Category Archives: Gambling

A government MP who told federal parliament gambling is a "social curse" invested in one of the world's largest poker machine manufacturers.

Sarah Henderson's most recent register of interests - dated September 2016 - reveals the member for Corangamite's share portfolio included "Aristocrat Liesure (sic)".

Aristocrat Leisure, a $10 billion company listed on the ASX 100, operates in 90 countries making poker machines and digital games.

Ms Henderson last month told parliament gambling was a considerable issue for her electorate.

"Gambling is a social curse for many families where it runs rampant and causes enormous issues with family breakdown and with financial hardship," she said.

"We have all heard so many stories about families losing their homes, losing their livelihoods, getting caught up in illegal activity trying to repay their gambling debts and, of course, causing enormous damage to the family unit."

She made the comments during a debate on proposed amendments to the Interactive Gambling Act.

It is not known how much money the MP invested in Aristocrat, or whether she still holds shares in the company.

AAP has contacted Ms Henderson's Geelong office for comment.

The Victorian MP said her shareholdings "are detailed in my Register of Members' Interests as is required" in a brief statement to the Geelong Advertiser.

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Anti-gambling MP invests in pokie company - NEWS.com.au

Legal online gambling in Pennsylvania, which has been in the works and is baked into the state budget as another way to boost tax revenue, could generate more than $400 million for state coffers by 2022, according to a new report.

Produced by Play Pennsylvania and onlinepokerreport.com, two online gambling industry organizations that would reap the benefits of casino expansion, the report projects that the commonwealth could collect $126 million in upfront licensing fees from casinos operating the online sites.

A 20 percent tax rate could then add $46 million in 2018 a number that would grow to $72.8 million by 2022. Over the six-year period, the state would bring in $426.3 million in tax revenue.

The report, which uses New Jersey as an example of legalized gambling growth, projects that online casino and poker revenue in Pennsylvania would total $230 million in the first year, growing to $364 million by 2022.

In New Jersey, online gambling revenue grew from about $123 million in 2014 to nearly $200 million last year.

"Of any state that has already legalized some form of online gambling or is actively exploring the idea, Pennsylvania represents the biggest economic upside," said Robert DellaFave,author of the report. "Other contenders, namely New York and California, may own a larger population, but are only considering online poker legislation. Massachusetts, Michigan and New Jersey either offer, or plan to offer, both online poker and casino games, but their populations are a tier lower than Pennsylvania's."

The commonwealth has about 12.8 million people.

Online gambling will be a major topic for state lawmakers this spring. The current state budget assumed an extra $100 million in revenue from a gambling expansion, but legislation did not pass last year.

Gov. Tom Wolf's latest budget proposal for 2017-18 assumes that $100 million in revenue this year, plus another $150 million for the upcoming budget year that begins July 1. But the governor did not mention specific proposals for expansion in his budget.

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Report: Online gambling could raise $426M in Pa. tax revenue by 2022 - Central Penn Business Journal

The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom has agreed to hear Phil Iveys infamous high-stakes baccarat case.

Ivey won 7.8 million British pounds while playing at Crockfords Casino London in August 2012. Ivey and a playing partner were able to spot manufacturing defects, in the form of asymmetries, on the backs of playing cards to gain an edge on the unsuspecting house.

Ivey never touched the cards and though his edge sorting isnt cheating, the casino refused to pay that man his money. Crockfords has so far been successful in keeping it.

Ivey lost a court decision in October 2014. The 10-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner lost an appeal in November of last year.

The New Jersey native issued a statement Tuesday following the Supreme Courts decision to hear his case.

Last Novembers Court of Appeal ruling made no sense to me, Ivey said. The original trial judge ruled that I was not dishonest and none of the three Appeal Court judges disagreed, and yet the decision went against me by a majority of 2 to 1. I am so pleased that the Supreme Court has granted me permission to fight for what I genuinely believe is the right thing to do in my circumstances, and for the entire gaming industry. I look forward to the Supreme Court reversing the decision against me.

Iveys attorney Matt Dowd also issued a statement praising the Supreme Court.

Phil and his legal team are delighted that the Supreme Court judges have decided that the Court of Appeals decision should be reviewed, Dowd said. The Court of Appeals ruling left the interpretation of Section 42 of the Gambling Act totally unclear and the decision to grant permission to appeal demonstrates that the Supreme Court agrees with that view.

Crockfords is owned by Genting Casinos, one of the largest casino operators in the world.

