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Cordoba (Agenzia Fides) - "Legalizing gambling is squeezing the poor", denounces the Social and Addiction Pastoral of the Archdiocese of Crdoba, in view of the imminent discussion at the provincial level, of the bill that proposes to legalize gambling and online gambling. Expressing, once again, deep concern, the ecclesial body underlines that the initiative will favor a trade that takes advantage of the fragility of the weakest, while "the State must protect the fragile". The Social Pastoral rejects the pretext that the legalization of gambling will involve allocating a part of the income collected by the State for social assistance and programs to prevent or treat addictions to gambling. "It is like giving the poor a part of what was previously taken from them so that someone in between can run a business. Legalizing gambling means encouraging gambling". The statement, sent to Agenzia Fides, also questions the "pedagogical effect" that is to be attributed to this law and reiterates the need to "promote the culture of work, not gambling". In a country that has more than 60 percent of its children and adolescents immersed in poverty, "it is urgent to generate proposals that generate sources of decent work, and that promote and foster a culture of work and commitment. This bill clearly goes in the opposite direction". Finally, the Social and Addiction Pastoral of the Archdiocese of Crdoba asks legislators for "responsible attitudes in favor of the common good, creative initiatives and policies that increase jobs" and hopes that "next year we will work all together in search of tools and actions that improve the quality of life of citizens, especially of children and adolescents mired in poverty". (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 23/12/2021)

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AMERICA/ARGENTINA - Faced with the legalization of gambling: we need to "promote the culture of work, not squeeze the poor" - Agenzia Fides

10:0327 Dec

A teacher from the US state of Georgia pleaded guilty last week to stealing more than $240,000 from various jobs, claiming the thefts were used to fund her gambling habit.

59-year-old Trenna Denise Trice from Columbus, Georgia, faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 after admitting to defrauding the money from several companies, including two non-profit organisations.

An investigation into Trice was launched by the Inspector General of the FDIC in May 2019 after she racked up hefty casino losses funded by an unknown income source.

Her modest income as a teacher for the Muskogee County School District couldnt account for the sums of money lost, and the investigation discovered she siphoned off donations in two other jobs.

Trice was a volunteer campaign coordinator for the Columbus branch of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), a role she held for more than a decade.

With responsibility for the UNCFs fundraising activities, Trices role entailed collecting cash, credit card and check donations.

Investigating agents found that she had diverted smaller contributions to her own account, with a similar pattern of thefts from SAMARC, a non-profit that runs basketball camps for underprivileged kids, and the Georgia Dental Society.

The fraud included 109 checks and 265 credit card transactions, with estimates that Trice profited by over $240,000 from her illegal activities.

That figure includes $70,231 from the dental office and $162,044 from the UNCF, with Trice dismissed from both jobs due to financial irregularities.

Trice claimed to have a "crippling gambling addiction" when confronted about the multiple frauds, but prosecuting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary was unimpressed.

Trice will be sentenced in March 2022 and faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

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Teacher Defrauds Non-profits of $240K To Fund Gambling Addiction - PokerTube

Its the most wonderful time of the year for gambling. NFL is closing in on the playoffs. NBA is right in the thick of things. Were smack dab in the middle of college bowl season. And no matter what your favorite way to get down is, WynnBET has you covered.

No matter the sport WynnBET is allowing you to put down just a $5 wager and, if it hits, you get $400. Thats right, its basically like getting +8000 odds. The bet can be on spreads, over/unders, or moneylines as long as the pick is -120 or greater. So, in honor of this promotion, were giving you three picks that you could use this promo for.

Youd have to go back to the first game in November to find a time the Chiefs didnt cover at least -5.5. This includes games with the Cowboys and the Packers, who are the top two teams in the NFC right now. Patrick Mahomes has seemingly found the touch that everybody was worried he had lost earlier in the year. The two wins in a row for Joe Burrow and crew likely is what drags this spread down to -5.5. That makes it extra nice for those on the Kansas City side, especially if youre looking at WynnBET.

