Category Archives: Gambling

It certainly isnt uncommon for a prep student-athlete to earn three varsity letters in a single school year.

Four isnt unheard of, with some athletes crossing over, like in soccer and football, for instance. Five? Thats pulling some serious double-duty. Six? Now thats some uncharted territory, and it takes a special kind of student-athlete to pull that one off.

Say hello to Columbia junior Emily Gambler. Shes on pace to earn wait for it six varsity letters this school year, as the Crimson Tides busy body crosses over in two events in the fall, winter and spring.

Gambler ran cross country and was a varsity cheerleader in the fall; she plays basketball and is the schools lone swimmer this winter; and shes set to play softball, as the teams shortstop, and run distance events for the track and field team later this spring.

Thats six varsity letters, and thats certainly something you dont see every day. By the way, Gambler isnt just along for the ride as a bench player; shes qualified for Lancaster-Lebanon League finals and the District 3 finals in her prep swimming and running careers.

It gets to be a lot, Gambler admitted, but Im glad Im doing it. Its fun, and I get to be with all of my friends and teammates and coaches. It gets hard, but everyone supports me, and Im thankful for that.

Gambler didnt set out on the first day of her freshman campaign to chase six varsity letters every year. This is her third season swimming for the Tide she competes in the 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly in the outside lane at meets as an exhibition competitor to earn qualifying times for the L-L League finals and she recently came back out to play basketball for the first time since eighth grade, and she joined the softball team just last year.

Gambler earned a starting spot, and shes a defensive wizard, shot-blocker and rebounder for the Tides basketball team, which roared to a 15-0 start this season.

With so many sports and so many practices and so much on her plate to juggle, Gambler has mastered time management at an early age. Shes responsible to get to swim practice at Lititz Rec in the afternoon shes on her own for a practice routine with no high school coach and then must hightail it to basketball practice or a game in the evening.

Figuring out softball and track routines in the spring are next up on her agenda.

It all just kind of came to me and now its happening, Gambler said. A lot of my coaches and my friends are always asking me how I do it. Some of my friends said Im the only athlete at Columbia since I play so many sports.

Gambler is a regular on the blacktop courts at Taylor Middle School in Columbia. If youre a kid growing up in Tide Country, odds are youre at a park Glatfelters, Rotary Club, Jansens honing your skills against your peers.

We all grew up here running through backyards and stuff, Gambler said, laughing. Hey, its Columbia. Sports are a big deal here. Its always crazy to see all the people that support you and want to come out and watch us play. We all grew up playing sports together; Ive been playing with all of these girls growing up, and its fun to get to do it in high school.

In Gamblers case, on six different teams.

Its safe to say athletics are in Gamblers genes. Her dad, Joe, played football and baseball for Columbia. Her mom, Brandi, played basketball for the Tide. Her older brother, Matthew, played football for Columbia, and hes a student at Millersville University.

Ive grown up in a very competitive family, and that makes it fun, Gambler said. Were always outside and were always active. I grew up outside, playing kick-ball, baseball, wiffle-ball, swimming, T-ball. It was hard for me to pick one sport, and thats probably why I ended up doing them all.

Heres another fun factoid: Gambler owns a 4.0 GPA and shes currently ranked No. 2 in Columbias junior class. She has another school year to contemplate her college plans, and shes considering attending a smaller local school to continue her swimming career or going big-time and heading to the University of Alabama a family favorite where shed compete in club sports.

For now, shell keep chipping away at those six varsity letters this school year. And if all goes according to plan, Gambler will take another stab at participating on all six teams in her senior year.

I think Ill stick it out, she said, because to me, this is fun.

TWITTER: @JeffReinhart77

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Joining a rare club: Columbia's Emily Gambler poised to earn 6 varsity letters this school year - LNP | LancasterOnline

By BETH CHAPMAN | Guest Columnist

This session is likely to be a sensitive one for most legislators. For at least 23 of them, it is their last session and for the rest, it is an election year.

One must wonder what the legislators spending their last session will place their priorities on. The ones up for election must be careful not to trip over anything too controversial. It will be hard to do because this session is all about gambling, guns and other legislative issues.

As for gambling its the proverbial elephant in the room. A gambling bill passed in the Senate last year but not in the House. If I were a betting person (and Im not), I would lay you odds 10:1 the same thing will happen this year. If it passes, it will be on the ballot in November so call your legislator now and let your voices be heard if you dont want it on the ballot.

As for guns, who in Alabama doesnt own one? Very few. But should people be allowed to carry concealed weapons without a permit? That is the question and again, if I were a betting person, I would say the law enforcement community will lobby hard enough against it to make it a challenge to pass.

