Upscale gambling boat may berth here

FL - The city is in negotiations with a cruise line company to lease permanent dock space at the city marina to a 183-foot gambling boat called Play the Red Casino. Bennett described the venture as "a 400-passenger ship capacity with two casino cruises daily, with a potential of 800 daily visitors." "We expect to have 22 table games, 165 slot machines, a sports book and poker tables," wrote Bennett in an e-mail.

2 DOZEN ARRAIGNED IN BORGATA SPORTS BETTING BUST

NJ - Authorities busted up the alleged gambling ring last November. They described it as a complex operation run out of the Borgata poker room, but tied to the Philadelphia mob. Between the Borgata scam and a connected operation in Philadelphia wire rooms, it's reported $60 million in illegal betting was handled.

2 more Canonsburg men sentenced in illegal gambling ring

PA -

3 accused of stealing $108 million Tropicana player list

NJ - AThree former Tropicana employees -- including a high-ranking executive -- were indicted yesterday on charges they stole a list, valued at $108 million, of more than 20,000 of the casino's top players. The case provides a window into the high-power world of casino marketing, where lists of top players can mean big money. Marketing executives, whose job it is to schmooze high rollers, are typically precluded from taking lists with them when they move onto other casino jobs. Often they don't need to -- they keep their own records and gamblers also know how to reach them.

3 casinos gamble fails; police issue $200 fines

CO - Cripple Creek laid down the law Wednesday, ticketing three casinos for breaking the state's smoking ban. Casinos have been defiant of the statewide smoking ban since Jan. 1, when their establishments were included. Colorado casinos saw a 10.7 percent revenue drop in the first four months of 2008, and they attribute the losses to the ban.

AP Finds 5K Horse Deaths Since 03

KY - Thoroughbred racetracks in the U.S. reported more than three horse deaths a day last year and 5,000 since 2003, and the vast majority were put down after suffering devastating injuries on the track, according to an Associated Press survey. The catastrophic breakdown of filly Eight Belles at the Kentucky Derby last month made the fragility of a half-ton horse vivid for the millions watching, but the AP found that such injuries occur regularly in every racing state. Tracks in California and New York, which rank first and sixth in thoroughbred races, combine to average more than one thoroughbred death for every day of the year. "Nobody really knows how big of a problem it is," said Rick Arthur, California's equine medical director. "They just know it's a big problem." "Just seeing the totals and the recurrent theme, it's eye-opening," said Bon Smith, assistant director of the California Horse Racing Board. "There are enough people I have great respect for who say this industry is really beginning to be in trouble," [Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Ky] said.

Airline cuts, gas woes making Vegas tougher ticket

NV - "The overall economic uncertainty this country is facing ... makes the outlook for the next several months very murky," said Gary Thompson, spokesman for Harrah's Entertainment Inc., owner of seven Las Vegas casinos. US Airways Group Inc. announced last week that it was cutting nearly half its Las Vegas flights as part of companywide belt-tightening. That will leave 74 US Airways flights per day by the end of the year, down from a peak of 141 in September 2007. The result is more than 8,000 fewer seats available per day, compared to the 2007 peak,

Anti-Slots Group Holds Press Conference...

MD - Marylanders United to Stop Slots joined Anne Arundel leaders at a press conference to highlight the widespread negative impacts of the proposed slots casino in Anne Arundel County and across the state.

Appeals court closes Indian casino sales tax loophole

CA - A federal appeals court has ordered a San Diego-area Indian tribe to pay more than $200,000 to the state after it had tried to circumvent playing sales taxes on a massive casino expansion project.

Arkansas Allows Keno as Skill Game, Not Poker

AR - Now Arkansas will allow electronic keno at racetracks in the state, as the Arkansas Racing Commission has decided that keno is also a game of skill. Over 1200 machines are in place or planned for installation at the state's two tracks.

Arkansas Commission Approves Video Keno Gambling At Racetracks

AR - The admission by the Commission that keno is a game of skill means that racetracks in the state will now be allowed to offer the game as part of their gambling services. Several groups fought the decision to allow the expanded gambling. These groups claim that the overall atmosphere of the racetracks have turned more casino like.

Atlantic City casino customers face a decision: Gas or gamble?

NJ - With gas prices surging above $4 per gallon and likely to go higher for the peak summer driving season, there is concern that casinos could suffer an even sharper downturn in business in what has started as a slow year. About 80 percent of Atlantic City's 33.3 million annual visitors arrive by car, making tourism here particularly vulnerable to volatility in fuel costs. Higher gas prices are another jolt in a gambling market already reeling from extra competition from Pennsylvania's slot parlors, the sluggish economy and the lingering effects of the partial casino smoking ban.

