In a bid to move Japans casino policies forward, members of the opposition party have come up with a new legislation that will deal with problem gamblers in the country.

The Osaka-centric Nippon Ishin no Kai party is hoping that a cooperation with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party will boost the citys chances of being picked for one of the casino resort licenses, the Japan Times reported.

The Nippon Ishin bill sets out a variety of measures to deal with problem gamblers to ensure that the problem is dealt with in a comprehensive manner, said Nippon Ishin policy chief Hitoshi Asada, according to the news outlet.

Nippon Ishins bill, submitted to the Upper House in early February, targets problem gamblers and their families. In it, the opposition party identified the need for policies to deal with crime, suicide, poverty, debts and other problems that occur as a result of problem gambling, noting the need for the creation of a basic program that will be subject to revision at least once every five years. The bill is also seeking a set of rules for casino advertising and admission charges.

But more than that, Nippon Ishins bill wants puts the obligation of dealing with problem gamblers on central and regional governments, casino operators, the people of Japan and health professionals, according to the report.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abes LDP is already preparing new legislation detailing methods gambling operators can employ to reduce problem gambling behavior. Under LDPs proposal, the new legislation will offer guidelines for municipal governments and gambling operatorsincluding the countrys ubiquitous pachinko hallssuch as allowing families to apply for bans on their relatives patronizing gambling venues, similar to programs available in Singapore. The measures could also include new restrictions on online horse betting, one of the few forms of wagering currently allowed in the country.

Nippon Ishin, which has its own timetable for an Osaka casino, is hoping their bill will help drive the Diet debate on casino rules forward so that the second integrated resorts bill will pass by the end of the year.

Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui, also a co-leader of Nippon Ishin, said the ideal scenario is that at least part of an integrated resort would open in Osaka by 2023, and that would be in operation to welcome the World Expo in 2025.

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Osaka group lodges problem gambling bill to boost Japan IR chances - CalvinAyre.com

NRL chief Todd Greenberg on Sunday defended the game's commercial links to gambling in the wake of the allegations levelled at Tim Simona, insisting administrators were working hard to maintain "a really strong balance"between the sport's integrity and catering for thousands of supporters who enjoyed punting on the competition.

League Central last year agreed toa $60 million deal with Sportsbet in making the corporate bookmaker league's official betting partner and is also reaping a far greater windfall from the gambling industry than in previous years thanks to lucrative percentage-of-turnover contracts secured with betting agencies in 2015.

The emergence this month of an NRL integrity unit investigation into Simona'salleged betting activity on the game - the Wests Tigers centre is facing deregistration amid claims he arranged bets on opposition players - came with news that a NSW police strike force was still probing unrelated allegations of match fixing in the game.

Greenberg indicated the misconduct of individual players did not mean the NRL should scale back its relationships with gambling outlets.

"There is a really strong balance here," he said during an interview with ABC News 24 aired on Sunday.

"I made some strong comments last year you'll remember about anyone involved in match fixing or gambling inside the game against the rules will face life bans and I stand by that because that really cuts to the absolute core of the integrity of the sport. For you and I to turn up every week to watch that contest, we need to know that's pure. Anyone who gets in theway of that will absolutely not be welcome back.

"But we do have to find a balance because people, particularly in this country, they love to have a bet. And we're not going to get away from that. So whether or not we have branding or not, people are still going to be looking to have a wager on the game.

"What we need to do, though, [is]we need to talk and market ourselves to those people who want to do that. We've got to make sure that we're very fundamental in how we have principles around those sorts of agreements. We're trying very hard in this space.

"There are a lot of my friends, a lot of your friends, who really enjoy to have a punt on a weekend, whether it's football, whether it's cricket or the horses. A lot of people in Australia enjoy punting. It's a difficult way to find this balance between enjoying the game but also making sure we're responsible."

Simona has until Friday to present his case to the integrity unit after being provided with documentation from the NRL relating to the case against him last week.

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NRL chief Todd Greenberg defends code's commercial ties to ... - The Sydney Morning Herald

Pharaoh's Secret Temple video gaming machine at Tropicana Casino. Noah K. Murray/Special for the Record(Photo: Noah K. Murray/Special to NorthJersey.com)

These video game gambling machines - such as Danger Zone - in Atlantic City are the first of their kind in the U.S.(Photo: Noah K. Murray/Special for the Record)

Thousands of slot machines stillawait visitors to any Atlantic City casino, as they have for almost 40 years.

But at Tropicana and the three Caesars Entertainment casinos, a handful of new machines amidthe slots areintended to lure those seeking a different gambling experience.

The words VIDEO GAME GAMBLING on the sides of the Danger Arena and Pharaohs Secret Temple games beckon patrons, andlast week, the games the first such skill-based gamesat any casinos in North America,game maker GameCo Inc. said attracted some novices.

"Danger Arena is a first-person action game that appeals to a more 'core' gamer audience, similar to XBox games like Call of Duty," said GameCo founder Blaine Graboyes. "Pharaoh's Secret Temple appeals to a more casual audience and is similar to mobile 'match 3' games such as Candy Crush."

VIDEO GAME GAMBLING: Heres what's next in video game gambling in AC

ATLANTIC CITY:World's first skill-based video game gambling to debut next week

GAMBLING:How the house wins in new Atlantic City casino video game gambling

Danger Arena machines debuted in October, while the latter game was just installed at Tropicana last week. Both are now offered at each of the four casinos, with a total of 30 machines.

Part of the goal of the casinos is to getmillennials many of whom play video and social media games regularly but arent attracted to slot machines to spend more time and money because oftheir enjoyment of the games. Atlantic City casinos are eager to find new profit sourcesbecause the city's combined casino revenuehasfallenby more than 50 percent since Pennsylvania and New York opened their casinos near the New Jersey border in 2006. The number of casinos has declined to sevenfrom 12 in 2014.The video games are an example of efforts by state regulators to consider a variety of gambling options to help boostAtlantic City casinos and raise more tax revenue.