So, what may pass you ask. An abortion bill, titled the Alabama Heartbeat Act, has a lot of traction. It is modeled after a Texas bill that conservatives love. And what is the Alabama Legislature filled with? Conservatives 25 in the House of Representatives alone have already co-sponsored the bill. This bill would make it illegal for medical providers to perform an abortion once cardiac activity is detected. This bill also makes it possible to file civil lawsuits and collect damages against anyone violating or assisting in violating the law.

Then there is the $1.5 billion Alabama is receiving from the federal government the American Rescue Plan. How it will be used and whether the Legislature or the Governor allocates those funds will be an issue. The expansion of rural broadband and banning critical race theory in our schools will also be hot topics.

I only hope education gets its proper place in the Legislative debate. Our future and the future of our children depends on it. Ranking 52nd in third grade math is not acceptable. There is legislation to address this issue, hopefully it will offer a solution to this problem.

This column is full of questions which will start being asked on Jan. 11. The answers will only be known on Monday, April 25. That is the last day this Legislature can meet in this, the last session of this quadrennium.

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Gambling, guns and other issues - Shelby County Reporter - Shelby County Reporter

Frank Boyett| Special to The Gleaner

The grand jury indicted nearly two dozen people on gambling charges in January 1947, but the indictments were later quashed on a technicality. One of their defenses was that the prosecutor had hand-picked the grand jury.

That legal battle marked the first time the issue of women being excluded from jury duty was raised. It took another decade for local women and Blacks to win equal footing in deciding the fate of their fellow human beings.

The re-trial of Charles Sitton, the youth who shot and killed police officer Jack Rainier Nov. 21, 1955, prompted Blacks and women to be included in the jury pool in May 1956. No women heard that case, although Black funeral home operator Charles A. Reeder was seated on that jury.

Henderson news: COVID numbers hit all-time high in Henderson area with nearly 3,100 new cases reported

Cornelia Brown was the first woman to serve on a jury locally when she helped decide an auto accident case in mid-June 1956.

But the issue of women on juries was almost an afterthought in the courtroom drama about gambling in early 1947. Most of the lawyers representing the multiple defendants did not consider that issue worthy of raising in their arguments. The sole exception was L.C. Flournoy.

The Gleaner picked up on the indictments in its Jan. 9, 1947, issue although the problems involved had begun two months earlier. (It was the fourth batch of gambling indictments prior to the last one in 1951; others had been in 1940, 1941 and 1943.)

Those indicted included Art Bridges, Starling McClure, Clarence Fambrough, Roy C. Freels, Allen Wilson, Paul Barr, Clyde Langford, Aubrey Richardson, Robert and Frederick Nichols, and Henry Steinwachs,

Also, Robert J. Bennett, Otto Bunch, James and Anna F. Head, J.C. and Kate Ligon, Thomas Jennings, G.T. OBryan, Carl Pearson, Clarence Wood, and Oswald Poss Coomes.

Those named had been operating slot machines although a few others who were not named had been indicted for operating crap games. Most of them were owners of nightclubs or taverns.

The defense attorneys responded by filing motions to quash the indictments, which was reported in The Gleaner of Jan. 21. The motions were almost identical, except for Flournoys, who noted there were 1,652 women on the tax rolls then but they had been excluded from participation in the jury selection process.

State law mandated the circuit judge to create a jury commission at the beginning of each year, which was responsible for creating a jury pool of more than 500 property owners, although the pool and the grand jury drawn from it werent legitimate until the judge had signed off on them.

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The names of those in the jury pool were to be placed in a wheel and the grand jury and the petit juries for each year were created by names drawn by the judge from that wheel after it was tumbled. The judge was supposed to keep the key that locked the wheel, while the circuit court clerk was to keep the wheel and the envelope with the grand jurors names.

The defense attorneys alleged that the grand jury had been illegally created because that process was not followed the judge never signed off on the jury. Another thorny issue was that County Attorney Allen Rhoads had been present in the jury room while the jury commission was working.

As it turned out, Rhoads wasnt the only one. The only people who were supposed to be in the room were the jury commissioners, who had been appointed by Circuit Judge Marlin Blackwell Nov. 8, 1946. Later testimony revealed that Tax Commissioner Waverlie Crafton as well as Ditch Commissioner Walter Kellen were also in the jury room.

Furthermore, the Jan. 30 edition reported that Circuit Court Clerk Karl Doc Hosbach said the grand jury had not been composed of the first 12 names on the list provided by the jury commission. He said he had skipped around in selecting jurors. He declined to answer when asked who had asked him to skip around.

