The Boston-based sportsbook leader this week wrote a $5 million check to Winning for Missouri Education, the political committee behind Amendment 2.

If Amendment 2 receives a simple majority, Missouri’s 13 casinos would be allowed retail and online sportsbook privileges. The state’s professional sports stadiums and arenas would also qualify for similar sports wagering opportunities. Two fully mobile skins untethered to a casino or sports venue would additionally be created.

Campaign Cash?

Caesars Entertainment is bankrolling the sports betting opposition committee called Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment. The company says Amendment 2 was crafted by “out-of-state corporate sponsors” seeking to enrich their operations without having invested in Missouri as it has with its three riverboats — Isle of Capri in Boonville, Horseshoe St. Louis, and Harrah’s Kansas City. Caesars has spent $4 million in opposition to Amendment 2.

DraftKings’ latest $5 million spend follows a $3.5 million check it wrote to Winning for Missouri Education just last month.

DraftKings’ primary competitor, FanDuel, has also donated millions of dollars to the pro-Amendment 2 campaign. The committee has raised $16.5 million since January, most of which came from DraftKings and FanDuel.

Amendment 2 is a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment that arose after state lawmakers in Jefferson City failed to compromise on a sports betting bill. State Sen. Denny Hoskins (R-Warrensburg) was blamed for the legislative gridlock.

Hoskins says he isn’t against sports betting but thinks if the state wants to welcome more gambling, it should do so while creating a regulatory environment for controversial gray games that operate in restaurants, bars, gas stations, and many other small businesses. Hoskins repeatedly filibustered sports betting bills in his chamber demanding that no-chance skill games be included in the legislation.

State Sen. Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia) said Hoskins’ politicking was unwarranted.

Everybody else around the country’s doing something that we can’t because a few folks want slot machines in gas stations,” Rowden declared.

Winning for Missouri Education took sports betting into its own hands and canvassed state voters to sign on to the referendum effort. In August, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office announced that enough signatures had been verified.

After a legal challenge alleging that Ashcroft used an outdated congressional map and that thousands of signatures were erroneously obtained failed, Amendment 2 was approved for the November 5 ballot.

Caesars’ Reasons

Caesars Entertainment is one of only six commercial casino operators in Missouri. The company wants to limit sports betting to those entities and for them to choose which third-party online sportsbooks gain market access.

Amendment 2 would allow two sportsbooks to obtain full online wagering concessions without a casino partnership. It would also allow pro sports venues to enter the state gaming industry with physical and online sportsbooks.

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California-based Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E) is partnered with the Cedar Rapids Development Group and the Linn County Gaming Association on a $275 million development that would feature a casino floor with approximately 700 slot machines, 22 live dealer table games, and a sportsbook. The 160,000-square-foot entertainment facility would additionally include a 1,500-seat concert venue, more than 1,100 parking spaces, and several restaurants and bars.

Johnson’s name would appear on one of the casino’s restaurants, Zach Johnson’s Clubhouse. The sports-themed eatery would feature steaks, chops, and craft cocktails.

Johnson’s popularity among the golfing world lessened following his dismal captaining of the 2023 US Ryder Cup Team in which he selected friends over possibly more qualified players as his captain’s picks. Team USA lost by five points to Team Europe.

Johnson’s reputation took a further hit at the 2024 Masters after he seemingly yelled profanities at members of the gallery who cheered after he made a triple bogey six on the par-3 12th.

Casino Impact?

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) is considering the Cedar Rapids casino plan once again after a two-year legislative-ordered moratorium expired in June. The IRGC rejected the Cedar Crossing Casino submission in 2014 and 2017 due to market saturation concerns.

Swain said at this week’s media event that Linn and Johnson counties have 40K more residents today than they did in 2017. With casinos opening in Nebraska and the Chicago suburbs, Swain opined that Iowa should expand its gaming offerings to retain gaming money from flowing into those jurisdictions.

The development consortium wants to place the casino on the former Cooper’s Mill hotel and restaurant site. The casino wouldn’t include on-site lodging but would instead partner with nearby hotels. Cooper’s Mill was demolished in 2017 and the property has sat vacant since.

Cedar Crossing will be a compelling reason to stay and build lives and futures here for the northwest side of the Cedar River,” said Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell. “It will serve as an anchor for much-needed redevelopment, leading life into an area that has long awaited its renaissance.”

The IRGC is expected to review the Cedar Crossing Casino presentation during its October 3 meeting and formally vote on the project on Feb. 6, 2025.

STEM Lab

To sweeten the deal, P2E has pledged to contribute 8% of the casino’s gross revenue to its charitable Linn County Gaming Association arm. That’s far higher than the state’s requirement that 3% of each casino’s gaming income go to nonprofits.

The STEM lab and cultural arts center would feature rotating exhibits and be open to students. The facilities would be operated in partnership with the National Geographic Society.

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Sources who spoke to The Telegraph said that Colossus has approached the country’s 59 tracks, more commonly called race courses in the UK, with an offer that is being taken seriously.

The current arrangement with the Tote doesn’t really work for a lot of us,” a source told?The Telegraph. “There’s potential for Colossus to change that, but we’re miles away from doing a deal.

Ubiquitous Presence

The Tote has been a ubiquitous presence at race courses throughout the UK since 1928. That year, a bill introduced by Winston Churchill established the state-owned pool betting services to combat illegal gambling and provide revenues for the sport.

The British government privatized the Tote in 2011, selling it to Betfred, which later sold it on to a consortium of investors who rebranded to The Tote Group. The group pays around ￡13 million (US$16 million) a year to the race courses for the right to offer on-track betting.

Colossus’ offer may face resistance from the industry because many owners and breeders are believed to have invested in the Tote Group.

Colossus Bets was formed in 2013 by Bernard Marantelli and Zeljko Ranogajec with a mission to modernize parimutuel betting to make it more competitive with the fixed-odds betting markets. This included the creation of new features, such as Cash Out options and Syndicates, a product that allows gamblers to share the cost of their bets and winnings with fellow players.

The Telegraph source said Colossus would still have to “prove their credibility,” adding that the situation was politically charged.

‘The Loch Ness Monster’

Colossus co-founder Ranogajec has been described as one of the most successful professional gamblers in the world and is said to be worth billions of dollars. The Australian first made a fortune as a blackjack card counter before turning his attention to horses.

According to documents filed to an Australian court in 2012, Ranogajec at the time was placing more than AU$750 million (US$510 million) a year in bets.

The reclusive gambler has been given the nickname “the Loch Ness Monster” in his native Australia because he is so rarely seen.

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Officer Keir Roebin David Morey, 28, of San Pedro Town, was charged with theft.

The incident began when a suspect reported $320 worth of casino chips and $15 in cash left at the police station were stolen, according to Channel 5 Belize.

The victim, Kevin Salazar, a 28-year-old bartender from San Pedro Town was arrested on September 10 at San Pedro’s Palm Casino after a search of his person revealed him to be carrying illegal drugs. Salazar was booked at the San Pedro Police Station.

Handed Over Personal Possessions

On September 11, Salazar was charged with possession of controlled drugs. Salazar pleaded guilty to the charge at the San Pedro Magistrate Court and was fined for the offense.

Upon his processing, Salazar had given officers at the police station the casino chips and $15, authorities said. He also handed over a cell phone, a watch, and a silver chain.

When he returned to the police station, the casino chips and cash were missing, according to the TV news report. The other items were returned to him.

A police department employee said Salazar never signed a document for the casino chips or cash, which reportedly included two green chips worth $50 each, as well as 22 red casino chips valued at $10 each.

Investigation After Items Missing

Officers initiated an internal investigation that included reviewing video from a surveillance camera.

Later, a complaint was made against Officer Morey who was officially arrested on Tuesday.

There’s no word on whether Morey was suspended from his job or if the money and casino chips were ever returned to Salazar.

San Pedro is located in the southern portion of Ambergris Caye, an island in northern Belize.

The post Belize Police Officer Allegedly Stole $320 Worth of Casino Chips appeared first on Casino.org.

The 44-year-old victim was entering his parked car on Chicago’s East Ohio Street when, at about 2:30 a.m., the suspect drove behind him, exited his sedan, and pulled out a firearm before demanding the victim’s money.

The man handed cash over to the robber who then fled the scene. No shots were fired and no one was injured.

The casino released a statement confirming the incident and is cooperating with investigators.

It’s likely local police officers are reviewing casino surveillance camera footage.

Casino Cheaters Avoid Jail

Two poker players at Live! Casino Pittsburgh were given probation recently after being charged with playing with marked cards.

Bahri Sahpolat, 47, of California, and Serdar Ozmen, 44, of Maryland, used the illicit cards last month when playing Mississippi Stud poker at the gaming property, according to TribLive.

The players won more than $12K during the games and their cheating was videotaped through casino surveillance cameras.

Upon their arrest, they were charged with theft, receiving stolen property, criminal trespassing, and use of a cheating device. $12K was seized from the two men upon their arrests.

The trespassing charge later was dropped and a judge approved a plea agreement that gave them a special form of probation known as accelerated rehabilitative disposition.

The men didn’t have to enter guilty pleas and, if they complete the probationary period, the charges will be eliminated from their criminal records.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger ordered the men to pay the casino $1,047 and barred them from returning to the gaming property.

Through sophisticated security measures, Live Casino officials were able to detect the illegal activity of the individuals,” casino spokesperson Tom Meinert told TribLive.

“We immediately contacted the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and have been working with them throughout the duration of this investigation.”

Adult Allegedly Tried to Sneak Teens Into Casino

Christal Mutua, 39, of Wilkes-Barre, Pa. allegedly concocted a plot to let her underage child and a second teenager onto the casino floor last week at the Mohegan Pennsylvania.

Security guards stopped the pair at the entrance. Mutua ran away and the girl walked away to a parking lot, authorities said.

The Pennsylvania Bureau of Gaming Enforcement said Mutua’s mother took part in the scheme. Officers plan to charge her.

The minimum age to enter the casino is 21.

The post Casino Crime Roundup: Bally’s Casino Chicago Visitor Robbed By Gunman appeared first on Casino.org.

