Category Archives: Gambling

Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday said he will seek an expansion to the states gambling laws in an effort to create more revenue without raising taxes, all in an effort to try and close a difficult budget deficit.

And while it may seem like a sure bet on paper and the governor deserves some credit for trying to find sources of revenue other than tax increases we remain skeptical this would be all it has been made out to be.

Wolfs proposal, made during a meeting with the editorial board of Pennlive.com, would be an expansion to allow licensed bars, Pennsylvanias six international airports and off-track betting parlors to have casino-style gambling in the form of video gaming terminals. It would also permit the states casinos to allow online gaming.

The claim is that permitting small-town taverns and social clubs to have VGTs will not only prove beneficial to the licensed facilities in the way of new revenue, it will also bring in people who dont live near a casino like people in the Juniata Valley who arent inclined to travel to Harrisburg or Pittsburgh very often just to play a few hands of blackjack or poker.

Supporters say a gambling expansion would mean several hundred million dollars of new revenue for the state.

But weve been down this road before.

Just as we were in 2004 with the legalization of slot machines and again in 2010 when table games were permitted for the first time, Pennsylvanians are being promised a financial windfall from the states gaming industry.

And while the revenue derived from gambling has undoubtedly helped Pennsylvanias budget, it hasnt exactly lived up to all it was sold to be either.

We havent yet heard anything that makes us believe this time around will be any different. That makes us question whether its really worth it in the first place, especially given the negative things that typically accompany an activity like gambling.

We are skeptical that enough new revenue will be generated by a gambling expansion to keep this promise, instead of it merely leading mostly to many of the same people who already gamble regularly choosing to do so in a different fashion.

Would an expansion lead to more money in the commonwealths coffers? Probably. But if youre asking us whether it will meet projections, well go with history and place our bet on the under on that one.

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Don't go all in on gambling expansion to fix budget deficit - Lewistown Sentinel

The casino industry asked Congress on Tuesday to retain gambling disorders as a serious public health matter in any changes it makes to President Obama's signature health care law.

Industry representatives in a letter urged congressional leaders and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price to recognize gambling disorders as an issue that merits inclusion in any replacement to the Affordable Care Act.

The letter came a day after House Republicans released their long-awaited plan to unravel the law.

"Today, gambling disorders are recognized under the ACA's essential health benefits," the representatives wrote. "We believe this recognition, which did not exist prior to the passage of ACA, is critical not only to enable adequate funding for research, but also to ensure necessary resources and treatment facilities are available."

The letter was signed by the leaders of the American Gaming Association the U.S. casino industry's main lobbying group National Indian Gaming Association, National Council on Problem Gambling and Association of Gaming Equipment Manufactures.

The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, established 10 categories of essential health benefits, which include mental health and substance use disorder services. The American Psychiatric Association's in 2013 updated its key reference book for mental health professionals, replacing as an addiction what was previously called pathological gambling as an impulse-control disorder.

Problem gambling now takes its place among substance-related and addictive disorders.

The plan released by House Republicans would scale back the government's role in helping people afford coverage and could leave more Americans uninsured.

The plan would repeal the statute's unpopular fines on people who don't carry health insurance. It would replace income-based subsidies provided to help millions of Americans pay premiums with age-based tax credits that may be skimpier for people with low incomes. Those payments would phase out for higher-earning people.

U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, a Democrat whose district includes the Las Vegas Strip, strongly criticized the Republicans' proposed plan.

"I oppose the Republicans' disastrous health care plan and will fight any effort to roll back or eliminate coverage for behavioral health, mental health, preventive care, women's health, and other programs that insurance companies must now cover thanks to the ACA," she said.

Follow Regina Garcia Cano on Twitter at https://twitter.com/reginagarciakNO / More of her work can be found at https://www.apnews.com/search/ReginaGarciaCano .

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Casino industry to Congress: Uphold gambling disorders - ABC News

Brian Ohorilko

State regulators heard pitches from six companies Tuesday to do a market survey of the gambling industry and a review of proposals for a casino in Cedar Rapids.

