Category Archives: Gambling

A new era of gambling and sports betting is rolling in Pennsylvania. With it comes increased tax revenue and more resources for gambling addiction and prevention. While the state is working to promote responsible gambling online and in casinos, there arent many options for people who have been convicted of gambling-related felonies.

One solution comes from Nevada, where the nations first gambling treatment diversion court (GTDC) was introduced in 2018. The rigorous program is an alternative to prison for defendants and gives them a chance to dedicate themselves to recovery.

The first presiding judge of the Nevada court, retired Judge Cheryl Moss, is eyeing expansion to nearby states like New Jersey. Will Pennsylvania lawmakers consider bringing it to the Keystone State?

Specialty diversion courts already exist in the US to deal with matters like substance abuse offenses, mental health cases, and juvenile delinquency. The gambling treatment diversion court was modeled after these initiatives, where offenders have to meet certain criteria to enter.

A person who commits a crime, and the crime was in furtherance of a gambling a gambling addiction explained Moss. The crime has to be a felony, with the exceptions of crimes of violence, crimes against children, domestic violence, sexual crimes, and if the person has two or more prior felonies and the nature of those felony convictions.

The ideal participant typically goes through treatment while awaiting the outcome of their case. If eligible, they go through another round of treatment as well as random drug testing, support groups, and regular meetings with their judge to focus on restitution and other areas of need. Moss describes the participants she saw as extremely compliant, dedicated to their recovery, and [leading] healthy lives.

The gambling treatment diversion court is young, and treatment can last up to three years. So, there isnt much concrete data on the viability of the court yet. Because the GTDC takes after other specialty courts already established across the country, theres reason to believe it can be successful.

There are several graduates of Nevadas Clark County court already, and judges continue to recommend people for the court. Although Moss no longer works for the court, she said she knew of 11 participants currently enrolled. Two more expect to graduate in 2022.

Moss is already working with lawyers in Philadelphia to bring the idea to PA Supreme Court Justices, one of whom she says is already aware and supportive of it.

If the PA judiciary, particularly the PA Supreme Court, is very supportive and knowledgeable on specialty courts and promotes ways to provide people help, treatment, and save the state of Pennsylvania money, then the likelihood of success increases, she said.

Still, the court took years to get off the ground in Nevada. The idea dates back to 2009 and took so long to initiate due to lack of awareness. Will Pennsylvanians with gambling addictions have to wait that long for this opportunity in their state?

Not likely, says Moss. Nevada judiciaries are willing to share resources and collaborate with Pennsylvania lawmakers to establish a court instead of waiting for legislation to pass, which can take much longer. New Jersey and Pennsylvania will also be able to use Nevadas first court as a model the same way it used specialty courts as a base.

Challenges such as funding and training personnel will undoubtedly take up time, but another decade seems improbable.

The most obvious benefit to all this is money. It takes money to house inmates, and a diversion court keeps people out of the prison system. Pennsylvania is much bigger than Las Vegas, so the savings could reach into the millions each year.

The court also prevents repeat offenders. Participants who graduated from the program are less likely to commit crimes in the future thanks to the courts training and treatment.

Moss commented:

A person who is just thrown into prison will receive no gambling treatment as no such programs exist in the US prisons, state and federal alike. When they get out, they might not know about seeking gambling treatment, and chances are they will land back in criminal court again. Awareness is another great bonus. Moss hopes that a GTDC can support prevention programs in schools and for athletes. Family members of those with a gambling addiction also avoid further consequences when the breadwinner of their family stays out of prison.

GTDC is a shining light of hope for them when they realize they want to get help, said Moss.

A diversion court can save lives, but its not an excuse to ignore responsible gambling guidelines. Here are some resources available:

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Gambling Diversion Courts Could Help People With Gambling Addiction - Play Pennsylvania

Penn National Gaming and the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) agreed to a settlement related to responsible gambling violations made by the casino operator earlier this year.

The settlement ordered by the IGC on September 29 involves a financial sanction of $12,500 for two occasions on which Penn Nationals Barstool Sportsbook brand violated responsible gaming rules in the state, with the payment guaranteeing no disciplinary action by the regulator.

The first charge levied to Penns subsidiary which operates the sportsbook brand Penn Sports Interactive (PSI) relates to the Barstool Sportsbook launch in May, which effectively happened with no terms and conditions and house rules on the brands official website. The Barstool Sportsbook operates in the Hawkeye State through the license of the Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg.