Battered Walker remains in hospital

NV - Oakland wide receiver Javon Walker remained hospitalized with a concussion and a battered face Tuesday, one day after he was beaten, robbed and left unconscious on a Las Vegas street after a night on the town. He was found injured Monday morning on a street a couple of blocks behind Harrah's hotel-casino.

Beavercreek man, ex-stepmom admit to gambling charges

OH - A Beavercreek man and his ex-stepmother are to be sentenced Oct. 3 for their guilty pleas this week in U.S. District Court to charges of conspiracy to launder money stemming from a gambling operation.

Blackjack Comes To Seminole Hard Rock Casino

FL - Banked card games are those in which players compete against the house. They are now allowed exclusively at the Seminole tribe's seven Florida casinos under a deal signed in November by Gov. Charlie Crist and Seminole Tribe chairman Mitchell Cypress in November, 2007. The compact was approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior in January of 2008. At that time, the Tribe made an initial $50 million payment to the State of Florida, part of the $100 million due to State in the first year of the compact. Since then, the Seminole Tribe has made ongoing monthly payments to the State of Florida, while introducing Las Vegas-style slot machines at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos in Hollywood and Tampa, as well as at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek and the original Seminole Casino Hollywood.

COMMUNITY COMMENTARY: Gambling not the answer to budget woes

CA - The more you and I gamble and buy lottery tickets, the more money school districts will be given to teach students. This is basically what Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposes. He wants to borrow money against future lottery earnings in order to balance the California budget. A few years ago, Californians were sold a gigantic bill of goods in order to get them to vote for the creation of a lottery. We were told that income from the lottery will help support public schools. Voters approved the lottery hook line and sinker. The fact is that income from the lottery has lagged and decreased steadily since its inception in 1984, to where its income to school budgets is insignificant. To rely on lottery sales and income for stable funding to balance the budget and support public education is fiscally irresponsible and unwise.

Casino Tribes Still Slow to Help Indian Causes

CA - Poverty is the rule on many reservations from Arizona to the Dakotas. Just a small portion of current Indian gaming receipts could turn that around in a hurry. But there's no sign most casino tribes are willing to help other Indians out of poverty and into solid medical care and middle class life. "Over the past four years, we have communicated at least once with all 53 (California) gaming tribes," reports John S. Andrews, executive director of the Whittier-based American Indian Healing Center, a medical clinic serving thousands of poor Indians in the Los Angeles area. "Two tribes, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians have made contributions to our clinic...The total amount contributed to date is less than $20,000." That's less than $20,000 over four years from all California casino tribes for one of the leading health care providers to poor California Indians. Out of about $4 billion in gambling take during that time. That's an infinitesimal .00005 percent of their take.

Casino company official seeks support for project

KS - An official with Penn National Gaming on Tuesday night asked the Galena City Council to support the company at a July 9 meeting of the Kansas Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board. The company's Hollywood Casino is to be built a few miles south of Galena, near Interstate 44. Klemp said the review board would make a decision to approve or reject Penn National's contract either July 24 or 25, or Aug. 20 or 21.

Casino officials discuss plans with commissioners

KS - Klemp reported to the commissioners about Penn National's plans for its Hollywood Casino. Penn National scaled back its initial investment to $125 million in response to the tribal project. The company's contract with the Kansas Lottery Commission calls for it to invest an additional $100 million in the project over several years. The Kansas Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board will meet July 9 at the Columbus Community Center. The state board has reserved the center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the meeting, which will include a public comment period and presentations by Penn National and state consultants. The board will take final action on the Penn National contract on Aug. 20 or 21.

Casinos themselves are the states worst case scenario

OR - Five years ago, opponents of a tribal casino in Florence went to court questioning the governor's authority under the Oregon Constitution, which prohibits casinos, to enter into a state-tribal gambling compact. Such a compact is required by federal law before a casino can be operated on tribal land. After years of spending taxpayer dollars, Gov. Ted Kulongoski's procedural pettifogging has been brought to a halt, at least temporarily. The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that yes, opponents of the Three Rivers Casino do have the right to have a court answer their question. So, subject to further delay in the form of an appeal to the Oregon Supreme Court, Oregonians finally will know whether their constitution means what it says.