Iowa Racing and Gaming administrator, Brian Ohorilko says they will review the plans and likely select a firm at next months meeting.

He says they could select one or more of the companies as they have selected more than one company in the past to get a read on the market. There are three casino proposals for Cedar Rapids and Ohorilko says they are in the process of setting up times to hear presentations on each one.

I think those will be announced in April,Ohorilko says, there still some dates and locations being worked out with respect to meetings dates for the next fiscal year. But I anticipate that the decision will be made in April as to what the process will look like, with the final decision coming late fall.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission voted 4-1 to deny a gambling license for a Cedar Rapids casino back in 2014 in part because of concerns about the impact on existing casinos. Ohorilko isnt sure if a new gambling market study will impact any decision on the latest attempt to bring a casino to the city.

Its hard to say, its up to each of the individual commission members. There are a number of criteria that play into whether or not a decision to approve or deny a gambling license should occur, he says. The studies have become commonplace as the IRGC is faced with the decision on adding new casinos to the mix.

Those market studies have played a more significant impact the past few instances where applications have been considered, Ohorilko says, but it truly is up to the individual commission members to determine what weight they would play. Not only on that factor but other factors. The commission approved a casino for Greene County in June of 2014 after denying the license to Cedar Rapids. Studies at the time showed the Greene County casino would have the least impact on the other casinos.

The firms include several which have done previous studies of Iowas gambling industry. All have headquarters out of state, except for one from Cedar Rapids.

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IRGC hears from companies hoping to conduct new gambling study - Radio Iowa

The "grand bargain" in the Illinois Senate benefits gambling.It benefits the gambling industry owners, not individual taxpayers like you and me. Illinois Senate Bill 7, designed to expand gambling casinos, also lowers taxes on all gambling business establishment's revenue.

The Jan. 11, 2017, Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability Report on Illinois Senate Bill 7 finds that gambling tax revenues would be lower and negatively affect state revenues. Education funding will also be negatively affected by Illinois Senate Bill 7.

University of Illinois Commerce and Business Professor Emeritus John Kindt brought this to my attention with his more financially detailed opinion piece entitled "More Casinos Won't Help Illinois Finances" in the Feb. 9 to 15 edition of the Illinois Times, where he describes 2015 U.S. congressional hearings finding that some of Illinois financial problems are related to billions of dollars given away to gambling interests since 1990.

I called my state legislative representative and senator to object to Senate Bill 7, but was surprised to find that I was the only one to do so. Please call your own state legislators to object to Senate Bill 7 and the Illinois Senate grand bargain for reducing gambling taxes.

John Sanford

Springfield

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Letter: Grand bargain benefits gambling - The State Journal-Register

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New License Fee Evaluation webpage

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Group 12 Amusement Game Information

Order Denying Petitioner's Motion for Show Cause and Enjoinment of Enforcement

In an effort to "go green," beginning with the July 14th Gambling Commission meeting, hard copies of the commission packets will no longer be provided at meetings. Hard copies of the agendas will still be available. Materials will be available on our website about one week prior to the meetings for download.

For more information on meeting times, locations and agendas please call 360-486-3453 or write to Julie Anderson.

Effective mid- June 2016, we are no longer sending paper renewals or activity reports to any licensees unless you have signed up for a waiver (WAC 230-06-124 and WAC 230-06-125). All renewals and activity reports will be emailed to the address listed in My Account or for Individuals, the email address that you have provided.

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Washington State Gambling Commission

Wests Tigers centre Tim Simona is at the centre of a current NRL investigation into gambling. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Since the NRL integrity unit revealed it was investigating allegations the Wests Tigers Tim Simona bet on a game in which he was playing in 2016 NRL CEO Todd Greenberg has been forced to defend the codes commercial links to gambling more times than he would have liked. Despite all the practice he has been getting, he has been far from convincing.

The NRL, Greenberg has emphasised, has a campaign against in-house gambling and corruption a campaign, dont you know, that includes accepting$60m sponsorship from Sportsbet(not including a percentage of turnover) and allowing advertising of the online bookmakers branding, odds and betting options on NRL broadcasts, websites and social media.