The boards of both Israel-based companies have approved the deal. Playtika noted the final acquisition price could be $1.25 billion if closely held SuperPlay achieves “certain financial targets for 2025, 2026, and 2027.” Those include adjusted earnings before, interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and sales objectives. The acquisition boosts Playtika’s exposure to the board and coin looter segments of the mobile gaming space.

Founded in 2019 by former Playtika employees Gilad Almog and Eyal Netzer, along with industry veteran Elad Drory, SuperPlay has emerged as expert game makers with two successful titles — Dice Dreams, a fast-growing Coin Looter game, and Domino Dreams, a popular Board game, and two more games currently in development,” according to a statement issued by Playtika.

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter.

Why the Deal Matters for Playtika

Shares of Playtika are off 22% over the past 12 months and in the more than three years since the company’s initial public offering (IPO), investors have fretted about monthly user growth and a dependence on a small number of titles such as Bingo Blitz, Caesars Slots, Slotomania, and World Series of Poker (WSOP).

“In 2024, both Dice Dreams and Domino Dreams have grown rapidly, boasting a combined 1.7 million Average Daily Active Users as of August,” added Playtika in the statement.

Former Playtika staffers Gilad Almog and Eyal Netzer founded SuperPlay in 2019 and will continue running SuperPlay as an independent studio under the Playtika umbrella.

SuperPlay Brings Growth to Playtika

SuperPlay could immediately improve Playtika’s top line due in part to the success of the aforementioned Dice Dreams. That game was released in 2024 and as of July, it surpassed $400 million, helped in large part by the 2021 release of rival Monopoly Go!

In the three years previous to MONOPOLY GO!’s release, Dice Dreams grossed $125 million: a significant success by most standards. However, since MONOPOLY GO!’s release, Dice Dreams has become supercharged, earning the remaining $275 million to hit this $400 million milestone in a year and a few months,” noted SensorTower.

The research firm pointed out that the US is the primary market for both games and that while the Monopoly game has proven popular, it hasn’t disrupted Dice Dreams’ market share.

The post Playtika Paying Up to $1.25B for SuperPlay appeared first on Casino.org.

Chhim Sithar was arrested in November 2022 as she returned from a labor conference in Australia. She was later sentenced to two years in prison for incitement to commit a felony.

As president of the Labor Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld (LRSU), Sithar led a year-long protest over workers’ rights at the casino, which is Cambodia’s largest.

It was the longest strike in the country’s history, and it was eventually disrupted violently by Cambodian authorities. More than 200 protestors were arrested in February 2022 alone.

“About our advocacy fighting for union rights at NagaWorld, we will continue holding strike action until we get a solution. That’s the position we have determined since the first strike,” Sithar told the Associated Press this week.

“Unfortunately, as of today, after nearly three years, our workers have still not gotten justice. Therefore, as long as there’s no justice, our struggle continues,” she added.

‘Illegal’ Layoffs

Workers began the strike at NagaWorld in solidarity with 373 of their colleagues who were laid off in April 2021. The casino’s owner, NagaCorp, said the job cuts were designed to reduce costs amid the financial pressures of the pandemic.

But workers claimed the layoffs were illegal, and many refused to accept inadequate severance packages. Strikers were arrested on the pretext that they were breaching COVID-19 protocols.

The Cambodian government’s suppression of the strike was also condemned by the United Nations, which called on authorities to “respect the right to peaceful assembly and engage in dialogue to address the strikers’ legitimate requests.”

Repression of Critics

Cambodia’s autocratic government has intensified its repression of civilian activists and critics in recent years, according to a report by Human Rights Watch.

[During the pandemic] the government adopted a state-of-emergency law that grants the prime minister and others unfettered authority to surveil private telecommunications, and to ban the dissemination of information, while generally restricting the rights to peaceful assembly and association,” Human Rights Watch wrote.

“No one wants to be in prison, and I can say that we were afraid,” Sithar said this week. “But I want to make a comparison. Which one is the scarier? For me, the fear of losing the rights to a union, the fear of losing the right to unionize, is scarier than putting me in jail.”

The post NagaWorld Employees Will Continue Labor Fight, Vows Freed Union Leader appeared first on Casino.org.

On her self-titled TV talk show, where she made the announcement, Hudson said her Christmas show “will represent how I celebrate at home” and called it “like a gift to myself, being able to share this.”

Tickets go on sale Friday, Sept. 20 at 10 a.m. PT here.

Take it to the (Credit Card) Limit

The Eagles will follow U2 and the Grateful Dead to erect the third band-themed “experience” at the Venetian. “Third Encore” will open in the same second-floor space in the casino on the Eagles’ opening night, Sept. 20.

According to a press release, it will provide “an exclusive fan experience” that “will allow Eagles fans to browse unique items and get up close with rare merchandise and memorabilia.”

In other words, a merch store.

The main attraction of the Eagles’ merch store will be a small-scale recreation of the Troubadour, the LA music club where Don Henley?and?Glenn Fry first met (and first probably fought) in 1970. Third Encore will also screen a behind-the-scenes video compilation called “Eagles at Home.”

Styx & Lionel Encoring at Wynn?

Styx will perform a five-night engagement at the Venetian Theatre as part of their upcoming tour in January and February, just as they did last January and February. However, there will be a first for the classic rockers this time — performing their 1977 album, “The Grand Illusion,” in its entirety.

The dates are Jan. 24, 25, 29 and 31, and Feb. 1. Tickets, starting at $45, plus fees and taxes, will go on sale to the general public Friday, Sept. 20 at 10 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster.com or VenetianLasVegas.com.

Also returning to the Venetian is pop icon Lionel Richie, who has performed 48 shows at the Encore Theater since opening his “King of Hearts” residency there in 2019.

His six new dates are Jan. 15 and 18-19, and April 9, 11, and 12. Tickets, starting at $109, go on sale Friday, Sept. 20 at 10 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster.com.

Health Scare for Dave Mason

Former Traffic guitarist Dave Mason has cancelled his Saturday, Sept. 21 show at Santa Fe Station due to an unspecified medical condition.

“Under the advice of doctors, Dave Mason’s fall tour has been changed to start in Santa Barbara and continue, on schedule, to Lake Tahoe,” an post on his Instagram page read.

The casino resort will contact ticket buyers about refunds.

The post VEGAS MUSIC ROUNDUP: Hudson for the Holidays, Eagles to Land Predictable Store, Mason Cancels appeared first on Casino.org.

False reports circulated on social media that law enforcement in Nassau County had detected a bomb in a car near the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The rumblings suggested a bomb-sniffing dog had located explosives inside a parked vehicle.

Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said no explosive device was found and the rumors were false. Trump’s rally is set to begin at 7 p.m. tonight.

Despite being a native New Yorker, Trump lost New York four years ago by more than 23%. However, he only lost Long Island by about 4%.?

Sands Casino Plan?

Trump will speak this evening at the Nassau Coliseum. The former home to the NHL New York Islanders is being targeted by Las Vegas Sands for an integrated resort casino.

Nassau County last year agreed to sell the lease of the Nassau Coliseum to Sands. The developer of The Venetian and Palazzo resorts in Las Vegas, Sands wants to overhaul the stadium complex into a sprawling entertainment destination with a casino, luxury hotel, convention and ballroom spaces, live concert venue, numerous restaurants and bars, and a Canyon Ranch wellness retreat.

The Adelsons have been Trump’s biggest campaign fundraisers since 2016. The couple poured over $200 million into the Republican’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns. Adelson died in January 2021 but his widow says she’s prepared to contribute $100 million for Trump’s 2024 bid.

Adelson’s primary concern is protecting Israel. The Tel Aviv-born billionaire says Trump will keep the United States committed to the Israeli State and not become a Palestinian sympathizer.

President Trump deserves the full support of the entire Jewish people,” Adelson said in August. “Anyone who cares about Israel’s security and prosperity, this must be our pledge to him — this must be our promise to him — that the White House will be his again.”

Trump’s Odds Keep Lengthening

Since what many called a poor debate, Trump’s odds of returning to Washington, D.C., have continued to lengthen.

Sportsbooks in the United Kingdom where political betting on election outcomes is allowed have followed in lengthening Trump’s odds.

William Hill currently has Trump at even money (+100) for implied odds of 50%. Harris is favored at 4/5 (-125) for implied odds of 55.6%.

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Amaya will be owned and operated by Gen3 Hospitality, which also owns Haute Doggery and Flour & Barley pizza at the Linq. It will serve a selection of coastal Mexican dishes created by chef Jason McLeod, the culinary director of Clique Hospitality, which is creating the restaurant for Gen3.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which broke the story, the eatery’s name “pays homage to an inspiring woman the team met in Mexico while tasting for the restaurant.” However, there is already an Amaya Restaurant in Mexico City. It is not known whether the two are related or even know about one another.

Since opening in 2010, the closest Cosmopolitan has come to serving Mexican food is China Poblano by Jose Andres, which fuses it with Chinese.

For more information, follow @amayamexican on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X.

Food Network Loves Off-Menu Spago Item

The blog at the Food Network recently included General Tso’s Wings at the new Spago, now fountainside at the Bellagio, among its 14 picks for “The Best Chicken Wings in America.” What’s unusual about the choice is that those wings aren’t on the menu.

“Everyone loves a secret, off-menu dish,” read the blog, which praised the wings, which are tossed in a sweet and spicy garlic sauce after being smothered in cilantro and scallions.

Dining Ins & Outs

It looks like La Popular CDMX wasn’t as popular as its name suggested. The much-ballyhooed Mexican restaurant at the Palms, whose menu was created by executive chef Cesar de la Parra, has closed after just over a year in the space formerly occupied by Bobby Flay’s Shark. It was owned and operated by Grupo Carolo of Mexico City — CDMX are the initials for Ciudad de México — and Eureka Restaurant Group of California.

Marché Bacchus, the popular French restaurant overlooking Lake Jacqueline in Desert Shores, has new owners. Rhonda and Jeff Wyatt. who have owned the eatery since 2007, have sold to HUKL Hospitality. The Wyatts purchased it from Gregoire and Agathe Verge, the couple from Burgundy who founded Marché Bacchus as a wine store in 2000.

