Monthly Archives: June 2017

By Laura Leslie

Raleigh, N.C. In the waning hours of session Thursday, state lawmakers sent Gov. Roy Cooper measures that would expand Sunday hunting and allow "casino nights" with alcohol for charities and other groups.

Hunting is currently banned between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Sundays, and Sunday hunting is banned in Wake and Mecklenburg counties. House Bill 559 would allow hunting Sunday morning on private property and state gamelands, but not within 500 yards of a place of worship. It also mandates that Wake, Mecklenburg, and all other counties must allow Sunday hunting unless voters choose to ban it by countywide referendum.

Supporters say the change will encourage family hunting excursions on the weekends, but religious conservatives were opposed to the change.

Another bill headed to the governor's desk would allow "casino night" events despite the state's ban on gambling. Those events could be held by employers and trade groups as well as charities and nonprofits, as long as no money is paid for admission or in prizes. It would also allow alcohol to be served at the events. The games offered could include roulette and sweepstakes machines, even though the machines are otherwise banned by state law and subject to seizure.

First proposed by representatives from counties where law enforcement deems "casino night" fundraisers illegal, the bill initially sought to clarify that the events are allowed and that they can be held at locations where alcohol is served, but its scope expanded somewhat during the legislative process.

The restaurant and lodging industry supported the changes, but many religious and social conservatives said weakening the state's gambling ban and adding alcohol to the mix is a mistake.

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Lawmakers expand gambling, hunting in final hours of session - WRAL.com

Steven Caulker, who says he is feeling good and ready to relaunch his career, admits: Id drink myself into oblivion so I wouldnt have to feel anything. Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian

Steven Caulker has a tale to tell and, as hard as it is to hear, it is best simply to listen. His stream of consciousness veers from scoring on his England debut less than five years ago and the thrill at potential being realised to the horrific mental health issues that have almost ended it all in the period since. A player who, from the outside, appeared blessed with talent and opportunity speaks of desperate anxiety and self-loathing.

He contemplated killing himself in his darkest moments with his path one of self-destruction. Attempts at escapism cost him hundreds of thousands of pounds, wages frittered away in casinos. Then came the drinking aimed at numbing the pain. The 25-year-old finds himself recalling the times spent in custody watching CCTV footage of his misdemeanours, his lawyer at his side, and not recognising the vile person on the screen.

Football is still coming to terms with mental illness and Caulker, an international and a last lingering reminder at Queens Park Rangers of financially misguided days as a Premier League club, has been an easy target. He is not seeking to make excuses or win sympathy. These are details he finds painful to recount. Ive sat here for years hating myself and never understood why I couldnt just be like everyone else, he says. This year was almost the end. I felt for large periods there was no light at the end of the tunnel. And yet he has not placed a bet since December, or touched alcohol since early March. The healing process that can restore him to the top level is well under way, with this interview, one he sought out, potentially another step on the road to recovery.

A little under a year ago Caulker had spoken to the Guardian about a life-changing week spent in Sierra Leone, of humbling yet inspiring charity work with ActionAid that had provided him with a sense of perspective. He returned to be galvanised under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink at Loftus Road and, having spent the previous season on loan at Southampton and Liverpool unfulfilling stints which fuelled his latent insecurities was ready to give his all. Early season performances against Leeds and Cardiff suggested confidence had been restored, reward for a summer of incessant fitness work.

The trigger that would send him spiralling to rock bottom would be injury. He tore his groin at Barnsley and played in pain for weeks, dreading a spell back in rehabilitation, before succumbing to an associated hip complaint. I owed it to QPR to try, he says, but I was naive thinking I could still perform with the tear. He has not played since last October, with the period marked by personal turmoil and, only of late, revival. Talking publicly, he suggested, may point younger players towards seeking help if they find themselves treading the same route, or experiencing the same sense of desertion, in a brutal industry. The real hope is the exercise, as brave as it is, may ultimately prove more cathartic for Caulker himself.