At that point, the county attorney stood up and clarified he had told Hosbach to do that. He also conceded he had given a list of prospective grand jury members to jury commissioner John W. Gregory, who also took the stand.

Gregory testified there were three different lists of good men in the room while the jury commissioners were working. If names on those lists also were taxpayers, he said, they were added to the jury pool.

Gregory also noted the commissioners agreed among themselves not to use the names of women.

Another member of the jury commission was City School Board Chairman James F. Meyer, who said he had a list given to him by Waverlie Crafton and Richard S. Staples.

The third jury commissioner, Omer Campbell, conceded the wheel and its key were not delivered to the circuit judge as required by law. Instead, both were given to Hosbach. One reason for that, perhaps, is that Judge Blackwell had been sick at his home in Dixon for weeks.

Madisonville Circuit Judge B.N. Gordon subsequently heard the case. He upheld the state on every issue except for the mishandling of the wheel and its key, which he said endangered the sanctity of the whole jury system.

That prompted him to quash the indictments, although he said the cases could be submitted later to the May grand jury. (Thats exactly what happened, although virtually all the cases were eventually dismissed.)

Meanwhile, acting Judge Gordon had formed a new jury commission, according to The Gleaner of Jan. 24. They were Henry Taylor, Emory Cottingham and J.I. Farley. The judge instructed them on the niceties of their task and took care to point out it is legal to choose names of women who are taxpayers and housekeepers in the county to go into the wheel.

During the lengthy hearing right before the judge quashed the indictments, one of the defense attorneys, N. Powell Taylor, said he had seen no indication that any official had acted with criminal intent in creating the jury commission and the jury pool, although, They may have acted improperly.

The Gleaner carried two letters to the editor about the issue and the first was published Jan. 25. Art Nestler said he found it incongruous that the owners of nightclubs were being indicted for having slot machines, while private fraternal clubs doing the same thing but were considered untouchable.

Doing it behind closed doors is the same thing and any grand jury who fails to indict them all is very discriminating.

The second was by George D. Haas and it appeared Feb. 5: In my opinion the jury was selected in the same manner that it has been for years. It is surprising to me that as an intelligent group of lawyers (who) were opposing the way the grand jury was selected, that they were just now finding out that it was not done according to law.

A fellow in Dixon apparently couldnt get enough marital bliss.

Robert F. Donaldson was in jail there, according to The Gleaner of Jan. 28, 1922, because he married two additional wives in less than a week.

His first was Luda Dyer at Senaca, South Carolina, on April 9, 1921. The second was the daughter of a widow who ran a hotel at Shawneetown, Illinois, on Nov. 30. The final one was Lela Trice of Dixon on Dec. 5.

Henderson was among 15 cities in Kentucky who had taken advantage of federal money to train what we now call EMTs, according to The Gleaner of Jan. 30, 1972.

RN Gloria Fleming Sierra was the instructor for the local emergency medical technician class, which drew 19 participants initially. Dr. Dick Wham assisted with the program.

The course consisted of 25 lessons involving 71 hours of classroom training, plus ten hours of in-hospital observation, for a total of 81 hours.

Each lesson provides for practice of the skills taught in that lesson.

Owens Corning Fiberglas Corp. decided against building a plant here to manufacture insulation, ending two years of hope the community would land a $68 million facility that would employ 120 people, according to The Gleaner of Jan. 29, 1997.

The company had taken an option to buy 126 acres offered by the Economic Development Council but notified the EDC it would not exercise that option from the Termo Co. of Long Beach, California. The property is on Kentucky 136 next to the Henderson County Riverport.

The company had first come to the publics attention in early 1995 when it received the state of Kentuckys approval for $30 million in tax breaks if it located here.

Readers of The Gleaner can reach Frank Boyett at YesNews42@yahoo.com or on Twitter at @BoyettFrank.

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Frank Boyett column: Multiple gambling indictments failed to score in 1947 - The Gleaner

The COVID-19 pandemic-led restrictions proved to be a massive hurdle for the casino & gambling industry, as physical casinos were forced to remain closed. However, companies providing online gambling services were able to generate significant returns. Along with rising demand for online gambling, the reopening of physical casinos with fast-paced vaccinations should drive the industrys growth in the upcoming months. According to Research and Markets, the global online gambling market is expected to reach $112.09 billion in 2025, growing at a CAGR of 12%.

Moreover, New York Governor Kathy included a plan to bring legal casino gambling to New York Citys $216.3 billion budget proposal. In addition, the State Gaming Commission recently launched legal, app-based sports betting across the Empire State. With the increasing legalization of gambling across the country, many companies operating in this space are well-positioned to benefit.