Reaching millennials is not just a concern in Atlantic City. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority saidthe percentage of visitors there who gambled had declined to 71 percent in 2014from 87 percent in 2006. The percentages of those who gamble by age group is telling. Seventy-eightpercent of baby-boomer visitors to Las Vegas gamble, followed by 68 percent ofGeneration Xand 63 percent of millennials.

Graboyessaidvideo games have been around so long that even somepeople in their 40s and 50s are experienced players. (Duringseveral hours at Tropicana and Caesars, no senior citizens were observedeven considering playing the video games.)

"We staff brand ambassadors at the games to answer questions and collect exit interviews, and from that we know that 60 percent of players so far have been under 40 years old," Graboyes said. Graboyes, who founded GameCoin 2015, said in September that the company had raised $8.3 million in venture capital to fund the launch at the Atlantic City casinos.

Peak activity, not surprisingly, has been nights and weekends. Half of the players interviewed said they would not have gambled if not for the video game machines, which Graboyes said bodes well for casino revenue. About 90 percent of the money gambled has gone back to the players, Graboyes added, which is similar to what casinos pay back on slot machines.

Atlantic City was chosen as the first location for the games,Graboyes said, to pay homage to his childhood visits to Atlantic City from Bucks County, Pa.

This is the first time Ive seen something like this, so I figured Id give it a try it looks kind of fun, said Kayla Jones, 30, of New Haven, Conn., after a couple of rounds of Danger Arena. Guys will definitely like this.

Another millennial, Mike Wasyliszyn of Carteret, looked over the Danger Arena games but then walked away.

I like to gamble, but I wouldnt gamble over video games its two totally separate things, Wasyliszyn said. I play Xbox and I like video games, but if I want to do that, Ill just stay home. Here, I prefer games like blackjack or craps.

Justin Miele, 38, of New Rochelle, New York, perused the games as well but said he declined because he is not a big video gamer.

I have some friends who would be interested in this, though, Miele said. Thing is, I havent seen anyone actually playing it yet.

Indeed, the games drew little notice at Tropicana at lunchtime on Feb. 17, a Friday, even with the PresidentsDay holiday weekend ahead.

Carlyn Davis of Queens, though, did take a chance on Pharaohs Secret Temple.

Ive played this type of game on my [smart]phone, Davis said. I have younger relatives who play slots, but theywould prefer to do this, I think.

I like to gamble, but I wouldnt gamble over video games its two totally separate things. I play Xbox and I like video games, but if I want to do that, Ill just stay home. Here, I prefer games like blackjack or craps.

Yeong Kim, who was visiting from Fairfax, Virginia, said he didnt much care for Pharaohs Secret Temple after a few tries at Caesars. (Ballys and Harrahs also offer the games).

My wife likes it more she says its like Candy Crush, Kim said. My kids would love it, though;they are 27 and 25. Ill tell them about it.

David Gargaro of Baltimore found that the Temple game reminded him of Bejeweled, another popular video game.

But theres too much skill involved, Gargaro, 30, said with a laugh. Its more daunting when youre gambling with real money, I suppose.

Only Jason Mejzak, 42, of Williamstown,in Gloucester County, found his experience so unappealing that he has written off the games for good.

The screen doesnt work, its too greasy, Mejzak said.

Players can choose five price points from 50 cents to $20 with either game. With Danger Arena, players must wipe out seven 'botsin 45 seconds to break even while knocking off 10 of the cartoon robots gets you 25 times your money.

There are 10,000 unique maps, or virtual locations, with Danger Arena each with a different level of difficulty. That means that as with poker and blackjack, luck as well as skill plays a role because an easy board could lead to easy money, while even a very skilled player could be overmatched by one of the most difficult maps. The maximum payout in one game on Danger Arena is $5,500,if a player lucks into the maximum instant cash prize of $5,000, then bets $20 and knocks off 10 or more 'bots to win 25 times his or her bet.

Graboyes said he plans to roll out more new games racing and martial arts fighting are among the other types and inmore locations overthe course of the year. Some of the new sites will be other Atlantic City casinos.

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Video game gambling arrives in Atlantic City - NorthJersey.com - NorthJersey.com

Pharaoh's Secret Temple is one of the first video game gambling offerings in North America - so far the games only can be played in Atlantic City at four casinos, including Tropicana.(Photo: Noah K. Murray/Special for the Record)

It started with Danger Arena a first-person action game in the realm of Call of Duty.

Next came Pharaohs Secret Treasure a Match 3 game a la Candy Crush.

Next month, the latest in video game gambling offerings at Atlantic City casinos will be Nothing But Net a basketball shooting game. (For all the details on this new industry, and why Atlantic City's casinos are the first in North America to have the games, click my story here.)

I think this might be our first really big hit, said Blaine Graboyes, CEO of GameCo., the company behind these games. Its so easy to play just one big button. Anyone can do it. With Danger Arena, if you dont play Xbox or PlayStation, youre probably not going to be very good.

Graboyes told me that a customer gets 12 shots, with each valued at a different amount. Thats the variable that intersects with the skill get a bunch of high value chances, and you are more likely to get enough points to break even or perhaps win money. The animation lets you know what each shot is worth.

Net will be in Tropicana and the three Caesars properties in Atlantic City, and Graboyes said all seven AC casinos likely will be offering video game gambling in the next 30 days. Atlantic Citys months-long monopoly on these games wont last, however, as Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun in Connecticut also will launch these games in March.

Graboyes said he just finished the application process to Nevada regulators, setting up the possibility of Las Vegas casinos joining the party sometime this summer.

While the couple of dozen video game gambling machines are dwarfed by the slot machine inventory, more and more such games are on the way. Look for hidden object games, fighting, racing, space combat, and bubble shooter, Graboyes said.

We are working to appeal to all gamers the average age is 35, and its 50-50 male and female, he added.