Its a strange kind of campaign against something that embraces that something so wholeheartedly.

That roaring, stamping, defecating elephant in the room aside, Greenberg has previously warned that players caught betting on games or match-fixing face life bans from the sport, and it has been revealed that late last yearthe NRL prohibited bookmakers from offering bets on Under-20s matches, and that integrity unit boss Nick Weeks visited all 16 NRL clubs and urged players to delete betting apps on their phones in order to distance themselves from temptation.

More recently the NRL has prohibited a number of exotic betting options as they are ripe for exploitation, including head-to-head player bets, most runs, most metres, most tackles, and the number of 40-20s kicked in matches.

The NRL likes to think that such actions show how serious they are about stamping out corruption and protecting the integrity of their code, but dont they also emphasise how slippery and multi-headed a threat gambling is to sport, and how demented it was for the NRL like the AFL, ARU, Cricket Australia and Football Federation Australia to have invited the gambling industry into its bed? Its like asking Freddy Krueger in to see your etchings one night and thinking youll be safe as long as you put corks on the ends of the glinting blades attached to his bespoke right glove.

Ah, but its all about striking a balance, Greenberg says, between the sports integrity and catering to all those punters who, were meant to believe, without the NRLs partnership with Sportsbet, would struggle to place a wager on rugby league.

And having a punt, were constantly reminded particularly by those with most to gain from the stereotype; those like James Packer, the TAB and Tattersalls is as Australian a pastime as shooing flies, taking sickies, crushing tinnies and driving a mob of wild brumbies down a flaming precipice; standard activities for most Australians. People, particularly in this country, they love to have a bet, Greenberg told ABC News 24 recently. And were not going to get away from that. So whether or not we have branding, people are still going to be looking to have a wager on the game.

Thats true enough, but why should the NRL have anything to do with it, apart from the money that is? Greenberg overlooks the fact that the NRL is not simply catering to a particular want, it is actively promoting it which, the gambling industry no doubt hopes, willcreate further want.

Yes, the situation has improved since recent times when NRL viewers had to regularly endure Channel Nine commentators crossing mid-call to bookmaker Tom Waterhouse. But sport is still wallowing in the mud. By partnering with gambling bodies, by stringing up gambling bunting around sporting broadcasts which, it seems to me, fans all but unanimously loathe our leading sporting codes are not only putting themselves in a compromising position the next time one of their players has a bet and the result of a game is called into question (and there will always be a next time), theyre also glamourising and normalising a potentially damaging pastime.

Gambling ads famously conclude with the throw-away warning bet responsibly a warning that, if turned into a meme, would look like a cheeky, knowing wink but gambling, like smoking and drug taking, can be difficult to do in moderation for many people and it will continue to cause damage to individuals, families and communities, never mind damage the integrity of sport and our relationship with it.

As anti-gambling crusader Tim Costello told the Monthly magazine in 2011, While gambling is a part of life, theres a vice dimension that drops, compromises and changes what should be family and childrens passions. To literally hand it over to gambling organisations is a profound shift in what sport has previously been about.

In the debate about gambling sponsorship or sport there are, as has been pointed out, parallels with the tobacco industrys former sponsorship of sport. It took a long battle, and legislation, to end that troubling association. It may take a similar battle to end the one between sport and their gambling sponsors.

Unless, of course, our leading sporting bodies one day decide for themselves that the costs outweigh the benefits. I wouldnt advise betting on that but if you do, as always, bet responsibly.

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NRL's message on gambling remains confused and hardly surprising - The Guardian

The battle lines were drawn on Pennsylvania online gambling during a legislative hearing on Tuesday afternoon.

Online gambling was the subject of a jointhearing of theSenate Community, Economic & Recreational Development Committee and the House Gaming Oversight Committee.

The hearing was a mixed bag forsupporters of online gambling.

Opponents were particularly strident in pushing against a proposed tax rate perceived by some as too low, and the possibility that revenue would not meet expectations.

Still, manyof the witnesses were supportive of online gambling, and there were reasons for optimism.