Both of these teams are 3-1 in their last four games. However, this game will come on the heels of Miamis Tuesday night game with Washington (which is going on at the time of this being written). Win or lose, thats a tough turnaround being that this one is on the road in Texas. Plus, with shortened benches for seemingly every team in the league, Ill take the hot, and rested, hand of the Spurs. Bonus: if Dejounte Murray is able to go, I expect this line to get wider in a hurry. So get it now at WynnBET.

While the Cowboys did unspeakable things to the Washington Football Team on Sunday night, on both sides of the ball, I have to imagine itll be a bit tamer against the Cardinals. These two teams are ranked #2 and #3 in the NFC in points allowed and are only a point or two off of the lead. A total this high seems like a gimme to me and that gimme becomes even bigger at WynnBET.

Be sure to catch all of our coverage of the NFL and NBA, including all our picks and podcasts and dont forget to download the SGPN app to get those as easy as possible.

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WynnBET Bet $5 and Win $400 - The Sports Gambling Podcast

MADISON, Wis. (AP) Gamblers may soon have more opportunities to wager on sports in Wisconsin.

Gov. Tony Evers administration announced earlier this week that it has amended its gaming compact with the St. Croix Chippewa to allowing betting on sports and other events at tribal casinos, on tribal land and on land held in trust for the tribe.

The St. Croix Tribal Council approved the amendment on Nov. 30. The U.S. Department of the Interior still must sign off on the change, but the tribe already has started building a sports book facility at its Turtle Lake casino.

The Evers administration in July amended its compact with the Oneida Nation to allow sports wagers at its facilities, legalizing sports gambling in Wisconsin for the first time.

VIXIO Gambling Compliance, a company that tracks gambling legislation and performance, issued a report in January predicting national revenue for legal sports betting could reach $3.1 billion in 2021 and grow to as much as $10 billion within five years.

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Wisconsin Gov. Evers signs sports gambling deal with St. Croix Chippewa - WIZM NEWS

Many golfers appear in dozens of matchups every year on sportsbooks. So which ones made the most money for gamblers? And which ones cost bettors the most. Heres a list of the most and least profitable golfers on all PGA Tour matchups in 2021 (minimum of 50 matchups appeared in).

2021 wasnt a great year for Gary Woodland. He slipped in the OWGR from #40 to #121 by the end of the year. But for gambling purposes, Gary Woodland was a very reliable player to use in PGA Tour matchups in 2021.

Woodland went 38-24-3 combined in 72 Hole and Round-by-Round matchups in 2021. While it was an up and down year, Gary Woodland capitalized for gamblers in his peak performances. His best showings for bettors were the Wells Fargo Championship, the Barracuda Championship, the Valero Texas Open, the CJ Cup @ Summit, and the Charles Schwab Challenge. At these five events, Woodland netted gamblers a combined 16.3 Units and an ROI of 78%.

While Woodland may look back at 2021 as a disappointment, his backers in PGA Tour matchups certainly will not.

Kevin Na had a traffic year. He won the Sony Open, lost in a playoff at the Wyndham, and showed very well at the Tour Championship. But he also did fantastic for his backers in head-to-head matchups. Na went 45-26-7 in all matchups in 2021, netting bettors a profit of 14.9 units.

Where Na really excelled was when he was an underdog. He found himself an underdog to his counterpart in just under half of his matchups in 2021. He rewarded those who backed him with a 20-13-3 record. That netted 9.4 units or a 26.1% ROI. Kevin Na was a great zag to use all year long.

2021 was a banner year from Jon Rahm. He won his first major. He welcomed the birth of his first child. And he was an absolute stud in PGA Tour matchups all year long.

Bettors typically had to lay big juice to back Jon Rahm in a matchup. Out of 109 matchups, Rahm was only an underdog in one of them. And he was a -150 or greater favorite in almost 65% of his total matchups. And by the FedEx Cup playoffs, you rarely could find him better than a -175 favorite.