According to the settlement, on May 14 the regulator was informed by the companys vice president for compliance about the planned sportsbook launch on May 18. The director of sports wagering at IGC notified the incumbent that verbiage required by law was missing from its responsible gaming page, an observation later confirmed by Penn executive, who found out the required language for terms and conditions and house rules were also missing.

A further investigation undertaken by PSI revealed the final policy documents related to responsible gaming, terms and conditions had not been ordered for production and nearly 4,000 users of the sportsbook were asked to agree to blank terms and conditions, while house rules were also blank due to non-working links.

Despite that PSI prompted all of the users who had previously signed on blank terms and conditions to accept the correct ones in their next login into the sportsbook, the IGC imposed a $5,000 fine for the violation.

The second count which will cost PSI $7,500 relates to a 12-second video that the regulator described as questionable that was posted on an official Barstool TikTok account on March 30 by a junior member of the sportsbook brands media team.

The short video that discussed gambling losses remained online for 12 hours before the brands social media manager became aware of its existence and ordered its removal. By that time, the video was shared multiple times on Twitter.

Consequently, PSI took action to rectify the situation by suspending the employees one-month pay and providing refresher training on responsible gaming for the entire staff. PSI also classified the video was as a selfie posted to a Barstool social media channel and not to a channel related or controlled by the company, but the IGC was convinced responsible gaming rules were violated.

The regulator outlined that sports betting operators should not make false or misleading advertising of their sports wagering operations, on top of the requirement to display responsible gaming language on their websites.

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Penn Agreed to Settle Responsible Gambling Claims in Indiana - GamblingNews.com

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning and Paul Merson to discuss the former footballers new book Hooked

Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.

On the podcast they cover Merson's struggles with addiction to alcohol, drugs and most damagingly, gambling. Merson talks openly about devastating lows including a relapse in the first lockdown, borrowing money from friends and his road to recovery.

Plus, Merson shares his love of Soccer Saturday and the three reminisce on a pilot they filmed for Sky. You can read Donald McRaes interview with Merson here.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this episode, the following resources are available:

In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or you can email jo@samaritans.org

In the US the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255

In Australia the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14.

Other international suicide helplines can be found at http://www.befrienders.org

GamCare offers free information, support and counselling for problem gamblers in the UK.

It runs the National Gambling Helpline (0808 8020 133) and also offers face-to-face counselling.

In the US the National Problem Gambling Helpline is: 1-800-522-4700

In Australia the National Gambling Helpline is: 1800 858 858

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Paul Merson on alcoholism, his gambling addiction and punditry Football Weekly - The Guardian

Ireland is looking to follow in the footsteps of England and introduce a blanket ban on credit card deposits for all gambling related activities.

This proposed credit card blanket ban will cover both the land based and the online gambling industry.

Ireland was battling an increase in problem gambling numbers prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The extended lockdown brought on by the pandemic during 2020 and 2021, saw the Irish turn their attention to online casinos and betting sites to see if they could make money while being locked up at home.

Fine Gael Senator Joe OReilly has been a huge advocate for putting in place more stringent measures to curb the freedom of gambling operators and offer better protection to Irish gamblers. OReilly recently told the Seanad that charities have reported a significant increase in problem gambling numbers during COVID-19. Reports show a 46 percent increase in problem gambling numbers and most of these are online players.

RT News

OReilly said that when global sports took a break during COVID-19, Irish players were drawn to online poker and other online casino games. There are reports which show that there are over 55,000 individuals in Ireland who have serious issues with problem gambling.

Some gambling operators have proposed an option ban on credit cards where the play has the option of banning themselves from using a credit card. Sinn Fin TD Thomas Gould these option credit card bans dont work as players can also change their mind and lift their credit card ban when they feel like it.

Ireland has held many discussions over the years of putting together a more robust gambling bill but nothing has materialized so far. There is now a push to get a gambling regulator established and running by the end of 2021.

Sinn Fin TD Thomas Gould is pushing through the Betting (Prohibition on Use of Credit Cards) Bill 2021 that specifically looks to ban the use of credit cards for gambling related activities. Gould said that the credit card ban was the need of the hour to prevent thousands of players from gambling with money they do not have. Gould also went on to say that even gambling operators were aware that they needed to do more to protect Irish players.

