Category Archives: Gambling

The gambling commission believes betting breaches are widespread.

Former FIFA and Interpol adviser Chris Eaton has told BBC Sport that 53 footballers that have been reported for breaching betting rules are only "the tip of the iceberg."

Eaton, who is now a sport integrity expert, added that only "naive or careless players" would be caught and highlighted specifically ones who use their own name and account.

BBC Sport obtained the numbers from the Gambling Commission's Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU) after making a Freedom of Information request.

SBIU confirmed it received 53 allegations of footballers placing bets on matches between Aug. 1, 2014 and Dec. 23, 2016, but that figure is reported to relate to uncorroborated reports rather than confirmed instances of rule breaking.

However, SBIU also confirmed more alleged breaches were being investigated as a result of its own intelligence work.

As a measure against corruption in football, new rules came into effect as of August 2014 that applied to not just players but anyone involved in football.

Wayne Shaw, who was asked to resign from his position as Sutton United goalkeeper and fitness coach, is one player currently being investigated following a potential breach of betting rules.

Follow @ESPNFC on Twitter to keep up with the latest football updates.

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Gambling Commission believes insider betting is rife within football ... - ESPN FC

Dan Le Batard comments on Wayne Shaw's pie-eating during Sutton's FA Cup match against Arsenal. Wayne Shaw steals the show in the FA Cup, Conan O'Brien joins Gio dos Santos and more in The Sweeper.

Former sports minister Richard Caborn labelled gambling within sport a "serious problem" after Wayne Shaw's pie-eating stunt in Sutton's FA Cup clash with Arsenal.

The 46-year-old reserve goalkeeper handed in his resignation on Tuesday as he prompted a betting probe after he was shown on television tucking into the snack towards the end of the 2-0 loss.

Discussing gambling within sport on BBC Radio 5 live, Caborn said: "It is a serious problem. People are jesting about it, particularly the incident the other night, but there's a very serious question underlying this, and the responsibility of the gambling industry itself.

"It's not just football -- we've seen what's happened in cricket, in snooker. You can in many sports.

"This is an area of some concern about the integrity of sport. If we are going to see the central point, as an ex-sports minister, I would be saying, 'The integrity of sport is absolute -- it should not be compromised.'

"We've seen that, whether it's been in anti-doping, now gambling -- you don't have to throw the result, but you are creating a situation which is not fair on the playing field."

Sutton held their own against a strong Arsenal side, only for manager Paul Doswell to be left dealing with the fallout of Shaw's antics.

The departing keeper admitted after the match he was aware Sun Bets -- who also sponsored Sutton's shirts for the night -- were offering 8-1 on him to be shown eating in the dugout during the game.

Both the Football Association and Gambling Commission announced independent investigations into the stunt, which Doswell felt had taken something away from his players on the biggest night of most of their careers.

"Wayne has offered his resignation to the chairman this afternoon and that has been accepted. It's a very sad end to what was a very good story," he said.

"He's absolutely devastated -- tears down the phone this afternoon. There's no joy and nothing good coming out of this particular situation for him.

"It's taken the gloss off my players' performance and gone on to something it shouldn't have gone on to. I feel very sorry for the players in many regards that that spotlight has been taken away from them.

"It was an honest error but one that's had quite sad ramifications. Wayne's been swept along with what's happened in this last three or four weeks."

The FA announced on Tuesday that it will launch an inquiry to determine whether Shaw breached its gambling regulations.

There could also be fall-out for the bookmakers, with the Gambling Commission confirming its own investigation into the incident to decide whether Sun Bets had breached its licence requirement by offering such a bet in the first instance.

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Richard Caborn: Gambling within sport a serious problem - ESPN FC

CARSON CITY A bill that would significantly increase the amount of funding available to address problem gambling in Nevada saw no opposition Wednesday during a Senate committee hearing.

Senate Bill 120 would increase funding from the approximately $1.8 million in fiscal year 2018 in Gov. Brian Sandovals proposed 2017-19 budget to as much as $2.8 million a year.

Anthony Cabot, a member of the Advisory Committee on Problem Gambling, said the current revenue comes from a $2 fee on slot machines. But the number of machines has been declining, reducing the amount of money available for the program.

The bill would change the source of funding from the $2 per slot machine fee to a set amount of license fees that would see an annual increase for inflation.

The change would end the link to the number of slot machines and provide for a more stable funding source going forward, Cabot told the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.