Dave’s Hot Chicken will join the offerings at Harry Reid International Airport early next year. Airport concessionaire JV Ventures will run this outpost of the Nashville-style hot chicken, which also has locations at the Grand Bazaar Shops on the Strip, and at 9040 W. Sahara Ave.

The post VEGAS DINING ROUNDUP: Meet Cosmo’s Holstein Replacement, La (Not So) Popular Closes at Palms appeared first on Casino.org.

Following a spate of upsets involving the most chosen teams in the first two weeks of the season, a pool that started with an all-time high of 14,266 entries has been slashed to 3,877 contenders — a record amount of attrition in the first two weeks, according to Circa Sports. In the survivor pool, contestants pick one NFL team each week to win outright — not against the spread — but they can only choose that team once during the season.

While those who are now “off the island” are no longer eligible for the $14.26 million prize pool, Circa is attempting to ease those contestants’ pain.

Those offers can only be redeemed between November 3 and December 26. Each survivor participant is capped at five entries at $1,000 apiece.

How the Circa Survivor Pool Shrank So Fast

This isn’t the first time Circa Sports has used the empathy package to ease the sting felt by jilted survivor contestants. The gaming company deployed the same tactic in 2022 with some success.

Things didn’t get any better in Week 2. Another 26.5% of Circa Survivor entries departed when the Baltimore Ravens lost at home to the Las Vegas Raiders. Nearly 10% of contestants were booted after the Detroit Lions fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Another 8.1% of entries were gone due to choosing either the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, or Indianapolis Colts.

The final nail in the Week 2 coffin arrived courtesy of “Monday Night Football.” Entering that game, 785 Circa Survivor participants had selected the Philadelphia Eagles, but the Atlanta Falcons dramatically beat the Eagles.

Circa Survivor Attrition Rate Easily Outpaces Prior Record

Just two weeks into the 2024 NFL season, just 27.2% of the Circa Survivor entries remain, which is far worse than the previous record low through two weeks. That happened in 2022 when just 32.8% of contestants were still around for week three.

The pool is designed for 20 weeks — 18 weeks plus the NFL games on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve — but survivor ends when there is just one entry remaining. At this rate, that could occur sooner rather than later.

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The indictment alleges that the Smalls both physically and emotionally abused their teenage daughter on multiple instances. Prosecutors allege that Mr. Small stuck his daughter with a broom multiple times on Jan. 13, 2024. A little more than a week earlier, the mayor is alleged to have thrown the girl down a flight of stairs.

“Marty and La’Quetta are a good mom and dad raising a teenage child,” said Ed Jacobs, the Smalls’ attorney. “They are totally innocent and will be totally exonerated.”

Small became mayor of the casino town in 2019 after Frank Gilliam resigned after he admitted to stealing $86K from a youth basketball program he founded called the Atlantic City Starz.

During his time in office, Small championed the effort to demolish the former Trump Plaza casino along the Boardwalk. Trump critics said the implosion marked a symbolic end to the former president’s time in Atlantic City.

Indictment Allegations

The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office has charged both Smalls with child endangerment. Persons found guilty of such a charge face between five and 10 years in prison and fines of up to $150K.

Atlantic City High School Principal Constance Days-Chapman had earlier been indicted for official misconduct on allegations that the Smalls’ daughter came to her to report the abuse she was suffering at home. Instead of relaying that information to law enforcement, Days-Chapman, a close friend of the Smalls, only told her boss about her daughter’s grumblings. Her lawyer says she’s innocent.

The indictment doesn’t include any reports of those allegations. Jacobs said in April that the pregnancy reports were an “egregious rumor.”

Much of the evidence used to indict the smalls came from videos that their daughter’s boyfriend captured on his iPad. In one clip, the mayor can be heard saying, “Don’t make me hurt you!”

AC Corruption?

Jacobs says Small won’t resign from his mayorship.

This indictment has absolutely nothing to do with Marty Small’s tenure as mayor,” Jacobs said. “There’s no charge of corruption or any official misconduct. Marty and La’Quetta Small don’t need the Atlantic County prosecutor’s Office meddling into a private family matter.”

Though it’s not official corruption, the Small indictment is yet another black eye on Atlantic City politics.

Since 1970, four Atlantic City mayors have been arrested on corruption charges. Those mayors committed an array of crimes from intimidating small business owners in exchange for financial kickbacks to utilizing the Mafia to bankroll their political campaigns.

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The state’s high court is slated to rule on an appeal from Cherokee Nation Entertainment challenging Issue 2. The referendum was certified in August by Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston for the November 5 ballot.

The Arkansas Supreme Court agreed to expedite its review of the Cherokee allegations since November 5 is fast approaching. Early voting in Missouri begins two weeks before Election Day.

The next round of briefs is due by September 26, and the court says it will issue its ruling soon after reviewing each side’s claims.

Lawsuit Allegations

In June, Cherokee Nation Entertainment was deemed the winner of the Pope County casino license after it was the only bidder that met the Arkansas Racing Commission’s (ARC) guidelines that submissions be accompanied by either a letter of support from Pope County Judge Ben Cross or a resolution of support from the Pope County Quorum Court. Pope County was designated for a commercial casino through a statewide referendum in 2018 that authorized gambling in four counties.

Pope County voters voted against the 2018 referendum. The county was one of only 11 among the 75 counties in the state that voted against the casino question.

The Cherokee Nation alleges that Local Voters in Charge violated a slew of canvassing laws in going about collecting signatures to put the gaming question before voters this fall. Through its own campaign, the Arkansas Canvassing Compliance Committee, the Cherokees allege that Local Voters in Charge paid canvassers based on the number of signatures they collected, provided faulty registration addresses for workers, and didn’t properly certify canvassing captains.

Referendum Likely to Prevail?

Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Randy Wright, the special master appointed to the case to expedite the high court’s review, wrote in his “Report and Findings of Fact” based on the preliminary briefs that much of the plaintiff’s allegations are meritless.

If the referendum is defeated or rejected by the Arkansas Supreme Court, Cherokee Nation Entertainment would be cleared to proceed with its $300 million project in Russellville called Legends Resort & Casino.

The casino plan calls for a gaming floor measuring 50K square feet with 1,200 slot machines, 32 live dealer table games, and a sportsbook. A 200-room hotel would be complemented by several restaurants and bars, 15K square feet of meeting and conference space, a resort pool, and an outdoor music venue.

Recent polling reveals that just 42% of likely voters said they’ll vote in favor of Issue 2, while 28% said they would vote against it, and 30% were undecided.

The post Arkansas Supreme Court Will Soon Rule on Pope County Casino Case appeared first on Casino.org.

This week, a US District Court in Las Vegas gave the green light to a civil lawsuit filed by 10 more women accusing the disgraced former comedian and TV star of sexual abuse.

A trial date hasn’t yet been set and it is not yet known what monetary or other damages the lawsuit seeks.

In her ruling, US District Judge Gloria Navarro rejected arguments made by Cosby’s attorney that SB 129 violated both his client’s due process rights and the state’s prohibition on laws only applying to a select group of people (in this case, victims of sexual assault).

Navarro also rejected all 10 claims of sexual assault, since sexual assault isn’t a civil tort under Nevada law. (The other charges were allowed.) And she deferred a decision on whether one of the woman’s claims — that Cosby forced her to masturbate him — could be revived by SB 129. Navarro said she would ask the Nevada Supreme Court to weigh in on that.

Since the new lawsuits are civil, Cosby, now 87, cannot face imprisonment if convicted.

Cos for Concern

A rare comedian who wouldn’t use profanity and who chastised those who did, Cosby served as a beacon for decency and morality in the modern world. In Las Vegas, he frequently headlined the Sahara, Caesars Palace, and the Las Vegas Hilton in the ’60s and ’70s, and more recently, the Mirage, Bellagio, Venetian, Treasure Island, and MGM Grand.

In addition to his standup career, he created, hosted, and voiced the most beloved animated kids TV show of the ’70s, “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids,” and followed that up by playing “America’s Dad” on the highest-rated sitcom of the ’80s, NBC’s “The Cosby Show.”

All this made it incredibly hard for the world to accept when the allegations of sexual assault first surfaced in 2014, beginning with actress Janice Dickinson, who accused America’s Dad of drugging and raping her in 1982.

Cosby’s legal woes began in December 2015, when three felony charges of aggravated indecent assault were filed against him in Montgomery County, Pa.

His first trial, two years later, deadlocked the jury and was declared a mistrial. His second resulted in a guilty verdict on all three counts. In September 2018, Cosby began serving a sentence of 3-10 years in state prison.

In June 2021, Cosby was freed after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overruled his conviction, citing an agreement with a previous prosecutor that prevented Cosby from being charged.

Cosby denies all allegations of sex crimes.

The post Las Vegas Judge Allows New Bill Cosby Lawsuit appeared first on Casino.org.

Caesars has contributed $4 million to a committee called Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment. The campaign is working to encourage voters to oppose Amendment 2 during the November 5 election.

Retail licenses would cost $250K for five-year durations. Mobile licenses would cost $500K. Gross sportsbook revenue after promotional deductions would be subject to a 10% state tax.?

Caesars’ Opposition

Caesars operates three casinos in Missouri — Isle of Capri in Boonville, Horseshoe St. Louis, and Harrah’s Kansas City. It’s not customary for a major casino operator like Caesars to oppose efforts to expand gaming, but the company reportedly dislikes Amendment 2 because it would provide sports betting opportunities to too many competitors.

Caesars’ sports betting unit, Caesars Sportsbook, continues to trail DraftKings and FanDuel in terms of market share. Amendment 2 would allow those companies to enter the Show-Me State and, likely, assume control of Missouri’s sports betting industry.

Amendment 2 is a bad deal for Missouri. This deceptive measure was written by and for the financial benefit of its out-of-state corporate sponsors and funders,” said Brooke Foster, a spokesperson for Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment.

DraftKings and FanDuel, along with the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, and St. Louis Cardinals and Blues, funded the referendum campaign. They say the state is losing out on tens of millions of dollars each year by not allowing sports betting.

Winning for Missouri Education, the pro-sports betting campaign, is using education to rally support for Amendment 2. The referendum would mandate that most of the state tax proceeds from sports gambling go to K-12 public education.