The bill has received the approval of the Government and will now proceed to be reviewed by the Committee.

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Ban On Credit Card Deposits Proposed In New Irish Gambling Bill - Legal Gambling News

'American Built' explores the structural beginnings of Sin City's strip of hotels, restaurants and casinos.

They say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas but how did the gambling mecca come to be the motherland of kept secrets?

FOX Business "American Built" explored the structural beginnings of the Las Vegas Strip, starting with the construction of the railroad in 1905. Las Vegas, translated in Spanish as "The Meadows," was a halfway point for refueling the Union Pacific.

As Nevada law waned lenient towards gambling, two blocks of casinos and bars were settled, drawing in travelers.

The construction of the Hoover Dam in 1931 was an even bigger blessing for the city coming out of the Great Depression which Clark County Museum Systems Mark Hall-Patton credited to "basically saving" the city. The project brought in electrical power and added about 20,000 more people to the population.

BUILDING ALCATRAZ: AMERICA'S INESCAPABLE, ISLAND-RIDDEN PRISON

Nevada soon legalized gambling and Northern Club on Fremont Street was the first casino to open its doors. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas professor David Schwartz detailed that early gambling halls were "very basic," except for the surge in neon signs which were used to lure in visitors.

'American Built' explores 1950s Las Vegas and the construction of the city's original landmarks.

The end of prohibition was yet another boost the Vegas fortune and Fremont Street became quickly packed, so developers began looking to expand the Strip elsewhere.

"It was cheaper to build outside the city limits of Las Vegas than it was to build within Las Vegas," Hall-Patton said.

Hotel founders built new foundations along Highway 91 and developer Thomas Hull was the first to establish his El Rancho Vegas motel. Texas theater owner R.E. Griffith became Hulls first competitor, breaking ground on The Last Frontier lodge down the street.

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The market riled up competition and soon involved "The Hollywood Reporter" founder Billy Wilkerson who founded the Flamingo Hotel. But American mobster Bugsy Siegel was quick to swipe the deal from Wilkerson in old mob fashion with money from organized crime company Murder Inc. and a threat.

The grand opening of the Flamingo was rushed by Siegel, who was wrapped up in mob debt, and the hotel was soon after infiltrated by Murder Inc. colleagues. Unlike Flamingos flop, the newest hotel to follow, Wilbur Clarks Desert Inn, hosted a star-studded grand opening -- a two-day gala with major celebrities and a credit limit of up to $10,000 for VIPs.

FOX Business' 'American Built' explores the beginnings of San Francisco's island-based penitentiary.

While the strips hotel scene began offering viewings of atomic bomb tests, architect Wayne McAllister blew up the market with the Sands Hotel.

"The Sands was the casino that took all of the elements that were floating around in Las Vegas and really perfected them," Schwartz said.

Architect and author Alan Hess described the Sands as "highly designed" with intricate light fixtures and carpeting, and, most importantly, a glamorous 65-foot tall neon sign. This sparked the beginning of Las Vegas neon light lifestyle.

By the 1950s, the Sands continued its cool reputation and often hosted A-listers like Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra, and famously featured The Rat Pack.

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The Strip housed 18 hotels by 1953 as the pressure to build larger landmarks intensified. The Stardust became Vegas newest destination in the late 50s by catering to the average American tourist, setting the scene for decades to come.

As Las Vegas modern staples like MGM, Caesars Palace and Treasure Island took over the landscape, Sin Citys original foundations including the Sands, Desert Inn and Stardust were sacrificed to build anew. The one exception: Bugsy Siegels Flamingo which has today been transformed into a Vegas mega-hotel.

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Viva Las Vegas: How constructing Sin Citys Strip brought the gambling mecca to life - Fox Business

Gambling takes a remarkable toll on society. In England alone, the cost of dealing with the social harms it causes (such as joblessness, debt, and health-related problems) is more than 1.2bn, and thats a conservative estimate. On top of that, gamblers in Great Britain lose about 14bn every year to the industry, and people who are most socially and economically deprived are more likely to be affected.

These figures come from a comprehensive review of gambling harms published by Public Health England (PHE). The sums involved are astonishing, and reinforce both the need to think carefully about gambling and how its promoted and about who should bear the costs of the damage it does. While the government has started to consider this in its review of the 2005 Gambling Act, the frame of reference aiming to simultaneously protect the public while ensuring that the gambling sector continues to thrive arguably reinforces the status quo.

