Gambling Responsibly New York Times 5), discusses the important addiction services provided by the Queens Center for Excellence to troubled bettors at Resorts World Casino New York City, but not the casino's unwavering commitment to promote responsible gambling, which includes a ...

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Gambling Responsibly - New York Times

ALBANY, N.Y. >> New Yorks transformation into one of the biggest high-roller gambling states in the U.S. is nearly complete, thanks in large part to Osama bin Laden.

The 9/11 attack on America masterminded by Osamas Al-Qaeda jihadist terror network opened the gambling floodgates in New York, with Gov. George Pataki pointing to a desperate need for revenues to fill the gap created by the destruction of the World Trade Center.

At Patakis urging, lawmakers held a special session the month after the attack to approve the biggest expansion of gambling in state history, approving plans for Indian casinos, VLT racinos and participation in the multi-state Mega-Millions lottery drawing. The first new casino opened in 2002 in Niagara Falls, where a disused convention center was turned into a gambling house.

The success that followed set in motion powerful forces that by 2013 resulted in Gov. Andrew Cuomos push to amend the state Constitution to permit up to seven Las Vegas style commercial casinos around the state.

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At the time of the 2001 terrorist attack, there was only two gambling casinos in New York, the Oneida Nations Turning Stone casino near Rome which opened in 1993 and another opened by Mohawk Indians near the Canadian border in 1999. Both opened thanks to a change in federal Indian law.

Fast forward to 2017 and New York has opened three new commercial casinos in the Southern Tier, near Rochester and in Schenectady. A fourth, the $1 billion Montreign casino and resort, is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2018 in Sullivan County in the heart of the Catskills.

It really is a dream come true, Cuomo said at the ribbon-cutting of the $330 million Rivers Casino in Schenectady last Wednesday. We would be talking about this project some times and I would just say, its just too great. Its just too unbelievable that something this grand and powerful was going to happen. But it did.

At another ribbon cutting earlier in February, Cuomo praised the new Del Lago casino in Seneca County, calling it a magnificent monument of how intelligent the decision was to amend the Constitution and expand gambling.

The growth you are seeing now all across upstate New York is going to increase exponentially, Cuomo promised. So we are on our way. Lets cut this ribbon, and lets get to those slot machines.

The Montreign casino resort is expected to boost a once thriving Catskills tourist economy. The 80,000 sq. ft. casino is part of a 18-story hotel with 332 luxury rooms, which includes 12 penthouse suites, 8 garden suites and 7 two-story villas, designed to meet 5-star and 5-diamond standards, the owner Empire Resorts Inc. said in January when it announced a $485 million round of financing. The company also owns the Monticello Casino & Raceway, a successful racino.

When the constitutional amendment was up for a vote four years ago, Cuomo said it was necessary to keep gambling money in the state. Many gambling industry experts agreed, since the new rule of thumb for casinos is that much of the customer base comes from a 50 mile radius.

That has been proven to be true in New York City, which has been denied a commercial casino despite the size of the market. Instead, it has two racinos: Resorts World in Queens and Empire City in Yonkers. Together they accounted for 70 percent of statewide gambling revenue in 2015, the American Gaming Association reported in 2016.

The four new casinos are expected to produce $325 million in annual tax revenues, most of it going to the state.

The casino will compete with 11 Indian casinos now operating around the state, and nearly as many racinos where bettors play video lottery terminals (VLTs) that mimic casino slot machines and table games.

The state Gaming Commission says the state Lottery took in $9.7 billion during the 2015-16 budget year, producing more than $3.3 billion in tax revenue.

The Lottery marks its 50th anniversary in 2017. Until 1967, gambling was prohibited in New York for much of the 20th century apart from betting on horse races, bingo and charitable games.

The also-ran in New Yorks gambling explosion is horse racing. The sport took in about $1.5 billion in 2015, according to the Gaming Commission, with $884 million of that bet at racetracks and the rest at OTB outlets.

Racings future remains cloudy as bettors gravitate to other venues to spend their money. Cuomo has also kept racing at arms length while embracing other types of gambling. Since taking office in 2011, he has avoided going to Saratoga Race Course, the oldest operating sports venue in the U.S.

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New York State transformation into the gambling big leagues nearly complete with opening of newest casino - The Daily Freeman

By Njiraini Muchira

No industry has captured the imagination of the Kenyan economy in the past three years like betting. Concerned about its runaway growth, the government imposed higher taxes but the proliferation of gaming outlets across the country continued.

The government, through the Kenya Revenue Authority, then turned to gaming equipment: No more importation unless authorised by the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB).

"Any further importation of such gaming devices must have express clearance from the Ministry of Interior and Co-ordination of National Government," said a KRA statement.