Given this backdrop, Wall Street analysts expect gambling stocks Penn National Gaming, Inc. (PENN) and Ballys Corporation (BALY) to rally more than 70% in the next 12 months.

Penn National Gaming, Inc. (PENN)

PENN owns and manages 41 gaming and racing properties in 19 states and operates video gaming terminals. It operates through four segments: Northeast; South; West; and Midwest. It also owns various trademarks and service marks, including Ameristar, Argosy, Boomtown, and Greektown.

On December 22, 2021, PENN launched the Hollywood Casino Morgantown, the fourth gaming and entertainment facility in Pennsylvania. Todd George, PENNs Executive Vice President of Operations, said, This next-level technology, which is in place at all four of our Pennsylvania casinos, further supports our omnichannel business approach in which we provide the best experiences whether people are playing at our properties or across our numerous online offerings.

PENNs total revenues increased 33.8% year-over-year to $1.51 billion for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021. Its adjusted EBITDA grew 6% year-over-year to $364.30 million. Also, the companys cash and cash equivalents came in at $2.73 billion for the period ended September 30, 2021, compared to $1.85 billion for the period ended December 31, 2020.

Analysts expect PENNs EPS to come in at $0.54 for the quarter ended December 31, 2021, representing a 671.4% year-over-year increase. The companys revenue is expected to increase 29.3% year-over-year to $1.47 billion for the quarter ending March 31, 2022. Wall Street analysts expect the stock to hit $72.69 in the near term, which indicates a potential upside of 73.4%.

Ballys Corporation (BALY)

BALY owns and operates gaming and racing facilities in the United States. Its gaming and racing facilities include slot machines and various casino table games, and restaurant and hotel facilities. It owns and operates 12 casinos that comprise 13,308 slot machines, 460 game tables, and 3,342 hotel rooms, as well as a horse racetrack across eight states.

On November 8, 2021, BALY announced that it had been awarded one of nine licenses to conduct online sports betting in the State of New York. With New Yorks major professional sports franchises consisting of some of the most storied teams in all of the sports, as well as a diverse base of devoted sports fans, this license provides BALYs with significant opportunities to showcase its best-in-class sports betting platform and augment its player database.

BALYs total revenues increased 169.9% year-over-year to $314.78 million for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021. Its adjusted EBITDA grew 105.3% year-over-year to $77.98 million. Also, the companys retail casinos net income came in at $49.39 million, up 123.6% year-over-year.

For the quarter ending March 31, 2022, analysts expect ASXs EPS and revenue to increase 256.7% and 226.4% year-over-year to $0.47 and $627.58 million, respectively. Wall Street analysts expect the stock to hit $59.86 in the near term, which indicates a potential upside of 103.9%.

PENN shares were trading at $40.92 per share on Friday afternoon, down $1.01 (-2.41%). Year-to-date, PENN has declined -21.08%, versus a -7.79% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

Nimesh Jaiswal's fervent interest in analyzing and interpreting financial data led him to a career as a financial analyst and journalist. The importance of financial statements in driving a stocks price is the key approach that he follows while advising investors in his articles. More...

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PENN: 2 Casino & Gambling Stocks Wall Street Predicts Will Rally More Than 70% - StockNews.com

When the federal ban on sports wagering was rescinded in 2018, there was a sprint to the marketplace, with states eager to leap headfirst into the gambling business. And since then, there has been a steady trickle of new states opening their doors to gambling operators such as Caesars and MGM.

Some 112 million Americans more than a third of the population can now legally wager on sports without leaving their couch. Another 50 million need only hop in their car to place an in-person bet.

But these are still the early days of sports gambling in the United States, and industry stakeholders expect 2022 to be another boom year, with many of the most populous states moving toward legalization.

New York launched mobile betting this week. Bettors in three states, including Ohio, should be able to start placing bets later this year, joining 29 states where sports betting is already legal. While Florida continues to iron out legal wrinkles, efforts by lawmakers in Georgia, North Carolina, and Massachusetts are expected to heat up. And the matter could finally go before California voters by the end of the year.

"There's been a huge growth, but those states are major swings in how big the legal U.S. market will be," said Christopher Halpin, the NFL's executive vice president and chief strategy and growth officer.

Leagues began preparing as soon as it became clear the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, the 1992 law that made sports betting illegal everywhere but Nevada, was vulnerable. Unyieldingly resistant not long ago, U.S. sports leagues now embrace sports gambling as a commercial boon and a way to connect with fans, especially young ones. New business partnerships are announced weekly, and teams and leagues have continually explored ways to tailor game-day experiences both in-person and on television to would-be bettors.