Sen. Tick Segerblom, one of two sponsors of the bill, said the gaming industry is supportive of the bill.

Nevada is a live and let live state, but it also needs to support programs for people who suffer from addictive behaviors, he said.

There was no testimony in opposition to the bill during the hearing. No immediate action was taken on it.

Cabot said the original legislation approved in 2005 opted for the $2 per slot tax with the belief that the number of machines would continue to increase over time. But the number of slot machines has declined by 50,000 in that time, reducing the revenue to combat problem gambling, he said.

Slot fees from the current program are estimated at about $1.3 million a year for the coming two years.

Denise Quirk, chairwoman of the advisory committee, said the fees have been as low as $800,000 a year during lean times in Nevada.

Nevada is a leader in global gaming, and the state should also be a leader in reducing problem gambling, she said. The state has the second-highest incidence of problem gambling in the nation, Quirk said. An estimated 142,000 Nevada residents are problem gamblers.

The funding change would mean about $1 per capita to combat problem gambling, up from the current 60 cents, she said. Nevada is among the states with the lowest funding for such programs, with Delaware at $1.40 per capita and Oregon at $1.30, according to information provided to the committee.

The funds go to programs administered by the state Department of Health and Human Services that address several areas, including prevention and research.

The bill also proposes to change the composition of the advisory committee to include additional professionals who can participate in the effort to combat the problem.

Contact Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3820. Follow @seanw801 on Twitter.

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Bill to raise funding for problem gambling draws no opposition - Las Vegas Review-Journal

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Casino Companies Seek Foothold in Georgia, the US's Last Big Untapped Gambling Market Wall Street Journal (subscription) The world's largest casino corporations have set their sights on Georgia this year, hoping state legislators will consider opening up one of the nation's last untapped regional markets to full-service gambling. Even though Georgia's constitution bans ... Bill in works to legalize casino gambling | Local News ...Cherokee Tribune Ledger News Five 'tells' that casino gambling is bad for GeorgiaMyAJC Vegas casinos wrote off fewer bad gambling debts in 2016CalvinAyre.com CompatiblePoker -The Hollywood News (blog) all 19 news articles »

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Casino Companies Seek Foothold in Georgia, the US's Last Big Untapped Gambling Market - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

MGM Resorts International by the end of the year will introduce a new program to reinforce responsible gambling among its players in a bid to normalize the conversation about compulsive play.

The company on Wednesday is announcing a partnership with the British Columbia Lottery Corp. to license its GameSense responsible gambling program at all of MGMs U.S. properties, including its 10 Las Vegas resorts.

MGM also will donate $1 million over five years to UNLVs International Gaming Institute to conduct research on compulsive gambling using data collected through the GameSense program.

UNLV will share its findings with compulsive gambling researchers at the University of British Columbia and Harvard University with whom UNLV has had long-term relationships.

Addiction experts say about 2.5 million gamblers suffer a compulsive gambling disorder, with 3 million more considered problem gamblers and 15 million more at risk of becoming problem gamblers. Thats about 2.9 percent of the adult gambling population, although percentages are greater in Nevada where its estimated that between 2.2 percent and 3.6 percent of players suffer some form of addiction.

DEFINING COMPULSIVE GAMBLING

Compulsive gambling is defined as having a preoccupation with gambling and the uncontrollable urge to gamble despite the negative consequences it may produce. Addicts often play to recover their losses and will lie, steal and cheat to support their habit.

When MGM was licensed to build its MGM Springfield resort, due to open next year in Springfield, Massachusetts, the states gaming regulators ordered MGM to institute GameSense at the property as a condition of licensing. When MGM reviewed the program, executives were so impressed with it that they decided to integrate it in all its U.S. locations.

Initially, MGM will set up signage and kiosks at its properties with personnel to counsel players about addictive gambling behaviors. As the program develops, MGM officials hope to integrate it into the companys mLife loyalty card program to enable players to set time and spending limits on play to alert them when they are approaching the levels they set.

The partnership announcement was scheduled to be made Wednesday afternoon at the three-day New Horizons in Responsible Gambling conference in Vancouver.

OK TO STOP

Alan Feldman, executive vice president of global government and industry affairs for MGM, said the core of GameSense is reinforcing healthy gambling behavior.

If the customer believes that this program is the problem-gambling police coming to get you, theyre going to run and hide, Feldman said in a telephone interview. If the public, on the other hand, sees this as were just here to remind you that youre supposed to be having fun, it should help.