BCLB falls under the Ministry of Interior.

BCLB chairman Anthony Kimani Kung'u told The EastAfrican that the majority of the gaming machines entering Kenya do not meet international standards.

"Restricting importation is part of our fight against illegal machines, mostly from China," he said.

He added that the move is to ensure that unscrupulous businessmen do not take advantage of unsuspecting Kenyans.

There has been a proliferation of gaming equipment in estates and other social places.

Backstreet gambling dens

According to the chairman of the Association of Gaming Operators of Kenya, Ronald Karauri, the increase in the machines has tarnished the image of the betting and gaming industry.

"As an association, we have been telling BCLB to crackdown on these machines because they are encouraging irresponsible gaming," he said.

Mr Karauri, who is also the chief executive of sports betting firm SportPesa, added that lack of a modern and progressive law to regulate the industry is fuelling the growth of backstreet gambling dens.

Currently, the industry operates under the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act, which stakeholders contend is outdated owing to the evolution of the industry particularly in the use of mobile and online platforms for betting.

Kenyan legislator Jakoyo Midiwo drafted the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming (Amendment) Bill, 2016, to provide a legal framework for regulating and controlling gambling activities.

The Bill also seeks to promote the development of a responsible industry, protect young and excluded persons from the negative effects of gambling and prevent gambling from being a source of crime and from being used for money laundering.

The Bill has however met with opposition from BCLB and industry players on the basis that it does not incorporate the views of stakeholders, and that it is intended to end gambling.

"While we agree the industry needs a modern law, the Bill is not sincere in its object of regulating but will only kill the industry," said Mr Karauri.

Kenya currently has more than 30 licensed betting firms and casinos, although only a few are in operation.

A recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers shows that the yearly turnover of the sports betting industry in Kenya is worth $20 million, and will reach $50 million in 2020 as demand grows.

The formal Kenyan betting industry, which paid $28.3 million in taxes in 2015, is ranked third in Africa after South Africa and Nigeria.

In the 2016/17 Finance Bill, the government increased taxes on betting, lotteries and gaming after introducing a betting tax charged at a rate of 7.5 per cent of the gaming revenue, lottery tax chargeable at a rate of five per cent and a gaming tax chargeable at a rate of 12 per cent of the gaming revenue.

Kenya currently has more than 30 licensed betting firms and casinos, although only a few are in operation.

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Kenya: Gambling in Kenya Gets Out of Hand - AllAfrica.com

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Gov. Eddie Calvo has allowed casino operations at the carnival grounds on a regular basis while gambling is illegal.

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Pacific Daily News 5:12 p.m. ChT Feb. 11, 2017

Sunday cartoon for 02/12(Photo: Roland Miranda/For PDN)

While the voters of Guam have repeatedly rejected attempts to legalize gambling, Gov. Eddie Calvo has allowed casino operations at the carnival grounds on a regular basis.

The casino was supposed to close at the end of the Guam Island Fair Liberation Day Carnival in August, but the gambling operations Texas HoldEm, roulette, blackjack, baccarat and other games were extended. Then, mayors started using the casino for their village fiestas on weekends, with approval from Calvo. Jose Cruz, president of Linala Sin Casino, recently wrote a letter to Attorney General Elizabeth Barrett-Anderson and Rev and Tax Director John Camacho, asking them to investigate the ongoing use of the Tiyan carnival fairgrounds for fiesta-related casino events on weekends.

The Mayors Council or GovGuam insists on continuing this activity in spite of numerous occasions where the people of Guam have resoundingly rejected casino gambling on our island, Cruz wrote.

Sinajana Mayor Robert Hofmann said its because many villages dont have the facilities to offer gambling during their fiestas.

Every district is different in size and capabilities, some mayors have it there some mayors dont, Hofmann said.

He also said the proceeds from the casino go toward programs in the villages. He said Sinajana has raised about $2,500 from gambling. But there is a lack of accountability with casino operations. How much money did the casino make during the carnival, and how much of that went to the mayors and villages? How much does the casino pull in during fiestas, and how much of that goes to community programs? Mayors need to provide this information in an open and transparent manner on a regular basis. And the Calvo administration needs to re-evaluate whether the casino in Tiyan should continue to be used for gambling on a regular basis.

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OUR VIEW: Transparency needed in gambling operations - Pacific Daily News

Tips for people who think they might need to stop or slow down

What Are the Warning Signs?

Problem gambling is not a bad habit or a moral weakness. It is a serious condition that affects you, your family, your friends, and your job. Learn to spot the warning signs:

At Work:

At Home:

With Friends:

Help is Available!