Charles Barkley enters celeb poker event in Vegas

NV - Charles Barkley is headed back to the tables in Las Vegas to play in a poker tournament about a month after pledging not to gamble. He says it's all for charity. The former NBA star is scheduled to play in a celebrity poker tournament at the 2008 World Series of Poker on July 2. Barkley said on the air during the NBA playoffs he wasn't going to gamble for "the next year or two" after he was sued by a Las Vegas Strip casino in May for failing to pay $400,000 in gambling markers, or loans.

Churchill Downs slapped with fine

KY - For track officials' role in the hiring of assistant starter Clinton Beck...

Court case on casino tax ends

NV - A Nevada Supreme Court appeal involving a plan to raise casino taxes was dismissed Monday following a deal last month by a teachers union to forgo its initiative petition in favor of increased room taxes.

Cripple Creek won't force casinos to snuff smoking

CO - Cripple Creek officials say they won't enforce the statewide smoking ban at casinos that claim they are exempt.

Current Conditions of Mississippi River Force Casino Closings

CD - Torrential rains throughout the midwest U.S. have led to another series of riverboat casino closings along the Mississippi River. The river, rising to unusually high crests due to heavy rains and flooding upriver, has reached a point at which riverboat safety is threatened at some locations.

Deal Florida casinos in for next hand of blackjack

FL - State law says banked games such as blackjack -- in which a gambler tries to beat the dealer's hand -- are illegal. But Seminole spokesman Gary Bitner says the tribe received an exemption from the state in return for a share of revenue.

Debt-strapped Herbst Gaming shuts small Northern Nevada casino

NV - The Las Vegas-based company, which told investors in late March it was facing possible bankruptcy over a mounting debt load, closed the Red Hawk Sports Bar in Dayton, laying off an undetermined number of workers. The small casino, which had 33 slot machines, was purchased by Herbst in January 2007 through its $119 million acquisition of Sands Regent, a Reno-area casino operator.

Dog fighting operation exposed

OH - A judge said Kendrick's treatment of those dogs - and of countless others over the past two decades - justified a six-year prison sentence. The judge tacked on another seven-and-a-half years for marijuana trafficking. Kendrick's sentencing in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court was the culmination of a 2007 state and local investigation that exposed a major dog fighting ring in Southwest Ohio.

Don't let gambling become a life crisis

CA - About 3 percent to 5 percent of people do not know when to stop and are negatively affecting their and their family's lives. I'm sure that many people know a family member, friend or co-worker that they feel may have a gambling problem, but they do not know what to do about. Problem gambling is behavior which causes disruptions in any major area of life: psychological, physical, social or vocational. Problem gambling is an emotional issue with serious financial consequences and includes "pathological" or "compulsive" gambling, a progressive addiction characterized by increasing preoccupation with gambling in spite of mounting, negative consequences...

Engineer surrenders in embezzlement case

NV - A former Washoe County water engineer surrendered to sheriff's deputies in Reno on Thursday to face charges that he embezzled millions of dollars from the county water division and gambled away more than $1 million of it at a local casino.

Ex-Reno casino manager sentenced for embezzlement

NV - [she stole] $343,000 to finance her gambling addiction.

Ex-union official admits embezzling $829,000

NJ - The former business agent of a Trenton-based union local for asbestos and insulation workers faces a federal prison sentence after pleading guilty yesterday to embez zling about $829,000 in union funds, which he gambled away.

Fold Em

CT - Police broke up an illegal poker game at a local restaurant after receiving an anonymous tip that the long-standing game was occurring. Some people think that there are types of crime that are victimless, such as illegal gambling, but the bottom line is that there is social debt that is attached to them.

Former Lisle accountant goes to prison for theft

IL - A former accountant for a Glen Ellyn business was sentenced Monday to six years in prison for pilfering nearly $380,000 while on the job. Prosecutor Ken Tatarelis said investigators subpoenaed the defendant's bank records and learned she had a gambling habit...

Former Pinckneyville man killed near Vegas

NV - "All we know is that a young man's life has been taken and we don't know why," said a spokeswoman for the family of a former Pinckneyville man who was found shot to death in Nevada last week. Both men had gunshot wounds to the head, police said, and appeared to have died sometime between midnight and 5 a.m. on the day their bodies were discovered. Police say the deaths appear to be a murder-suicide, but they do not know who shot whom. The two spent some time gambling at the MGM Casino, using Kim's player's card.

Former official admitted crimes, documents say

NV - Former Washoe County water engineer accused of embezzling more than $2 million from the county water division and gambling more than $1 million at a local casino admitted to the crimes in a letter to his family, according to court documents. Orphan threatened suicide and said his family would never see him again...