More than $87 billion has been legally wagered on sports since the Supreme Court struck down the law, according to industry site LegalSportsReport.com, and some 40 million Americans were expected to place bets on the NFL regular season that ended last weekend. While many felt the PASPA repeal would simply give existing gamblers a legal avenue to place bets, early returns suggest many new bettors have been enticed to make wagers and all gamblers are taking advantage of new, easily accessible betting options.

Nearly every state continues to see year-to-year growth. New Jersey alone fielded $1.26 billion in sports wagers in November, up more than 25% from the previous year. In September, the National Council on Problem Gambling released a study that showed the number of Americans who bet on sports grew by 30% in an 18-month period, an increase of 15.3 million bettors.

But as operators race to set up shop in every new state that comes online, some fear the pace and patchwork nature of state-by-state laws are failing to create a proper safety net.

Were still in the first inning of a lot of this stuff, said Keith Whyte, executive director of the NCPG, making it too early to tell the impact and severity of gambling addiction. But his organizations research suggests the risk of problem gambling has doubled since 2018 and is highly concentrated on young male sports fans online.

"The signs we're seeing are very troubling," he said.

Even before the ban on sports betting fell, sports league executives say they knew they would have to play an active role in shaping the legal marketplace. They would need to help craft legislation, partner with sportsbooks and encourage stakeholders to operate within certain guardrails.

"We always say, 'If they break it, we still own it,' " said Halpin, "and we're as exposed as the worst sportsbook in the worst market."

The NFL studied international gambling markets and conducted extensive fan research. They wanted to learn from any missteps in Europe and Australia, where sports betting has been legal for decades, and make sure they were able to reach potential gamblers without offending fans who have no interest in wagering.

By mid-2018, as the United States dipped its toes in the gambling waters, more mature markets were already scaling back. In Great Britain, government officials began to review regulations, and soccer leagues, anticipating a rollback, started preemptively curtailing some gambling activities. Sportsbooks there have limited advertising opportunities during matches, and many expect English soccer teams to soon face a ban on gambling logos on uniforms and limits on gambling signage in stadiums.

"They've had to react to some of the backlash and put some of those things in place," said Casey Clark, senior vice president of the American Gaming Association, the gambling industry lobbying group. "We're not ever going to be in that position because we're kind of light-years ahead of where they were at this point of their maturity."

In the United States, gambling commercials are now staples of sports programming, as much as light beer, pickup trucks, or running shoes. Viewers have taken notice: The Federal Communications Commission has fielded a steady stream of complaints related to sports gambling advertisements in recent months, its records show.

This is a potentially dangerous situation, wrote someone from Waynesboro, Va.

When are you going to ban the sports gambling ads as you did cigarettes? Addiction is real and these ads are fueling gambling addiction, another viewer said. The ads are worse than irresponsible.

The major American sports leagues limit the number of commercials permitted during a game broadcast. The NFL only allows one ad per quarter, for example, in addition to one pregame and one at halftime. The proliferation of sports gambling advertising typically comes outside the three-hour game window, particularly in commercial blocks controlled by the local stations. Competitive gambling markets such as New Jersey, Michigan, and Colorado can be inundated with ads from area sportsbooks vying for customers.

"It's like a political season because they'll just sell the ad to whoever has the highest and most demand," said Halpin, who has led the NFL's gambling efforts but is leaving the league this month to become chief financial officer of digital media holding company IAC. "Local sports betting operators can pay more than anybody else."

Sports media companies are neck-deep in the gambling business. Barstool Sports operates a sportsbook available in 11 states, and Fox Bet is available in four states; its pick-six promo has been a part of the Fox football broadcast each Sunday. And ESPN has been exploring licensing deals with gambling operators that could net the company $3 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Still, league officials see value in splintering their offerings creating content that caters to a gambling audience but doesnt detract or replace what fans are accustomed to.

The NFLs research found that while 42% of its fan base comprised at least casual bettors, one in five actively objects to sports gambling. So the league encourages its television partners not to tailor game broadcasts to gamblers.

The NBA launched a gambling-focused simulcast of games called NBABet Stream, which airs select games for NBA TV and League Pass subscribers. It also has studio programming and social media initiatives aimed at gamblers.

"Sports betting should be an opt-in experience for those who are interested in sports betting," said Scott Kaufman-Ross, the NBA's senior vice president in charge of gaming initiatives. "We want to make that a part of their experience, but for those who aren't interested in it, we don't want to push it on them."