Spouses, partners, and family members of problem gamblers often feel frustrated, angry, sad, ashamed, and isolated. Depression and stress-related illness are common. Fortunately, help is available. Just thinking about talking to someone about a gambling problem can be scary, but knowing where to start can help you find the courage to have the conversation.

A problem gambler doesnt necessarily need to hit bottom to decide to get help. To get help for you or someone you know, call the 24/7 help line, 1-866-322-1407.

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Do you have a mobile gambling/gaming problem? - KMTV

Two prominent video gamers have been fined by a U.K. court for running a website that allowed people to bet on the soccer game FIFA. The case was the first of its kind in the country.

Craig Douglas, known on YouTube as Nepenthez, and Dylan Rigby pleaded guilty in September to the gambling offense.

The BBC reported that Douglas was hit with a 91,000 fine, while Rigby, his business partner, was ordered to pay 164,000.

Douglas has 1.4 million YouTube subscribers.

I owe a huge apology to my family and close friends for putting them through this process, and appreciate all those that stood by me, Douglas said in a Twitter statement.

Their website was called FUT Galaxy, and it used virtual currency to facilitate bets. Their company was called Game Gold Tradings Limited. Its estimated that the global market for betting on video games is worth as much as $5.2 billion.

Link:

Men Fined Over FIFA Gambling Operation - Card Player - CardPlayer.com

Rob Manfred has only been Major League Baseball's commissioner for two years, but he's kept himself extremely busy in that time. Whether or not he's actually made major changes, he's at least entertained the thought time and time again during his tenure. He's discussed everything from expansion to banning shifts. Just in the last week, there have been rumors of a changed strike zone and new extra-inning rules. Now, he's thinking of changing the league's stance on one of its most controversial issues over its long history.

To say MLB and gambling have a history would be the understatement of all understatements. Two of the biggest scandals in league history involved betting. Obviously, I speak of the Black Sox scandal in 1919 and everything that's surrounded Pete Rose over the last few decades. Clearly, changing the league's stance on gambling won't change its stance on players taking part, but it's still jarring to see the league even consider getting close to that world.

On the other hand, it makes sense in today's world. Gambling has become more and more prominent in the sports world, particularly over the last few years as daily fantasy has blurred the definition. The NFL is the most popular league in the country, and gambling was a huge part of its rise to the top. The NBA, arguably the second-biggest league in the U.S., has already acknowledged the benefits of gambling. We've heard Manfred talk about plenty of big changes to baseball, but this could be among the most monumental.

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Rob Manfred may change MLB's stance on gambling - SB Nation

Pennsylvanias omnibus gambling reform bill finally made its appearance in the legislature on Thursday.

The bill, HB 392, is sponsored by RepresentativesGeorge Dunbar (R-56th),Rosita Youngblood (D-198th), and others, and seeks to take off where Representative John Payne (retired) left off.

Pennsylvania Representative Rosita Youngblood is a co-sponsor, with Representative George Youngblood, of Pennsylvanias new gambling expansion package. (Image: PocketFives.com)

Paynes online gambling bill was attached to a wider gambling expansion package last year as there seems to be an appetite in the legislature to address all the states gambling issues in one fell swoop.

Accordingly, HB 329 is a 209-page whopper, covering everything from the regulation of daily fantasy sports and online gaming, to the authorization of slots at airports, and a fix for the states casino rev share problems.

It comes a day after the states Democratic governor, Tom Wolf, unveiled his budget plan for the 2017-18 fiscal year, which factors in $150 million in extra gambling revenues, generated by a gambling expansion package that has yet to become law.

The question is, will it be this gambling package?

Wolf isnt the only one who believes Pennsylvania will get it together this year. Senator Mario Scavello, chairman of the Senate Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee, said last month he believed that the state would legalize online gambling sometime in March.

It looks like online gaming has the support to pass. We can look at other expansions, he said.

Last year, the bill on which HB 392 is based, came close, finding emphatic approval in the House before ultimately running out of time in the Senate.

A Pennsylvania Supreme Court judgment in September had ruled that tax laws governing revenue-sharing agreements between casinos and their local communities were unconstitutional because they were ultimately differential.

The ruling left communities without crucial revenues, and a quick fix added to the bill needed more time for debate, said the Senate.

As with its predecessor, HB 392 would solve the rev-share problem by imposing an annual slot license feeon Category 1 and 2 casinos. This time, there is plenty of time to debate the issue.

Meanwhile, HB 392 would tax online gambling licensees at 14 percent, while an additional 2 percent that will go to the host communities of participating land-based casinos. Licenses for casinos would cost $8 million for a five-year license and $250,000 for renewals after that. Technology partners would pay a one-off fee of $2 million, with renewals at $100,000.