You can review a full list of submitted testimony here.

Near the start of the hearing and then throughoutthe hearing Sens. Lisa Boscola and Robert Tomlinsonquestioned whether online gambling could cannibalize existing land-based casino revenue andthe potential problems resulting from tax rate. (Boscola represents the district that houses Sands Bethlehem Casino, which has opposed iGaming. Tomlinsons district housesParx Casino, which has the same position.)

They argued that the tax rate for online gambling as low as a suggested 14 percent rate could mean that casinos move away from their land-based operations. (Slots are taxed at a 54 percent rate in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Gaming Control BoardExecutive Director Kevin OToole, who was the target as these questions came up, fought back against those assertions. He said that the experience in neighboring New Jersey has not borne out these concerns that online gambling.

Tomlinsons analysis also ignores the fact that a prohibitively high tax rate would basically stop the online gambling industry before it ever got stated in PA. (Basically, the fact that Pennsylvania passed a very high tax rate on land-based slots shouldnt mean it simply makes an equivalent or similar tax for online.)

That was backed up by the next testifier, David Satz, Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Development, Caesars Entertainment. Satz dismissed the idea that the lower tax rate would affect his or other gaming companies, or incentivize them to turn away from their land-based business.

Despite a host of research and anecdotal evidence to the contrary, the possibility that online gambling could cannibalize casino revenue still comes up in statehouses. Thats not a stance that has any basis in reality, but its an argument that continues to be advanced.

Satz both in prepared and spoken testimony actually testified that online gambling helps the bottom line of land-based casinos. At core, iGaming oftenactivates new customers and reactivates lapsed ones.

Still, from the questions from lawmakers, its still an anglethat needs to be addressed to ease their concerns.

It should be beyond reproach that online gambling would generate new revenue for the state. Estimates put the revenue possibility for online gambling in the hundreds of millions in taxes and fees over the first five years.

But thats not the narrative that many were advancing on Tuesday. That included Tomlinson and Anthony Ricci, CEO of Parx Casino. Parx generates the most revenue of any of the states 12 casinos.

Ricci argued the points above: that the lower tax rate and cannibalization would result in less tax revenue for PA. Theres obviously a wide gulf between the casinos that want online gambling and their perspective that it will be additive to revenue and Parx argument that the opposite will occur. Almost every other casino supports iGaming in PA.

Heres the factof the matter: Online gambling and poker are being played in Pennsylvania

Satz noted thatonline casinos exist in PA an unregulated environment right now, withzero consumer protections and provides zero tax revenue to the state. It was a stance that was reiterated by the Poker Players Alliance and Rep. George Dunbar. Dunbar, perhaps a bit too late into the hearing, tried to make the case that the bill was regulating an unregulated business.

TheCoalition to Stop Internet Gambling argued that the legalization and regulation of iGaming would create dangers for minors, an idea that at least one lawmaker disputed, saying that regulation would be preferable.

The idea that online gambling regulation can stamp out a black market is one that should be one that resonates with lawmakers. But its not clear that argument took hold on Tuesday.

OTooleclassified his agency as supportive of the one gambling bill that surfaced in the House, one that includes online gambling. (A Senate bill was just introduced as well.) The bill would put the PGCB in charge of online gambling, a task OToole embraces, as he has in the past:

The Board has the expertise to recommend that any expansion of casino-style gaming, including Internet gaming and fantasy sports, be placed under the purview of the Board if enacted by the General Assembly and the Governor, OToole said. We believe that efficiencies can be achieved by using the experience of our employees and that we can adequately protect the public and the integrity of gaming in these areas.

For more details a live blog of the proceedings, go here.

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Pennsylvania Online Gambling Hearing Highlights Fault Lines Among Industry, Lawmakers - OnlinePokerReport.com

There have been lessons learned in how best to help those in need, but otherwise, only incremental gains have been made in responding to what many term the "silent addiction,'' according to today's team at the Vanguard program.

In terms of access to care for compulsive gambling, the country today is where it was in the early 1970s with treating chemical dependency, according to Mike Schiks, executive director and CEO of Project Turnabout, which also offers alcohol and drug recovery.