Whyte, of the National Council on Problem Gambling, said its call centers have never been busier, and hes increasingly concerned about the influx of new bettors and the lack of resources for problem gamblers.

Regulations and resources vary from state to state. Bettors must be 21 to register with an online sportsbook in Virginia. But just across the Potomac River, they only need to be 18 in the District of Columbia.

The money and resources devoted to problem gambling vary from state to state, too. Some earmarked significant money to hotlines, treatment programs, and counseling, while others allocated nothing.

In a recent survey, the NCPG found that the risk of problem gambling increased most among young gamblers and those who play daily fantasy sports. Whyte said he sees operators targeting young bettors and potentially grooming underage potential bettors. Teenagers can sign up for a free fantasy sports account, for example, effectively turning over personal information to a gambling operator, which can pounce as soon as the customer is old enough to place a bet.

"In the conversations we have with leagues, I think they've been unpleasantly surprised at all the gaps in the safety net," Whyte said. "I think that a lot of leagues and a lot of their owners took the industry's assertions at face value: 'Oh, we've got this responsible gambling thing covered. Don't worry. It's all good.' "

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Sports betting will keep booming in 2022, but some see risks in growth - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Harrisburg, PA - Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), Penn State University (PSU), and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) released the first-of-its-kind report analyzing the impact of Interactive Gaming, also referred to as online gambling or iGaming in Pennsylvania.

This report will assist DDAP in its mission to assess and address how gambling behaviors impact compulsive and problem gambling within the commonwealth, said Secretary Jen Smith. We want to ensure we are offering all the resources we can at the state level to anyone who may be experiencing problem gambling behaviors. Knowing the current iGaming trends in the state will help DDAP make informed decisions and help to spread awareness that treatment and resources are available to help when this recreational hobby becomes a more serious problem.

Under Act 42 of 2017, which legalized interactive gaming in Pennsylvania, DDAP is required to complete an assessment and report on the impact of interactive gaming in the commonwealth. This was the first year for the completion of the assessment and report compilation. Funding for this report is provided by law through fees the PGCB assesses from interactive gaming licensees.

Penn State and the Criminal Justice Research Center is enthusiastic about this partnership with the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, said Dr. Glenn Sterner, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Penn State University. By collecting these data on a yearly basis, we can ensure an accurate understanding of the impact of this policy change on our Pennsylvania communities. If interventions are required, this assessment will help to guide a data-driven response.

The findings of this report were generated from a survey of more than 1,100 individuals across Pennsylvania throughout 2020-21 and indicate:

The findings of the report emphasize the PGCBs long-standing priority in assisting individuals who develop compulsive gambling issues including our efforts to provide information and effective tools such as the PGCBs Self-Exclusion programs, said Elizabeth Lanza, PGCBs Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling Director. I also believe that findings in this and subsequent reports can provide critical information to prevention professionals and to those in the treatment community who are assisting individuals on their path to recovery.

Gambling, even through legal avenues, becomes a problem when individuals begin to develop strained relationships with loved ones, borrow money to gamble, gamble to experience a high or feeling, miss work, school, or other activities and obligations in order to gamble. These behaviors can have a serious impact on a persons financial, physical, and mental health. Other symptoms of problem gambling include trying to hide or lying about gambling, using gambling as an escape to avoid dealing with other problems, and feeling like the habit is out of control but being unable to stop.

Pennsylvanias Self-Exclusion Program allows an individual to request to be excluded from legalized gaming activities including iGaming and those within a casino and offsite venues. More information on the program and ways to identify problem gambling can be found through the PGCBs website specific to its efforts in compulsive and problem gaming.

Individuals seeking compulsive or problem gambling treatment can call Pennsylvanias helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537). This helpline is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to connect callers with local resources in their community. A live chat option is also available online or via text message at 1-800-522-4700 for those seeking help who may not be comfortable speaking to a helpline operator.

For more information on problem gambling resources, visit ddap.pa.gov.

MEDIA CONTACT: Stephany Dugan - ra-dapressoffice@pa.gov

# # #

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Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Releases Report on Impact of Interactive Gaming in Pennsylvania - Governor Tom Wolf

Thousands of student gambling addicts are spending an average of 30 a week on betting, racking up debts and missing out on university life to fund their habit, research has found.

In a survey of 2,000 students, 80% said they gambled, with 35% of those who did admitting using their student loan, bank overdrafts, borrowing from friends or taking out payday loans.

Of those who gambled, 41% said it had led to them missing lectures, assignment deadlines or social activities.

There are about 2.5 million students in the UK, indicating that hundreds of thousands are suffering financial or social harm due to gambling.