Look for big name brands on new games, too think Terminator, Mission Impossible, Ferris Bueller, Paranormal, and so forth.

Finally, Graboyes enthusiastically confirmed that he has the same experience people-watching around these games as I do. He even mentioned a spot where I visited last week the 10 North Lounge at Tropicana in Atlantic City.

Isnt it interesting? asked Graboyes. Its like they just dont know what to do when they approach the games. Theyll almost be afraid to touch it, like the game might bite them. Ive seen people stand by them for 10 minutes, just looking.

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Here's what's next in video game gambling in AC - NorthJersey.com

JEFFERSON CITY Missouri and Illinois residents soon could have thousands of new slot machines clanging and blinking in their midst.

In Missouri, two lawmakers are pushing plans to legalize video gambling in bars and fraternal organizations as a way to generate money for education.

In Illinois, Sen. James Clayborne, D-Belleville, has introduced a proposal to allow slot machines at the Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, a car racing track located just minutes from downtown St. Louis.

In both states, the proposals would allow video gambling in establishments where it has previously been prohibited.

In Missouri, the legislation would allow up to five video gambling machines in taverns and restaurants and up to 10 machines in benevolent organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

The state would then collect a split of the money generated by the machines.

Missouri Rep. Bart Korman, R-Warrenton, is sponsoring one of the measures. He said the revenue could help pad the states checkbook.

When you look at the budget situation we have, I think its something we need to have a conversation about, Korman said.

In particular, hed like to see revenue generated by the slot machines to go toward schools.

The cost of busing is an important issue in rural areas, Korman said. Student transportation has been cut year after year.

A similar proposal sponsored by Missouri Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, would earmark 35 percent of the receipts generated by video gambling to higher education.

The legislation is similar to a measure approved in Illinois in 2009; it didnt get underway until 2012.

Since then, Illinois has seen an explosion in the number of establishments offering video gambling.

After four years, the number of businesses with at least one terminal tops 5,700. The total number of machines is nearing 25,000, according to statistics compiled by the Illinois Gaming Commission.

Video gambling generated $277 million for Illinois in 2016. Local governments received $55.4 million.

Bringing a mini-casino to the Gateway race track would add to that total.

Claybornes proposal amends Illinois video gaming act to allow up to 200 terminals at a licensed motorsports park. Gateways facilities already include a drag strip, a 1.25-mile superspeedway, a 1.6-mile road course and tracks for go-karts and off-road vehicles.

Gateway spokeswoman Susan Ryan said the proposal would help diversify the facilitys income stream.

The long-term success of this business requires a diverse revenue base including non-racing entertainment options such as festivals, charity events, private parties, concerts and gaming, Ryan said in a statement.

Clayborne, whose proposal has not been scheduled for a debate, could not immediately be reached for comment. His proposal is separate from a larger gambling proposal that was floated as part of a package designed to end Illinois long-running budget stalemate.

Under that proposal, Illinois would get new casinos in Chicago and its south suburbs, Waukegan, Carterville, Rockford and Danville.

The casino industry in both states is primed to fight the expansion of slots.

The Illinois Casino Gaming Association is opposing Claybornes idea, primarily because it could lure gamblers away from the Casino Queen, located less than five miles away in East St. Louis.

Its just such a big proposal and the Casino Queen is so close by, said association executive director Tom Swoik.

The Missouri Gaming Association, which represents 13 casinos, opposes the expansion of video gambling in Missouri because it also would cut into the casino market, executive director Mike Winter told the Post-Dispatch.

Illinois experience offers evidence that casinos have been affected by the explosion of video gambling.

In December 2007, for example, Illinois fleet of riverboats was drawing 1.3 million visitors. A decade later, that number had dropped to under 950,000 visitors. Receipts also have dropped in the past decade.

Illinois law also has led to a new breed of gambling parlors.

Business owners have launched chains of so-called gambling cafes hoping to draw customers who wouldnt otherwise go to bars. A chain called Lucys Place, for example, was originally designed to attract women over 40. Other similar operations are named Nikkis, Dottys and Pennys.

In Missouri, it remains unclear if Gov. Eric Greitens supports an expansion of gambling. His office did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard, R-Joplin, said he opposes gambling revenue as a way to fix the state budget. But he wont block the proposal from coming to the Senate floor for a debate.

Im not a fan of legalizing gambling to plug any hole for anything, Richard said. The Senate is supposed to be for open and fair discussion, so thats what I try to do, regardless of my support or not.

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Push to expand gambling underway in Missouri and Illinois - STLtoday.com

Sutton goalkeeper Wayne Shaw is at the centre of a betting probe after eating a pie on the substitutes' bench during an FA Cup defeat to Arsenal.

The 46-year-old has admitted he knew Sun Bets were offering 8-1 odds against him doing so.

Both the Gambling Commission and the Football Association are now investigating whether the incident broke any rules.

:: Pie-eating goalkeeper Wayne Shaw resigns from Sutton Utd

Nicknamed the 'Roly Poly Goalie' because of his 20st weight, 46-year-old Wayne Shaw is employed by Sutton as a reserve goalkeeper and as part of the coaching team.

He said: "A few of the lads said to me earlier on, 'What is going on with the 8-1 about eating a pie later on?'

"As I say, Sun Bets had me at 8-1 to eat a pie. I thought I would give them a bit of banter and let's do it. All the subs were on and we were 2-0 down.

"I went and got it at half-time from the kitchen, I had it all prepared and ready to go. It was meat and potato.

"I think there were a few people (who backed it). Obviously we are not allowed to bet. I think a few of the mates and a few of the fans. It was just a bit of banter for them.

"It is something to make the occasion as well and you can look back and say it was part of it and we got our ticket money back."

Gambling Commission enforcement and intelligence director Richard Watson said: "Integrity in sport is not a joke and we have opened an investigation to establish exactly what happened.

"As part of that we'll be looking into any irregularity in the betting market and establishing whether the operator has met its licence requirement to conduct its business with integrity."