Despite all the juice, a bettor would pay, anyone who bet 1 unit on Rahm in each of his matchups would net 20.8 units on the year, or 19.1% ROI. Rahm went 73-23-13 overall in 2021. A truly dominating performance that matched his stellar play on the golf course.

Talor Gooch was an underrated darling in the golf gambling community in 2021. He seemed to be a trendy longshot winner in many tournaments in 2021. He finally rewarded all his backers with a win at the RSM Classic at 45/1.

But Gooch seemed to be rewarding gamblers much earlier than that. In 2021, Gooch went 55-27-9 in all PGA Tour matchups, including 15-6 in 72 Hole Matchups. Betting 1 unit on Gooch in each matchup would have been profitable in 17 of 25 PGA Tour events he played in 2021. And of the 13 tournaments he played after the PGA Championship, the only tournaments Gooch would have lost money for a gambler was the Wyndham and the Shriners Childrens Open.

Blindly betting on Talor Gooch in PGA Tour matchups was one of the safest and most profitable bets to make in 2021.

The PGA Tour Matchup MVP of 2021 is a golfer you wouldnt immediately suspect. But Seamus Powers breakthrough 2021 season paid big dividends for gamblers.

Seamus Power went an absurd 33-14-6 in his 2021 matchups on the PGA Tour. Blindly betting on Seamus Power in any event he played would have been profitable in 11 of 16 tournaments. And where Power did most of this damage was round-by-round matchups. Seamus Power went 29-9-6 in individual round matchups in 2021. He was an absolute stud to use in that particular matchup.

Seamus Power used to be a little secret to the golf gambling community, but now the word is out. Hell start getting paired up in tougher matchups in 2021. If he continues to be this profitable, big things are in store for him.

After Dustin Johnsons stellar 2020 season, his follow-up in 2021 left much to be desired. DJ only won once in 2021, and it wasnt even on the PGA Tour. He only had one Top 10 at a major and wasnt a contender in any of them. He was a non-factor in the FedEx Cup playoffs. It just wasnt a year to remember for Dustin Johnson.

It also wasnt the year to remember for anyone who backed Dustin Johnson in matchups. Because books still priced Dustin Johnson as one of the top favorites at every tournament, he was typically paired against very elite golfers. The results werent pretty. Johnson went 48-56-7 in all 2021 matchups. The total result doesnt look so bad, but the juice one would typically have to pay on Dustin Johnson in a matchup really added up. Dustin Johnson was profitable for bettors in only 5 of 18 tournaments played. His best result was netting over 6 units at the WGC FedEx St. Jude, a golf course he has a great history at. He combined to lose almost 31 units in his matchups across his remaining 17 events.

Dustin Johnson showed at the Ryder Cup he has some stuff left in the tank. Theres nowhere to go but up from here. If books start adjusting his pricing, maybe hell become one of the better values in matchups in 2022.

The prime of Matt Kuchars career is long past. And that was on full display during a lackluster 2021. Kuchar didnt record a single Top 10 in any stroke play event in the calendar year. And his 50 round moving average strokes gained on the field is the lowest it has been since 2009.

Given hes a popular name, though, books would often pair him in matchups to try and garner action. Those who backed Kuchar were hammered. In 2021, Kuchar went 6-8 in 72 Hole head-to-heads, losing 2.4 units and generating -17.2% ROI. But where Kuchar really killed bettors was in-tournament plays. Kuchar went 16-25-3 against opponents in round-by-round matchups. The only round Kuchar turned a profit for gamblers was Round 3. But across Thursday and Friday and in the Final Round, Kuchar cost bettors almost 12.4 units.

Kuchar attributed his struggles to chasing distance in 2021. He has since abandoned that plan, and the results during the Fall swing were encouraging. Maybe one last run is in the cards. But if not, hell continue to be a stay away for gambling in 2022.