The Vanguard Center for Gambling Recovery in Granite Falls, an independent program within Project Turnabout, remains the only residential treatment program for compulsive gamblers in the state, and one of only a handful in the country, he said.

Most of those who arrive for care discover insurance companies do not cover their treatment costs, unlike the case for chemical dependency. Vanguard "stretches'' the funds made available by the state of Minnesota from unclaimed lottery prizes and its own fundraising efforts to make possible much of the care it offers, according to Schiks and Mark Sannerud, communications director for Project Turnabout.

Many other things remain the same as 25 years ago too. Only 1 to 10 percent of those who need help for compulsive gambling will obtain it, according to Sheryl Anderson, coordinator for Vanguard.

Their lives may be in a mess, but they put off getting help in the belief that it can all be solved with one big win.

"Just maybe I can get myself out of this,'' said Sherry Parker, director of residential services, of the thought pattern.

There's another, equally disturbing pattern with this disease: "It is pretty standard that people that have a gambling problem are seeking help for lots of other things way before they ever seek help for gambling specifically,'' Anderson said.

Anxiety; thoughts and attempts at suicide; financial, marital and family stress; and criminal behavior are among the issues that many will report as their problems. And yet, unless the question is directly asked, few will disclose that compulsive gambling is at the root of their troubles. "So much shame and stigma is associated with it,'' Anderson said.

The secret about this addiction that remains the most difficult to expose yet today is the toll that compulsive gambling takes on families and communities, according to Sannerud. Arrests of formerly law-abiding citizens. Divorces and broken families. Suicide attempts, ER visits. Bankruptcies.

Schiks believes more should be done to identify and steer those with gambling problems to the help they need. Every county has a designated professional whose job it is to assess people who may need chemical dependency treatment. Far harder to find are those trained to recognize problem gamblers.

"Most physicians, most social workers, most psychologists, most chaplains, get almost zero training in this area,'' Schiks said.

And in many ways, Minnesota is far ahead of other states. Some of those coming to Vanguard are from states where "zero" help is offered for this addiction, he said.

The Vanguard residential facility on the Project Turnabout campus in Granite Falls can care for 20 people at a time. There are usually 12 to 18 receiving treatment in any given week, Anderson said. Most patients remain for 30 days. Outpatient treatment and participation in Gamblers Anonymous or other programs is critical for recovery.

Obtaining continued care can be a challenge for those with this addiction, Schiks said. While virtually every small community has an Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous group, Gamblers Anonymous groups are far fewer.

Men and women seem equally vulnerable to compulsive gambling. At Vanguard, it's been roughly a 53 percent to 47 percent split in terms of men and women receiving care, respectively.

Statistically, men are more likely to start gambling earlier in life, but they progress to the problem stage at a slower pace, Anderson said.

Women tend to start at a later age, but make up for the lost time quickly, she said. More so than men, they tend to gravitate toward video gaming machines, where the onset of compulsive gambling appears to have a faster progression.

Opportunities for gambling are never more than a smartphone away. The venues in Minnesota for gambling, whether it's sports betting, charitable gambling, or Indian casinos, have expanded greatly since Vanguard opened its doors.

Last year in the U.S., more than $9 billion was wagered during the "March Madness'' NCAA college basketball tournament, according to the NorthStar Gambling Alliance.

Schiks is quick to point out that there are many in the state's gaming industry who recognize the need to help compulsive gamblers. There is a certain portion of the population vulnerable to the addiction, while the majority of people can treat gaming as recreation without the adverse consequences, he explained.

"This isn't about good guys and bad guys. This is about certain folks desperately in need of help and they deserve it,'' he said.

Schiks said Vanguard's mission today remains exactly what it was 25 years ago: Giving those with the courage to walk through its doors hope to carry with them as they walk out.

Vanguard has met many challenges in its 25 years, including the need to rebuild after a tornado tore apart its then newly built facilities in 2000.

Schiks said the Project Turnabout board of directors remains committed to providing care for compulsive gamblers even though in many ways, the financial and societal challenges remain as daunting today as 25 years ago.