The FA is also looking into the incident, saying in a statement that they are "investigating whether there has been a breach of FA regulations in relation to betting".

The FA rulebook says: "A participant shall not bet, either directly or indirectly, or instruct, permit, cause or enable any person to bet on (i) the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of, or occurrence in, a football match or competition."

Speaking on BBC 5 Live, Sutton chairman Bruce Elliott said: "Wayne is a top man. I didn't know anything about it. He has got himself in the papers again and the fame obviously has gone to his head a little bit, but we will soon bring him back down to earth, don't worry about that."

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FA and Gambling Commission probe Sutton goalkeeper Wayne Shaw's pie-eating - Sky News

William Hill announced a 1% rise in pre-tax profit. The government is reviewing the harm TV gambling advertising may cause. Photograph: Neil Hall/Reuters

The man tipped to lead the UKs second-biggest bookmaker has broken ranks with the industry by offering support for a curb on TV gambling adverts.

Betting companies have largely rejected suggestions that their ads are seen by too many vulnerable people and children, but William Hills finance director said he understood peoples concerns.

I have teenage children and we are sympathetic to some sort of curb or some sort of review around the level of advertising, said Philip Bowcock.

Asked if companies were glamourising gambling, he claimed William Hill was more cautious than some high street rivals.

You could say that we are a little bit more corporate, but we try and be responsible about what we promote, he said.

Bowcock, the interim CEO after the departure of James Henderson last July following successive profit warnings, is among the favourites to be named chief executive, with a decision due within weeks.

His comments on advertising, as the company announced a 1% increase in pre-tax profit to 226m, come as the government reviews the potential harm caused by fixed-odds betting terminals and TV advertising.

The gambling industry has largely been defensive about the impact on children of TV advertising, which is banned before the 9pm watershed, except during sports events. The Remote Gambling Association, which counts William Hill among its members, rejected the need for curbs on the industry last year. And the Association of British Bookmakers has pointed to voluntary measures such as scrapping adverts for free bets before the watershed.

But one industry source said backing restrictions on daytime TV ads may benefit William Hill.

If youve got hundreds of shops with your name in the window, youve got much greater exposure than someone like Sun Bets, who have to do stunts with pies to get their name into the market, said the source, referring to the controversial incident involving the Sutton United reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw.

GambleAware recently launched adverts highlighting the risks of addiction. The ads, one addressing fruit machines and one highlighting online gaming, appear on YouTube for internet users in the north-east and north-west of England, but could be rolled out nationally.

The charity wants gambling companies to agree to one of its adverts being broadcast for every 20 of their own.

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William Hill's potential next CEO backs curbs on TV gambling adverts - The Guardian

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A slots parlor at the Mohegan Sun Pocono casino. State lawmakers and the Wolf administration are poised to extract even more revenue from gambling. (Times-Tribune File)

State government leaders long have gambled with the states financial health. They rolled snake eyes, for example, when they vastly increased public pension benefits in 2001 without a mechanism to pay for it. So there is symmetry in their current efforts to make more gambling the answer to the financial problems that their own wayward bets have produced.

The state government has a systemic deficit of about $3 billion. That is the accumulated effect of lawmakers refusing to modernize state tax policy and pretending at meaningful pension reform all for fear of the political risk.

But for politicians, there is no risk to expanding gambling, taxes on which are collected by third parties casinos, racetracks and lottery agents rather than directly by the state.

Its no wonder, then, that lawmakers already are pondering casino-operated internet gambling and fantasy sports gambling. And, during budget hearings this week, state lottery Director Drew Svitko told legislators that the administration wants to put lottery games online.

What were not talking about is just selling our existing product online ... as much as were talking about selling a new type of product, an interactive, engaging, more relevant product to a different audience, he said.

Unlike many past gambling proposals, this one at least is honest. At the beginning, advocates pressed casino gambling as a means to capture dollars that Pennsylvanians already were losing in Atlantic City. The objective was not to create new gamblers, they said, but to capture existing gamblers.

That, of course, was baloney. The reason for the interest in internet gambling is that even existing gamblers get old. Some even die. To capture new generations of gamblers, the enterprise must venture into cyberspace, where younger people live on their multiple devices. The administration admits, at least, that the new initiative is aimed at a different audience.

Pennsylvania casinos already produce more state revenue than in any state other than Nevada. Gamblers lost $3.21 billion to Pennsylvania casinos in the 2016 calendar year, $1.39 billion of which went to Harrisburg in taxes.

In the 2015-2016 fiscal year, the state lottery sold a record $4.13 billion worth of tickets, paid out a record $2.63 billion in prizes and turned over $1.12 billion to the treasury.

Yet that is not enough for gambling-happy legislators who embrace indirect taxes while ignoring the social dysfunction that it fosters (note the frequent reports of arrests of people who steal from employers and civic groups to cover their legally accrued gambling debts).

Pennsylvania has enough gambling to satisfy old and new gamblers alike. Lawmakers and the administration should stop being croupiers and start working to reform state tax policy, fix the pension systems and foster the economic growth needed to resolve the states crisis.

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Gambling is state policy - Scranton Times-Tribune

This is post 1 of 3 in the series Who Are Philippines Largest Casino Tycoons and How They Will Benefit from Dutertes Online Gambling Crackdown

Alongside his deadly war on drugs, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte recently started his anti-gambling campaign. Online gambling must stop, were Dutertes words during his very first cabinet meeting on June 30, 2016. The Philippine President has vowed to destroy online gambling and electronic gaming parlors that have been loosely regulated.

Accordingly, on February 2, 2017, he passed an executive order (EO 13), directing law enforcement agencies to step up the fight against illegal gambling and clarifying the authority of online gambling operators. The license to operate online gambling granted to qualified operators shall not be assigned, shared, leased, transferred, sold or encumbered to any other party. Any gambling operator desiring to operate outside the jurisdiction of the government authority which issued its existing license shall apply for a separate license with the appropriate authority, the EO read.