Students reported spending 31.52 on betting in a week on average, while almost 20% admitted to spending more than 50. They were asked how much they spent on gambling, without a distinction being made between deposits and losses.

The most popular product was the National Lottery (32%), including casino-style instant win smartphone games, followed by online sports betting (25%) and online bingo (18%).

The report, by the YGAM youth gambling charity and Gamstop, the national tool for gamblers who want to bar themselves from online betting and gaming, built on previous research that found that 88,000 students have a problem.

Martin Jones son, Josh, took his own life in 2015 after becoming addicted to gambling while doing his A-levels and later getting into financial difficulty at university.

He went up to halls of residence and within 10 days hed blown his first terms loan, which was about 1,200, said Jones.

Jones and his wife, Kim, ended up having to manage their sons finances for the duration of his time studying maths at the University of Surrey.

He got a job with the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers shortly after leaving university but was unable to escape the gambling addiction. He took his own life aged 23 after running up debts of 30,000.

Bray Ash, 29, who is studying mental health nursing at Kings College London, having previously studied at Leeds University, also blew his student loan.

It took over my life I wasnt studying, I was just sitting in my halls gambling, he said.

[During] my second year of university, I ended up gambling away my student loan in the first 24 hours.

It is important that students have access to organisations, such as YGAM, to educate them about gambling and provide support and that they are aware of essential tools such as self-exclusion if they are experiencing problems with their gambling. I know that it would have benefited me when I was at my lowest point.

A spokesperson for the Betting & Gaming Council (BGC) said the majority of gambling among young people was on scratchcards, the lottery and private betting, not with BGC members.

The BGC also funds the 10m Young Peoples Gambling Harm Prevention Programme, delivered by leading charities YGAM and GamCare, which is being delivered to every 11- to 19-year-old in the UK, and those working with them, said a spokesperson.

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Thousands of student gambling addicts spending 30 a week on habit - The Guardian

The existing Gambling Act 2005 came into force in 2007 but it is widely recognised that current legislation needs a refresh to bring it up to date and to make it fit for the digital age.

The 2005 Act swept aside the demand test for betting shops, casinos and bingo halls and arguably created a more open and permissive regime, since supercharged with the advent of online gambling which made betting even more accessible.

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Gambling legislation is a reserved matter and in December 2020 Westminster announced a review of the 2005 Act, generating some 16,000 responses to a call for evidence, which will be taken into account in setting out proposed changes.

Im not a betting woman but the odds are in favour of new laws focusing on protecting the vulnerable, including children, young people in the 18-25 age group and gambling addicts.

Online gambling platforms may have to introduce stricter age verification checks a lot of the large gambling companies have already spent vast sums on verification software, but this is not compulsory so there could be some form of mandate.

Affordability checks is another hot topic. While it would not be feasible or proportionate, for example, to apply affordability checks on large one-off bets on a classic race like the Grand National, a red flag should be raised with an operator if an online gambler who typically spends 500 a week ups his or her weekly tally to 2000. While arguably more intrusive, it may be that checks are required to verify that a clients source of funds is above board and sustainable, by delving into areas like employment status, salary and income.

Better sharing of data would enable greater oversight of gambling addicts who often have multiple accounts spread over a number of vendors. A multi-operator self-exclusion scheme, known as Gamstop, goes some way to addressing this issue but it operates on a voluntary basis, whereas compulsory data sharing could facilitate a single customer view solution.

Restrictions on advertising at sports events and sponsorship of sports clubs could be a mainstay of the White Paper. There is a voluntary ban in place on advertising during football matches but this could become more wide-ranging - which will not be welcomed by cash-strapped football clubs, particularly in Scotlands lower leagues where every penny is a prisoner.

Securing consumer redress from gambling companies who are alleged to have treated a client unfairly (usually refusing to pay out) has always been a thorny issue. While the Independent Betting Adjudication Service can investigate complaints, it has no powers to award compensation, so possibly the introduction of a gambling Ombudsman is on the cards.

The gaming industry recognises its societal responsibilities and accepts the 2005 Act needed to be reviewed, particularly regarding access that vulnerable people have to gambling. At the same time, gambling is a legal activity with many millions safely participating, so its about finding a balance between permitting those who can gamble safely and protecting those who are vulnerable.

Audrey Ferrie, Legal Director and licensing specialist at Pinsent Masons

Originally posted here:

Odds are in favour of tighter new laws on gambling - Audrey Ferrie - The Scotsman

SINGAPORE - A total of 43 people between the ages of 22 and 81 have been arrested for their suspected involvement in illegal gambling activities.