Former police sergeant faces new criminal allegations

HI - Accused of being involved in an illegal gambling operation...

Fort Sill Tribe Takes Step Back After Removal Of Bingo Machines

NM - They already have been ordered to not open their doors to customers, and now they will be removing electronic gambling bingo machines from the location. [the casino] is located 500 miles away from their reservation. Federal law will not permit that to happen.

GBI's free play

GA - William, lying in the backyard of the couple's southside Savannah home... Was dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to the family, he shot himself because he squandered thousands of dollars on [illegal] video gambling machines at a southside nightspot. If prosecutors aren't pushing these cases or judges are handing out too-soft sentences, then the public needs to know.

GOP leaders want Washington state tribal casino inquiry

WA - As reported by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "Leading Republicans in the Legislature called Monday for an investigation into the compact Gov. Chris Gregoire negotiated with Washington's tribes that allowed for expanded casino gambling but did not include revenue sharing with the state worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Gambling Machines Seized From 3 Homes

SC - Deputies seized 22 machines and $1,400 in cash...

Gambling on the rise among teenagers

FL - Experts say more and more students are holed up in their rooms, ignoring friends, family...even food and hygiene so they can spend more time gambling online. A survey by the University of Buffalo found that over 2% of teens admit to having a gambling problem. That represents 750,000 teens, and some are stealing or selling possessions to keep up their habit.

Got the Hots for Slots? Maybe Not in Maryland

MD - According to Maryland State Comptroller, Peter Franchot, Maryland's leading voice against slot machines, "It has been proven, in state after state, that slot machines offer nothing more than false hope to desperate communities." The Honorable Franchot states on his website that [slot machines] have destroyed families through addiction, bankruptcies and crime, and have left governments scrambling to cover their enormous and social costs by any means necessary. They have driven small businesses out of existence and left Main Streets across the county a boarded-up shell of what they once were.

Governing Body Urged for Racing Industry

DC - A bill that would mandate a framework for a national horse racing commission similar to those that govern the NFL and NBA is likely to be submitted in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) said yesterday. The bill would create uniformity and centralize new rules and regulations for all 38 thoroughbred racing jurisdictions in the country. Stearns announced plans for the bill at a subcommittee hearing on thoroughbred racing and welfare, at which a majority of witnesses on two panels urged Congress to get involved in a sport rife with medication and steroid abuse in horses, unhealthy breeding practices and a lack of comprehensive data relating to auctions and breakdowns.

Gregoire should have spurned tribal cash

WA - Tribes have contributed $49,000 to her re-election campaign directly, chump change compared to what they've funneled through the state Democratic Party. State tribes have given more than $600,000 to the party, which in turn contributed to Gregoire's campaign. In 2005, the governor killed a gambling compact that could have cost the tribes $140 million a year, money that would have gone to the state. Gregoire nixed the revenue-sharing arrangement in favor of a lower limit on the number of "video gambling machines" - essentially simulated slot machines - tribes can operate.

Heres a Good Bet

MD - "It has been proven, in state after state, that slot machines offer nothing more than false hope to desperate communities." [slot machines] have destroyed families through addiction, bankruptcies and crime, and have left governments scrambling to cover their enormous and social costs by any means necessary. They have driven small businesses out of existence and left Main Streets across the county a boarded-up shell of what they once were.

Horse racing standards, regulations get support

IL - A congressional hearing... Is probing whether the [horse] industry has in place sufficient, consistent standards to minimize inbreeding, doping and other practices that could contribute to injuries.

Illicit sports gaming rampant, you can bet on it

IN - In the professional world, money is everything. And NBA referee Tim Donaghy obviously wasn't getting paid enough for his day job and went into helping others out. This year, Donaghy, an NBA referee, pled guilty to federal felony conspiracy charges alleging he passed along inside information on NBA games. Recently, Donaghy alleges refs helped alter outcomes of playoff game in 2002 and 2005. The reality is gambling can be a serious addiction. Whether it is pull tabs at the convenient store, slot machines at the casino or placing a couple dollars on a horse to win, gaming can be consuming. To me, it is no surprise that a referee or professional player can become consumed with gaming with the absurd amount of money they are paid.

Industry Experts School Committee Of Legislators On Internet Gambling

- "With Internet gambling, every home with a computer is potentially a gambling facility. We're faced with a daunting task," said [ Rev. Jim Butler from the California Coalition Against Gambling Expansion].

Isle of Capri Davenport closes temporarily

IA - Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISLE) announced today that its casino property in Davenport, Iowa temporarily closed at 9:00 p.m. The casino will remain closed until flood waters recede.