DFS operators would be taxed at 12 percent, while five-year licenses would cost $50,000 or 7.5 percent of the previous years annual revenue, whichever is the greater.

The bill has been passed to the House Gaming Oversight Committee where it is due for a hearing next Thursday.

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Pennsylvania Omnibus Gambling Bill Presented to House - Casino.Org News

Gamblers caught during the raid on an open-air gambling den at a rubber plantation in Songkhla's Hat Yai district on Thursday night are taken by police pickup to Hat Yai police station on Thursday night. The shade net screen concealing the casino is in the background. (Photo by Assawin Pakkawan)

SONGKHLA - Sixteen gamblers were arrested and about 400,000 baht seized during a raid on a rubber plantation in Hat Yai which was operating as an open-air casino on Thursday night.

A team of soldiers, police and local officials swooped on the rubber plantation at Soi Prasarnmit in tambon Khuan Lang around 9pmon Thursday.

A large shade net had been erected around the plantation to screen it, with many cars and motorcycles parked inside.

As the authorities arrived gamblers started running away in panic, but 16 were caught - four men and 12 women. Others made good their escape - but left their transport behind.

Gambling gear, about 400,000 baht cash, 20 cars and pickup trucks and around 40 motorcycles were seized.

The gamblers were handed over to Hat Yai police station for legal action, a member of the combined team said.

It was the gambling den's opening night, the officer said.

An investigation found it was run by the same person whose gambling den in Hat Yai was raided and shut down in early January.

Thursday night's raid was led by Col Jatuporn Kalampasut, chief of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4 intelligence office.

Around 60 vehicles - cars, pickup trucks and motorcycles - found parked at the open-air gambling den concealed in a rubber plantion that was raided in Hat Yai district on Thursday night. Sixteen gamblers were caught. Others made good their escape, but left their transport behind. (Photo by Assawin Pakkawan)

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Gamblers caught in Hat Yai open-air casino bust | Bangkok Post: news - Bangkok Post

LAS VEGAS may be synonymous with gambling, but the industrys biggest expo is actually held in London, and wraps up today. Exhibitors in over 3,000 stands advertise the latest products designed to part punters from their cash, ranging from gaming apps to slot machines and virtual-reality games. As in other businesses, firms that were quick to embrace new technology have reaped rewards: online gaming is the industrys fastest-growing sector, and accounted for 11% of the $385bn of gambling profits posted in 2016. But unlike companies that sell less controversial services, courting government regulators appears to be just as important as luring bettors for the bottom line.

To the general public, Australia hardly leaps to mind as a gambling hotbed. Yet industry insiders know it is far and away their most lucrative market: according to H2 Gambling Capital (H2G), a consultancy, betting losses per resident adult there amounted to $990 last year. That is 40% higher than Singapore, the runner-up, and around double the average in other Western countries. The most popular form of gaming in Australia is on ubiquitous electronic poker machines, or pokies, which are more prevalent there than anywhere else. Although the devices are legal in many other markets, bet sizes are usually capped at modest levels. By contrast, in Australia, which began to deregulate the industry in the 1980s, punters can lose as much as $1,150 an hour.

Despite Australias profitability, the high level of existing gambling penetration and relatively small population of 23m make it a relatively mature market without much room for expansion. The biggest prize by far is the United States, where bettors total losses reached $117bn last year. The untapped potential is enormous: Americans wagered $150bn illegally on sports alone last year, by one estimate. However, the countrys Puritan tendencies have kept the industrys growth in check, and spending per person has remained static for a decade. Online gaming, which accounts for a third of spending in some countries, is legal in just three states after a federal clampdown in 2011, while sports betting is fully legal in just one. As a result, Ireland and Finland, which have opened up online markets, recently overtook America in spending per person. Singapore also keeps a tight lid on the range of legal betting options, and has seen industry revenues fall off as a result.

A different type of regulation has curbed gaming in China. Just three years ago, H2G expected China (including Macau and Hong Kong) to surpass America as the worlds biggest market in 2020. But in 2013 the government announced a crackdown on corruption, which prevented Chinese government officials from entertaining in the casinos of Macau. The industrys profits in China promptly fell by 20%, and have barely recovered. That precipitous decline caused overall global winnings to drop in 2015the first dip since 2003, when H2Gs data begin.

In contrast, gaming firms may be set to hit the jackpot in Japan. Although the country is still the worlds third-largest gambling market, annual revenues have been declining steadily since 2003 amid tight regulation. Ingenious firms have come up with work-arounds to remain within the law: pachinko, a popular game akin to pinball, avoids being classified as gambling by giving special prizes, which can be traded for cash at kiosks separate from the pachinko parlours. Such subterfuge may no longer be necessary, thanks to a law passed in December that will permit casinos for the first time. Foreign operators are expected to line up to build them. H2G estimates that they could swell winnings by 50% in the first year of opening. That is good news for the industry, if not for Japanese punters wallets.