While this does cast dark clouds over online gambling operators in thePhilippines (EPHE) (PIE), it raises hopes for casinos owners and operators. Casinos in thePhilippines should gain more prominence with online gambling being curbed, as casino operators in Asia attempt to cash-in on the entertainment needs of the rising middle class of the region.

Within Asia, casinos operators (BJK) (PEJ) have long focused on Macau as their revenue earner. Companies such as Las Vegas Sands(LVS),Wynn Resorts(WYNN), andMGM Resorts(MGM)already operate properties there. Being the only Chinese territory where casino gambling is legal, Macau has long held the reputation of being one of the most popular and profitable gambling destinations.

However, the last three years havent bagged much windfall for gaming and casino operators in Macau. Reasons for this slowdown include:

With sliding revenues from their Macau-based casinos, we may see operators shifting their focus toward the Philippines, which stands to swing to prominence as an alternate entertainment hub. The country is already contending with Macau and Singapore to become a major gambling hub.

The next article in this series looks more closely at the owners of these gaming companies and their revenue growth prospects.

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Which Philippine Business Tycoons Benefit Most From Duterte's Online Gambling Crackdown? - Frontera News

WEST PALM BEACH

A 59-year-old Boynton Beach man was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to get help for a gambling problem that he claimed led him to embezzle roughly $1.7 million from construction companies where he worked.

Alan Gainsborg was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra to pay $1.1 million in restitution to MSP Enterprises Inc. and PH Developers LLC, two Boynton Beach development companies owned by Michael Puder. He repaid roughly $560,000 and handed over the deed to his house when his scheme unraveled and he was fired in November 2015, according to court documents.

Gainsborg, who pleaded guilty in December to two charges of mail fraud, was allowed to remain free on bond. He is to turn himself in on April 24.

With the help of a Deerfield Beach man who wasnt charged, federal prosecutors claim Gainsborg sent fake invoices to Puder. When Puder questioned the bills, Gainsborg ran them through two general contractors. Those men, however, didnt know Gainsborg was stealing from Puder and didnt make any money on the scam, prosecutors said.

Gainsborg began working for Puder in July 2013. Puder is a developer of both commercial and residential projects, including the 130-home Waterview at Boynton Lakes, 115-home Montego Bay at Boca Pointe and The Grove, a 550-unit townhouse complex in Boynton Beach.

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Boynton man gets two years for embezzlement he blames on gambling - Palm Beach Post

Miami Herald

Florida lawmakers headed for showdown over dueling gambling bills Miami Herald Florida House and Senate committees on Thursday approved vastly different approaches to the future of gambling in Florida, with the Senate opening the door to massive expansion of slot machines and Indian gaming, while the House attempts to retract ... House, Senate At Odds On Gambling PlansCBS Local House And Senate Gambling Bills At OddsWFSU Legislators on collision course over gamblingGainesville Sun Naples Daily News -Casino.Org News -SaintPetersBlog (blog) all 16 news articles »

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Florida lawmakers headed for showdown over dueling gambling bills - Miami Herald

Brent Musburger is back.

He might be retired from announcing, but that doesnt mean Musburger hasdropped from public view. On Thursday,he dropped a link to his debut column for Vegas Stats & Information Network, which offers sports gambling news, analysis and data.

The column is titled, New-look Pelicans bring NBA back in style, and it touches on former Kentucky stars DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis joining forces in New Orleans.

Heres part of the piece:

LAS VEGAS We have not seen any NBA basketball in nearly one week and yes, I am counting that All-Star Game that was not basketball at all. The drought ends tonight.

It looked like the headline game of the night would be the Clippers at the Warriors, with Golden State a 12-point favorite. But that was before Sundays eye-opening trade that sent DeMarcus Cousins from Sacramento to New Orleans, turning two games that were of no interest into the games that carry some intrigue tonight.

Now all eyes are going to be back on the same arena where Sundays defense-less exhibition gives way to tonights matchup of the Houston Rockets and the new-look Pelicans. In New Orleans they are calling the big, new pairing of Cousins and Anthony Davis Boogie and Brow. As NOLA.com put it, they could be New Orleanss best combo since red beans and rice.

In one sense Cousins and Davis bring the game closer to the baseline than teams are used to playing, so that will create a challenge on defense for the Rockets. But Cousins and Davis are very similar in style, and it may take a while for them to mesh and find their comfort zones.

In addition to the NBA buzz, Musburgeraddresses a bit ofNASCAR news in his column. (Sorry, theres nothing about college football yet.)

Its cool to see him be so versatile. That shouldnt be a surprise, given that he had experience as a play-by-play announcer or a host for the Super Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, in addition to the MLB playoffs, NBA Finals, FIFA World Cup and NCAA tournament. He worked for ABC and ESPN since 1990. He called college football and basketball games for the SEC Network since 2014. Earlier in his career, he worked for CBS Sports from 1973-1990.

It will be fun to see what kind of thoughts Musburger drops in the future. The college football opinions, if there are any,should be amazing.

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Brent Musburger writes fantastic debut column for Las Vegas-based sports gambling website - SECcountry.com

This prop bet backfired for one soccer player and a British online gambling company.

According to reports, a sports betting site called Sun Bets decided to offer 8-1 odds against goalie Wayne Shaw eating a pie during a Monday soccer game. It was an F.A. Cup fifth-round match, pitting the heavy favorite Arsenal against Shaws Sutton United.

Shaw is a fan favorite. Hes 46 years old and weighs more than 320 pounds, but still has some game left in the tank. His weight and popularity were the reasons for the humorous prop bet. Also, the online betting industry is highly competitive and smaller sites look for ways to stand out.

The problem was that Shaw learned of the prop bet, knew some of his friends had bet on it, and then he decided to actually bring out a meat-and-potato pie and eat it on the sidelines. And then to top it off, he admitted all of that to reporters after the game.