Like Kuchar, Bubba Watson is on the downside of his career. Bubba Watson wouldnt be someone one would call an athlete. And as he ages, so too will his form. For years, Bubba got by thanks to his incredible length. But as more and more around him catch up to him off the tee, the other weaknesses in his game are exposed.

There wasnt a single situation where backing Bubba in a matchup turned an overall profit in 2021. He was 5-8 in 72 hole head-to-head matchups and 20-27-7 in round-to-round matchups. Blindly betting on Bubba all year would have cost one money in pre-tournament and all in-round matchups. There were his usual Bubba tournaments where he was profitable, like the Masters, the Travelers, and the Waste Management Phoenix Open. But when Bubba was off, he was very off and cost bettors dearly.

He showed in 2021 that at tournaments he has a good history in, Bubba can be useable. But outside of that, he appears to be an auto-fade in 2022.

Jason Day showed such promise in his dominating 2015-2016 run. But back problems have seriously derailed his career. In 2021, Jason Day recorded only two Top 10s and missed the cut in 7 of 18 starts. Hes sunk to 123rd in the world, his lowest ranking since 2010.

Those who still believed in Jason Day were punished severely. Day went 3-8 in 72 hole matchups in 2021. That cost bettors 5.6 units and generated -50.8% ROI. But the time he punished bettors the most was in Round 1. Jason Day got off to horrible starts in 2021, and it showed in these types of bets. Day went 3-9-2 in Round 1 matchups. That cost bettors over 7 units and generated another -50.3% ROI. Blindly betting on Jason Day would have been profitable in only 4 of 15 tournaments in 2021. And none of those four profitable tournaments would have resulted in more than 0.9 units won.

Recently, Jason Day showed off his brand new practice facility at his Columbus, OH home. He also revealed that he has been working on some swing changes with Chris Como. If those take, maybe he can once again become a reliable option in matchups.

Justin Rose certainly had his moments in 2021. He was the first-round leader at the 2021 Masters, and he showed well at the 2021 PGA Championship. But Justin Roses 2021 season is defined mostly on poor play and back injuries.

Gamblers will remember Justin Rose as a thorn in their side. Rose went a seemingly impossible 1-11-1 in 72 hole matchups, costing gamblers over 11 units. He also went a miserable 13-24-5 in round-by-round matchups, costing gamblers another 11 units. And blindly betting Justin Rose wouldnt have generated a profit in any tournament he played. Even in the Masters or PGA Championships, his two best tournaments of the season.

Justin Rose must go back to the drawing board if he hopes to return to the European Ryder Cup team. But until he shows form, he looks to be a blind fade in 2022.

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2021 PGA Tour Matchups: MVPs and LVPs - The Sports Gambling Podcast

TRENTON, N.J. A bill that would give tax relief to Atlantic Citys casinos and possibly prevent the closure of as many as four of them is now in the hands of New Jerseys governor.

The state Legislature passed a bill shortly before midnight Monday making changes to an existing law enabling the nine casinos to make payments in lieu of property taxes to Atlantic City, Atlantic County and the school system.

It now goes to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who said Monday that the approach and direction of the bill are all good by me.

I hope the governor signs it as quickly as possible, said Steve Sweeney, the outgoing Democratic president of the state Senate.

Sweeney has said that as many as four of Atlantic City's nine casinos would be in danger of closing if the bill is not passed and signed into law. He has offered little evidence for the statement, and no casino has publicly made that claim.

The Casino Association of New Jersey said in a statement Tuesday that the measure will protect thousands of jobs and provide certainty and stability to the market.

"We look forward to Governor Murphy quickly signing this important legislation into law and we are committed to working to continue to revitalize our historic seaside destination resort, the organization, which is the Atlantic City casinos trade group said.

Known as the PILOT bill, it is intended to help the casinos recover from the coronavirus pandemic by reducing large increases in payments in lieu of property taxes that would take effect if the bill is not passed.