"At the bottom of it all is people are worth it,'' he said. "This population is worth it.''

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Minnesota's first residential gambling treatment center remains only one - WDAZ

On Wednesday, a state Senate committee takes up a package of bills to legalize online gambling in Michigan.

Online gambling is currently only legal in two states, Nevada and New Jersey. But several states are considering legalizing it. Supporters say legalizing online gambling could generate more tax revenue, though the difference seen in Nevada and New Jersey has been slight.

Not everyone is willing to roll the dice on online gambling.

Essentially youre putting a virtual slot machine in every childs hand in the smartphone, says Bill Jackson, who represents a coalition of religious groups and major casino owners fighting gambling expansion online. Casino magnates Sheldon Adelson and Steve Wynn are part of the coalition, largely out of concerns online gambling could hurt their bricks and mortar casino palaces.

Lobbyist Bill Jackson delivers a long list of potential issues, from conflicts with existing gaming compacts with Native American tribes to maybe needing to amend Michigans state constitution.

This legislation is rife with problems on a legal front and is not ready to become law, says Jackson.

There could be federal hurdles too.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he plans to revisit an Obama administration rule change that opened the door to online gambling. If Sessions scraps the 2011 Justice Department legal opinion, legal online gambling may go bust.

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Michigan lawmakers sizing up online gambling - Michigan Radio

Barrister Lloyd Rayney has been grilled during his multimillion dollar defamation trial about his gambling habits and told a Perth court his wife bullied him before her murder.

Mr Rayney is suing the West Australian government for being named by Detective Senior Sergeant Jack Lee in September 2007 as the prime and only suspect in the murder of Supreme Court registrar Corryn Rayney one month earlier.

Mr Rayney was questioned on Tuesday about an email his wife sent in October 2003 in which she accused him of a "flagrant breach of trust".

She also referred to "darkening the door of the place" and a "continuing habit".

Mr Rayney said his wife was exaggerating and using hyperbole.

He could not recall the email, but thought it was about gambling.

The WA Supreme Court heard he told his wife in 2000 he would cut back on gambling.

Queens Counsel for the state Terence Tobin suggested Mr Rayney lost more than $68,000 between July 1997 and November 2000, but he rejected that claim.

Asked if he was a habitual gambler, Mr Rayney replied: "I bet frequently sometimes, infrequently at others and sometimes not at all."

Mr Rayney testified he never said anything disparaging about his wife to his daughters, but was critical of her in his statement.

"I never dwelled on the bad things that happened, only the good," he said.

Mr Rayney said as their relationship neared its end and he asked why she wanted to separate, she yelled: "To have my freedom!"

He said that was when he knew "this is really going to happen".

The court also heard Ms Rayney was dominant and sometimes bullied her husband.

An example of her "dramatic and threatening" manner was when she told him to pay some tradesmen she referred to as "big rugby blokes", which Mr Rayney took to mean they would harm him if he did not pay - but he never believed it was a real threat.

"She didn't say 'these blokes will beat you up, Lloyd'," he said.

The court heard there were also claims of infidelity between the couple.

Mr Rayney also testified he once thought about becoming a judge.

"It's something I thought I would consider much later in my career," he said.

Mr Rayney said he had been involved in 300 jury trials up to 2007 but only a dozen since.

Mr Tobin took Mr Rayney through his career, including time in Bermuda where he unsuccessfully sought to become the director of public prosecutions.

Mr Rayney said his wife was worried about his income dropping if he left the WA DPP, but when Gina Rinehart offered to give him work that was the "turning point".

It is only the second time Mr Rayney has publicly testified - the other being in 2015 during a failed attempt to end his career.

Ms Rayney's body was found buried head-first at Kings Park in August 2007, about 10 days after she was last seen at a bootscooting class.

Her husband was found not guilty of murdering the mother-of-two in 2012 and a subsequent appeal was also dismissed in 2013.

- AAP

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Lloyd Rayney grilled over gambling habits, says murdered wife Corryn was a bully - WAtoday