Lenin statue at Atlantic City casino draws protest

NJ - Since the day a statue of Vladimir Ilich Lenin went up outside the trendy Red Square restaurant at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in 2005, Al Garrett has wanted it torn down. He claimed having a 15-foot tall statue of one of history's most brutal dictators is an insult to thousands of soldiers who died fighting communism. He went on talk radio shows claiming the statue is anti-American.

Local gambling down, online gambling up

NV -

Lockland keeps on despite thefts

OH - Former Mayor's Court Clerk... Was indicted for theft in office, unauthorized use of property, forgery and two counts of tampering with records. The charges resulted from a year-long audit of village financial records. The indictment accuses Mynatt of stealing more than $187,000. [she] used the $60,000 she stole to feed her gambling addiction.

Luck runs out for illegal gambling room

TX - Approximately 25 electronic gambling machines, commonly referred to as 'eight-liners' were seized along with U. S. currency and other gambling paraphernalia during a raid on an illegal gambling establishment located in downtown Marlin.

MGM Mirage chief proposes raising payroll tax

NV - The chief executive of Nevada's largest employer Monday proposed doubling the state's payroll tax to help the state close its ever-growing budget deficit. Lanni proposed the increase in what's known as the modified business tax in lieu of an alternative that is supported by the state's teachers and a handful of gaming industry giants: that the room tax be increased by 3 percentage points to help pay for teacher salaries and other education costs.

Man sentenced for robbing lottery parlor

WV - A Charleston man will spend up to 10 years in prison for threatening a clerk with a gun and taking cash from a video lottery parlor. "Mr. Hardy is aware of the impact his drug habit has had on his life and on his family," Sullivan said.

Mandalay Bay guards vote against union

NV - With a good dose of election drama -- including a ballot box being taken into a bathroom -- a union seeking to organize Las Vegas security guards has lost its flagship campaign at Mandalay Bay. By a 123-110 vote, guards Friday rejected the International Union of Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America.

Marker dispute grounds gambler

NV - Peterson is now suing Harrah's Entertainment in District Court. His lawsuit, filed on June 5, accuses the company of false imprisonment and inflicting emotional distress, among other charges. Peterson, 39, owns a light manufacturing company, is a real estate developer and owns several restaurants. He says he comes to Las Vegas frequently to gamble but is now scared to return. Chris Rasmussen, Peterson's local attorney, said his fears might sound irrational to people living in Las Vegas. But Peterson is from the Midwest, where Las Vegas continues to have a reputation as a dangerous city.

Mesquite school board to discuss investigation of coach

TX - Mesquite ISD school board members will meet behind closed doors tonight to discuss the district's investigation into a title-winning football coach accused of pawning school property. Mr. Halpin has since told friends he has a gambling problem and is undergoing treatment. He also resigned as president of the Texas High School Coaches Association.

Midday Lottery cant plug all fiscal gaps

MA - The lottery[is a burden] -- a most regressive tax -- On those who least can afford to pay it. For every player who strikes it rich, there are countless others whose gambling habit -- sometimes devolving to addiction -- puts a strain on the family budget.

NJ rejects Tropicana bids, restarts sale process

NJ - Casino regulators in New Jersey agreed on Wednesday to reject all bids received for the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, and to restart the process for a buyer.

Nevada Approves New Mobile Gambling Rules

NV - Automated, portable bingo devices like FortuNet Inc.'s BingoStar have been around since the early 1990s -- and are now available in 26 jurisdictions in North America -- but they are not allowed outside bingo halls. Regulations passed Thursday make Nevada the first in the nation to approve the use of handheld devices for gambling in any public area of the state's casinos, such as restaurants and poolsides. Taking gambling off the casino floor will make it harder to ensure minors don't wager, said state Sen. Maggie Carlton, D-Las Vegas, the lone lawmaker who voted against the bill when it passed the Legislature last year. As for mobile devices she has seen, "They look like a little Game Boy. They look like a toy."

New York Governor Working Hard To Save Off-Track Betting

NY - Governor David Patterson of New York announced on Friday that an agreement had been reached to keep Off-Track Betting up and running in the state. That is not the case, according to Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The sticking point to the agreement is the gambling revenue.

OUR VIEW: Casino bill too important to rush

MA - Tribal leaders' finances have been under federal investigation since shortly after the resignation of former Chairman Glenn Marshall 10 months ago, when his 1981 rape conviction and lies to Congress about his military service were exposed. A judge granted a restraining order against new Chairman Shawn Hendricks to protect his wife and children from alleged violent tendencies. And the Patrick administration has filed a formal letter of opposition, further hindering the tribe's hopes for a tidy application process.