Ivey is fighting in a similar case over in Atlantic City. He edge sorted against Borgata, the citys largest casino, and was recently ordered to repay about $10 million. Unlike Crockfords, Borgata paid Ivey out before realizing that he had outsmarted the game.

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UK Supreme Court Decides To Hear Phil Ivey's Gambling Case - CardPlayer.com

by: Richard Elliot Updated: Feb 27, 2017 - 7:26 PM

ATLANTA - A bill that would have allowed casino gambling in Georgia is dead for this year.

The sponsor of Senate Bill 79, Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, told Channel 2's Richard Elliotthat he does not have the votes to get the bill out of committee.

I am not discouraged, Beach told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.I will double down and plan to crisscross the state starting in April to build support for the bill in 2018.

Beach's original plan called for up to six casinos and a horse racing track in the state. He eventually reduced that to no more than two destination resort casinos; one in the Metro Atlanta area and another in a smaller, secondary city like Savannah or Columbus.

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The bill required the casinos to pay 20 percent of gambling revenues to the state to help pay for HOPE scholarships, needs-based scholarships and pre-K programs.

Beach said he plans to spend this year educating the state about the bill by visiting local Rotary Clubs and speaking with education leaders, hospital administrators and anyone else who will listen, to garner public backing.

I do think we have the votes, Beach said. We feel very confident we have the votes on the Senate floor, but you have to get it out of committee to get it to the floor.

State Rep. Ron Stephens' version of the bill is technically still alive but without Senate support, and even he conceded some defeat.

We will not give up on these kids, Stephens said. We will not give up on the HOPE scholarship, the HOPE grant and pre-k funding and, as it continues to dwindle. We'll be back again.

Mike Griffin, of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, said social and economic conservatives joined to defeat the bill because they both think it's bad for Georgia.

We can be thankful that legislators during this session have given an ear to understand that the end does not always justify the means and that we can't always put and should never put money over morality, Griffin said.

Information from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was used in this report.

2017 Cox Media Group.

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Casino gambling bill dead for this year - WSB Atlanta

The gambling industry declared A$1,294,501 in donations to Australian political parties in 2015-16. Our analysis of the latest Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) donation disclosures shows various branches of the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) were by far the biggest donors among gambling industry groups.

Collectively, the AHA showered the major parties with $522,478 in declared donations. Lagging a little behind the AHA last year was ClubsNSW, which donated $155,603.

Two casino operators, Crown and Star Entertainment, declared $168,491 and $77,200 respectively in 2015-16. Tabcorp and Tattersalls chipped in $164,650 and $94,329 respectively.

Assorted other entities such as ClubsQld, the Sutherland Tradies Club and the Randwick Labor Club declared donations of between $17,050 and $50,000 each.

Overall, the Coalition parties were the winners from gambling donations reported in 2015-16, receiving a total of $770,861. The ALP received $523,640. This was a 60:40 split.

The gambling lobby invested quite disproportionately in individual Labor candidates, donating $116,000 to individual campaigns. Liberal and National Party candidates were recorded as receiving $41,000 in specific campaign donations.

This doesnt mean such donations werent made but it is revealing that mostly ALP candidates details were disclosed.

Donations to MPs

Big donations from the gambling lobby are clearly not new. But this years returns demonstrate that even when the stakes arent that high, the gambling lobby continues to defend its interests with major political parties.

Between 2010 and 2012, when stakes were higher, these actors and others spent $3,478,581 on campaign costs to defeat the gambling reforms agreed between then prime minister Julia Gillard and independent MP Andrew Wilkie.

Wilkie and another long-time gambling reformist, Senator Nick Xenophon, list donations reform as an important element of any decent gambling reform package. They know how much influence the gambling lobby can afford to buy.

The funding of specific politicians has also continued. ClubsNSW turned this into something of an art form when the Wilkie-Gillard reforms were proposed and then defeated. Undoubtedly, influential caucus members articulating the gambling lobbys perspective helped underline the political dangers of reform.

The 2015-16 returns dont include all the donations made in respect of the 2016 election. This was demonstrated by the curious case of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbulls own donation of $1.75 million to the Liberal Party. So, we can expect to find out a bit more in about a year barring some much-needed substantial reform of the system.

In the 2015-16 returns, however, the federal branch of the AHA identified specific beneficiaries of its largesse. Its original return included notations of donations to the campaigns of the following politicians:

A subsequent amendment to the return, dated February 1 2017, has now been submitted to the AEC, excluding these names.