The casinos would still pay more to the city, county and schools next year even if the bill is enacted; it just reduces the amount of the increase.

The casinos collectively expect to pay about $10 million to $15 million more next year if the bill passes. Without it, they say, their payments are due to rise by 50%.

Revenue figures reported by the state show the casinos overall numbers continuing to rise this year. But the casinos say those figures paint a distorted picture of their true financial condition by including money from internet gambling and sports betting with the money won from in-person gamblers.

Online and sports betting money must be shared with third party providers like technology platforms and sports books.

That is one big reason the bill excludes those two revenue streams the fastest growing in Atlantic Citys casino industry from calculations on how much the casinos must pay in lieu of taxes.

The casinos say their core business winning money from in-person gamblers is down significantly from 2019, the year before the pandemic hit.

While the two newest casinos, Hard Rock and Ocean, have seen their in-person revenue increase since 2019, the seven other casinos are down a collective 22% since then, according to the Casino Association of New Jersey.

The first version of the bill was passed five years ago when Atlantic City was reeling from the closure of five of its 12 casinos.

Easily able back then to show that their businesses were worth less in a declining market, the casinos successfully appealed their property tax assessments year after year, helping to blow huge holes in Atlantic Citys budget. The law prevented them from appealing in return for the certainty of knowing what their financial responsibilities would be for years to come.

The bill does not affect the state taxes casinos must pay on internet gambling revenue (15%) and online sports betting revenue (13%), nor the 9.25% tax on in-person casino revenue.

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A tax relief bill for Atlantic City casinos goes to Gov. Murphy. Thousands of jobs could be on the line. - The Philadelphia Inquirer

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Evers signs gambling deal with St. Croix Chippewa - Daily Union

Science-fiction and casino games seem to work rather well with each other. Almost every famous sci-fi story has featured some form of gambling in its lifetime. If sci-fi gambling scenes tickle your fancy, have a look at five of the most notable stories where gambling gets its own share of the limelight.

No matter which way you look at it, The Last Jedi tends to be a contentious topic among both fans and critics alike. Some liked it; some hated it. However, one of the things both camps tend to agree on is that the casino segment of the storyline was mostly a waste of time, mainly due to its arbitrary placement and the fact that it seemed to fill little purpose other than being a momentary diversion.

Its a pity that the casino segment of the movie is so haphazardly juxtaposed with the rest of the film. If the film had made more of an effort to establish a coherent narrative for the casino chapter, things might have turned out entirely differently. As it stands, however, The Last Jedi remains one of the most contentious movies in the Star Wars universe. Whether thats a good thing is debatable, but one things for sure, no one seems to be able to forget just how eclectic the quality of the movie is.

Back when Mel Gibson was in the prime of his acting career, he starred in a number of world-famous movies such as Braveheart and Gallipoli. Mad Max was the first series where Gibson filled the role of the action hero, a casting that would go on to define his career.

Mad Max: Beyond the Thunderdome is the third entry in the Mad Max trilogy. Gibson plays Max Rockatansky, a road warrior who has to fight for his life in an arena known as the Thunderdome. With his odds of survival dwindling by the minute, and the crowded arena betting on the odds of his demise, Max must do anything he can to survive.

The film has influenced popular culture significantly, to the point where the word Thunderdome is now used in various contexts. The word and the film itself point to situations of desperation, where the loser of any contest faces extreme consequences. Can you imagine spectating such a contest? Would you bet on Maxs survival? At the very least, this aspect of the film is an interesting concept to unravel.

The lethal nature behind The Hunger Games is what sets it apart from similar stories. Putting a bunch of youngsters in a battle to the death is nothing short of horrific but, as gruesome as the idea is, audiences cant help but relate to the themes of feudalism and inequality on display.

To bet on a game is one thing, but to bet on the lives of human beings is an entirely different matter. Watching The Hunger Games, seeing how carelessly the public decides on a childs odds of survival, is a stark reminder that sometimes we can be a fairly ruthless species, one that treats human life as a commodity rather than giving it the respect every life deserves.