If at any moment its not fun and its not affordable, its totally OK to stop, Feldman said. Were not going to be upset. Were going to still appreciate you and value you as a customer, in fact, maybe even more because youve made that decision and good for you.

Feldman said GameSense signage and collateral material giving facts about gambling and slot machines will be available on the casino floor. He said its too early to determine how many GameSense advisers will be hired, but he added the company is planning for 24/7 coverage and the size of a casino floor may determine how many advisers there will be.

BETTER INFORMED CHOICES

For the British Columbia Lottery Corp., which operates GameSense in Canadas casinos as well as in lottery ticket sales locations, the company will receive an undisclosed licensing fee from MGM as well as a relationship with a well-known U.S. operator.

The use of the system at MGM properties should help enhance the effectiveness of the program, said Jim Lightbody, president and CEO of the British Columbia Lottery Corp.

Lightbody said the GameSense concept is to be more inviting and transparent with players to encourage them to make better informed choices when gambling.

In each of our gaming facilities we have 36 of them here in British Columbia we place GameSense information centers within the facilities and they have advisers in them. The centers are bright and attractive where people can come sit down and talk to somebody about their own behavior, or maybe a friend of theirs is having a problem or needing some counseling.

Staff members are trained to look for players who may be in distress and to counsel them about taking breaks from play if they are spending too much time or money in their play.

RESEARCH TEAM

Bo Bernhard, executive director of UNLVs International Gaming Institute, said its too early to determine what kinds of problem gambling research will emerge when a team of scholars gets access to GameSense data.

Bernhard said an interdisciplinary team will be formed with policy, regulatory, operations and addiction specialists working together with the quantitative and qualitative data UNLV expects to gather.

He said he hopes the research will better educate playing customers with information that will enable them to make better consumer decisions, much like nutrition labels that provide information on consumable products.

WYNN AND PENN

Wynn Resorts, which operates Wynn Las Vegas and Wynn Encore, and Penn National Gaming, operators of the Tropicana and the M Resort in Southern Nevada, also are being licensed in Massachusetts and will be required to implement the GameSense system at their properties in Everett and Plainridge Park, respectively.

Wynn and Penn National officials did not respond to inquiries on whether GameSense would be used by them in Las Vegas.

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

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MGM Resorts will launch responsible gambling program at all its US ... - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Do you, or does someone you love enjoy playing lotto, buying lottery tickets or visiting the casino on a regular basis?Has your desire to gamble ever resulted in your spending money that you really didnt have to spend, getting in trouble or had negative effects on your relationships with friends or loved ones?Frequent gambling could be a sign of a gambling addiction.

It is estimated that gambling addiction affects somewhere between two to five percent of all American adults in some way.Many different risk factors can lead to a compulsive gambling addiction that is both difficult to cope with and equally difficult to overcome.

Gambling addiction can lead to job loss, family problems, loss of material possessions such as a house or car, health problems, problems with the law and much more.

Fortunately, there is help and treatment has been derived from many different methods of counseling and therapy to assist those who have a compulsive gambling problem with overcoming their desire to gamble and learning how to control their behaviors.

Gambling is not all fun and games. If it becomes compulsive, seek help to avoid serious consequences.

A simple desire to scratch a ticket, play a slot or visit a casino is not necessarily a sign of gambling addiction but when this desire is so compulsive that you just cant stop thinking about it until you take action, there may be a problem in your life. Gambling addiction is characterized by a compulsive desire to gamble that is marked with an inability to control behaviors when gambling.Those who suffer from gambling addiction will continue to gamble (either daily or possibly just on a binge) despite negative financial, legal and social consequences.

Many people who are addicted to gambling will do things that they never would have done if it werent for their addiction such as stealing money from friends or family members or taking part in illegal activities in an effort to get more money either to gamble or to pay debts. Despite a desire to quit, many compulsive gamblers are unable to control their actions without help.The impulsive behaviors often get them into trouble and can lead to serious consequences.

Often referred to as a hidden illness gambling addiction has no obvious physical signs or symptoms that can be quickly or easily spotted.Problem gamblers often go unnoticed for many years before the signs of the addiction finally become evident even to close friends and family members. In fact, because many gambling addicts are able to control their behaviors the majority of the time, it could be very difficult to spot a gambling addiction unless you physically go with the gambler into a situation in which they are actually gambling, then you may quickly realize that they are out of control.

Although the signs of gambling addiction are often difficult for others to spot, if you like to gamble, theres a good chance that you will be able to recognize the symptoms of gambling addiction in yourself early on, well before others will even notice.