Ohio man convicted of cheating at church blackjack game

OH - A jury has convicted a sports bookmaker in central Ohio of cheating during a church-sponsored game of blackjack.

One arrested, another sought in check-cashing scheme

NV - Carson City investigators are still searching for a woman they call the leader of a check cashing ring in which thieves stole mail from Lake Tahoe and Carson boxes, changed the payee and amounts and cashed the checks at area casinos.

Online poker cheating demonstrates insider risk

- One or more individuals with trusted access to the systems of UltimateBet and Absolute Poker used that access to create several fake usernames and used them to make an undisclosed amount of money off online poker players. An investigation by a Canadian gaming commission found that the cheating continued for six weeks and that the management and admins of Absolute Poker had further exacerbated the situation through the deletion of critical gaming logs and failed to report the breach within 24 hours of discovery.

People Arrested in Borgata Sports Gambling Bust Plead Not Guilty

NJ - In addition to the basic gambling charges, the leaders of the group are also facing more severe criminal charges. Racketeering, money laundering, and conspiracy are all charges in addition to promotion of gambling.

Police Break Up Gambling Ring at Northport Business

AL - During the sting, over $1700 was collected along with gambling paraphernalia such as cards, chips, punch boards and money bags.

Police seek man who used stolen credit cards

WA - The suspect tried using one of the cards at 2:15 a.m. May 12 to get $1,000 in cash at the Emerald Queen Casino in Fife.

Police: Caregiver Forged Elderly Mans Checks

OR - Police said they arrested a caregiver who stole nearly $43,000 by taking checks from an 87-year-old man she took care of and forging them. Officers said that Roberson's motive for the theft appeared to be gambling and video poker.

Problem Gambling Conference in California

CA - About 3-5 percent of the world's population gambles excessively, to the point that it damages their lives. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, 4-6 million Americans are considered problem gamblers, and 2 million (1 percent of the US population) are diagnosed as pathological gamblers.

Red Rock Resort employees sick after abandoned package found

NV - Police were investigating an abandoned package at Red Rock Resort Tuesday night after it caused several casino employees to become ill...

STATE GOVERNMENT: Tribal Gambling Should Be Taxed

WA - Tribal casinos just got an approved 50 percent increase in slot allowances and owe no tax money to the state. The state taxes tobacco and alcohol, but not tribal gambling -- and it needs to change.

School volunteer admits PTA theft

NY - A school volunteer admitted in court Tuesday that she embezzled -- and then gambled away -- $22,000 in PTA funds from the Van Rensselaer Elementary School. PTA money is raised by parents, teachers and students and used to pay for unbudgeted items such as sports or musical equipment, plays, concerts, field trips and other extracurricular activities, school officials have said.

Sex offender wins $57 million lottery jackpot

MI - The winner of last week's $57 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot is a registered sex offender who also pleaded guilty to two breaking and entering charges in the 1980s.

Soboba Casino Warned To Stop Violence Or Risk Closure

CA - There have been several incidents that have led to the decision of the Commission to intervene. Most notably, a couple had an hour long battle with Riverside sheriffs. The battle ended in the couple being fatally shot.

Son, ex-stepmom plead guilty in gambling case

OH - [they] pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder money as their part in a gaming operation... Roth began a 20-month sentence in May 2007 after admitting to conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business and conspiracy to launder money.

FL - South Florida: Fourth suspect charged in robbery of poker players... They shot at them and chased them, ultimately stealing $25,000 in winnings, the Sheriff's Office said.

States Bet on Risky Business of Gambling

CA - Many states are becoming more dependent on revenue generated from state-regulated gaming to bolster shaky budgets. The results are far less attractive. "everyone, gambler and nongambler alike, pays the consequences of gambling."

Sumter strikes down gambling at horse park

FL - Sumter County voters on Tuesday firmly rejected a proposal to build a quarter-horse racetrack in this rural area near the mega-retirement community The Villages. "My problem with it is the gambling and all the other negative aspects of it," said Craig Attaway, pastor of First Baptist Church of Wildwood, who opposed the track. "I think a horse park would've been a wonderful thing, but I had a problem with the wagering. . . . We don't need that in our community."