Daily chart: Chinas roads and workplaces seem to be getting less lethal

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The world's biggest gamblers - The Economist (blog)

The ongoing battle over appropriate Indian gambling is once again coming to a head in the Idaho Legislature, with both sides preparing to rip open old wounds.

Rep. Tom Loertscher, a Republican from Iona, introduced legislation Wednesday that would ban lucrative video gambling terminals inside the tribes' casinos. The proposal was tepidly accepted by the House State Affairs Committee, with some lawmakers raising concerns about the ripple effects of the bill.

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"We've been bothered by several gambling issues over the last few years," said Loertscher, chairman of the House panel. "This is a major policy thing that we need to address."

The move comes two years after lawmakers banned the use of so-called historical horse racing due to fears that the electronic betting machines resembled slot machines. The repeal effort generated outrage from the horse racing industry. It claimed the tribes were unfairly trying to squelch competition because they have a monopoly on video gambling in Idaho.

Yet the fight over Indian gambling has been a sore subject since 1988 when the Idaho Lottery was established.

Under federal Indian gambling law, Idaho tribes can only operate their own bingo and lottery operations as long as the state has already authorized that form of gambling. This has created lingering tension between the state and tribes over what types of gambling devices are legal.

According to the tribes, they operate what the state allows: A video form of the state lottery.

However, prolonged disagreement led the tribe to successfully push a 2002 ballot initiative amending Idaho's law to say as long as the tribe's machines do not have a lever or dispense coins only cash out tickets then the machines could not be defined as a slot machines and are not a simulation of casino gambling.

Then in 2006, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the tribes' ability to offer video gambling devices after the state sued. The court's decision also influenced a 2009 ruling where the Idaho Supreme Court declared Idaho could no longer sue regarding the constitutionality of the tribes' machines.

Loertscher's bill would remove a key section of the law amended in 2002 so that even if the tribe's machines do not have a lever or dispense coins, they would still be banned from possessing slot machines. It's a subtle difference, but one that would could potentially upend the entire system.

"This issue has been addressed in the judicial branch and now they want to get the Legislature involved," said House Assistant Majority Leader Brent Crane, R-Nampa, who said he only voted to introduce the proposal to learn more about the issue. "I'm not convinced that's going to happen."

Other lawmakers contend that the Idaho Constitution outlaws casino-style gambling but claim tribes are violating that ban due to a loophole in the law.

"We simply can't have any statute that would attempt to override the constitution," said Rep. Steven Harris, R-Meridian, who has supported other efforts to limit gambling in Idaho this year.

For the tribes, the issue comes down to protecting their sovereignty.

"This is highly unnecessary," said Rep. Paulette Jordan, D-Plummer, a member of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, who voted against introducing Loertscher's bill. "I don't believe this bill will make it out of committee and I would urge the chairman to reread our laws."

A full hearing for the bill has not been scheduled.

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Idaho House Panel Introduces Bill Limiting Indian Gambling - Boise State Public Radio

Rochester, N.Y.

(WHAM) - Questions about the connection between a missing Spencerport teen and the man arrested as part of an illegal gambling investigation in Rochester, have been put to rest.

Lead investigators assigned to the case of missing teen Joshua Redfield said there is no truth to these claims he is connected to Dan Elliot. Instead they say it's confusion about another family member's ties.

Elliot, also known as Miami Dan, was arrested last month during a raid at an alleged illegal gambling operation in the city.

Two sources close to this investigation said Redfield, missing since December 7, has a step brother serving jail time for breaking into and trying to burn down the alleged illegal gambling joint on West Ridge Road.

Ogden Police said, while they have received tips about allegations Redfield is connected to the illegal gambling joint, there is no truth behind the rumors.

Elliot was in court Thursday morning where his hearing was waived to a grand jury.

He is out on bail, accused of having two semi-automatic pistols, both loaded and drugs in his possession. He has not been charged for illegally gambling, but his lawyer, Vincent Merante said it is not out of the question.

"I haven't heard anything from the U.S. Attorney's Office; they have the prerogative to move forward with their own charges, but let's hope not," Merante told 13WHAM News. "I'm here to say and make it perfectly clear, my client has nothing to do with the disappearance of Joshua Redfield."

Ogden Police also made their message clear - that Redfield is not linked to the illegal gambling operation.

"The FBI came to us an offered any resources we might need," Chief Mears said. "We don't have any indication of foul play, but we always have to leave that open as a possibility."