MYTH: Because I only gamble online I cant be a gambling addict.

Fact:Compulsive gambling leads to emotional problems, relationship problems and could lead to legal problems in addition to the financial implications. Even if you have the money to spend, gambling too much can become problematic as your social life suffers from your spending too much time on gambling.

Fact:Gambling in excess, either daily or during a binge, can be problematic.Even if you dont gamble often, the gambling can still cause problems financially, legally or socially.

Fact:Gambling addicts often place blame on their loved ones in an effort to take the blame off of themselves but this doesnt necessarily mean that the partner has anything to do with their problem.

Not all gambling is problematic.Responsible gambling is possible and many gaming venues take part in responsible gaming policies that are intended to provide gamblers with an ethical means of having fun without the dangers and risks associated with gambling addiction.

The devastation that gambling addiction can wreak on the life of those who suffer from this illness as well as those around him make this a very dangerous disorder to be reckoned with.Compulsive gambling accounts for as much as five billion dollars spent annually in the United States alone.Many of the people who are addicted to gambling find themselves accruing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt.

Counseling and therapy can help you learn to overcome your gambling problem.

Gambling addiction affects each individual in a different way and each gambler will have unique needs for recovery.The type of treatment that works for one individual will not necessarily work for another. Probably the greatest hurdle in treatment for gambling addiction is to realize and admit that you have a problem and need help.Because gambling is called the hidden addiction it can be very, very difficult to attest to your wrongdoing, and admit that you have a gambling problem.This is especially true when a gambling addiction has resulted in extreme financial hardship, broken relationships and certain legal problems along the way.

Treatment for gambling addiction takes many forms and most people who seek help for a gambling addiction participate in Gamblers Anonymous (GA).In addition to the social support that is found in the Gamblers Anonymous programs, psychotherapy, and especially cognitive behavioral therapy, have proven to be effective at helping those who are addicted to gambling to change their behaviors and take on more positive actions to cope with stress or other potential triggers that would typically lead them to gamble.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for gambling addiction focuses on changing the poor behaviors of a problem gambler into positive thoughts and behaviors.The idea here is to rewire the gamblers brain into a new way of thinking about their gambling addiction and their desire to gamble.

During treatment, you will learn many ways to cope with cravings or your desire to gamble.It is completely normal to feel the urge to gamble, especially if you are recovering from a gambling addiction, but it can be difficult to cope with such desires in a positive way.Throughout your struggles with gambling addiction and recovery there will likely be many times that you want to gamble and struggle to make the right choice not to follow through with your desires.The following methods can help you to cope with potential triggers without relapsing:

Support goes a long way in addiction recovery. Reach out to your loved ones.

If you or someone you love needs treatment for a gambling problem, its important that you seek a treatment approach that will be most appropriate for your individual needs.Finding the right type of treatment for your needs and the right help for a gambling addiction will ensure that you have the greatest chance of recovery.Most of the time, gambling addiction treatment takes place either through social support groups such as Gamblers Anonymous and outpatient therapy or in an inpatient facility.

If your gambling addiction has lead to severe financial, legal or social problems then you may require inpatient treatment for your condition.This type of help for gambling addiction includes around-the-clock supervision in a hospital like setting where the patient will stay while undergoing treatment. The intense therapy, counseling and supervision provided by inpatient treatment centers significantly reduce the risk of relapse while in treatment.

Compulsive gamblers often need the support of friends, family members and additional peers in order to help them stop gambling.Gamblers Anonymous groups can provide peer and social support for those in recovery or for those who wish they could stop gambling.For many, these groups provide a foundation for a successful and long term recovery from addiction to gambling.

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Gambling Addiction - Signs, Symptoms & Treatment for Problem ...

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Choosing an online casino can be tricky because there are many casinos competing for your business. Our picks for 2015 are Silver Oak, Cool Cat, Palace of Chance, SlotoCash & a couple of others. All of our reviewed casinos welcome players from America and other countries. The minimum rating is 99.1, but most of our top choices have a rating of more than 99.5.

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While our ratings share the advantages of each online gaming establishment, they also alert players to problems. Reading our reviews can help inform you about difficulties withdrawing money or customer service issues. Nevertheless, readers should be aware that online casinos try to improve, and any complaints may not be indicative of your experience.

Our list would be incomplete without providing our viewers with access to the casinos we rate. Investigate each casino to decide whether it meets your needs and has your favorite games. Read about their offerings and policies.