Im addicted to winning, which people say is a positive in football, but certainly not when it extends to gambling

He recognises his football ability as a gift but also a curse. It took him from Sunday League at 15 into the Premier League four years later, to the 2012 Olympics with Great Britain and into Roy Hodgsons England side for a friendly in Sweden later that year. His talent has convinced some of the most respected managers he is worth pursuing. Yet, while he could still get away with it on the pitch, he lived in denial. It was more than six years into his career before he accepted he needed help. You always think you can rein it back in again and the money provides a false sense of security. But at Southampton I realised, mentally, I was gone. I wasnt playing, my career was going nowhere and I had to reach out to someone. The doctor there tried to help me but others were just telling me to go out on the pitch and express myself.

There was no understanding as to what was happening in my head. I know theyd brought me in to do a job and they werent there to be babysitters. Just like at QPR, I needed to justify the money they were paying me but I was in a state and, at some point, there has to be a duty of care. Football does not deal well with mental illness. Maybe its changing but the support mechanisms are so often not there. Ive spoken to so many players who have been told to go to the Sporting Chance clinic and theyve refused because they know, if they take time off, theyll lose their place in the team. Someone steps in and does well, so youre gone. That dissuades people from getting help. You feel obliged to get on with things.

I would urge lads to speak to the PFA, to speak to their manager, and not be scared about being dropped if they are feeling like I did. Be brave enough to say you need help before its too late. The anxiety Id always needed something to take the edge off. Football was my escape as a kid but that changed when I was chucked into the first team as a teenager and suddenly football came with pressure. My way of dealing with it, even in the early stages of my career, was gambling. Im an addict. Im addicted to winning, which people say is a positive in football but certainly not when it extends to gambling. I was addicted to trying to beat the system, because you convince yourself there is a system to it and you can beat it. You can never get your head around why you arent.

He has played 123 times in the Premier League and for eight clubs with the same, horribly familiar cycle of insecurity and self-destruction pursuing him to each. There is always a catalyst to the nosedive. The sleepless nights, sat up till 5am replaying every bad decision Ive ever made in my life, worrying what will be next Tottenham sent me to Bristol City on loan at 18 and they put me in a flat in the city centre surrounded by nightclubs, two casinos opposite, the kind of money Id never seen in my life, and no guidance whatsoever. I was pulled once by a member of staff and told Id been spotted in the casino at 3am but their attitude was: What you do in your spare time is your business. Just dont let it affect your performances out on the pitch.

At Swansea a year later it was an injury which brought it all to the surface, and Spurs sent me to Sporting Chance to sort myself out while I was recovering from my knee but I wasnt ready. I hadnt experienced enough pain to make me want to stop. I was gambling heavily when I went back to Tottenham, staying up to crazy hours of the night in casinos. I guess never feeling good enough played a big part in that. I never felt I was on the same level as any of the first-teamers but a big win in the casino and money in my back pocket might change that. Being dropped rattled me even more because football was what I had relied on to make me feel better. So then the gambling was every single day. The pain of losing all my money, combined with the shame and guilt, ate away at me. So Id drink myself into oblivion so I wouldnt have to feel anything. I was numb but I was out of control.

The chairman, Daniel Levy, eventually sought him out on a post-season trip to the Bahamas. He just said: The way you act is unbelievable. You either sort yourself out or go but I can assure you, if you leave, youll be going down, not up. I was young, stupid. I took it as a challenge, a chance to prove him wrong. I was so immature. So I went to Cardiff and, for six months, everything was amazing. I was captain, the manager, Malky Mackay, knew I had some issues but offered to be there for me. I felt wanted, so there was no gambling, no heavy binges but the second he was sacked, all the demons came back. Thats all it took. Even before we played the next game, Id convinced myself nothing would be the same. Thats the kind of catastrophic thinking Ive had to address.

I ended up at QPR that summer, 2014, trying to hold it together, but the trigger there came in the second game when we were thrashed 4-0 at Tottenham. That feeling coming off the pitch at White Hart Lane, knowing wed been embarrassed and that Levy was sitting up in the stand thinking: I told you so There was no denying it any more. Id made a big mistake leaving Spurs. I should have stayed and sorted myself out. I wanted the ground to swallow me up. It just pounded in my head: regret, regret, regret. From that moment I was gone, even if I never wanted to accept it, and everything just escalated. Id go for days without sleeping. I dont know how I survived it. That year was an absolute nightmare.