Jennifer Lawrences portrayal of the main character, Katniss Everdeen, is near flawless. She is tough yet compassionate, deadly yet hesitant to take a life unnecessarily. Lawrence won the Saturn Award and the Empire Award for Best Actress, as well as the Critics Choice Award for Best Actress. The film itself received over 50 award nominations in total, winning 28 of them, including Favorite Movie at the Peoples Choice Awards.

Battlestar Galactica is military science fiction at its finest. The universe, created by Glen Larson, is incredibly granular in detail, which has led to a cult following unlike that of any other show. It also received critical acclaim, winning several awards for its writing, directing, costume design, visual effects, and sound editing.

The shows influence on popular culture is indisputable. For example, a fictional card game first featured in the series eventually became a real card game. Named Triad, the game is similar to poker but uses hexagonal cards as opposed to regular playing cards. Interestingly, seeing as there are no rules or standard of play, the game wasnt ever meant to be played for real. Instead, fans of the show created their own rules in line with the lore of Battlestar Galacticas universe.

Not many shows can boast over 30 years of pop culture relevance, and fewer still have led to fictional card games becoming real ones. In fact, Battlestar Galactica is the only TV show that has led to the development of a real card game.

Often compared to Star Wars, Star Trek is one of the biggest science-fiction franchises ever created. Since 1960, the show has expanded into several films, television series, video games, and other forms of entertainment media. Due to its progressive stance on civil rights, the franchise is also well-known for its cultural influence beyond science fiction.

Star Trek fans will know exactly why the series is featured on this list. Poker is a regular feature throughout the show. Senior staff of the USS Enterprise, including Captain Picard, had a weekly poker game scheduled for every Tuesday. Although Picard (played by Sir Patrick Stewart) isnt as regular a player as the rest of the crew, the game is nonetheless a major element of R & R aboard the Enterprise.

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5 of the Greatest Sci-Fi Gambling Scenes You'll Ever See - Scified

Florida Education Champions, sponsors of a sports betting initiative, have submitted 194,287 valid signatures as of Dec. 17.

The measure would authorize sports betting at sports venues, pari-mutuel facilities, and online in Florida. The Florida State Legislature would need to pass legislation to implement the constitutional amendment such as providing for licensing, regulation, consumer protection, and taxation. The amendment would require all online sports betting tax revenue to be dedicated to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund of the Department of Education. Online sports betting could be conducted by (a) Native American tribes and (b) entities that have existed for at least one year and that have conducted sports betting in at least 10 other states. Such entities could begin conducting sports betting no later than eight months after the amendment is effective. Other entities or organizations could conduct sports betting no sooner than 20 months after the amendment is effective if authorized by state law.

Florida Voters in Charge, sponsors of a casino gaming expansion initiative, had submitted 282,529 valid signatures as of Dec. 17. The initiative would expand casino gaming in Florida by allowing businesses with active cardroom licenses to offer casino gaming as long as they are (a) located 130 miles in a straight line away from any of the seven Seminole tribal casinos and (b) expend $250 million in capital investments (new development and construction costs on the gaming complex) within three years after submitting a notice of commencement of casino gaming.

To qualify for the 2022 ballot, campaigns must submit 891,589 valid signatures. Initiative signatures must be verified by February 1, 2022, and must be submitted to county officials long enough before that date to allow for the verification process. County supervisors of elections have a maximum of 30 days to verify signatures and submit them to the secretary of state. Campaigns are targeting Dec. 30 as their final signature submission date. Florida also has a signature distribution requirement, which requires that signatures equaling at least 8% of the district-wide vote in the last presidential election be collected from at least half (14) of the states 27 congressional districts.