Mears said they do not have any leads at the time and they have done everything in their power to track down the information they can. Two investigators are assigned full time to the disappearance of Joshua Redfield.

Police said Redfield did make some indication to friends that he would leave home. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 423-9300.

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No truth to alleged link between missing Spencerport teen, illegal gambling - 13WHAM-TV

Forbes

How Vietnam Is Changing Its Gambling Rules To Win Foreign Investment Forbes A year ago, the Asian gaming landscape appeared bleak. Macau was in the dumps, even after $5 billion in new resorts from Melco Crown and Galaxy Entertainment debuted. South Korea had more licenses available than qualified bidders, and in Australia, ...

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How Vietnam Is Changing Its Gambling Rules To Win Foreign Investment - Forbes

Did you win any money from your Super Bowl pool?

Awesome -- Now make sure you report it on your 2017 tax return.

Yep. Gambling winnings of any kind are taxable income and Uncle Sam wants his cut and that includes winnings from the Super Bowl, a Fantasy Leagues, Vegas -- even the local Lotto, make sure you tally it up.

Report it as "Other Income" on line 21 of your Form 1040 .

The problem is -- You only can deduct your losses to the extent of your winnings.

So if you won $1,000 last year but lost $1,500, you can only report $1,000 in losses so the other $500 is, well, lost.

Your losses are reported on Schedule A - Itemized Deductions. So if you are a high earner, and might not get to deduct the full amount of your gambling losses.

Look for Form W2-G in the mail - it'll report your winnings and come from casinos and organized gambling institutions.

Granted it's not going to be coming from the guy who ran your office pool, but still know your winnings are taxable income.

And I know what you're saying, "But how will Uncle Sam know?

You'll get audited - or how bout this - the IRS has a whistleblower program and offers rewards -- you have a pissed off neighbor he just might rat you out... it happens.

So hopefully you saved everything - or can use bank statements to recreate lyear'sears wins and losses.

Report everything!

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Deducting Gambling Losses on Your Taxes - TheStreet.com

In the 2018 proposed budget, the governor has proposed to redistribute existing local gaming aid payments to provide $2.25 million annually to Madison County.

While Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. has taken issue with the extra $2.25 million of gaming revenue Madison County would receive if the governor's tentative budget is passed, its nothing personal.

We all need to be around the table when we discuss this and that wasnt the case, he said. Im not objecting to Madison County getting more money. This is what we negotiated. Our agreement is different than any other region because there was a settlement. My argument to that has always been, in order to change that in any way shape or form, if somebody wants more, we should all be at the table to determine how that gets done.

Originally, as part of the agreement reached by the state and Oneida and Madison counties with the Oneida Indian Nation in May 2013, Madison County accepted a one-time, $11 million lump-sum payment and annual disbursements of $3.5 million. Oneida County gets 25 percent of revenue, or roughly $12.5 million a year, and another $2.5 million annually for 20 years to offset associated property tax losses.

Madison County, however, later believed it deserved a share of the slot revenues from the Oneidas' Yellow Brick Road Casino in Chittenango, which opened in June 2015, after the settlement agreement.

In the 2018 proposed budget, the governor has proposed to redistribute existing local gaming aid payments to provide $2.25 million annually to Madison County, according to the State Budget Briefing Book.

When the state, the Oneida Nation and affected counties signed the 2013 agreement establishing local government gaming host aid, the Oneida Nation casino that opened in Madison County in 2015 was not envisioned, the book says.

Officials in Madison County are happy with their inclusion in the budget, especially after Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed a revision to the 2013 settlement among the state, Oneida Indian Nation, and Madison and Oneida counties that would have given Madison County a 25 percent slice of the state's share of the in-county gaming revenue.

Madison County Board of Supervisors Chairman John M. Becker said he had spoken to the governor after the veto and he promised the issue would be addressed in the upcoming budget.

I am very thankful to the governor for keeping his promise to me and the residents of Madison County, he said. I am looking forward to working with his office and our state representatives to ensure adoption of this proposal.

The 25 percent bump would have given Madison County host community benefits for its Yellow Brick Road Casino. Also, it would have altered the 2013 deal, which is what Picente is most concerned about.

Officials from all four parties need to sit down and have a discussion about the whole issue, because it was a confusing settlement with lots of moving parts, Picente said. And he believes that will happen plenty of times before the budget is passed.

We are starting to talk a little bit more, Picente said. I think there will be more discussion, I clearly do. It was one of those issues that everybody wants to know why I object to it, and its (because) the principle is tied to a negotiation, which people give up to get and we all did that each side gave up something to get something. So now, when someone else wants more, what are they giving up?