It was a vicious circle. Wed lose at the weekend and the fans would get at me, and Id be breaking. I really wanted to help us get results but we werent good enough and Id walk away taking responsibility in my head for the whole teams failings. I couldnt sleep, worrying about what had happened. The only relief I found was in alcohol. It would silence the voices of doubt and self-hate, temporarily anyway, but Id be too intoxicated to go into training, and the blackouts Id have no memory of anything. It could be Monday and Id have no memory of what had happened since Saturday night. Id wake up, roll over and look at my phone, and thered be texts from people saying: Did you really do this last night? The manager wants to see you. It was petrifying because I didnt know what had happened.

There were occasions when he would wake up in a police cell. He grimaces when asked how often he has been arrested, embarrassed to admit the figure, but the drunk and disorderly offences would flare up from London to Southampton to Merseyside. Sometimes Id be sat there with the police and my lawyer, watching the CCTV footage of what Id done, and I didnt recognise myself. I couldnt believe the person I was. Its so hard to accept I could be like that. In Liverpool I was waking up in the middle of the night throwing up, people were blackmailing me, club owners and bouncers: Pay money or well sell this story on you. And I had no idea what Id even done on those blackouts. I eventually told the club I couldnt function and needed to go back into rehab.

Id be too intoxicated to go into training, and the black-outs ... Id have no memory of anything

Things might have improved last season under Hasselbaink had the hip injury, diagnosed as a week-long issue that became a complaint which prompted five different prognoses, not rendered him helpless once again. Id cost the club 8m, was one of the top earners and one of the few left from the Premier League, and people had no explanation why I wasnt performing. Why I was absent. It ended up as my toughest year ever. I couldnt train. My girlfriend lost her mother and was grieving while living with someone struggling with addiction. My son, who lives with his mother in Somerset, is now at school so Id go months without seeing him. He had always been my safe place. There was no release.

QPR and my agent tried to push me towards Lokomotiv Moscow in January, saying it would be a fresh start. Part of me thought the money they were offering could solve all my problems but why would being on my own out in Russia help? I had no idea how to break the cycle and being in Moscow while still injured just felt a recipe for disaster. The manager, Ian Holloway, was actually telling me to stay. Id been in his office close to tears, so he said: How anyone could think sending you there would be a good idea is beyond me. You need to get yourself right. I appreciated him for that but, for the club, I can see why it was appealing to be shot of me but I was in no fit state to move and eventually pulled the plug on it.

Id had one last gamble and lost a hell of a lot of money in December. A last blowout. It was at that point I finally accepted I could not win; that there was no quick fix, no more daydreaming I could save the world through one good night on the roulette wheel. It was all a fantasy that took me away from having to feel anything. I contemplated suicide a lot in that period. A dark time. Everything Id gone through in football, where had it taken me? All the guilt, the embarrassment, the shame, the public humiliation in the papers and for what? I could cling to my son, to what Id done in Africa, or the properties Id bought my family, but Id blown everything else. I reckon Ive lost 70% what Ive earned. When you lose that amount of money, the guilt thats so many lives you could have changed. There was no escape, no way out, other than to leave.

But, in the moments of clarity, I knew I couldnt do that because of my son. I havent gambled since but the drink filled the void for a while. I was scared and didnt feel like there was anywhere else to turn. Rehab didnt work before so why would it work now? I stupidly took comfort in the alcohol but it ended up deepening the depression. It was relentless from every angle. Until 12 March. Thats the day I lost my driving licence. Thats when I realised my life had become unmanageable.

Caulker was ordered to pay 12,755 in fines and costs at Slough magistrates court at the end of March and was banned from driving for 18 months, having refused to blow into a breathalyser after police were called to a car park near Windsor Castle. I knew I was over the limit, I knew Id get the ban but I didnt want to tell my parents Id fucked up again. What if I had driven the car out of the car park and killed someone? No, that was it. Ive been up before a judge four or five times. No more second chances. Its a jail sentence next. I was still injured and unable to play, so I signed off sick. I went to see a specialist who diagnosed me with depression and anxiety. He prescribed me medication and we put together a plan where I would take some time away to sort myself out.