Is it possible to protect the public while also ensuring that the industry continues to provide jobs, contributes to the economy and to grow? Gamblings current business model suggests not. There is growing evidence that it has an unhealthy reliance on those harmed for a substantial portion of its profits. Research carried out over a three-month period showed that 40% of spending on online sports betting was generated by the 15% of those classified as moderate risk or problem gamblers. A large-scale study of bank transactions found that 1% of gamblers spend 58% of their income on betting and suffer a range of financial, health and personal problems.

Ethical issues aside, an industry that derives substantial profits from those harmed, or at risk of harm, does not demonstrate the sustainability on which a healthy economic model is based. Instead, it seems to rest on a degree of exploitation of the very consumers that governments and regulators should be seeking to protect.

The government should include alternative legal, economic and commercial practices that can protect the public within the remit of its review.

Contrary to popular belief, we are not actually a nation of gamblers. Less than half the population gamble on anything beyond the national lottery, and even fewer do so regularly. Aggressive advertising and marketing are therefore a direct result of multi-billion-pound gambling companies needing to draw from a relatively small pool of potential customers.

It is important to remember that Britains gambling market was not always like this. Before 2007, when the Gambling Act was fully enacted, gambling in Britain was tolerated but not promoted. The act changed this, positioning gambling as a valid leisure activity that could be promoted something the industry embraced with gusto. The last 14 years have been an experiment with free-market economic policies and priorities that have done little to protect the public from harm and, as the PHE report shows, have generated significant social costs at a time when we are poorly equipped to bear them.

It is time to ask whether an industry that contributes to the economy by the potential exploitation of vulnerable people, and reinforces existing inequalities, is the kind of economic contribution we want. Maybe there is another way in which the industry sacrifices its profits by removing aggressive advertising and marketing, and focuses on providing safer products, potentially becoming more sustainable by doing so.

But this is the debate we should be having. The economic harm to society caused by gambling underlines why we should do this now.

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Britain need not be a nation of gamblers. We have to rein in this industry - The Guardian

State revenues from gambling jumped to 3.44 per cent of GDP in 2019, while in 2020, despite the contraction due to the pandemic, the percentage of revenues amounted to 2.98 per cent.

The figures were three times the size of gamblings contribution to GDP in 2016 when it clocked in at 0.99 per cent.

The figures were revealed at the fourth Play Safe Conference organised by the National Betting Authority, hosted by the bodys president Ioanna Fiakkou, and Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides who delivered an opening address at the event.

In her speech, Fiakkou said that today, the concept of security in gambling was more important than ever, at a time when people went through an unprecedented crisis with the pandemic and societies around the world were trying to gradually recover and adapt to new data.

We have a duty as a competent regulatory and supervisory authority to intensify and strengthen our efforts to protect players and society as a whole, she said, explaining that the pandemic changed the data and highlighted the importance of safety and health.

Se referred to the rapid upgrade of the gambling sector both globally and locally in recent years, citing the GDP figures.

The percentages highlight the effectiveness of the regulations, said Fiakkou, emphasising that the mission of the national authority was and remains the effective regulation of the market.

Regarding the next steps in the sector, Fiakkou said that in the near future the model of safe play would be implemented, which will include provisions for strengthening the social responsibility of companies.

Providers with the implementation of the standard will be required to be certified with the highest criteria for the safety of players and the sustainable development of the sector, she added.The Authority is in the process of developing a universal self-exclusion platform, which will be an important tool available to players to control their betting behaviour.

Players will be able to exclude themselves from betting activity, either for a fixed period of time, or indefinitely by all providers, through an easy-to-use platform without complicated procedures.She also noted that on the other hand the providers will have the obligation to immediately implement the players request for self-exclusion from the betting activity.

In his address, Petrides praised the remarkable development of the betting sector but also the absolute decisive contribution of the national authority.This sector has evolved as one of the pillars of economic growth, he said, adding that the regulated development and operation of betting activity was absolutely necessary.

He also expressed his strong personal belief that what was being sought were not universal prohibitions and this is my strong personal view because universal prohibitions, what they actually lead to, are opening windows to illegality, which will have disproportionate and large social implications.