Proposed measures are reviewed by the state attorney general and state supreme court after proponents collect 25% of the required signatures across the state in each of one-half of the states congressional districts (222,898 signatures for 2022 ballot measures). After these preliminary signatures have been collected, the secretary of state must submit the proposal to the Florida Attorney General and the Financial Impact Estimating Conference (FIEC). The attorney general is required to petition the Florida Supreme Court for an advisory opinion on the measures compliance with the single-subject rule, the appropriateness of the title and summary, and whether or not the measure is facially valid under the United States Constitution. So far, only Florida Voters in Charge have met the signature requirement to qualify for this review.

According to campaign finance reports covering through Nov. 30, $100.27 million had been raised by committees surrounding the initiatives. Florida Voters in Charge, sponsors of the initiative to expand casino gaming, reported $28.06 million in contributions. Las Vegas Sands Corp gave $27.06 million and Poarch Creek Band of Indians gave $1 million. The committee reported expenditures totaling $27.45 million.

Florida Education Champions, sponsors of the sports betting initiative, reported $37.09 million in contributions ($22.7 million from DraftKings and $14.38 million from FanDuel) and $26.77 million in expenditures.

Standing up for Florida registered to oppose both initiatives. The Seminole Tribe of Florida gave $10 million to the committee. Seminole Gaming gave $10 million to another committee, Voters in Control, which then gave that $10 million to Standing up for Florida.

Politico reported on November 29, 2021, that the Seminole Tribe of Florida was paying petition gathering firms to not work in Florida during the 2022 midterms as part of an effort to block rival proposed gaming constitutional amendments a strategy that also includes running a separate informal signature gathering operation and hiring workers that interfere with other petition gatherers.

Seminole spokesperson Gary Bitner said the tribe assembled the best team of political consultants in the country [and is] currently engaged to oppose multiple outside interests that have initially invested a combined $60 million in PAC money to hire more than a thousand people to fight the Tribes success.

Las Vegas Sands (donors to Florida Voters in Charge, supporters of the casino expansion initiative) filed a lawsuit asking a judge to order the Seminole Tribe to stop the petition blocking effort, but later withdrew their request for an emergency injunction, saying, We will not allow any distractions, legal maneuvers or the tribes egregious blocking tactics to distract us from that mission. Therefore, we have decided to withdraw our request for an emergency injunction so our team members can remain focused on gathering signatures and not be held up in the courtroom. With our effort reaching this critical stage and our signature gathering progress in full swing, we will not be deterred by legal maneuvers seeking to bring our on-the-ground team members out of the field and tie them up in legal proceedings.

The Florida State Legislature referred two constitutional amendments to the 2022 ballot. One would abolish the Florida Constitution Revision Commission and the other would allow the state legislature to pass laws prohibiting taking flood resistance improvements into account when calculating a propertys assessed value for property tax purposes.

A total of 78 measures appeared on the Florida statewide ballot between 2000 and 2020, including six measures that appeared on the statewide ballot in odd-numbered years. Of the measures, 71.79% (56 of 78) were approved by voters and 28.21% (22 of 78) were defeated. From 2000 to 2020, an average of about seven measures appeared on the ballot during even-numbered years in Florida.

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Proponents of Florida gambling initiatives aim to submit signatures by Dec. 30; $100 million has been raised surrounding the two measures Ballotpedia...

Empire City Casino reopens

Empire CityCasino in Yonkers reopened Sept. 21, 2020 after being closed since March due to the coronavirus shutdown.

Peter Carr, pcarr@lohud.com

ALBANY - Some of the nation's largest casino operators submitted preliminary details early this month in a bid to win three lucrative gambling licenses in New York City and its suburbs.

The request for information submissions, which were largely redacted by the state Gaming Commission, was the first major step in what will be a high-stakes battle over the next year to scorethe casino licenses in the country's largest untapped market: New York City.

The effort extends to the suburbs, where Empire City Casino in Yonkers has been for years lobbying to be able to turn its sprawling racetrack with video-lottery terminals into a full-scale casino with table games, slot machines and Las Vegas-style amenities.