Latest Polling

New polling from Emerson College/The Hill suggests the outcome of Amendment 2 will be razor-thin. With a margin of error of 3.3%, the poll found that 52% of likely voters in Missouri will vote in favor of the sports betting question.

About 25% of likely voters say they’ll vote against sports betting, and 23% said they were unsure.

“From their deceptive ads to the hypocritical name of their campaign committee, the Nevada-based company hopes Missourians never discover their true motives. The reality is that Caesars opposes Amendment 2 because they want a larger piece of the sports betting pie at the expense of Missouri classrooms,” Cardetti said.

The post Caesars Bankrolling Opposition Campaign to Missouri Sports Betting Referendum appeared first on Casino.org.

However, regulator l’Autorité de la Concurrence (the Competition Authority) insisted there must be a clear separation between FDJ’s commercial activities and its monopolistic business. That means FDJ, a former state-owned corporation, won’t be permitted to cross-sell Kindred’s products to its lottery and sports betting customers.

Failure to do so would give FDJ an unfair advantage over rival commercial operators, the regulator concluded.

Monopoly Money

Kindred, formerly Unibet Group, owns some of Europe’s best-known online casino and sports betting brands, including Unibet and 32Red.

FDJ, the largest gambling operator in France, was privatized in 2018 when the French government sold off 50% of its ownership. In November 2023, the company acquired Ireland’s national lottery operator, Premier Lotteries Ireland, making it the second-largest lottery operator in Europe and the fourth-largest globally.

In October last year, FDJ completed its acquisition of online horserace betting site ZEturf, the only segment of the gambling market it had not yet entered. ZEturf is also subject to separation from the company’s monopolistic brands.

That followed a complaint by ZEturf that PMU’s co-mingling of the two channels helped it gain an unfair advantage over other operators offering horse racing pools.

‘Gaming Champion’

Following news of the Kindred takeover bid in January, FDJ Chair Stéphane Pallez said the deal would create a “European gaming champion.”

In a somewhat scathing note, Regulus Partners suggested Kindred’s real attraction was that “it allows excess cash flow generated from a privatized state monopoly to be pumped into a ready-made competitive platform which the sclerotic, statist FDJ failed organically to create.”

The post $2.7B Kindred Group Takeover by French Lottery Giant FDJ Approved — With Caveat appeared first on Casino.org.

Keila Diaz, 47, of Freehold, NJ, works at the Monmouth County corrections department, NJ Advance Media reported.

Monmouth Sheriff Shaun Golden told the news outlet that following the violent scuffle, Diaz was suspended without pay from the job she has held since 2014.

“This type of behavior is inexcusable from anyone, but, particularly from a member of law enforcement, who at all times, on or off duty, should exhibit the highest level of professionalism, with honor and integrity,” Golden told NJ Advance Media. “Any conduct that does not meet that expectation will not be tolerated.”

Diaz and a male acquaintance, Damian Pineyro, 35, were both charged with aggravated assault for Sunday’s brawl at the Tropicana Atlantic City.

Diaz was also charged with simple assault while Pineryo was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and terroristic threats.

Pineryo allegedly punched the female victim in the face and assaulted a male victim. Pineryo additionally tried to stab that same man, authorities said.

In addition, Diaz allegedly attacked the female victim as she was lying on the floor.

The female victim was unconscious when she was transported to Atlantic City’s AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center. She’s expected to recover after receiving treatment.

A video of the fracas was posted by Barstool Sports on X. It had been watched 2.4 million times by Wednesday.

Man Arrested for Exposing Private Parts at Casino

A Louisiana man was arrested over the weekend for allegedly showing off his genitals to several visitors and employees at an unspecified Shreveport, La. gaming property.

The casino is located on Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway.

Casino Janitor Steals Lost $10K

A janitor at a Missouri gaming property is facing a court case after he allegedly scooped up a lost stack of $100 bills, according to a recent news report.

Guards checked surveillance video, which showed janitor, Joshua Turner cleaning near the elevators, spotting the money, and placing it on his cleaning cart.

Security guards later found Turner asleep in a casino restaurant. He admitted to taking the money, but claimed finding the cash was a “blessing.” He was arrested for stealing, police said.

The money was still covered by the towel when authorities inspected the cleaning cart.

The post Casino Crime Roundup: Atlantic City Casino Fight Suspect is a Corrections Officer appeared first on Casino.org.

Though neither driver was seriously injured, lithium fires are among the most treacherous roadway hazards. That’s because they’re very difficult to extinguish, they release deadly fumes, and they pose a significant risk of self-reigniting.

Almost all set off a chain heat reaction that ends up burning every battery in the payload.

Though the fire is now extinguished, the highway must remain closed until whenever a hazmat crew finishes thoroughly cleaning the fire’s toxic residue from the roadway.

With no other options, police continue diverting southbound traffic to SR-160 and into Pahrump, Nev., adding up to two hours to every trip into Las Vegas from that direction.

Playing With Fire

This is the second lithium-ion battery fire to close a Las Vegas freeway in less than two months. And, believe it or not, it’s a much better situation.

Tens of thousands of motorists attempting to enter Las Vegas via Interstate 15 over the weekend of July 26 never made it. Instead, they found themselves stuck on the main artery from Southern California for full hours after a truck carrying 31K lbs. of lithium-ion batteries overturned and burned uncontrollably.

In a statement to the media, Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) stated that both freeway accidents underscore the need for federal regulation of all lithium-ion battery transportation.

Last week, the congresswoman introduced the Thermal Runaway Reduction Act, which would mandate a maximum 30% charge for all lithium-ion batteries transported commercially by ground. This would match their requirements for air transportation.

Without better regulation of the transport of these batteries, it is only a matter of time before these accidents and resulting fires take human lives,” Titus said. “Furthermore, the resulting road closures and the amount of water needed to extinguish these fires have significant impacts on resources in our region.

“Congress needs to act quickly to enact life-saving regulations.”

The post Road to Vegas Closed by Second Lithium-Ion Battery Fire in 2 Months appeared first on Casino.org.

Details about the reworked Norfolk casino continue to come to light. The biggest development of late is that the Pamunkey Indian Tribe has attracted Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming to co-develop the resort.

Yarbrough has no experience building a casino but instead made his vast wealth through manufacturing gaming machines tailored for tribal venues. Yarbrough recently agreed to sell his 80% stake in the gaming partnership with the Pamunkey Tribe to Boyd.

Resort Details

Last week, the Norfolk City Council signed off on the amended casino agreement to include Boyd and remove Yarbrough. Boyd will now help the tribe raise capital to construct what’s expected to be an investment of more than $500 million to open a casino resort along the Elizabeth River adjacent to the city’s Harbor Park Minor League Baseball stadium.

The casino consortium has agreed to retain free parking for Amtrak customers. The resort’s 1,300-space parking garage will designate a minimum of 103 spaces for Amtrak riders.

During construction, Boyd and the tribe have also committed to providing a shuttle service for ticketed Amtrak passengers from a temporary parking area that’s yet to be determined.

The original plan was to purchase 13.5 acres but the resort site shrunk after the federal and state governments announced an infrastructure plan that will include constructing a 17-foot-high seawall along the riverbank. The project will result in reduced land.

Smoking Allowed

Virginia’s 2009 Clean Air Act banned indoor smoking in most workplaces and public settings. But, the statute provides exemptions for parimutuel racetracks and off-track betting parlors. The 2020 commercial gaming law grandfathered casinos into the smoking loophole, too.

As a result, casinos in Virginia can allow smoking anywhere. Boyd reps say smoking will be allowed in the forthcoming Norfolk casino.

We want to create an enjoyable environment for everyone, smokers and nonsmokers,” said Uri Clinton, executive vice president of Boyd Gaming. “Today’s technology allows for that to happen.”

The latest Norfolk casino blueprint suggests utilizing “best-in-class ventilation systems” to keep as much of the secondhand smoke out of supposedly nonsmoking areas. The CDC, however, says the only way to adequately protect casino workers and guests from secondhand smoke is to implement a floorwide smoke-free policy.

The post Norfolk Casino to Allow Indoor Tobacco Smoking, Retain Amtrak Parking appeared first on Casino.org.

The hookups reportedly included romantic stopovers at Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall and at the Galleria Mall.

Garcia didn’t engage in sex with the student, but the couple would cuddle and kiss, sometimes in a bed, according to police reports. It’s unclear if the two checked into the hotel at Sam’s Town or just hung out in secluded sections of the gaming property.

Grabbed Her Buttocks

Garcia told police the boy got her aroused, but they didn’t have sex due to his age, believed to be in his teens.

Garcia knew when [the student] became aroused because he seductively grabbed her buttocks by squeezing them with his hands,” according to a police report. “Garcia would allow this to happen until she became aroused and in the mood for sex. She then would have urges to have sexual intercourse with [the student] but refrained due to [the student]’s age.”

The 12 to 15 dates took place over three months after the two met at a party on May 26.

They exchanged messages on Instagram. Her messages included such confessions as “I love you,” “I’m scared of the relationship,” and “I’ll stick with you forever,” according to the Review-Journal.

They first dated at the Galleria Mall in June and the last date they had was at Sam’s Town.

Garcia told police that it’s a “loving relationship,” according to an arrest report.

Garcia Placed on Leave

Garcia was booked at the Clark County Detention Center for her inappropriate contact with the student. Since the relationship was revealed, Garcia was placed on leave by the school district.

The boy, who attended Eldorado High School, wasn’t identified.

The inappropriate relationship came to light after the boy’s ex-girlfriend informed authorities about him seeing the teaching assistant, according to Las Vegas TV station KLAS.

The boy would drive Garcia to the destinations because he had access to a car and she didn’t, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Because he drove, it appears he’s at least 16 years old, but LVMPD officers didn’t reveal his age.

The post Vegas Teaching Assistant, Underage Student Met at Sam’s Town Casino for Dates, Cops Report appeared first on Casino.org.

A source told the British newspaper that the Clark County District Attorney’s office in Las Vegas is sharing information about wider claims, brought up in Davis’ trial testimony that tie Diddy to individuals wanting Shakur dead.

According to The Sun, Diddy’s name was mentioned 77 times in documents submitted by prosecutors in opposition to Davis’ third bail request, which was denied last month.

What Diddy Do?