We offer information to enhance your playing pleasure and hope that you have a positive experience. In addition to online casino recommendations, read our information about specific games to learn helpful gaming strategies. Whether you choose to practice games to perfect your skills or play for cash immediately, online casinos can enable you to have instant fun without traveling. Try the games on this site to get started.

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Online Casino USA Friendly Online Casinos for 2017

MANKATO Charitable gambling organizations parlayed a big sales year in 2016 into more donations to community causes.

But they feel they could help out even more if state taxes didn't claim so much of their gross receipts. In 2016, the nonprofits donated $62 million to charities, while paying $60.6 million in state taxes, according to the Minnesota Gambling Control Board's annual report.

The organizations may be in luck. Legislation passing through tax committees at the Capitol in recent weeks calls for charitable donations to be exempt from the state gambling tax rate.

Similar proposals haven't gained much steam in past sessions, but there's renewed optimism this year might be different. Al Lund, executive director of the Allied Charities of Minnesota trade group representing 1,200 organizations statewide, said he feels there's growing recognition that the state tax is cutting into the nonprofits' abilities to donate in their communities.

"Our members are more and more getting to the tipping point, so more are realizing that they need to get involved," he said.

Currently, a charitable gambling organization pays out more than 80 percent of its sales back in prizes to its patrons, which wouldn't change. The remaining percentage is then taxed incrementally depending on how much the organizations do in sales for pulltabs and other select forms of gaming from 9 to 36 percent for the top sellers. Whatever amount remains is then spent on lawful expenditures like charitable donations, building upkeep and expenses.

The new legislation would only lower taxes on the money organizations donate to charitable causes.

"What our charities are saying is we didn't get involved to become a primary tax collector for the state," Lund said. "We got involved to help our community."

Local gambling managers say the tax relief could be a major help, both in terms of allowing them to stay in the gaming business, and in how much more they'd be able to donate to their communities.

John Lamm, gambling manager for the Lake Washington Improvement Association, said he's reached out to area legislators in the hopes they'll get on board with the legislation. None of the 23 representatives signed on as authors for the bill are local.

Lamm said lowering the high tax rate his organization is big enough to fall in the 36 percent rate would be a step in the right direction.

"I think more should be done than that, but this is a start," he said. "What we're paying them is phenomenal."

One of the biggest charitable gambling organizations in the state, the Mankato-based Community Charities of Minnesota, paid more than $65,000 in state taxes in January alone, according to gambling manager Mark Healy. Municipal taxes in some communities further cut into gross receipts.

Healy said any dollar they don't have to pay in taxes would be a dollar put toward community causes.

"What's unfortunate about this is we can get money to charities and needy people a lot quicker than the Legislature can," he said.

Jim Steiert, president of Mankato Area Hockey Association, said he knows exactly how the tax relief could help his organization. With youth hockey participation on the rise, the extra money could be put toward a capital campaign for a new ice sheet in Mankato.

"Any tax relief would be welcome," he said. "Whether it's for charitable gambling or your personal tax return."

One roadblock for the tax relief is how it could impact funding for U.S. Bank Stadium. Charitable gambling has helped fund construction costs for the stadium since 2012.

Speaking to the tax committees in recent weeks, the Minnesota Department of Revenue's Tax Policy Manager Paul Cumings said the relief could negatively impact stadium funding. The hit to the state's general fund could also be greater than estimated, he said.

Lund said his organization has offered to work with the department of revenue to address the stadium funding issue before its potential inclusion in the omnibus tax bill.

"It's complicated and we have ideas on how to address that," he said. "We've offered to work with the tax chairs and department of revenue."

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Charitable gambling organizations look for tax relief | Local News ... - Post-Bulletin

A locally elected state senator is carrying a bill aimed at legalizing casino gambling in Georgia and bringing two destination resorts to the state as early as 2019.

Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, said Friday that Senate Bill 79, which he introduced late last month, could fill the states coffers by helping Georgia collect revenue residents currently spend in surrounding states with casinos.

Beach said hes trying to get the bill before the Senate Regulated Industries Committee for a vote sometime this week.

In order to become reality, he said, casino gambling must be approved by Georgia voters in a statewide referendum. The cities or counties where the casinos would be built must then hold local referendums where voters will decide whether they want a casino in their community.

The bill requires the casinos be built within 30 miles of a large convention center one in a large metro Atlanta county, either Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Cobb or Gwinnett and the second in either Macon, Columbus, Augusta or Savannah, which also have large enough convention centers.