The 30 men and 13 women were hauled up by the police in a series of operations conducted islandwide between Nov 20 last year and Jan 4.

On Nov 20, 2021, officers from the Bedok Police Division arrested eight men, aged between 26 and 72, who were allegedly gambling at a hawker centre at Bedok North Street 3. Officers also seized cash amounting to $580, believed to be involved in the offence.

In another operation conducted on Dec 18, four men and five women aged between 47 and 81 were arrested at Lorong 15 Geylang for allegedly gambling.

Preliminary investigations revealed that one of them, a 47-year-old man, was believed to have operated a common gaming house, while the rest were believed to be patrons.

On Dec 24, another four men and two women, aged between 46 and 70, were arrested at Lorong 16 Geylang. The unit was believed to be offering online casino and slots game.

Officers seized $1,885 in cash and computer equipment.

Another operation at a shophouse at Jalan Pinang on Jan 2 resulted in the arrest of seven men and five women, aged between 24 and 65.

Preliminary investigations indicated that one of them, a 37-year-old man, was believed to have operated the gambling den, while the rest were patrons. The police also seized 13 modified computers and about $3,300 cash for investigations.

On Jan 4, officers raided a shophouse in Verdun Road that was believed to be operating as an illegal gambling den, and arrested seven men and one woman aged between 22 and 59.

Two of them, a 22-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman, were believed to have operated the gambling den, while the other six were believed to be patrons. Cash amounting to more than $94,000 and gambling-related paraphernalia were seized.

Those managing a place to be used as a common gaming house can be fined between $5,000 and $50,000, and jailed for up to three years.

As for the patrons, any person convicted of an offence of gaming in a common gaming house can be fined up to $5,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.

See the article here:

30 men, 13 women nabbed for suspected involvement in illegal gambling activities - The Straits Times

Golf has found itself in a unique spot within the gambling world. Its currently one of the least bet on sports but possesses the upside to potentially ascend into the same category in which football and basketball reside.

Why?

Well, from a betting perspective, it has immense room to grow. As it stands, the lone options on most sportsbooks are to bet on the winner of the event, who will finish top 5, 10, 20, and matchups between players in the field. Over the course of a full PGA Tour schedule, wagering on the same ol bets can get tiresome.

Thats where live betting becomes interesting.

Imagine this scenario: Youre sitting on the couch, watching the Masters, and Justin Thomas reaches the 16th. With live betting, you can head to your choice of sportsbook app (we recommend our partner Tipico), and bet on what you think JT will make on the hole, as well as if hell hit the green in regulation or not. As you can see, the options quickly multiply when live betting is brought in.

Were not going to flip the switch to go from outright winner or FedExCup champion to Jon Rahm from 250 (yards), odds to get inside 15, 10, and 5 feet, Scott Warfield, the PGA Tours VP/Gaming said. There are steps that need to happen i.e., getting people familiar with what it would be like betting on a threesome getting the low score on a hole.

So, it may not be coming as quickly as gamblers around the world would like. However, this does tell us the Tour understands the product theyre able to put out would be fantastic.

Im not signing up for a 2022 goal, said Warfield. But a 2025 goal? I would like to believe we can be one of the top four or five bet-on sports if we do it right.

Another concept Warfield has mentioned is a BetCast. A television stream, separate from the main Golf Channel, CBS, or NBC broadcast, serving as a hub for all things gambling surrounding the tournament. Live odd changes, match-up tracking, and other graphics to keep the viewer plugged into whats happening on the betting side.

Story continues

Think of it as another option at your disposal when logging into ESPN+ to watch the event throughout the week.

Not only would this idea be unique in the golf world, but the sports space in general. A stream completely dedicated to covering a different angle with an opportunity to bring in new voices to host the broadcast. While the current voices of golf resonate with longtime viewers, the game could certainly use an influx of new personalities.

For golf betters across the country, its something to get excited about. For the Tour, its another revenue stream to tap into. Surely sportsbooks would be clawing tooth and nail to become the official book of the PGA Tour. In fact, some of them already have things in the works.

DraftKings will be live on-site at this years Waste Management Phoenix Open, BetMGM will provide odds on digital platforms, and FanDuel is expected to come in and provide their odds on the Tours social channels.

The LPGA continues to add options as well, as IMG Arena has secured that tours official sports betting data and live streaming distribution rights.

Only time will tell how golf betting grows in the next few seasons, but its impossible not to get excited about the potential.

Read the original here:

Is golf gambling ready to explode? One PGA Tour rep says its a healthy bet. - Yahoo Sports