I thought I would give [the fans] a bit of banter and lets do it, Shaw said, according to the Financial Times. "All the subs were on and we were 2-0 down. I went and got [the pie] at half-time from the kitchen; I had it all prepared and ready to go.

The match was aired live on the BBC.

Now football league gambling officials are in the middle of a full-blown investigation and Shaw has been forced to leave the team. According to the New York Times, Shaw was not only the teams backup goalie, he was also a coach and community liaison.

Shaw said he didnt directly profit from the prop bet. Sun Bets reportedly lost a five-figure sum.

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Gambling Commission Investigates British Goalie After Pie Eating Prop Bet - CardPlayer.com

Panel kills bill banning video gambling at tribal casinos Idaho Statesman An Idaho House panel has killed a bill aimed at banning lucrative video gambling at tribal casinos in Idaho. The Spokesman-Review reports (http://bit.ly/2ldFf3k) that the House State Affairs Committee on Thursday voted 8-7 to kill the bill concerning ... and more »

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Panel kills bill banning video gambling at tribal casinos - Idaho Statesman

Dan Le Batard comments on Wayne Shaw's pie-eating during Sutton's FA Cup match against Arsenal. Wayne Shaw steals the show in the FA Cup, Conan O'Brien joins Gio dos Santos and more in The Sweeper.

Former sports minister Richard Caborn labelled gambling within sport a "serious problem" after Wayne Shaw's pie-eating stunt in Sutton's FA Cup clash with Arsenal.

The 46-year-old reserve goalkeeper handed in his resignation on Tuesday as he prompted a betting probe after he was shown on television tucking into the snack towards the end of the 2-0 loss.

Discussing gambling within sport on BBC Radio 5 live, Caborn said: "It is a serious problem. People are jesting about it, particularly the incident the other night, but there's a very serious question underlying this, and the responsibility of the gambling industry itself.

"It's not just football -- we've seen what's happened in cricket, in snooker. You can in many sports.

"This is an area of some concern about the integrity of sport. If we are going to see the central point, as an ex-sports minister, I would be saying, 'The integrity of sport is absolute -- it should not be compromised.'

"We've seen that, whether it's been in anti-doping, now gambling -- you don't have to throw the result, but you are creating a situation which is not fair on the playing field."

Sutton held their own against a strong Arsenal side, only for manager Paul Doswell to be left dealing with the fallout of Shaw's antics.

The departing keeper admitted after the match he was aware Sun Bets -- who also sponsored Sutton's shirts for the night -- were offering 8-1 on him to be shown eating in the dugout during the game.

Both the Football Association and Gambling Commission announced independent investigations into the stunt, which Doswell felt had taken something away from his players on the biggest night of most of their careers.

"Wayne has offered his resignation to the chairman this afternoon and that has been accepted. It's a very sad end to what was a very good story," he said.

"He's absolutely devastated -- tears down the phone this afternoon. There's no joy and nothing good coming out of this particular situation for him.

"It's taken the gloss off my players' performance and gone on to something it shouldn't have gone on to. I feel very sorry for the players in many regards that that spotlight has been taken away from them.

"It was an honest error but one that's had quite sad ramifications. Wayne's been swept along with what's happened in this last three or four weeks."

The FA announced on Tuesday that it will launch an inquiry to determine whether Shaw breached its gambling regulations.

There could also be fall-out for the bookmakers, with the Gambling Commission confirming its own investigation into the incident to decide whether Sun Bets had breached its licence requirement by offering such a bet in the first instance.

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Richard Caborn: Gambling within sport a serious problem - ESPN FC

The gambling commission believes betting breaches are widespread.

Former FIFA and Interpol adviser Chris Eaton has told BBC Sport that 53 footballers that have been reported for breaching betting rules are only "the tip of the iceberg."

Eaton, who is now a sport integrity expert, added that only "naive or careless players" would be caught and highlighted specifically ones who use their own name and account.

BBC Sport obtained the numbers from the Gambling Commission's Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU) after making a Freedom of Information request.

SBIU confirmed it received 53 allegations of footballers placing bets on matches between Aug. 1, 2014 and Dec. 23, 2016, but that figure is reported to relate to uncorroborated reports rather than confirmed instances of rule breaking.

However, SBIU also confirmed more alleged breaches were being investigated as a result of its own intelligence work.

As a measure against corruption in football, new rules came into effect as of August 2014 that applied to not just players but anyone involved in football.

Wayne Shaw, who was asked to resign from his position as Sutton United goalkeeper and fitness coach, is one player currently being investigated following a potential breach of betting rules.

Follow @ESPNFC on Twitter to keep up with the latest football updates.

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Gambling Commission believes insider betting is rife within football - ESPN FC

CARSON CITY A bill that would significantly increase the amount of funding available to address problem gambling in Nevada saw no opposition Wednesday during a Senate committee hearing.

Senate Bill 120 would increase funding from the approximately $1.8 million in fiscal year 2018 in Gov. Brian Sandovals proposed 2017-19 budget to as much as $2.8 million a year.

Anthony Cabot, a member of the Advisory Committee on Problem Gambling, said the current revenue comes from a $2 fee on slot machines. But the number of machines has been declining, reducing the amount of money available for the program.

The bill would change the source of funding from the $2 per slot machine fee to a set amount of license fees that would see an annual increase for inflation.

The change would end the link to the number of slot machines and provide for a more stable funding source going forward, Cabot told the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.

Sen. Tick Segerblom, one of two sponsors of the bill, said the gaming industry is supportive of the bill.

Nevada is a live and let live state but it also needs to support programs for people who suffer from addictive behaviors, he said.

There was no testimony in opposition to the bill during the hearing. No immediate action was taken on the bill.

Cabot said the original legislation approved in 2005 opted for the $2 per slot tax with the belief that the number of machines would continue to increase over time. But the number of slot machines has declined by 50,000 in that time, reducing the revenue to combat problem gambling, he said.

Slot fees from the current program are estimated at about $1.3 million a year for the coming two years.