Supporters amass signatures for dog racing ban

MA - Backers of a statewide ban on dog racing say they have once again gathered enough signatures to put the issue before Massachusetts voters... A lawsuit to block the measure by dog tracks is pending in the Supreme Judicial Court. Carney said he will wage a multimillion dollar advertising campaign to swing voters against the measure. Dog advocacy groups will counter with a grass-roots effort to convince voters that the economy should not depend on cruelty to animals, Dorchak said. Advocates cite a litany of injuries that have befallen more than 800 dogs, including broken bones, cardiac arrest, and paralysis. The fight over the proposed dog racing ban comes amid heated arguments between lawmakers about casino gambling in Massachusetts. Both Carney and Sarkis have expressed interest in casino licenses for their tracks.

TEXAS BOOKIE RAIDED

TX - The Special Investigations Unit of the Montgomery County Sherrif's Department in Houston, Texas has reported the arrest on money laundering charges of three local residents allegedly involved in an Internet gambling operation in Costa Rica. The suspect was stopped leaving the residence in his 2006 Cadillac Escalade and was found to have $6 000 in his pocket, Womack reported. "Once inside the residence, we found an additional $10 000 in cash."

TOO FAR: Its all so innocent, but its all gambling

PA - Gambling in professional sports is becoming an increasingly large elephant in the room. Everyone tap dances around the real issue. And our government has become the enabler. Once illegal, gambling has become a hypocritical revenue stream for state coffers throughout the country. At the same time states ban smoking, claiming public health and safety, the government condones gambling through lotteries and casinos with no mention of "health" as an issue. Most people then have no comprehension as to the amount of money and level of addiction to which many people get involved.

Tale of casino espionage

NJ - Three former employees at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., have been indicted in New Jersey for allegedly stealing a list of more than 20,000 of the casino's top players. The list's value was estimated at $108 million...

The Las Vegas Economy: How Is Sin City Coping?

NV - Las Vegas, long thought to be immune from any recession, suddenly found itself among the hardest hit in the shadow of a rattled economy. Surging fuel prices and a mortgage meltdown continue to wreak havoc in Vegas. "We're more vulnerable to recession this time around. US Airways announced Thursday it would cut its Las Vegas operations nearly in half by the end of the year. It'll go from a high of 141 departures last year to 81 flights on Sept. 3 and to 74 flight by year's end. "We've seen airlines increase and decrease service periodically. Clearly, never to this extent all at once," said Alan Feldman, a spokesman for MGM Mirage Inc.,

Tough times for gaming industry

- Revenues and growth are starting to slip due to worsening economic conditions in the U.S. In April, MGM Mirage, the largest casino operator in Las Vegas, announced it was laying off 440 managerial staff to cut costs. The Nevada Gaming Control Board said gaming revenues fell in February by three per cent on the Las Vegas strip and by four per cent across the state.

Tropicana is going, going, not going

NJ - As expected, New Jersey regulators are extending today's deadline for the sale of the Tropicana casino in Atlantic City by another 120 days because none of the prospective bidders had offered what a state-appointed conservator believed was "fair market value" for the property.

Two arrested for firing shots outside casino

LA - Both men then went to their vehicles in the parking lot of the casino, and both retrieved handguns and began firing at each other...

UIGEA Failing to Stave Off Online Gambling

DC - The California Coalition Against Gambling Expansion argues that Internet gambling is a recipe for making every home with a computer a potential gaming facility...

US CREDIT-Harrahs risky as capex continues in weak economy

NY - Harrah's Entertainment Inc's debt may weaken from already distressed levels as heavy capital spending and interest payments absorb cash flows at a time when the casino operator is also facing declining gambling revenues. Harrah's last month reported a drop in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of 9.9 percent for the first quarter, to $454 million from $626 million in the year earlier period.

Ultimate Bets Ultimate Poker Fraud Defense

- That online poker sites would be vulnerable to cheating is a concern that millions of players share. That this particular online poker site has known about the suspect cheating and took steps to thwart an investigation is outrageous. Ultimate Bet and its regulatory body Kahnawake Gaming Commission were in fact informed of the allegations, but did not work to solve them. What were they waiting for? Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet are both owned by the same company...

Uncowed casino exec sues ex-employer, wins

NV - A jury awarded him $4.5 million in one of the largest wrongful termination claims in state history. MGM Mirage is appealing the verdict, which company spokesman Alan Feldman says isn't "supported by the evidence." At issue was a criminal lapse in financial reporting that brought major embarrassment to MGM Mirage as well as state gaming regulators.