ClubsNSW also noted donations on its return to the following:

This may provide some insight into what the gambling lobby thinks is the best way to focus attention of specific members of parties.

For example, the effectiveness of the anti-reform campaign in 2010-11 was based on the carrot-and-stick approach adopted under the leadership of ClubsNSW. This involved campaigning against individual politicians who were seen to support the Gillard-Wilkie agreement.

At the same time, the lobby actively supported politicians who were perceived as friends for whatever reason.

Federal MP Kevin Andrews also gleaned a contribution of $2,000 to his Menzies 200 campaign fund from ClubsNSW. This was for a dinner he organised at Melbournes Athenaeum Club. ClubsNSW donated a total of $40,000 between 2013 and 2015 to Andrews even though he represents a Victorian seat.

With donations from the AHA included, Andrews campaign fund received a total of $90,000 from gambling industry interests over this period.

He was the opposition spokesman for gambling matters prior to the 2013 election. After this and on his appointment as the responsible minister, he quickly repealed the already watered-down pokie reforms the Gillard government had passed.

Road to reform

There is no suggestion or implication politicians or political parties are influenced in their decision-making or policy positions by political donations. Nonetheless, a more transparent and much more timely political donations reporting system would enhance public confidence in the quality of decision-making, and its relationship to the publics best interests.

Details of donations are often lacking. This is because declaration requirements of the current system are limited. Donations of less than $13,000 do not need to be specifically disclosed. Cumulative donations to different branches of the same organisation (otherwise known as donation splitting) can amount to more than this without any need for disclosure.

Further, donations to associated entities are used to muddy the waters in effect, to launder donations by disguising the name of the donor. This also avoids disclosure.

Both Labor leader Bill Shorten and Turnbull have signalled recently they want donations reform on the table. It may be time to remind them a complete loss of faith in political processes is not inevitable. Its something politicians can tackle, and relatively easily.

Serious political donations reform is a big step towards a more trusted political system. You can bet on it.

Charles Livingstone has received funding from the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation and The (former) Victorian Gambling Research Panel, and the South Australian Independent Gambling Authority (the funds for which were derived from hypothecation of gambling tax revenue to research purposes), from the Australian and New Zealand School of Government, and from non-government organisations for research into multiple aspects of poker machine gambling, including regulatory reform, existing harm minimisation practices, and technical characteristics of gambling forms. He has received travel and co-operation grants from the Alberta Problem Gambling Research Institute, the Finnish Institute for Public Health, the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Committee, and the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand. He is a Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council funded project researching mechanisms of influence on government by the tobacco, alcohol and gambling industries. He has undertaken consultancy research for local governments and non-government organisations in Australia and the UK seeking to restrict or reduce the concentration of poker machines and gambling impacts, and was a member of the Australian government's Ministerial Expert Advisory Group on Gambling in 2010-11. He is a member of the Australian Greens.

Maggie Johnson is a recipient of an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) funded by the Australian government. She has also undertaken research on gambling industry political donations for the Alliance for Gambling Reform.

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Gambling lobby gives big to political parties, and names names - EconoTimes

Arrested Chinese nationals to undergo inquest proceeding at DOJ for violation of the Cybercrime Law. TETCH TORRES-TUPAS/INQUIRER.net

The police on Tuesday filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) criminal cases against 15 Chinese nationals arrested in an illegal online gambling den in Pasig City the other night.

A complaint for violation of Presidential Decree 1602 or Illegal Gambling and violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 have been filed against the suspects identified as Wu Haotao, Hu Ha, Li Jing, Fei Yang, Guo Ming Jie, Jiang Peng, Lin Peng, Li Jian, Zhang Xian Jie, Guo Han, Wei Xue Ling, Xu Zhixia, Shi Yun, Gao Zi Zhuang and Lian Ling Fang.

The complaint filed by the PNP-Anti Cybercrime Group will be handled by Assistant State Prosecutor Jeannette Dacpano.

They were arrested at YD International Incorporated in Pasig City.

The raiding team seized computers, mobile phones, tablets, Chinese ATM cards, passports and identification cards from the suspects inside the office owned by Jonah Tee and Mica Wang.

Police said YD had no permit to operate and the Chinese nationals only have tourist visas. JE

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15 nabbed Chinese nationals face illegal gambling raps - Inquirer.net

A golf club couldn't afford to maintain its greens and began to lose members after a would-be accountant stole more than $330,000 in bar takings and membershipfees.