Sen. David J. Valesky, D-Oneida, is happy to see the governor follow through on his previous commitment to recognize Madison County.

This is a basic issue of fairness, which the governors budget proposal addresses, he said. I look forward to continuing to partner with the Madison County Board of Supervisors and the governors office on this critically important matter.

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Gambling pot grows for Madison County - Utica Observer Dispatch

Two men who admitted to running an unlicensed betting website have been fined after pleading guilty to gambling offences.

During a hearing at Birmingham magistrates court, Craig Douglas, 33, of Ilford, Essexa YouTube gamer who's alias is "NepentheZ"and Dylan Rigby, 34, of Colchester, Essexwho founded FUT Galaxyadmitted to operating an unauthorised site that allowed video gamers to place bets using virtual currency.

TheFutGalaxy.com site, which is not affiliated with EA Sports or the FIFA series, allowed users to buy virtual currency, called FUT coins, for use in the FIFA series of video games, specifically in the FIFA Ultimate Team mode, said the Gambling Commissionwhich brought the prosecution.

Customers could then use those FUT coins to gamble by placing bets on matches that took place in the game. The winnings could then be converted into FIFA coins, another virtual currency used in the FIFA series, which in turn could be sold for real money on an unauthorised secondary market in which Rigby also had an interest. This also violated EA's Terms of Service agreement.

"FutGalaxy.com offered gambling products including sports betting, a jackpot lottery style game, and a higher or lower style game," the UK's gambling watchdog said. "The full extent of the gambling operation facilitated and advertised by the defendants was revealed after the commission executed search warrants at the defendants' homes and seized a number of electronic devices and company documents."

Rigby has been ordered to pay 174,000 in fines and costs, while Douglas has been saddled with a 91,000 fine, after both men pleaded guilty to offences under the UK's Gambling Act.

"This was one of the most serious cases that has been investigated and prosecuted by the commission," the watchdog's chief Sarah Harrison said.

"Its gravity is reflected in the significant financial penalties imposed by the judge. The defendants knew that the site was used by children and that their conduct was illegal but they turned a blind eye in order to achieve substantial profits. The effect on children of online gambling was rightly described by the court as 'horrific' and 'serious.'"

The commission has been eyeballing the rise of online video game gambling.

In a series of tweets following the fine, Douglas said: "I owe a huge apology to my family and close friends for putting them through this process, and appreciate all those that stood by me... I also owe a huge apology and debt of gratitude to my loyal supporters. Even if this is the end of our journey together, I'm grateful."

This post originated on Ars Technica UK

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YouTubers fined for running illegal FIFA 17 gambling site - Ars Technica

Gamblers placed wagers totaling a record $132 million on Super Bowl LI Sunday at Nevada sports books. However that amount represents a drop in bucket compared to the $4.5 billion of bets placed illegally on the game.

Nevada is currently the only state where gambling on sports is legal, but the black sports betting market is estimated to account for 97% of all wagers placed, according to theAmerican Gaming Association.

These bettors rely on offshore sports books, online means and illegal bookies to satisfy their tax-free gambling needs thanks to the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act signed in 1992 that made Nevada the only state to legally place bets on sports.

"Vegas currently has a monopoly on sports betting," Erik Balsbaugh of the American Gaming Association toldTheStreet. "The internet has changed a lot of things in the industry though, and it's time for the U.S. to catch up."

The sportsbook from companies like MGM Resorts (MGM) andLas Vegas Sands (LVS) on the Las Vegas Strip comprises between 1.5% and 2% of total gaming revenue annually, according to Union Gaming analyst John DeCree.

Betting on the Super Bowl, both legal and illegal, was up year over year in spite of the fact that viewership for the big game was down from a year ago.

Legal sports gambling is good for the game, Balsbaugh argued, because people with something riding on the game tend to be more attentive to the games and are more likely to even watch the commercials during a broadcast.

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Super Bowl Betting Tally Helps Make the Case for Legalized Sports Gambling - TheStreet.com

Major League Baseball has always taken a hard stance against gambling of any kind. But MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has indicated that the league might be open to softening its stance on the issue.

There is this buzz out there in terms of people feeling that there may be an opportunity here for additional legalized sports betting, Manfred told Yahoo! Finance on Wednesday. We are reexamining our stance on gambling. Its a conversation thats ongoing with the owners.

For a league that seems desperate to attract younger fans to the game, finding a way to allow legalized betting on baseball sounds like a no-brainer.

When fans bet on games, Manfred continued, it can be a form of fan engagement, it can fuel the popularity of a sport. We all understand that.

Fans are betting on sports regardless of whether its legal or not, which is why Manfred is open to a discussion about revising MLBs policies on gambling.