Our response to the New York State Gaming Commissions Request for Information regarding downstate full-scale casino licenses was, in short, 'were ready to go,' MGM Resorts International, the owner of Empire City and Yonkers Raceway, said in a statement.

"A full gaming license at Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts will be a game-changer for Westchester, the Bronx, and the state."

In 2013, New York voters approved a referendum to allow seven private casino licenses to be issued. The state Legislature voted to let four upstate casinos in the Finger Lakes, Schenectady, the Catskills and the Southern Tier after winning a bidding contest have exclusive gaming rights until 2023.

So the three licenses remain outstanding, and the gambling giants are eager to win them and build casinos in the five boroughs, especially Manhattan, as well as possibly Long Island and Westchester.

Already, Empire City and the Genting-owned Resorts World New York City in Queens dominate the region's gambling market with their racinos, but both are vying for the right to expand to full casinos.

We look forward to continuing to work with our partners at the Gaming Commission during this process, and, if granted a full casino license, we are uniquely positioned to provide elevated support to New York immediately," Resorts World, which also owns Resorts World Catskills in Sullivan County, said in a statement.

"This would mean creating more good-paying union jobs, increased revenue for public schools, and significant economic benefits for the local community without delay."

UE Resorts International, Inc.;Las Vegas Sands Corp.; Wynn Resorts;Rush Street Gaming;Hard Rock International; Bally's Corporation and the Water Club in Manhattan also submitted proposals.

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Casino companies have for years been pressingNew York to open up the bidding sooner than 2023, offering$500 million each to the state for a casino license and to pay the four upstate casinos to have the moratorium lifted.

But the efforts have not succeeded in Albany. Now the next step would likely be a formal bidding process and review by the Gaming Commission. In 2014, then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo set up a separate task force to award the upstate licenses.

In the meantime, finding out what the casino companies are proposing remains largely a secret.

The Gaming Commission said it redacted most of the details in the submissions at the request of the companies, saying the information is propriety and was needed, at times, to protect personal privacy.

But the commission said in the documents that it did not confirm "that any of those redactions are consistent with the New York Freedom of Information Law."

Brad Maione, a commission spokesman, defended the decision to redact the information, saying it wanted to get out the names of the companies as soon as the deadline to do so expired.

He said the commission will continue to review the applications to see what further information can be released.

"Our evaluation of what is reasonably and correctly requested to be withheld by submitters pursuant to Public Officers Law is ongoing and changes to what is redacted is likely to change over time," Maionesaid.

Blair Horner, legislative director for the New York Public Interest Research Group, said the Gaming Commission should release as much information as possible about the interested casino bidders under the Public Officers Law.

"These are not hard questions to have answered by the Committee on Open Government," which advises on the release of what information is public, he said.

Shoshanah Bewlay, the agency's executive director, said in an email that the commission appears to be following state law because it is proactively disclosing the proposals in accordance with state statute.

And not all the proposals were redacted.

For example, the Water Club, the upscale venue on Manhattan's East Side, said it would like a license for"a smaller boutique (Monte Carlo) style casino that is easily expandable."

Rush Gaming, which owns Rivers Casino in Schenectady, also submitted an unredacted proposal, saying it would like an opportunity to build a casino in the downstate market and develop synergy with its upstate facility.

"The massive downstate market can easily accommodate three casinos, and we enthusiastically support authorizing all three licenses to maximize (the) economic benefit to the state," Rush Street's proposal states.

More: Is New York moving closer to adding NYC-area casinos? Here's maybe why

More: How the pitch for New York City casinos could save the upstate ones

Joseph Spector is the Government and Politics Editorfor the USA TODAY Network's Atlantic Group, overseeing coverage in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware.He can be reached at JSPECTOR@Gannett.com or followed on Twitter: @GannettAlbany

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Gambling giants eye New York City-area casinos as three coveted licenses are up for grabs - The Journal News