At 40% of my ability, I was playing at the top level. I want the chance to to show people what I am truly capable of

He and his girlfriend travelled to Africa and India, helping in orphanages, homeless shelters and schools where the suffering was exposed and obvious. He has attended countless Gamblers Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and has reached out to support workers in the game such as Clarke Carlisle for advice. He has not touched alcohol since his arrest in March. He takes medication, a mood stabiliser to try to balance my highs and lows, and address that chemical imbalance which makes my behaviour so catastrophic, twice a day. Golf is a new, more constructive vice.

People say Ive done all this because Ive had too much money thrown at me but I know teenagers without a penny who have the same addictive traits as me. Whether I played football or not I would still be suffering from this illness, just without the public pressure and humiliation. Addiction does not care. I am a man of extremes. People dont see me doing the extra training, eating right, going to the pool every night to get fit, attending the anonymous meetings, doing the charity work. That is still me. That is who I am. But I get fucked by these other demons and I desperately need something in the middle. I feel like Im getting there now, that things have finally changed.

Im doing little things just to remind me to stay on track. I could be relying on taxis to get me everywhere while Im banned but Im using public transport. Im living in one of the properties I own in Feltham, back where I grew up, to make me remember how hard I had to work to get out of here aged 15. Its a reminder that, if I continue to unravel, I wont improve my position again. Money covers the cracks. It can be evil. It prolongs the agony.

QPRs players reported for pre-season last Friday but Caulker, who has one year to run on his contract and has been training all summer with the former league player Drewe Broughton at Goals centre in Hayes, had been signed off until July. Life at the club had degenerated into an endless stream of internal disciplinary hearings and, despite Holloway having made clear his desire to retain the centre-halfs services, his future will not be at Loftus Road. What happens next is all a bit confused, all a bit unclear, he says. The manager has texted me several times offering his support and saying he wants me at the club but my new representative has been informed by the owners Im not welcome back.

For too long Ive hated everything about myself and I needed to learn to love myself again. I miss the game like crazy. I dont feel as if Ive enjoyed playing football since Cardiff. I dont want to type my name into Google and just see a list of humiliating stories. I want people to remember I am a footballer who was good enough to represent his country at 20 and still has 10 years left in the game. At 40% of my ability, I was playing at the top level. Now I feel good mentally and I want the chance to show people, including my son, what I am truly capable of. Wherever the opportunity arises, Im just thankful still to be alive.

In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123.

In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255.

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

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Steven Caulker: 'I've sat here for years hating myself This year was almost the end' - The Guardian

NCAA President Mark Emmert.(Photo: Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports)

On the heels of a federal judge issuing an injunction on March 7, 2013, that barred New Jersey from allowing sports betting in the midst of an ongoing legal battle between the state and five sports organizations, the NCAA affirmed its stance that the spread of gambling is a threat to the integrity of athletic competition and student-athlete well-being.

A lot has changed since then.

Las Vegas has become the de facto hub of college basketball in the week before the NCAA tournament, with four conference tournaments held there (plus another in Reno). The NHL has expanded there. The NFL is on the way.

And now, in perhaps the most interesting stress test for the NCAAs ban on holding events in states where sports betting is legal, the Supreme Court announced Tuesday it will hear a case that could determine whether the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act is legal.

Supreme Court's decision could spur action in Congress, sports leagues on gambling

NCAA women's basketball needs Sweet 16 to Vegas idea

If New Jersey wins and the federal law is ruled unconstitutional, states could be able to determine for themselves whether to allow sports betting. Which could put the NCAA in an interesting situation.

Its hard to say how many states would legalize sports betting immediately. If New Jersey and a handful of others opened betting parlors, the NCAA could certainly go on about its business without much interruption as silly as that might be.