It would require a local referendum, he said. It just depends where they decide to locate.

According to the legislation, the state would levy a 20 percent tax on casino proceeds. Of that revenue, 60 percent would go toward education funding, with 30 percent allocated for the HOPE Scholarship and 30 percent for a needs-based college scholarship. Additionally, 15 percent would go to fund rural hospitals, 15 percent would be used for trauma care, 5 percent would go to expanding broadband in Georgia and the remaining 5 percent would go to law enforcement agencies across the state.

Beachs bill also calls for the creation of a gaming commission, with three members to be appointed by the governor, three appointed by the lieutenant governor and one appointed by the House speaker.

In the past, opponents of casinos have argued that they would take customers away from the Georgia Lottery, but Beach said that would not be the case.

These casino resorts will be so high-end that they wont hurt the lottery, he said. The people going to these destination resorts are not playing keno at the Chevron.

But not everyone is open to the idea of having casinos in the state, and Beachs bill faces opposition in the General Assembly, even from members of Cherokees legislative delegation.

Rep. Scot Turner, R-Holly Springs, said he opposes casino gambling in the state, not for moral or ethical reasons, but because he says Georgia taxpayers would be the ones who end up having to keep the states casinos afloat.

A lot of states have casino gambling so its not as appealing to the average tourist anymore, Turner said Friday. The only place it really works is Vegas. Every other state that has casino gambling ends up subsidizing it with massive amounts of tax dollars.

Aside from Nevada, he said, states with casinos ends up having to prop up the industry with tax money. And while casinos might do well for the first few years, Turner said that success rarely lasts.

Its a raw deal for the taxpayers, he said. After a few years, well end up having to bail them out.

Additionally, Turner said, states with casinos often see a spike in crime rates.

I have no problem with gambling and I enjoy going to a casino, Turner said. I just dont want to live in a place that has them.

Beach maintains that gambling is already legal in the state and said his bill would generate millions of dollars while increasing education funding for Georgias students.

We already have gambling here, he said. And the lottery plays on people who really cant afford to play the lottery.

Turner, however, said there is no moral equivalency between convenience stores that sell scratch-offs and casinos that offer commercial gambling.

Those two things are not the same, he said. A convenience store that sells lottery tickets does not increase crime rates or burden our criminal justice system the way casino gambling does.

At a 20 percent tax rate, Beach estimates casinos could generate up to $450 million of additional revenue annually. He also said the industry would create about 5,000 jobs for Georgians.

He said getting the bill through the Senate and House would be a heavy lift, but Georgians could stand to benefit from all the additional revenue.

But Turner said the bill has a zero percent chance of passing the House with so many residents opposed to it.

I dont think it has enough support, he said. The broad coalition of opposition across the state is widespread.

Beach said between tourists and residents who would attend the destination resorts, the industry would have enough support to thrive.

He said he and his wife took a trip to a couple North Carolina casinos after Christmas and realized about 80 percent of the cars they saw had Georgia tags.

Were funding North Carolinas education, he said, adding that those who are morally opposed to legalized gambling dont hesitate to send their children to college using the HOPE Scholarship, which is funded by the Georgia Lottery.

Without using any taxpayer money, the state could generate millions of dollars to be reinvested in education and healthcare. Thats hard for me to say no to, Beach said. Thats a good deal from an economic development standpoint.

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Bill in works to legalize casino gambling | Local News ... - Cherokee Tribune Ledger News

However such comments are unlikely to be brushed aside with Sutton club chairman Bruce Elliott saying of the 23-stone player, who has been labelled the roly-poly goalie in the publicity surrounding the high-profile tie, that he has got himself in the papers again and the fame obviously has gone to his head a little bit, but we will soon bring him back down to earth, don't worry about that. Elliott said he knew nothing about the stunt.

Although it was deemed humorous and harmless in some quarters the incident cannot simply be dismissed. A worldwide ban on betting in football was introduced in 2014 and covers everyone involved in the game, from the players and managers to the match officials and club staff.

It prevents participants covered by the ban from betting, either directly or indirectly, on any football match or competition, including the passing of "inside information".

The FA website refers defines that as "information that you are aware of due to your position in the game and which is not publicly available". It adds: "You are not allowed to pass inside information on to someone else which they use for betting."

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Sutton United goalkeeper Wayne Shaw resigns 'in tears' amid gambling commission investigation into pie stunt - Telegraph.co.uk