Sports betting happens, Manfred said. Whether its legalized here or not, its happening out there. So I think the question for sports is really, Are we better off in a world where we have a nice, strong, uniform, federal regulation of gambling that protects the integrity of sports, provides sports with the tools to ensure that there is integrity in the competition Or are we better off closing our eyes to that and letting it go on as illegal gambling? And thats a debatable point.

Times have certainly changed since Major League Baseball first adopted an official set of rules about gambling in the sport back in 1927. Legalized gambling in many forms has become commonplace in todays society.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has been a vocal proponent of legalizing regulated sports betting and recently said he believes gambling is good for business. Manfred seems to agree with his peer in basketball, saying that Silver has framed it the best.

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In Why I Love, PC Gamer writers pick an aspect of PC gaming that they love and write about why it's brilliant. This week Joe asks a psychologist about his passion for no-risk in-game gambling.

Here's the thing: I don't gamble in real life. Glasgow, where I live, is full of bookmakers and casinos, and while I don't take issue with anyone who does throw money at roulette or horses or sportso long as it's lawfulit's just something that's never interested me. I've worked in pubs where Racing UK was as much a regular as old Jimmy who drank a pint of Guinness and a half measure of whisky, and I've had a season ticket at my favourite football/soccer team for almost 20 years; yet parting with my cash against someone else's odds has never struck my fancy. In videogames, though, it's a different story.

Perhaps it's the notion of spending someone else's moneyalbeit a videogame avatar controlled by methat I find so alluring, or the fact that I know there's no real risk in bankrupting my virtual earnings besides the chore of regenerating my money pot in whichever way the game in question allows.

My first in-game casino visit occurred in 1992's Mercenary 3: The Dion Crisis for the Atari ST. A game well ahead of its time, Novagen's Software's open-world exploration adventure offered multiple endings as the eponymous mercenary set about bringing down the game's corrupt antagonist PC BIL. One such way of toppling the unscrupulous politician's regime involved bankrupting his debt-laden empirea feat which could be achieved by winning large sums of cash at Uncle's Casino and Bosher's Bar.

A well-positioned magnet could swing the odds in your favour, however hitting the jackpot by virtue of one-armed bandits and Wheel of Fortune machines was an absolute joyparticularly when it meant usurping BIL.

Years later, I fell in love with Fallout 2's mining town Redding, as it offered a wealth of gambling opportunities in arcade machines, roulette, and the rather unsavoury Molerat Mambo. Bioshock's infamous Fort Frolic zone housed Pharaoh's Fortune, wherein slot machines cost an asynchronous ten dollars a pop; and Grand Theft Auto San Andreas' Las Venturas mirrored real life Vegas as a desert city brimming with casinos such as The Camel's Toe and Caligula's Palace.

Away from these games' central narratives, I thrived in bankrolling frivolous expeditions to in-game casinos and bars where I'd spend hours on end frittering away my in-game budget or delighting in the occasions where I won big. But why? Why did I care whether or not I won or lost or broke evenespecially when I didn't give a toss about gambling in real life. Why do I find betting fake money in virtual casinos so darn enjoyable?

Psychology professor Graham Scott of the University of the West of Scotland suggests anonymity and a lack of empathy could be what drives my weird misplaced passion.

"When you consider theft," says Scott, "there's a higher number of people who commit fraud and identity theft online than offline. One of the reasons behind this pertains to the fact the online world offers a degree of isolation. In turn, the consequences of your actions are less obvious and don't seem as important.

"In videogames you're far less likely to care about how your actions directly affect otherswhich can in this case relate to gambling with money that isn't real. Whereas in the real world gambling has consequencesit can often land you in debt, which in turn can affect the individual and his or her family and friendsdoing so within a virtual environment is the equivalent of having a digitised 'get out of jail free' card, I suppose.

"I often refer to Grand Theft Auto which is a good example of a game that lets you do things you could do in real life, but, because most of us are well-natured law-abiding people, choose not to. Stealing cars, fighting your neighbours, and, as you say, gambling are all possible in Grand Theft Auto but are often acts which help players to complete missions. In essence, you control a character with a personality who is following a pre-set script.

"It's worth noting that while most adults can distinguish between reality and fantasy that repeated exposure to these behaviours could desensitise and normalise them. That's always worth watching out for."

Now, I'm fairly certain I won't allow my in-game habits to spill into my real life, however it's nevertheless nice to know there's some scientific grounding in my gamified behaviour. Which is of course totally justifies my in-game ludomania.

If you need me, I'll be at Mercenary 3's Boshers Bar which, incidentally, isn't nearly as glamorous as it may sound:

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Why I love fake gambling and in-game casinos according to a psychologist - PC Gamer