Denise Quirk, chairwoman of the advisory committee, said the fees have been as low as $800,000 a year during lean times in Nevada.

Nevada is a leader in global gaming and the state should also be a leader in reducing problem gambling, she said. The state has the second highest incidence of problem gambling in the nation, Quirk said. An estimated 142,000 Nevada residents are problem gamblers.

The funding change would mean about $1 per capita to combat problem gambling, up from the current 60 cents, she said. Nevada is among the states with the lowest funding for such programs, with Delaware at $1.40 per capita and Oregon at $1.30, according to information provided to the committee.

The funds go to various programs administered by the state Department of Health and Human Services that address several areas, including prevention and research.

The bill also proposes to change the composition of the advisory committee to include additional professionals who can participate in the effort to combat the problem.

Contact Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3820. Follow @seanw801 on Twitter.

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Bill to raise funding for problem gambling draws no opposition - Las Vegas Review-Journal

MGM Resorts International by the end of the year will introduce a new program to reinforce responsible gambling among its players in a bid to normalize the conversation about compulsive play.

The company on Wednesday is announcing a partnership with the British Columbia Lottery Corp. to license its GameSense responsible gambling program at all of MGMs U.S. properties, including its 10 Las Vegas resorts.

MGM also will donate $1 million over five years to UNLVs International Gaming Institute to conduct research on compulsive gambling using data collected through the GameSense program.

UNLV will share its findings with compulsive gambling researchers at the University of British Columbia and Harvard University with whom UNLV has had long-term relationships.

Addiction experts say about 2.5 million gamblers suffer a compulsive gambling disorder, with 3 million more considered problem gamblers and 15 million more at risk of becoming problem gamblers. Thats about 2.9 percent of the adult gambling population, although percentages are greater in Nevada where its estimated that between 2.2 percent and 3.6 percent of players suffer some form of addiction.

DEFINING COMPULSIVE GAMBLING

Compulsive gambling is defined as having a preoccupation with gambling and the uncontrollable urge to gamble despite the negative consequences it may produce. Addicts often play to recover their losses and will lie, steal and cheat to support their habit.

When MGM was licensed to build its MGM Springfield resort, due to open next year in Springfield, Massachusetts, the states gaming regulators ordered MGM to institute GameSense at the property as a condition of licensing. When MGM reviewed the program, executives were so impressed with it that they decided to integrate it in all its U.S. locations.

Initially, MGM will set up signage and kiosks at its properties with personnel to counsel players about addictive gambling behaviors. As the program develops, MGM officials hope to integrate it into the companys mLife loyalty card program to enable players to set time and spending limits on play to alert them when they are approaching the levels they set.

The partnership announcement was scheduled to be made Wednesday afternoon at the three-day New Horizons in Responsible Gambling conference in Vancouver.

OK TO STOP

Alan Feldman, executive vice president of global government and industry affairs for MGM, said the core of GameSense is reinforcing healthy gambling behavior.

If the customer believes that this program is the problem-gambling police coming to get you, theyre going to run and hide, Feldman said in a telephone interview. If the public, on the other hand, sees this as were just here to remind you that youre supposed to be having fun, it should help.

If at any moment its not fun and its not affordable, its totally OK to stop, Feldman said. Were not going to be upset. Were going to still appreciate you and value you as a customer, in fact, maybe even more because youve made that decision and good for you.

Feldman said GameSense signage and collateral material giving facts about gambling and slot machines will be available on the casino floor. He said its too early to determine how many GameSense advisers will be hired, but he added the company is planning for 24/7 coverage and the size of a casino floor may determine how many advisers there will be.

BETTER INFORMED CHOICES

For the British Columbia Lottery Corp., which operates GameSense in Canadas casinos as well as in lottery ticket sales locations, the company will receive an undisclosed licensing fee from MGM as well as a relationship with a well-known U.S. operator.

The use of the system at MGM properties should help enhance the effectiveness of the program, said Jim Lightbody, president and CEO of the British Columbia Lottery Corp.

Lightbody said the GameSense concept is to be more inviting and transparent with players to encourage them to make better informed choices when gambling.

In each of our gaming facilities we have 36 of them here in British Columbia we place GameSense information centers within the facilities and they have advisers in them. The centers are bright and attractive where people can come sit down and talk to somebody about their own behavior, or maybe a friend of theirs is having a problem or needing some counseling.

Staff members are trained to look for players who may be in distress and to counsel them about taking breaks from play if they are spending too much time or money in their play.

RESEARCH TEAM

Bo Bernhard, executive director of UNLVs International Gaming Institute, said its too early to determine what kinds of problem gambling research will emerge when a team of scholars gets access to GameSense data.

Bernhard said an interdisciplinary team will be formed with policy, regulatory, operations and addiction specialists working together with the quantitative and qualitative data UNLV expects to gather.

He said he hopes the research will better educate playing customers with information that will enable them to make better consumer decisions, much like nutrition labels that provide information on consumable products.

WYNN AND PENN

Wynn Resorts, which operates Wynn Las Vegas and Wynn Encore, and Penn National Gaming, operators of the Tropicana and the M Resort in Southern Nevada, also are being licensed in Massachusetts and will be required to implement the GameSense system at their properties in Everett and Plainridge Park, respectively.

Wynn and Penn National officials did not respond to inquiries on whether GameSense would be used by them in Las Vegas.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.

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MGM Resorts will launch responsible gambling program at all its US ... - Las Vegas Review-Journal

CHAMPAIGN After detailed discussion, the city council passed an ordinance Tuesday that will temporarily halt the installation or operation of video-gambling terminals in newly licensed liquor establishments.

The moratorium will last until June 7 and affect every kind of newly licensed establishment containing terminals.

According to the Illinois Gaming Board's Video Gaming Report issued in January, there are 53 spots in Champaign that offer gambling including gambling parlors or cafes and 244 total terminals.

Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen said the suspension's aim isn't to curtail a free market. Rather, she said it's so the council can take the time to decide if it wants to enact a gambling ordinance the city doesn't regulate it separate from regulating alcohol and what its relationship with gambling should look like in the future. She added that the city is also in the process of revising the liquor code.

"It's not a morality issue," Feinen said. "We need to make a decision on how (gambling) will impact the city as a whole."

The only council member not to vote for the ordinance was Tom Bruno, who said gambling is similar to buying a lottery ticket and that it hasn't been identified as a cause of crime.

"I don't want government stepping in to exercise moral judgment every time someone spends their money in a manner I wouldn't spend mine or in a way that's foolish and wasteful," Bruno said.

Fellow council member Matthew Gladney said the government already regulates businesses, especially those dealing with alcohol and drugs.

Council member Greg Stock said he doesn't think the council can definitely say that gambling isn't linked to crime, because that's difficult to determine.

Gambling is "particularly present in low-income areas," Stock said. "I think that makes it borderline predatory for people in bad financial circumstances."

Most council members who supported the ordinance said their constituents contacted them with complaints about the city's gambling offerings.

A study session is slated for April for residents to hash out opinions and ideas on how to move forward.

"I don't think I should tell people how to spend their money, but I also don't want to do any harm," said council member Clarissa Nickerson Fourman. "The amount (of gambling) doesn't bother me; it's the immediate access that people have to go in and feed this thing. It's scary."

Illinois' Video Gaming Act, which legalized terminals in places licensed for alcohol consumption on premises, went into effect in July 2009. It allows for municipalities to ban gambling via an ordinance.

If an establishment violates the temporary moratorium, its liquor licence will immediately be suspended and subject to revocation, according to a city staff report to the council.

In other business, Feinen took time to address President Donald Trump's policies on immigration, saying Champaign is "proud of our strong, diverse community" and encouraging residents to foster a "community free of fear and intimidation."

In that vein, Feinen said the city partnered with the C-U Immigration Forum to provide the public education about immigrant rights and what to do if you encounter discrimination. She said the city will look to partner with other similar groups across the state. In cases of discrimination, Feinen encouraged the person affected to report it to the city's Community Relations Office.

In addition, the council completed the last of its dealings with ex-police Officer Matt Rush by voting unanimously to settle an excessive-force lawsuit filed by Precious Jackson against him and two other officers for $250,000.

After resident complaints and accusations of displays of misconduct, Rush was fired twice by police Chief Anthony Cobb, only to have an arbitrator reverse the decision each time. The city council approved a $50,000 separation agreement in January to end Rush's employment without further court proceedings.

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Champaign council taps brakes on gambling expansion - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette

MANKATO Charitable gambling organizations parlayed a big sales year in 2016 into more donations to community causes.

But they feel they could help out even more if state taxes didn't claim so much of their gross receipts. In 2016, the nonprofits donated $62 million to charities, while paying $60.6 million in state taxes, according to the Minnesota Gambling Control Board's annual report.

The organizations may be in luck. Legislation passing through tax committees at the Capitol in recent weeks calls for charitable donations to be exempt from the state gambling tax rate.

Similar proposals haven't gained much steam in past sessions, but there's renewed optimism this year might be different. Al Lund, executive director of the Allied Charities of Minnesota trade group representing 1,200 organizations statewide, said he feels there's growing recognition that the state tax is cutting into the nonprofits' abilities to donate in their communities.

"Our members are more and more getting to the tipping point, so more are realizing that they need to get involved," he said.

Currently, a charitable gambling organization pays out more than 80 percent of its sales back in prizes to its patrons, which wouldn't change. The remaining percentage is then taxed incrementally depending on how much the organizations do in sales for pulltabs and other select forms of gaming from 9 to 36 percent for the top sellers. Whatever amount remains is then spent on lawful expenditures like charitable donations, building upkeep and expenses.

The new legislation would only lower taxes on the money organizations donate to charitable causes.

"What our charities are saying is we didn't get involved to become a primary tax collector for the state," Lund said. "We got involved to help our community."

Local gambling managers say the tax relief could be a major help, both in terms of allowing them to stay in the gaming business, and in how much more they'd be able to donate to their communities.

John Lamm, gambling manager for the Lake Washington Improvement Association, said he's reached out to area legislators in the hopes they'll get on board with the legislation. None of the 23 representatives signed on as authors for the bill are local.

Lamm said lowering the high tax rate his organization is big enough to fall in the 36 percent rate would be a step in the right direction.

"I think more should be done than that, but this is a start," he said. "What we're paying them is phenomenal."

One of the biggest charitable gambling organizations in the state, the Mankato-based Community Charities of Minnesota, paid more than $65,000 in state taxes in January alone, according to gambling manager Mark Healy. Municipal taxes in some communities further cut into gross receipts.

Healy said any dollar they don't have to pay in taxes would be a dollar put toward community causes.

"What's unfortunate about this is we can get money to charities and needy people a lot quicker than the Legislature can," he said.

Jim Steiert, president of Mankato Area Hockey Association, said he knows exactly how the tax relief could help his organization. With youth hockey participation on the rise, the extra money could be put toward a capital campaign for a new ice sheet in Mankato.

"Any tax relief would be welcome," he said. "Whether it's for charitable gambling or your personal tax return."

One roadblock for the tax relief is how it could impact funding for U.S. Bank Stadium. Charitable gambling has helped fund construction costs for the stadium since 2012.

Speaking to the tax committees in recent weeks, the Minnesota Department of Revenue's Tax Policy Manager Paul Cumings said the relief could negatively impact stadium funding. The hit to the state's general fund could also be greater than estimated, he said.

Lund said his organization has offered to work with the department of revenue to address the stadium funding issue before its potential inclusion in the omnibus tax bill.

"It's complicated and we have ideas on how to address that," he said. "We've offered to work with the tax chairs and department of revenue."

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Charitable gambling organizations look for tax relief | Local News ... - Post-Bulletin