Aspendale's Rossdale Golf Club was forced to sell part of its land to stay afloat after Sharon Breyiannis stole the money to feed her gambling addiction.

Breyiannis was on Tuesday jailed for three years and four months after admitting to the theft.

It was Breyiannis' job to deposit membership fees and takings from the bar and pro shop into the club's account, but she instead either kept the cash and manipulated an accounting system or diverted money into her own account to fund her pokies addiction.

County Court judge Graeme Hicks said the thefts had a "snowball" effect on the golf club.The condition of the course deteriorated because the club could not afford to maintain it, which in turn drove members away, the court heard.

The thefts also caused great stress for those who ran the club, given the financial problems and declining membership.

Judge Hicks delayed sentencing on Tuesday after he was told Breyiannis had failed to begin paying back the $331,855 she stole by agreeing to relinquish her share of the mortgage of her family home.

After an adjournment, the court heard she would no longer resist an application by prosecutors to claim back the money. Judge Hicks ordered the club be repaid the money, although it was unclear when this would happen.

Breyiannis quit her job in 2011, when the club's auditors discovered financial irregularities, was arrested at the start of 2014 and finally pleaded guilty to three representative charges of theft.

Judge Hicks said the mother of two adult sons began working at Rossdale in 2002 as a receptionist but was promoted to lookafter finances when other staff left, but often felt overwhelmed and stressed in her role. She gambledheavily to cope, the court heard.

Judge Hicks said Breyiannis' offending was serious given it was hard to detect and often committed by people in positions of responsibility. Deterring others from similar offending was important, he said.

But he acknowledged Breyiannis' guilty pleas, remorse and excellent prospects for rehabilitation.

She must spend two years in jail before she is eligible for parole.

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Gambling addict jailed after stealing $330,000 from golf club - The Age - The Age

Theres no such thing as luck, but compulsive gamblers should at least feel fortunate that the states largest employer is introducing a problem gambling program that locals will begin seeing soon.

While it isnt perfect, the GameSense program MGM Resorts International will unveil by the end of the year has the potential of providing a technological tap on the shoulder to players who cant quit gambling when they should.

MGM was ordered by Massachusetts gaming regulators to implement the program in that state when MGM Springfield opens its doors next year. When company officials took a look at GameSense, they decided to introduce it to all its U.S. properties, including 10 in Las Vegas.

MGM is partnering with the British Columbia Lottery Corp. to introduce the high-profile awareness program.

Its expected that GameSense will have a visible presence in MGM casinos with signage, kiosks and a team of advisers who will be trained to look for and talk to distressed gamblers who probably should have quit playing earlier.

One of the missions of GameSense will be to educate people about how gambling works so that they make better decisions about their play limits. Bo Bernhard, the executive director of UNLVs International Gaming Institute, says GameSense will function like a product label, giving consumers detailed information about the entertainment theyve chosen to participate in.

Its going to mean blowing up some of the commonly held misperceptions about slot machines, such as this machine is due to hit or that a certain machine is cold or hot. The reality is that a player has the same random odds for a favorable outcome every time the game is played.

MGM also is giving UNLV $1 million over five years to gather research on problem gambling, and that research and some policy and regulatory questions MGM will have to review could lead to even greater player awareness.

Imagine if a player could set limits for time or money spent playing and place those parameters onto the players loyalty card. When a player reaches that limit of time or money, the machine produces a reminder to the player. At that point, the player must make a decision: Should I reject the self-imposed limitation, or should I stick to the commitment I made?

Clearly, a player can simply remove the loyalty card and quit playing or go someplace else to gamble.

Alan Feldman, executive vice president of global government and industry affairs for MGM and a longtime advocate for problem gambling awareness programs, said some research has suggested that getting an earlier reminder about nearing the limit for time or money spent has produced a negative result. Instead of winding down, the player increases bets or tries to chase a loss more aggressively.

Thats why the UNLV research, which will be shared with the University of British Columbia and Harvard Universitys medical school on addictive behavior, is so important. The right balance must be struck to be effective, and researchers will try to find out what that is.

GameSense doesnt have all the answers.

But its a good start.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.

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MGM's new problem gambling program designed to raise awareness - Las Vegas Review-Journal

The compulsion of betting, wagering, winning and losing will be the focus of an upcoming public forum hosted by the Newington Kiwanis Club.

On Monday, Feb. 27, the club will present two members of Gamblers Anonymous at its monthly speaker meeting at Paradise Restaurant, 10 East St., New Britain.