So the priority is effective regulation of the market and its operation within the framework of legality, in order to create value for the Cypriot economy and to formulate an effective policy to prevent problematic gambling and gambling in general, Petrides added.

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State revenue from gambling triples in five years - Cyprus Mail

On A Roll: Revenue from casinos in Las Vegas is up 20% in August compared with the same month in 2019.

Las Vegas luck has not yet run out.

Nevada collected $625.7 million in gambling revenue from casinos on the Las Vegas Strip in August, which is up 20% from pre-pandemic levels in August 2019, according to numbers released Thursday by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Sin Citys revenue increase over the same month in 2019 is another sign that Vegas is continuing its recovery from the Covid-19 recession.

I think were still in that trajectory of growth, says Michael Lawton, a senior research analyst for the Nevada Gaming Control Board.Im not going to guarantee a $1 billion again, but the blueprint is there to continue.

Strip revenue in August is down from Julys record-setting month. Nevada collected $794 million in gambling revenue from casinos on The Strip in July, which marked the highest all-time win total for the state. July posted a 46% increase compared to pre-pandemic revenue in July 2019.

Lawton says July was a unique month and he doesnt read too much into the dip in Strip revenue in August. July was a monster baccarat month with $160 million in revenue from the card game, compared with $93 million in August. Also, July had five full weekends compared with August, which had four. Weekend business is much stronger that mid-weed, he says.

Brendan Bussmann,partner and director of government affairs with Global Market Advisors, says the dip from July to August is not concerning.

There's going to be ups and downs as we continue to recover, says Bussmann. The only two words over the last 18 months that have been consistent, are unprecedented and uncertain. There's going to be bumps in the road to recovery.

Year-to-date, revenue from Strip casinos is inching closer to pre-pandemic levels. From January through August of 2021, revenues from The Strip hit $4.327 billion compared to $4.356 billion during the same time in 2019, only a 0.67% decrease from pre-pandemic levels.

The Strip is almost even, says Lawton. I think well beat 2019, especially the way things are going.

Statewide, the recovery is stronger as August marks the sixthconsecutivebillion-dollar month.Nevada collected $1.165 billion in revenue from casinos across the Silver State, according to the Gaming Control Board. The states win in August is up 22.3% compared to pre-pandemic revenue the same month in 2019. Calendar year to date, gambling revenue is up 7.8% from the same time in 2019.

The half year of record-breaking gaming revenue is positive, but it does not signal a faster recovery for Vegas. After Julys record-breaking numbers, Colin Mansfield, an analyst from Fitch Ratings, said the recovery timeline has not changed and Fitch is still predicting a full Vegas recovery in 2023. In a note published on Thursday, Macquarie Research referred to the outlook for Las Vegas as positive.

We still support our view that Las Vegas Strip revenues can return to prior peak in 2022, Macquaries note reads.

The delta variant has a lot to do with the dip in revenue from July to August. Visitation decreased 9.2% in August from 3.3 million people in July, according to the latest report published by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority. Visitation is still not above pre-pandemic levels as the number of visitors last month is down16.2% from August 2019

With the delta variant of the Covid-19 virus spiking during the month, August visitation receded from the pandemicera peak in July, the LVCVA wrote in its report.

In July, the number of people who visited Las Vegas was up 130% compared to July 2020 and down only 10.4% from July 2019.

Lawton admits that there might be trouble on the horizon.

Were starting to see concerns and challengesthe delta variant, the mask mandate, flight demand is softening, he says.

But Bussmann says there is still plenty of growth left for Vegas in 2021. The ban on international travel is set to lift in November, which he believes will help.

We still have two great tranches of opportunity: the return of the business customer and international customer, says Bussmann.

The sixth-month streak of over $1 billion in gaming revenue is the second-longest of all time for the state. The record is eight months, which was recorded from November 2006 to May 2007.

The record was before the great recession, when there was a lot of money floating around that didnt seem very realistic, he says.

When asked if he thinks the same thing is happening now, he admits the federal stimulus has bloated the numbers, but he thinks consumer demand has outpaced the effect of the stimulus.

One thing that gives you comfort is the strength of the demandits not all inflated by artificial reasons, says Lawton.