Combs, 54, was arrested on Monday in Manhattan, six months after federal agents conducting a sex trafficking investigation raided his homes in LA and Miami.

The music mogul pleaded not guilty in New York City federal court on Tuesday.

In old interviews with both the LAPD and the media, Davis, an admitted gang leader, claimed that he orchestrated Shakur’s murder at Combs’ request, but that Combs refused to make good on the $1 million he initially offered Davis for the hit.

Prosecutors believe that Davis made these statements under the erroneous assumption that the immunity he was granted by the LAPD — in exchange for help with its 2008 investigation into the murders of Shakur and Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace — applied to Davis’ prosecution for Shakur’s murder by another jurisdiction.

Davis’ attorneys argue that their client was lying in an effort to profit from the claims.

Combs and Davis were acquainted because Combs’ record label, Bad Boy Records, hired Davis to work security sometime in the 1990s.

Combs denies ever making the offer to Davis and no charges were ever brought against him in connection with Shakur’s murder.

“This story is beyond ridiculous and completely false,” Combs told the website AllHipHop in 2008. “Neither Biggie nor I had any knowledge of any attack before, during, or after it happened. It is a complete lie.”

For three decades, however, the streets have assumed that Combs bore some responsibility for Shakur’s killing. That’s because Wallace’s drive-by murder, which occurred in LA only six months after Shakur’s, seemed so retaliatory in nature.

To Combs, Wallace represented exactly what Shakur was to rap impresario Marion “Suge” Knight — a beloved friend and golden goose. In addition, both the slain rappers and their label bosses were highly visible opposition leaders in the East Coast/West Coast hip-hop feud at the time.

The feds know who (Las Vegas police) investigators have spoken to about the case and are aware of witnesses too,” The Sun quotes an unnamed source close to the Las Vegas investigation. “Just what this means for Diddy remains to be seen.”

Earlier this month, Davis’ murder trial was delayed until March 2025 because his attorney, Carl Arnold, requested more time to review the case’s extensive discovery materials.

The post Diddy Investigators Secretly Liaising with Tupac Murder Prosecutors — Report appeared first on Casino.org.

State gaming regulators last week voted in favor of implementing a series of new limitations regarding how gaming operators market their businesses.

Effective immediately, gaming firms can no longer use language suggesting that a gambler can participate without risk. As such, wording like “risk-free” and “free bet” are banned.

College newspapers and online websites can no longer accept advertising from sportsbooks or casinos. Local restaurants and bars that house VGTs cannot directly advertise their gaming machines in college media.

Wagering and gambling logos are also banned from clothes and gifts that predominantly appeal to underage people.

Opt-Out Information Required

Under the new IGB advertising rules, all marketing communications sent to patrons and targeted consumers must include an “opt-out” option that’s readily displayed and accessible. The opt-out function should allow a consumer to easily remove themselves from future marketing.

As part of the IGB’s ongoing work to reassess existing rules and measure the effectiveness of gaming expansion implementation, the IGB amended the current advertising and marketing rules for sports wagering to include additional safeguards and requirements and also make those rules applicable for the first time to casino gambling and video gaming,” said IGB Administrator Marcus Fruchter. “The new rules adopted today will provide uniform advertising regulation and standards across all Illinois’ gaming markets under IGB jurisdiction.”

Illinois is home to 15 casinos, 15 sportsbooks, and a network of more than 8,700 VGT establishments. The state’s gaming industry continues to expand with new brick-and-mortar casinos in Chicago and its suburbs. Bally’s plans to open its integrated resort casino in downtown Chicago in the fall of 2026.?

Wild Wild West

The sports betting industry has come under fire for its incessant advertising and concerns that many state gaming regulators haven’t implemented enough guardrails to protect consumers. Last week, a federal bill was introduced to Congress that seeks to rein in the ballooning industry.

US Rep. Paul Tonko (D-New York) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) are backing the Supporting Affordability & Fairness With Every Bet Act (SAFE Bet Act). The statute would direct sports betting states to adopt a series of regulatory conditions designed to better protect consumers.

The use of credit cards to fund an online sportsbook account would also become illegal on the national level. Tonko says sports betting ads have “reached intolerably dangerous levels” and it’s time for Congress to act to protect the public.

The post Illinois Adopts New Advertising Rules for Casinos, Sportsbooks, and VGTs appeared first on Casino.org.

Financial terms of the accord weren’t disclosed. BetMGM’s data and odds will be published across the USA Today network, which includes more than 300 online news sites spanning over 200 markets in 43 states. That’s more than the 38 (and Washington, DC) that currently permit some form of sports wagering.

The agreement incorporates BetMGM sports betting odds into stories and content sharing betting odds, moneylines, spreads and over/unders for games as well as a BetMGM “Bet Now” feature. BetMGM Sportsbook and BetMGM Casino will be listed as a partner on website footers across all USA TODAY Network publications,” according to a statement.

The arrangement with Gannett expands BetMGM’s media footprint. Earlier this year, the gaming company became the official odds provider for the Associated Press and inked a partnership with social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

BetMGM, Gannett Deal Arrives in Time for Football Season

News of the pact between BetMGM and Gannett arrived just after the conclusion of the second week of the 2024 NFL season, indicating the companies have ample time to leverage the new partnership to capitalize on the most-wagered on sport in the US.

It remains to be seen if the Gannett deal is additive to BetMGM’s market share, but there’s optimism the agreement will bear fruit for both companies.

“We believe BetMGM complements our existing portfolio of partners and will enable us to drive further audience growth and engagement,” said Gannett CEO Michael Reed in the press release. “We anticipate this collaboration will immediately lead to an increase in the overall monetization of our content platform.”

Football Betting Could Top Expectations

Before the start of the season, the American Gaming Association (AGA) estimated US bettors would wager $35 billion on the NFL this year with regulated sportsbook operators. Just two weeks into the campaign, that forecast was already upped by one analyst.

“Based on our proprietary hold model, we calculate NFL market hold of 16% for the week of Sept 9–15, above our long-term average of 9%. We estimate total sports betting market hold of 12% for the week of Sept 9–15, assuming NFL hold of 16% and 9% hold for other sports,” observed Beynon. “New York reported sports betting hold of 7% for the week of Sept 2-8, below the long-term average of 9% and directionally in line with our estimate of 8%. Handle grew 14% YoY vs the same week last year.”

The post BetMGM, Gannett Unveil Long-Term Partnership appeared first on Casino.org.

xQc got his start in 2016 as a professional “Overwatch” player, a multiplayer first-person shooter game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. xQc’s esports career was marred by numerous controversies that resulted in several suspensions and led to his team’s dismissal in 2019.

Part of Lengyel’s Kick deal included mandatory online gambling streams, which xQc began doing soon after signing the lucrative contract. The 28-year-old on Monday disclosed to his millions of followers just how much he’s been gambling on the Stake iGaming platform.

Almost $3B Bet

Lengyel shared a screenshot of his Stake online gaming account showing that he’s bet almost $3 billion. He’s wagered $2,954,739,443.22 on a total of 1,138,753 bets — or an average of $2,594 per wager.

xQc has lost far more than he’s won, as his number of losses is shown to be 1,011,365 against 112,015 wins. The statistics include bets on slot machines, table games, and sports.

xQc’s followers pushed back on his sharing of his betting history. Many voiced allegations that he isn’t actually gambling with his own money but is instead being given credits by Stake to promote the platform.

He gets paid to use Stakes’ money to gamble and get others addicted to gambling,” read one response.

Stake is an online casino website and app that operates real money interactive gambling. The network primarily deals in cryptocurrencies.

Real-money online casino gambling is regulated only in Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Stake isn’t licensed in any of those jurisdictions.

xQc Unapologetic?

Kick is seemingly using xQc to promote its streaming service that competes with Twitch, and to convert esports players into gamblers on Stake. Scolded by some of his fans for promoting gambling and possibly gambling irresponsibly, xQc earlier this year told them to mind their own business.

Backwards-ass people thinking that an idiot aiming to entertain (me) rips away all free will from vulnerable individuals. Get a grip of your own life before fixing mine,” xQc wrote on Kick.

xQc is banned from all casinos in his native Quebec after regulators last year put him on the province’s exclusion list because of widespread allegations that he has a gambling problem. Last November, Lengyel was escorted out of a land-based Montreal casino after having a birthday dinner at the resort with his family.

xQc has since disclosed that he’s appealing his inclusion on the prohibited persons list.

The post Canadian Streamer xQc Claims He’s Gambled Nearly $3B on Stake appeared first on Casino.org.

In a new report to clients, B. Riley analyst David Bain points out that since the Fed commenced its tightening cycle in March 2022, shares of Caesars slid 50% compared to an average loss of 3% for the casino operators in his coverage universe. The only comparable gaming name that performed worse over that span was Penn Entertainment (NASDAQ: PENN), which tumbled 55%.

Bain also observed that despite the interest rate headwinds, Caesars’ 2024 estimated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and restructuring or rent costs (EBITDAR) is 18% higher than the reported 2022 figure. Other data points confirm the gaming company’s leverage to lower borrowing costs.

For every 100 basis points in lowered rates, CZR’s interest expense declines/free cash flow increases by $60 million. We believe CZRs could also look to refinance its $1.6 billion 8.125% fixed senior notes sometime next year, as rates are likely to continue to fall, in our view,” wrote Bain.

Some market observers believe the Fed could pare rates by 150 basis points by the second quarter of next year, implying Caesars could see a larger boost to free cash flow than $60 million before the end of the first half of 2025.

Caesars Can Make it Rain with Asset Sales

Earlier this year, Caesars CEO Tom Reeg said the operator is open to selling noncore assets to raise cash that could be used to reduce its debt burden. He didn’t elaborate on what those assets could be.

Bain speculated that Caesars could consider selling the Linq Promenade, the retail space adjoining that Strip property. Such a transaction could generate $700 million in proceeds, Bain said.

Caesars has already engaged in some sales this year. Last month, it announced the sale of the intellectual property rights associated with the World Series of Poker (WSOP) to investment firm NSUS Group Inc. for $500 million. That results in an immediate influx of $250 million in cash, with the remainder coming in five years.

Combine that with $250 million in capital spending coming off Caesars’ books and the casino giant’s financial position is steadily improving.