Video poker crackdown due

MD - Comptroller Peter Franchot announced yesterday a broad crackdown on video poker machines at Maryland bars, saying the tax collector's office would use its authority to enforce alcohol laws to pressure liquor-license holders to get rid of the "for-amusement-only" devices that he says are mostly operated as illegal slot machines. "We're coming after you," Franchot [ Montgomery County Democrat and ardent gambling opponent] said yesterday at a Baltimore news conference. "No more turning a blind eye. No more wink and a nod. ... I intend to shut them down."

Vote on Sumter horse track with gambling is Tuesday

FL - The developer of a proposed quarter-horse racetrack in Sumter County picked a location near thousands of retirees with plenty of money to drop $2 bets: residents of The Villages retirement community. Residents in Sumter -- which includes parts of The Villages -- will go to the polls Tuesday to decide the fate of the gambling proposal that calls for a 100-acre quarter-horse racetrack and card-club room. Opponents fear crime, traffic and negative social effects such as gambling addictions. Craig Attaway, pastor of First Baptist Church of Wildwood, said the negative effects of gambling would threaten area residents. Attaway voiced his concerns in a town-hall meeting in late May that 200 people attended. "The idea that it will bring increased revenue to Sumter County is a lot more of wishful thinking," Attaway said. "The long-term costs of gambling addictions and crime rates offset any economic gain we could have."

Voters Consider Proposed Horse Track

FL - Citizens in Sumter County are casting their votes on a plan to bring a $20 million horse racing facility to the Villages.

W.Va. leads in gambling growth as share of revenue

WV - West Virginia now ranks second only to Nevada in the share of its state budget that comes from gambling revenues. West Virginia has a traditional lottery as well as nearly 20,000 video lottery machines, many of them hosted at four racetracks. Thursday's report from the Rockefeller Institute of Government said gambling revenues equaled nearly 9 percent of the state's 2006 general revenue budget. Only Nevada had a larger share, at 13.4 percent. Utah and Hawaii have no legalized gambling, while Alaska reported no revenues from its American Indian bingo halls. Of the rest, 16 including Alabama, Arkansas and North Carolina relied on gambling for 1 percent or less of their general revenue.

Wanna bet that Barkley cant stop Sports Betting

FL - "For right now, the next year or two, I'm not going to gamble. Just because I can afford to lose money doesn't mean I should do it." Former NBA star and TNT commentator Charles Barkley, after he'd paid off a well-publicized $400,000 gambling debt at Wynn Las Vegas. Two years? Can I bet the "under?" "Don't you love the NBA? It's the only sports where both the commentators and the referees are compulsive gamblers." --Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel... "Certainly, hundreds, and potentially thousands of California consumers may have been defrauded." --State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), responding to the revelation that because of a "software glitch," the No. 20 horse was left off every one of the random 7,000 computer-generated quick-pick superfecta tickets on the Kentucky Derby. To refresh your memory, Big Brown, the Derby winner, was No. 20.

Washoe fugitive may be suicidal

NV - The former Washoe County Water Resources Department engineering manager accused of possibly bilking the county of more than $6 million might be suicidal and traveling with firearms, according to recently filed court records. [He] wrote his family a letter postmarked May 29, one day after he blew off a sheriff's detective's request for an interview regarding the alleged embezzlement, an affidavit said. The letter sent from Boise, Idaho, said his family would never see him again and that his gambling "snowballed into the crimes alleged." He threatened suicide and apologized to his family. They told detectives he carries two firearms in his 2005 BMW -- the vehicle he used to leave the area. The casino is where he received "comps," massages and suites. A casino dealer had told a water resources employee that Orphan was a frequent gambler there who may have helped keep the casino in business during slow times.

Weak Economy Squeezing More States

MO - Another report released Thursday showed that states' revenue growth from gambling has slowed considerably. The report, by the Rockefeller Institute of Government in New York, said revenue growth from gambling dropped by almost half in 2006 and 2007, compared to the previous two years.

With eye toward tribal casino, developer buys land near Wichita

KS - The [Oklahoma] tribe in January opened the 7th Street Casino in downtown Kansas City, Kan., and has formally asked the federal government for a similar deal in Park City [north of Wichita]. In an interview Wednesday, Mayor Dee Stuart said she supported gambling and... "I would think a majority of the city and the City Council would support it, too," she said. "This trust application for gaming purposes is completely inappropriate," Phillips wrote. "The Wyandotte Nation can show no historical connection to the land," The site was about 270 miles from the tribe's reservation in Wyandotte, Okla. The U.S. Interior Department earlier this year spelled out strict new guidelines for proposed casinos that lie beyond reasonable daily commuting distance of reservation residents.

Woman arrested after fight over casino slot machine

PA -