hard to protect the integrity of football and have explicitly forbidden professional players from any involvement in the betting industry.

"In addition, it is against the conscientiousness of a professional player to be involved in any betting business. We hope professional players can respect and comply with the regulations, and respect their own career.

"We here again urge that, as the role model of the youth and the public, professional players be strict with their public image, to take a positive lead and maintain a healthy football environment."

Paulinho, who joined Guangzhou from Tottenham in 2015, won the Asian Champions League in his first year with the club while he has also claimed two Chinese Super League titles.

He recently earned a recall to the Brazil national team and scored a hat trick in his country's 4-1 win over Uruguay in World Cup qualifying in March.

Michael Church has written about Asian football for more than 20 years and mainly covers the Chinese game for ESPN FC. Twitter: @michaelrgchurch

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Guangzhou Evergrande's Paulinho warned by CFA over gambling advert - ESPN FC