Caesars Could Embrace Buybacks

Bain estimates that by the end of next year, Caesars’ net debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) ratio should be below 3.5x with lease-adjusted debt below 5x. Should those objectives be reached, it could give the Harrah’s operator the flexibility to repurchase its stock.

Given the above and an enterprise value/EBITDA valuation of 6.3x (versus ~10.4x at the time of the Eldorado/CZR merger in 2020), we believe CZR is in a position to begin to repurchase shares, though we still expect a vast majority of incoming cash will be used to repay debt,” concluded? Bain.

The gaming company has $141 million remaining on a previously announced buyback program.

The post Caesars Set for Lower Rate Perks, Could Sell Linq Promenade, Says Analyst appeared first on Casino.org.

The victims were targeted at the Rivers Casino Des Plaines and followed to their Fox Lake, Ill. residence on February 10.

But the suspects failed to look inside the bag. The female victim had placed the cash in her walker while the bag stolen by the robbers contained leftover food.

Police were alerted and after finding out the license plate number on the get-away vehicle, identified the two suspects.

Michael Britton, 27, of Chicago, was arrested on August 28. He was charged with armed robbery, aggravated robbery, and robbery of a victim over 60, according to the Fox Lake Police Department.

The defendants made off with her leftover steak and lobster as opposed to the $130,000,” Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Theis was quoted this week by the Scanner.

When Britton appeared in court recently, Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak said about the victims, “I guess in their own way, [they] outsmarted the bad guys.”

The second suspect, Aramie Kent of Maywood, Ill. is still being sought. A judge signed a warrant for his arrest. A third suspect spoke to the couple at the casino and was part of the robbery scheme, police said. She also is on the lam.

Atlantic City Casino Attack Leads to Arrests

An assault at the Tropicana Atlantic City led to a woman falling unconscious and a man being threatened by a knife on Sunday.

The female victim was kicked and punched in the head during the struggle. There’s no update on her current medical condition.

The incident began in the Quarter, a portion of the casino with restaurants and retail stores.

It wasn’t immediately known what led to the fight. It’s also unclear if others involved will be charged, according to the Daily Voice.

The post Casino Crime Roundup: Robbers Mistakenly Steal Dinner Leftovers Rather Than $130K Jackpot appeared first on Casino.org.

The 2013 gaming bill created four upstate and three downstate licenses for slot machines and live dealer table games. Sports betting has since been included in the gaming privileges.

The casino package came with a 10-year moratorium on the downstate licenses being issued. The delay was designed to give the upstate properties time to solidify their customer bases without downstate competition.

The three downstate licenses are coveted opportunities, with the largest casino operators prepping bids. The resort developments, each with an upfront $500 million licensing fee, are expected to provide the state with critical tax revenue amid a shrinking taxpayer base and a desperate need to provide funding for major public transportation infrastructure upgrades.

Governor Dragging Process

State Sen. Joe Addabbo (D-Queens), who chairs his chamber’s Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee, sponsored legislation earlier this year to speed up the downstate casino licensing process. The measure, which he championed with Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon), sought to require that bids be submitted to the New York Gaming Facility Location Board by August 31 — far sooner than the board’s current deadline of June 27, 2025.

Addabbo told Spectrum News this week that he remains hopeful that Hochul will change her mind and realize that speeding up the process is in the state’s best interest. Along with generating an immediate influx of $1.5 billion for the state, critical money that could come in the aftermath of Hochul folding on the “congestion toll” that would have jacked up tolls into Manhattan, Addabbo says the casinos will create thousands of jobs.

These are great union jobs. We’re talking about each site having at least a thousand construction jobs. Post-construction, each of them [will have] 2,500,” Addabbo said.

Eleven bids remain for the three licenses. Though nothing is set in stone, it’s widely believed that two licenses are already spoken for with MGM Resorts’ Empire City Casino in Yonkers and Genting’s Resorts World New York City in Queens. Those racinos currently offer slot-like video lottery terminals and electronic table games.

Current Timeline

Unless Hochul reverses course to get on Addabbo and Pretlow’s timeline for the downstate casinos, the Gaming Facility Location Board expects to render its winners by Dec. 1, 2025.

Hard Rock is partnered with billionaire Steve Cohen on a proposal for an integrated resort at the New York Mets’ Citi Field in Queens. Mohegan is developing a scheme on the East Side near the United Nations Headquarters. Bally’s is pitching a casino at its golf course in the Bronx and a consortium led by the Chickasaw Nation has developed a bid for Coney Island.

The post New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Remains Uninterested in Expediting Casinos appeared first on Casino.org.

The agency is engaged in a court battle with New York-based startup Kalshi, which offers election betting via event contracts, a type of derivative that allows users to speculate on the “yes or no” outcome of a specific event.

But what has all of this to do with Mitt Romney?

Rogue Trader

In the leadup to the 2012 election, an unknown trader plunked down millions on Romney on online trading exchange Intrade, which also offered events contracts on the election, and which has since been closed down by the CFTC.

This trader accounted for more than one-third of all bets placed on Romney to win, and about one-fifth of all bets placed on Obama to lose.

These positions were accumulated by placing large bids for Romney and large offers for Obama that effectively created a firewall, preventing prices from moving in response to incoming information,” according to a 2015 academic paper examining the incident.

The paper’s authors concluded that financial gain seemed to be an unlikely motivation for the trader. More plausibly, it was an attempt to “manipulate beliefs about the odds of victory in an attempt to boost fundraising, campaign morale, and turnout,” they suggested.

Kid Rock Hoax

In a filing Monday, the CFTC warned that election “manipulation has happened and is likely to recur.” The agency also cited a fake poll published in 2017 by the apparently fake organization, Delphi Analytica, that suggested musician Kid Rock was leading the US Senate race in Michigan.

“The district court’s order has been construed by Kalshi and others as open season for election gambling,” warned the CFTC. “An explosion in election gambling on US futures exchanges will harm the public interest.”

The post $7M Mitt Romney Bet Highlights Dangers of US Election Wagers, CFTC Warns appeared first on Casino.org.

That’s the take of CBRE Credit Research Colin Mansfield and Connor Parks who in a new note to clients said the gaming company bolstered its financial flexibility with the recent sale of $850 million of corporate debt. Some proceeds from that transaction will go toward eliminating the operator’s 2025 maturities, meaning it now has no debt coming due before 2026.

The issuance clears out the 2025 maturities at MGM’s domestic box, with the next maturity being the $400 million due in late-2026,” according to the analysts. “Lease-adjusted consolidated leverage at MGM remains low at 4.3 times pro-forma for the issuance.”

The CBRE duo noted that MGM has the resources to work on multiple large-scale projects, including MGM Osaka in Japan, and potentially, converting Empire City Casino in Yonkers, NY to a traditional casino while also possibly pursuing gaming licenses in Thailand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

MGM Has Big Ambitions

Each of the projects mentioned above would likely be a multibillion-dollar venture. MGM has a 42.5% stake in the Osaka integrated resort scheme, which carries a price tag of $8 billion, and it could take several billion more to transition Empire City into a Las Vegas-style gaming venue if the operator wins one of the three downstate casino permits New York regulators could award next year.

“Each development would require multibillion-dollar investments and sizeable equity checks, though MGM can fund these via FCF (free cash flow) depending on their ultimate timing,” observed the CBRE analysts.

The analysts added that MGM “has balance sheet flexibility” should it need to issue more debt to deal with the possibility of overlapping timelines on various projects. The gaming company added $175 million to its already sizable cash-on-hand position via the aforementioned bond sale.

Where Dubai Fits in for MGM

MGM executives have consistently said the company would be interested in bidding for a gaming license in the UAE if that opportunity presents itself. Its MGM-branded hotel in Dubai is currently structured as a nongaming venue, but CEO Bill Hornbuckle told analysts and investors earlier this year that the operator said aside space for a casino, indicating it could quickly pivot if need be.

The operator has 150,000 square feet to work with at the Dubai property when it comes to adding a casino, but the company hasn’t commented on the cost of such an addition.

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In a suit filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the MLB players union is seeking compensation and punitive damages from Bet365 and DraftKings. Separate litigation filed in the New York State Supreme Court, New York County targets FanDuel and Underdog Fantasy. The MLBPA described the defendants’ misuse of player images as “flagrant,” adding it could be harmful to the athletes’ long-term earnings potential.

For professional athletes, the ability to control the commercial use of their names, images, and likenesses is a crucial return on their substantial career investment,” said the union in a legal document.

Professional athletes, including MLB players, often appear in advertisements for companies across a slew of industries, but they’re compensated for doing so. Some athletes, both current and retired, have appeared in commercials for sportsbook operators. However, the MLBPA argues that some of its members may not want to appear to be endorsing wagering, which is the perception some bettors may have when seeing those players’ images splashed across a gaming company’s website or mobile app.

For DraftKings, Second Players Union Suit

Specific to DraftKings, this is the second lawsuit from a players union faced by the company. A suit filed last month by the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) implies the Boston-based gaming company owes that labor group as much as $65 million over a nonfungible tokens (NFTs) deal gone bad.

The baseball players union said the gaming companies don’t use NFL players’ images on their platforms, and that the only reason they use baseball players’ images is as a means to entice bettors.

“Defendants’ use of player images within their sportsbook platforms is not merely informational — it is promotional,” the union’s lawyers said in the complaint. “Users could bet that the Phillies will beat the Marlins, or that Bryce Harper will hit more than two home runs in a given game, without seeing Harper’s valuable image. Indeed, both DraftKings and Bet365 offer the same types of bets in other sports without using player images.”

Player Images Increasingly Valuable

Advertising and promotions in the forms of cash or free bets are key components of how sportsbook operators attract new bettors, and high market-share betting firms such as DraftKings and FanDuel are known for their prolific use of celebrity endorsers.

While quantifying what an individual athlete’s name and image are worth is difficult because it’s a sliding scale between higher-profile and lesser-known profiles, some companies pay significant sums for use of pro athletes’ names and images.

It’s estimated that the MLBPA and NFLPA generate hundreds of millions in annual revenue from licensing pacts with video game publishers while trading card companies pay tens of thousands per player across the major sports.