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Nevada On Six-Month Hot Streak With $1 Billion-Plus In Gambling Revenue - Forbes

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The Kansas City Chiefs have never been shy about giving players with questionable backgrounds a second chance.

Or third or fourth or fifth.

Or, in the case of Josh Gordon, a sixth.

The wildly talented yet trouble-prone wide receiver was reinstated by the NFL this week following his fifth suspension for violating its substance-abuse policy and policy on performance enhancers. And with a glaring need for a big, rangy wide receiver for Patrick Mahomes, it made sense that Kansas City was one of several teams to inquire about him.

Gordon wound up signing with the Chiefs on Tuesday. One day later, he was wearing a red No. 19 jersey and working out with the practice squad while trying to digest as much of coach Andy Reids robust offensive playbook as possible.

Josh is a good player. I think we all know that, Reid said, and hes worked hard on his situation and making sure it was right. Hes been reinstated by the league, which I thought was an important step, and so we welcome him aboard.

Reids reputation as a coach willing to give players the benefit of the doubt dates to his time in Philadelphia, when he most famously gave Michael Vick an opportunity to be his quarterback following his prison sentence for his role in a dogfighting ring.

It has continued in Kansas City with mixed results.

Many teams took Tyreek Hill off their draft boards entirely following his arrest on charges of domestic violence during his time at Oklahoma State. He had finished his college career at tiny West Alabama, where he got rave reviews from coaches, and the Chiefs took a fifth-round flier on him in the 2016 draft.

Not only has he steered clear of trouble, hes been a three-time All-Pro while setting a slew of franchise records.

Travis Kelce missed an entire college season at Cincinnati to a suspension, and many believe that hurt his stock leading up to the 2013 draft. The Chiefs took him in the third round and, much like Hill, he has earned three All-Pro nods, set a slew of records and joined up with his speedy counterpart to help the Chiefs win a Super Bowl.

On the other side of the coin are players such as Marcus Peters, Kareem Hunt and Frank Clark.

Peters was a two-time All-Pro cornerback for the Chiefs, who drafted him despite his getting kicked off his college team. But he had run-ins with coaches and teammates in Kansas City and ultimately was traded to the Rams.

Hunt, who also had issues in college, had a dominant rookie season for Kansas City before video surfaced of him kicking a woman in a hotel hallway. The Chiefs immediately released Hunt, who was later signed by the Browns.

In the case of Clark, who had a domestic violence arrest in college, the Chiefs traded with the Seahawks for him and signed the pass rusher to a long-term deal. But he was arrested again in March in Los Angeles and is facing a felony gun possession charge; his arraignment and plea hearing is set for next week.

Everybody deserves an opportunity to at least try to do the right thing, Reid said.

Gordons talent has never been disputed. He led the league with 1,646 yards receiving in 2013, when he was an All-Pro with Cleveland, and hes showed flashes of that same ability during brief stops in Seattle and New England.

The question is whether Gordon can avoid the drug issues that have plagued his career.

Hes had a great eight months here of taking care of business. The league obviously understands that hes a good guy, Reid said. We always sell Kansas City in general its a great place to live, a great fan base and so on. So you are going to have support. As long as youre doing the right things, youre going to have support.

The Chiefs also have a strong locker room culture that should help Gordon stay out of trouble.

We like bringing in good football players, guys that work hard and come here and want to win football games, Mahomes said, and so it was a heck of an opportunity to bring him in here and involve him in that receiver room, and hell have his role. Hes a great football player, and I think you know in this offense everybody gets a chance to make plays.

The Chiefs had hoped that Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson or Byron Pringle would emerge as their No. 2 wide receiver after Sammy Watkins left in free agency. But all of them have been inconsistent at best, and now they turn their hopes to a player whose size and athleticism is unlike anything else they have on the roster.

Hes going to be a guy that even if hes covered, hes not covered. You can kind of throw it up there and he can make plays, Mahomes said. Ive talked to him a little bit here now and he seems like a great dude that wants to come and work, so well see as he gets out here on the practice field how he can help us as an offense.

___

More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Chiefs gambling that Gordon can stay out of trouble in KC - KMID - Local 2 News

PORTSMOUTH To continue filtering thousands of dollars worth of grants, scholarships and Little League team sponsorships out into the local community, the local Elks Lodge is looking for another source of revenue for its vast charitable causes.