This event is a must see for family members and friends of susceptible persons as well as for those who find themselves enchanted by the possibilityof the big win, Kiwanis Program Chairman Al Cohen said. With the advent of so many well-publicized gambling facilities, the temptations of the big win may ensnare ordinary persons from all levels of life.

Cohen has invited two Tonys to tell their tales that evening both recovering gambling addicts. Tony M. is driving down from his home in Massachusetts, to reach people who might be considering putting an end to their games.

Our numbers have dwindled through the years; less people seem to be seeking help, Tony M. said Tuesday. We believe there arent necessarily less people out there that have the addiction, just less people seeking help. Thats why this is a great opportunity to have the voice of Gamblers Anonymous be heard.

A recovering alcoholic might count the days since their last drink; Tony placed his last bet on Dec. 5, 2004.

Ive been clean over 12 years. My relationships with my children, my wife and family members have gotten better. My life in general has gotten better.

The struggle of a gambling addict follows the same vein as that of a drug or alcohol addict. Gambling, however, is not as easily recognizable as the latter types of addictions.

It will make a good person do some things they wouldnt normally do, Tony M. explained. Steal and lie to people they love. But its more of a hidden disease. If a person is drunk or on drugs you can usually tell, but if a person is a compulsive gambler you cant read that just by looking at them.

He met the other Tony, who lives in southern Connecticut, at a GA meeting nearby. The pair will both share their stories and answer questions from the audience at the upcoming event.

Theres no cure for this, you dont graduate or anything like that, Tony M. said. Its something you have to work on pretty much the rest of your life.

Radio and television host Steve Parker will conduct the program, which begins at 7 p.m. Those who wish to dine are encouraged to arrive earlier. Admission is free and walk-ins are welcome. The Newington Kiwanis free public forum nights began in 1986 and reoccur on the last Monday of each month except May and December.

The American Psychiatric Association defines pathological gambling as a medical disorder directly impacting over two million people in the U.S. Warning signs include an obsession with having to get the mail, missing work, strange phone calls, disappearing for long periods of time, lying, missing money, calls from bill collectors and irritability.

For immediate help with a gambling addiction, call the Gamblers Anonymous hotline at 855-222-5542.

Erica Schmitt can be reached at 860-801-5097, or eschmitt@centralctcommunications.com.

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Newington forum on gambling addiction today - Bristol Press

NRL chief Todd Greenberg on Sunday defended the game's commercial links to gambling in the wake of the allegations levelled at Tim Simona, insisting administrators were working hard to maintain "a really strong balance"between the sport's integrity and catering for thousands of supporters who enjoyed punting on the competition.

League Central last year agreed toa $60 million deal with Sportsbet in making the corporate bookmaker league's official betting partner and is also reaping a far greater windfall from the gambling industry than in previous years thanks to lucrative percentage-of-turnover contracts secured with betting agencies in 2015.

The emergence this month of an NRL integrity unit investigation into Simona'salleged betting activity on the game - the Wests Tigers centre is facing deregistration amid claims he arranged bets on opposition players - came with news that a NSW police strike force was still probing unrelated allegations of match fixing in the game.

Greenberg indicated the misconduct of individual players did not mean the NRL should scale back its relationships with gambling outlets.

"There is a really strong balance here," he said during an interview with ABC News 24 aired on Sunday.

"I made some strong comments last year you'll remember about anyone involved in match fixing or gambling inside the game against the rules will face life bans and I stand by that because that really cuts to the absolute core of the integrity of the sport. For you and I to turn up every week to watch that contest, we need to know that's pure. Anyone who gets in theway of that will absolutely not be welcome back.

"But we do have to find a balance because people, particularly in this country, they love to have a bet. And we're not going to get away from that. So whether or not we have branding or not, people are still going to be looking to have a wager on the game.

"What we need to do, though, [is]we need to talk and market ourselves to those people who want to do that. We've got to make sure that we're very fundamental in how we have principles around those sorts of agreements. We're trying very hard in this space.

"There are a lot of my friends, a lot of your friends, who really enjoy to have a punt on a weekend, whether it's football, whether it's cricket or the horses. A lot of people in Australia enjoy punting. It's a difficult way to find this balance between enjoying the game but also making sure we're responsible."

Simona has until Friday to present his case to the integrity unit after being provided with documentation from the NRL relating to the case against him last week.

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NRL chief Todd Greenberg defends code's commercial ties to gambling - The Sydney Morning Herald