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On a recent episode of the “Full Send” podcast, the UFC boss estimated that between January and March, he won $26 million to $27 million playing baccarat at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip.

Caesars Palace … I clipped these guys for $1 million a night from, like, the first week of January all the way into March,” said White. “I beat these guys for like $26 million, $27 million.”

He added “Caesars is gangster” and is the place to play for high-level gamblers.

Caesars allows White to play $350K per hand — a limit extended to him and a small amount of other well-heeled clients. At that level, winning $1 million or more in a night is plausible. It’s also feasible that a bettor could lose substantial sums, and White acknowledged there are nights when a bettor can get “wrecked” betting well into six figures per hand.

White is a Longtime Caesars Fan

White’s methodology, which he reiterated on the “Full Send” podcast, is possibly irksome to some casino operators. If he wins three hands in a row, he takes his winnings and leaves.

That makes for a $1 million+ night for him and a loss of the same amount for the casino that he “victimized.” As a result, many Las Vegas casinos refuse to take White’s action, which is why he’s long been devoted to Caesars and MGM Resorts International’s Bellagio. On the podcast, he said Caesars will allow him to bet $350K per hand while Bellagio will go as high as $400K.

Off the Strip, White is known to frequent Red Rock Resort in Summerlin, though he told “Full Send” he plays there at much lower limits because he’s that venue’s only client with the ability to play deep six figures per hand. Red Rock Resorts (NASDAQ: RRR) is controlled by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, who were early UFC Investors.

White Still Wants to Play $1 Million a Hand

Despite the fact that his biggest losing night was $8 million, White reiterated his longstanding goal of eventually betting $1 million per hand.

“That’s my goal. That’s my goal in life before I die,” said White on the podcast.

He said under that dream scenario, he’d want a casino to extend to him $30 million in credit so he can play $1 million a hand, but he acknowledged no gaming venue anywhere in the world is likely to indulge him.

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The Malaysian Islamic Party (Parti Islam SeMalaysia – PAS) already controls four of Malaysia’s 13 states, and since the 2022 elections, holds 43 of the 222 seats in the federal parliament, the most of any individual party.

PAS’ ultimate goal is to replace Malaysia’s democratic system with Shariah law.

Anything that can harm society, we must together support its destruction,” said Andansura Rabu, PAS’ deputy commissioner for Pahang, at the party’s annual gathering over the weekend, as reported by The Straits Times. “This isn’t a matter of religion, it’s a social issue.”

“Gambling is harmful, so we have to close it,” he added. “But it must be in accordance with the laws and Constitution.

Complex System

Malaysia is an ethnically diverse country with a complex political system consisting of a federal constitutional elective monarchy comprising 13 states and three federal territories.

PAS’ electoral base is centered around the conservative northeastern and northwestern rural and coastal areas of Peninsula Malaysia, which is the lower half of the country’s western peninsula. Peninsula Malaysia contains 11 of the 13 states and includes the federal capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Genting Highlands, a hilltop location on the peak of Mount Ulu Kali in the Titiwangsa Mountains, is situated at the southwest tip of Pahang. It was chosen as a resort destination for its proximity to Kuala Lumpur, which is an hour’s drive away.

However, even if PAS were to win control of Pahang in the next general election, which must be held before 2028, it wouldn’t necessarily be able to shutter the casino at Resorts World. That’s because casino and gaming permits are decided upon by the federal government.

Green Wave

Genting shares plunged in the aftermath of the 2022 election when PAS shocked Malaysia’s establishment by winning the most seats, a political phenomenon known as “the Green Wave” for the party’s colors.

Resorts World Genting is a vast entertainment complex that contributes more than US$1 billion annually to Malaysia’s economy.

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Still, UFC spent $20 million to produce the show at the $2.3 billion venue, so its real profit will need to come from pay-per-view sales.

Though UFC CEO Dana White vowed never to return to the Sphere, he softened his stance on Saturday. He still told the assembled media “no,” but said it was because “I’m under contract with MGM.”

In 2017, the UFC signed a seven-year agreement with T-Mobile Arena, which is co-owned by MGM Resorts, to host at least four annual events at the venue, which is where White had hoped to stage UFC 306. The Vegas orb only became an option after MGM Resorts signed a deal, a year out, with boxing promoter Al Hyman to bring Canelo álvarez v. Edgar Berlanga to T-Mobile last weekend.

UFC 306, branded as Riyadh Season Noche UFC for falling on Mexican Independence Day Weekend, featured a bantamweight title matchup in which challenger Merab Dvalishvili destroyed defending champion Sean O’Malley, and a women’s flyweight bout in which former champion Valentina Shevchenko reclaimed her title from Alex Grasso, who snatched it from her last March.

The event sold out of the 16,024 tickets made available. However, hundreds of tickets remained available within hours of showtime on the resale market, with most going for steep discounts from their face values of $2,500 to $23,437.50.

Speaking on Saturday, White seemed more focused on UFC 306’s successes than its pitfalls.

“This thing, I told you guys leading up to this, the way that this whole thing played out, tonight was meant to happen,” he enthused at the post-event press conference. “It happened. We did it. We killed it.”

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Citing two unidentified sources close to the matter, CFTN reported Monday that the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act guidelines pertaining to the deal will expire Monday night, with no need for Standard General to file a second request with federal regulators.

Under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act, parties to certain large mergers and acquisitions must file premerger notification and wait for government review. The parties may not close their deal until the waiting period outlined in the HSR Act has passed, or the government has granted early termination of the waiting period,” according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Standard General — the hedge fund that’s the largest investor in Bally’s — floated a $15 per share takeover offer in March. That was upped to $18.25 a share, which the regional casino operator accepted in July.

Standard General Bally’s Buy Not Big Enough to Draw FTC Concern

The proposed deal assigns an enterprise value of $4.6 billion to Bally’s and while that isn’t a small amount of money, it’s not the price point at which the FTC would consider making the buyer make adjustments to the initial deal structure.

For example, the FTC sued to block the $24.6 billion merger of Albertsons and Kroger — the largest deal on record in the grocery store industry — because it’s anticompetitive. Some states have taken up that mantle, too, and have launched their own antitrust investigations into the merger.

Some Democrat donors have reportedly encouraged Vice President Kamala Harris to fire Khan should the former win the presidential election in November. The Harris campaign hasn’t publicly said if such a move is on the table.

Next Steps for Standard General

With federal antitrust concerns apparently not an issue, the next step for Standard General is dealing with regulators in the states in which Bally’s operates land-based casinos. Those are Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, and the gaming company’s home state of Rhode Island.

Standard General is aiming to have the Bally’s acquisition wrapped up in the first half of 2025.

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Shares of the prospective seller posted a double-digit gain in London trading on Monday after media reports surfaced indicating the two companies could reach an agreement in the coming days. Should that price be what Flutter offers, it would represent the entirety of Playtech’s market capitalization.

Speculation regarding Flutter’s interest in Snaitech began last month with Playtech ultimately confirming it was in talks with the Paddy Power owner.

Snaitech is one of the largest gaming companies in Italy and should Playtech shed that entity, the seller would have no consumer-facing operations, allowing it to focus on its business-to-business technology offerings. Playtech’s Monday surge was aided by news that the company reached an agreement with Mexican gaming firm Caliente regarding a long-standing argument over payments purportedly owed to Playtech. It’s also possible that if Playtech sells Snaitech, bidders could emerge for the former’s tech business.

The sale of Snaitech, will leave Playtech as a business-to-business provider of software, and, according to analysts, is likely to result in a formal takeover bid in the medium term,” reported Mark Kleinman for Sky News.

Last month, Playtech granted Flutter a period of exclusivity to perform due diligence on Snaitech, indicating the seller is not yet fielding offers from other suitors.

Snaitech Buy Keeps with Flutter Tradition

Should it reach a deal for Snaitech, the purchase would extend Flutter’s tradition of deal-making that’s allowed the operator to bolster its footprint in Europe, including in Italy where it’s already one of the largest gaming operators.

Italy is an attractive market for a company for multiple reasons. It’s the third-largest economy in the Eurozone and is Europe’s largest regulated gaming market outside of the UK, meaning a presence there diversifies Flutter’s revenue stream while reducing reliance on the UK.

Although it’s already a large market within the European wagering scene, Italy is rapidly growing thanks to the evolution of iGaming, a sector in which Snaitech has some leverage. Snaitech also operates in Austria and Germany, but is a smaller player in those countries.

Flutter’s Been Acquisitive of Late

Snaitech isn’t the only potential acquisition Flutter is working on. Last week, the company said it’s spending $350 million in cash to buy a 56% stake in Brazil’s NSX Group, which controls the popular Betnacional brand in that country.

Flutter is the parent of FanDuel, the largest online sportsbook operator in the US.

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The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) revealed Monday that the nine Atlantic City casinos combined to win $294 million on their physical gaming floors in August. That’s a 4.9% year-over-year improvement, or about a $13.7 million increase.

Slot win climbed 5.3% to $221.6 million while tables won $72.4 million, a 3.8% increase. James Plousis, chair of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, which oversees the DGE, said last month was the casinos’ best August in over a decade.

Monthly casino win finished the summer well, achieving its best August result in 10 years. Year-to-date casino win was relatively flat compared to last year, but it was still the second-best result in 11 years,” Plousis told Casino.org.

Through eight months, 2024 brick-and-mortar casino gaming revenue totaled more than $1.92 billion, a 0.2% decline from the same period in 2023. Both slot win ($1.42 billion) and table revenue ($495.2 million) were 0.2% lower.

iGaming, Sports Betting Growth

In-person casino gambling was flat through three quarters of 2024, but that wasn’t the case for online slots, interactive table games, and sports betting.

New Jersey’s iGaming sector continues to blossom, with internet gross gaming revenue (GGR) totaling more than $1.52 billion through eight months. The online win represents a 22.7% surge from 2023.

iGaming and sports betting were responsible for the state gaming industry expanding by 10.5% from January through August. 2024 marks the fastest that New Jersey GGR has eclipsed the $4 billion mark.

Overall business in Atlantic City remains stable, with operators gaining competitive advantage from a unique combination of impressive gaming options and first class in-person experiences. There is great opportunity for continued momentum in the fall season,” Plousis concluded.