What better way to do so,Elks Lodge exalted ruler Michael Griffin said, than for the city's voters to approve Keno gambling in the Nov. 2 election.

Returning to the municipal election ballot this fall will be the question of whether to allow city bars, restaurants and taverns to offer Keno 603, a popular New Hampshire Lottery electronic bingo game Portsmouth voters rejected two years ago. Players can wager $1 to $25 per game, according to rules on New Hampshire Lottery's Keno 603 webpage.

Those funds go directly into the state education fund and its distributed accordingly, Griffin said. I think it's a form of entertainment, the game itself is an electronic game of bingo.

In July 2017, Gov. Chris Sununu signed into law Senate Bill 191, which established Keno as a revenue source for the funding of full-day kindergarten in New Hampshire. On Dec. 15, 2017, the gambling game took effect in New Hampshire, and its now played in approximately 220 locations in the Granite State that offer it to patrons.

City voters soundly rejected the game in the 2019 municipal election, by a vote of 2,966 to 2,456.

Four years after its origination, state lottery officials say Portsmouth is one of 26 Granite State municipalities where voters have rejected the popular game of chance, a list that also includes Exeter, Greenland, Hampton Falls and Stratham.

On the flip side, voters in about 80 New Hampshire communities have approved Keno. This started with localelections in 2017, when seven Granite State localitiesvoted in favor of Keno. Locations include Rochester and Somersworth, as well asBerlin, Claremont, Nashua,Manchester and others.

Some opponents ofgambling cite the negative impact on people who lose money they don't have to lose.

Charlie McIntyre, the executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery, said in a prepared statement Keno 603 sales exceed $1 million every week.

Almost immediately following Keno 603s inception in December 2017, we began hearing from establishment owners about how the game provides a boost to restaurants and taverns and that chorus of support has only grown over the past four years, he said. Keno 603 provides establishments with another way to engage both existing customers and new ones. As more cities and towns approve Keno603, more establishments will be able to feature the game, which ultimately helps us to drive more revenue in support of education in New Hampshire.

Former PortsmouthFire Commission chairman George Remick, a member of both the Elks and the American Legion, said that a Portsmouth coalition of sorts has formed between some residents and businesses pushing for Keno 603 to be approved.

More: Portsmouth mayor, councilors signal support for Keno ballot vote

Keno 603 yard signs have been distributed by Remick to interested voters in Portsmouthand businesses in the city, including the Clipper Tavern.

It doesnt hurt anybody or anything, it's strictly a game for them to play and theyre doing it all over the state. Keno has been around forever and theres never really been any problem with it, he said.

In fiscal year 2021, Keno 603 brought in more than $47.7 million in sales, a 65% hike from the games FY 2020 revenue, according to New Hampshire Lottery spokesperson Maura McCann.

Last fiscal year, McCann said Keno 603 awarded nearly $33.3 millionto game winners. As of Tuesday afternoon, game sales had reached $13.5 million-plusthus far in FY 22 and collective prize money given to winners stood at $9.1 million-plus.

Thirteen weeks into the fiscal year, McCann said that current Keno 603 sales are outpacing last years sales total by about 35%.

More than $4 million in sales commissions (has been) paid to restaurants and taverns that offer the game, she said of this years Keno 603 revenue. Officially, that's 8 cents for every dollar sold.

A breakdown provided on the state lottery website notes 63% of revenue is allocated to prize payouts, 25% is for New Hampshire public education and the remaining 12% is split between retailer commissions, administrative expenses and other sales costs.

McCann said Keno 603's net profit for the state is 26%, though it's entirely "earmarked" for public education. In its 57-year existence, the state lottery as a whole has contributed over $2 billion to New Hampshire public education.

The University of New Hampshire Survey Center administered a survey in 2018 on behalf of the state lottery commission to determine the success of Keno 603 in the time since it had been implemented by state businesses the year prior.

Close to half of business operators who began offering Keno 603 responded that their food and beverage revenue jumped in the months since they began selling the game, and over half of those respondents estimated that food and beverage revenue had jumped between 1% and 10% in that time.

In all, the schools Survey Center had nearly 75% of respondents state that Keno 603 brought new customers into their establishments and increased the overall volume of their clientele.

Its a revenue-maker all around, Remick said.

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'It doesn't hurt anybody': Will Portsmouth voters approve Keno gambling in 2021? - Seacoastonline.com