Casino reps argue that the industry remains troubled as inflation and overall higher operating costs eat into their bottom lines. The DGE disclosed second-quarter reports last month that revealed that profits declined almost 2% despite a 1.3% increase in revenue.

iGaming Record

Online gamblers lost more money in August than they had in any month before, as the $198.3 million in iGaming GGR marks a new monthly record.

Internet slots and tables generated online win of $195.8 million. Online poker rake generated almost $2.4 million.

That brings total online gaming revenue in August 2024 to approximately $256 million, or $43 million less than what the physical casinos won.

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Bell didn’t necessarily believe all of his callers’ claims, but offered them an open forum to express them without fear of ridicule. That’s about as good as they ever got from the national media.

“The greatest question of all is whether our experience on this planet is it, or whether there is something else,” Bell, who was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2008, told Wired the following year. “Things in the supernatural realm give support, strangely perhaps, to the things we take on faith.”

The Art of Bell

Bell grew up a radio nut in a military family, becoming an FCC-licensed radio technician when he was just 13. When he served as a medic in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, he started an on-base pirate radio station that aired anti-war music.

Bell began his professional career more conventionally, as a late-night rock music DJ, until he grew tired of introducing records for a living. The first talk show he hosted was a political call-in show, “West Coast AM,” that emanated from inside downtown Las Vegas’ Plaza Hotel and was broadcast by KDWN-AM in 1978.

It was during this stint that Bell met and married his third wife, Ramona, a KDWN producer.

Bell told Wired that he grew “crushingly bored talking about politics 30 hours a week.” So, in 1988, he switched formats and studios. He talked mostly about his favorite topics — conspiracy theories, UFOs and the paranormal — and relocated his operation to the home he and Ramona shared in Pahrump.

Bell purchased the house next door and converted it into his own KNYE 95.1 FM. (Pahrump is located in Nye County or, as Bell liked to put it, “the Kingdom of Nye.”) Bell hosted, produced and engineered the show, while Ramona handled the business end.

At the peak of its popularity, “Coast to Coast AM” was America’s highest-rated late night radio talk show, syndicated to more than 500 stations and claiming 15 million listeners nightly.

The juxtaposition between the number of people Bell reached and the number who surrounded him physically was stark, and Bell preferred it that way. In 1988, the population of Pahrump, which covers more than 300 square miles, was only 5,000 people. Today, it has exploded by a factor of almost 10, and yet still feels like a very small town.

Bell Bottoms

In 2003, Bell semi-retired, making only occasional guest appearances on “Coast to Coast AM,” which was taken over by George Noory, through 2010. Bell later blamed his exit on undisclosed disagreements with the show’s syndicator, Premiere Radio Networks.

On Jan. 5, 2006, Ramona died of an apparent asthma attack while on vacation in Laughlin, Nev. Exactly three months later, Bell married his fourth wife, Airyn Ruiz Bell.

By 2013, Bell launched a new show on Sirius XM Radio called “Art Bell’s Dark Matter,” but it only lasted six weeks. Two years later, he hosted another new show, “Midnight in the Desert,” but resigned five months later due to concerns about his family’s safety. (Bell had reported several incidents of trespassers shooting firearms at and near his property.)

Bell died on Friday, the 13th of April, 2018 at his Pahrump home. Befittingly, though his cause of death was initially reported as a heart attack, that was not the truth.

His legions of listeners suspected just that, suggesting unsupported theories including everything from suicide to murder to a hoax.

The Nye County Coroner’s Office ruled it to be an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. Bell was 72.

“Lost Vegas” is an occasional?Casino.org?series spotlighting Las Vegas’ forgotten history.?Click here?to read other entries in the series. Think you know a good Vegas story lost to history? Email [email protected].?

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The complaint, filed last week by veterinarian Christine Tuma, claims track officials knowingly allowed unfit horses to run because they wanted to boost wagering revenues. This would help to raise money for a planned casino at the 133-year-old track, the suit asserts.

These actions led to the deaths of at least 21 horses between 2022, claims the lawsuit, which also names the Illinois Racing Board (IRB).

“Beginning on or before March of 2022, the RICO Defendants formed an enterprise, whose criminal activities were intended to enrich themselves, maintain their powerful positions, and generate funds for the construction of a casino at the racetrack,” it said.

Powers Stripped

Tuma, a former IRB board member, claims that she was stripped of her powers to disqualify sick horses in the fall of 2022 by Illinois Racing Board state veterinarian Dawn Folker-Calderon. That’s after a policy was introduced requiring a second veterinary opinion to be sought whenever Tuma declared a horse too sick to run.

If the two opinions did not concur, Calderon would have the final say. In this way, more than 80 of Tuma’s diagnoses were overruled, per the lawsuit.

Tuma also claims Hawthorne and IRB employees transmitted false information about the health of horses to federal and state regulators in Illinois and Kentucky.

Tuma was let go three months after she sent a whistleblower letter outlining her allegations to the IRB and Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. She was told this was to save costs but claims retaliation.

Tuma alleges the defendants are guilty of civil conspiracy, retaliatory termination, and violations of the Illinois Whistleblower Act, and as such her complaint meets the bar for a RICO suit.

Casino on Hold

Illinois passed legislation in 2019 that gave racetracks the right to apply for casino licenses. Later that year, the state granted Hawthorne preliminary approval to move forward, and it began demolition work on its grandstand. However, the project is currently stalled.

The Chicago Tribune reported in May that the track’s owners have been unable to get loans to build the casino and owe contractors $6.7 million.

Meanwhile, track officials said they would “vigorously contest” Tuma’s lawsuit in a statement last week.

Besides defaming Hawthorne, the oldest family-owned race course in North America with an unmatched record of safety and integrity, Tuma is using the legal system to settle professional disagreements with other, more experienced and accomplished veterinarians at the track and the Illinois Racing Board,” a spokesperson said.

“These professionals have dedicated their careers at Hawthorne and the racing board to performing with the highest degree of professionalism,” they added.

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Wynn Resorts invested $2.6 billion to build an integrated resort casino in Everett. Encore Boston Harbor opened in June 2019 and has since become the top revenue-earning casino in the commonwealth.

Boston’s request for proposals (RFP) deadline is 11:59 pm EST this Wednesday, September 18. The city’s Office of Human Services will review the submissions and select a vendor to carry out the review. The winning bidder will be compensated no more than $177K for the contract that is to run from Oct. 15, 2024, to Oct. 15, 2025.

Study Focus

Jose Masso, the chief of the Human Services Office, says the focus of the casino study will be to determine if the existence of Encore Boston Harbor has shaped young people’s perception of and interest in gambling. The probe is also to conclude what sort of attitudes young people, defined as aged 14-25, have toward the Wynn complex.

A 2022 study commissioned by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) found that the state’s allowance of three casinos has normalized gambling for younger people. The Charlestown probe will seek to solidify those findings and develop ways to make sure such normalization doesn’t lead to higher rates of problem gambling.

What role can the City play in protecting youth from being harmed or exploited by gambling?” the RFP asks in the project summary.

The younger the age at which a person first gambles has been proven to correlate with greater severity of gambling problems later in life, the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health concluded in a March 2023 report.

Gambling Prevalence?

It’s been several decades since commercial casinos were largely confined to Nevada and Atlantic City. Today, more than half of the adult population in the Northeast lives within 25 miles of a casino.

“The review found that urban casinos are typically placed in low socio-economic communities with some existing gambling culture, socio-economic improvements are promised to existing disadvantaged communities prior to the adoption of casinos, but modest economic benefits realized in urban casino neighborhoods are unsustainable, and increased accessibility and availability of urban casinos due to proximity could increase casino participation, which in turn could potentially increase gambling-related problems,” O’Gilvie wrote in her report titled, “The Impact of Casino Proximity on Northeast Urban Communities.”

Boston’s RFP for the Encore study says the majority of patrons who visit the Wynn casino come from nearby communities, including Charlestown.

“As the casino works to make itself even more enticing and accessible, the impact this will have on young people is not well known,” the RFP concluded.

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State Rep. Matthew Hammett (R-Covington) last week introduced House Bill 41. The statute seeks to increase penalties associated with various gambling-related crimes.

The measure would specify that electronic bingo games and so-called skill games, as well as historical horse racing (HHR) machines and video lottery terminals, are illegal under the Alabama Code.

Under Hammett’s bill, penalties for those found guilty of subsequent gambling violations would face Class B felony punishments, which include two to 20 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $30K or double the defendants’ monetary gains from their illegal gambling operations.

Gambling Referendum Fell Just Short

Alabama lawmakers earlier this year rejected by the narrowest of margins an effort to allow voters to decide if they wished to end the state’s prohibition on commercial gambling.

In early May, a special conference committee recommended to the Alabama Legislature that the state ask voters to authorize three tribal casinos with slot machines and table games, and seven racinos where only slots would be allowed. The committee additionally recommended that a state-run lottery be initiated.

For Alabamans to have a say, the gaming referendum bill needed three-fifths majority support in each legislative chamber. The House of Delegates met the threshold but the effort fell a vote shy in the Senate.

Whatever side you were on with the gambling bills last session, whether you were yes or no, everybody agreed there’s a problem in this state with illegal gambling,” Hammett told AL.com.

State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) was cited for the failure, as he was among the 15 “no” votes in the upper chamber. Albritton has been a longtime supporter of legalizing casinos but said he voted against the referendum because it didn’t allow the Poach Band of Creek Indians to pursue a commercial casino development on nonsovereign land. The federally recognized tribe runs a Class II tribal casino in Albritton’s Atmore.

Hammett was among the “no” votes to the gaming referendum in the House.?

Prosecutors Want Harsher Penalties

Hammett crafted HB 41 at the request of Covington County District Attorney Walt Merrell who says the state’s current penalty structure does little to thwart illegal gambling. Merrell opined that the misdemeanor penalties amount to a little more than a “slap on the wrist” and aren’t enough to scare off those considering engaging in illegal gambling.

Casino.org has, in recent years, reported on numerous incidences of law enforcement raiding illegal gambling operations.

The state subsequently charged a handful of individuals with felony burglary charges. The owners of the Selma operation were only charged with misdemeanors, as currently allowed by state law.

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