But over time, this is a losing issue for the NCAA, as the NHL and NFL have now tacitly admitted by moving into Las Vegas after going out of their way for years to avoid it. The reality is a large percentage of people who watch sports like to wager on sports and will find ways to do so whether its in a casino, online or with their local bookie.

New Jersey isn't much of a loss for the NCAA. Its a state with one FBS university (Rutgers) and one facility (the Prudential Center in Newark) that is equipped to host an NCAA basketball tournament. Even at that, the NCAA would rather play in Brooklyn or Manhattan anyway.

But if Florida or Texas or California legalized sports gambling, does it stand to reason that the NCAA would pull its events and ignore those states?

Again, its difficult to handicap how the Supreme Court is going to rule on this. Maybe status quo wins out, but on a common-sense level its getting more difficult every year to justify the NCAAs stance on sports betting.

While protecting college athletes from some seedier elements of sports gambling remains a crucial part of its mission the NCAA conducts a study on the topic every four years to guide its educational efforts much of the negative perception of Las Vegas is rooted in a different time and place. The famous photograph of UNLV players in a hot tub with Richard The Fixer Perry in the early 1990s still resonates.

Still, its difficult to reconcile a hard-line stance against holding an NCAA tournament game at the new T-Mobile Arena on The Strip when the Pac-12 holds its tournament there without incident one week earlier. And it's certainly hard to justify pulling a women's soccer tournament or an NCAA track and field event out of New Jersey because of some existential gambling threat.

Even NCAA President Mark Emmert hinted at a possible softening of the policy during his annual news conference at the Final Four in April when asked if Las Vegas would be considered for the next round of bidding for the basketball tournament.

The board has been having active discussions about that issue, Emmert said. They have not changed the policy yet. And they won't be able to do so for this round of bidding. And I've communicated this to some of the leadership in Las Vegas. They will not be eligible for this round. Whether or not the board changes its mind before the next round, I can't say. Obviously there's a lot of collegiate athletic events going on in Nevada, both regular season and tournament events. And the board's acutely aware of that, and they'll be considering it.

The NCAA didnt immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. But ultimately, the Supreme Court could be what ends up forcing its hand.

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Supreme Court decision to take on sports gambling issue might force NCAA to accept Las Vegas - USA TODAY

It isnt finalized, but all signs point to the city of Westlake soon becoming part of the Calcasieu Parish Gaming Revenue Districts gambling revenue pool.

The move is a smart one for Westlake, especially since the city hasnt received the gambling revenue it once did after the Crown Casino riverboat at the Isle of Capri was sold to a Bossier City venture in February 2012. Because that boat was partially located inside Westlake city limits, the city got part of the gambling proceeds generated by the boat.

The sale of the Crown Casino left one remaining boat at the Isle the larger Grand Palais which is not docked in the city.

Westlake still gets an impact fee paid directly by Isle of Capri to the city after the Crown Casino sale. Last year, the city got just over $126,000 from the impact fee, which expires in 2023.

Discussions on bringing Westlake into the gambling revenue pool were mentioned right after the Crown Casino riverboat sale. Parish Administrator Bryan Beam said at the time that informal talks had begun.

More than five years later, Westlake is closer than ever to being included in the gambling revenue pool. The parish Gaming Revenue District Board of Commissioners on Tuesday adopted a resolution including Westlake in the pool. That decision followed similar actions by the Police Jury and Lake Charles City Council on Monday.

The next step is for the Westlake City Council to approve an ordinance. They have until July 31 to do so.

If approved, Westlake will be included in the smaller cities allocation that already includes Sulphur, Iowa, DeQuincy and Vinton. The gaming district has been in place since 2007.

The smaller cities have seen their share of gambling revenue over the years. Last year, Sulphur received just over $861,000, while DeQuincy, Vinton and Iowa collected more than $380,000 each.

While we will have to wait and see what the casinos bring in this year, Beam said Westlake could collect around $360,000 per year, minus the impact fee.

Westlake Mayor Bob Hardey said bringing the city into the gambling revenue pool will bring a stable revenue stream that could benefit them over time.

After years of not being part of it, Hardey said it feels like its the right thing to make the change a reality.

The rest is here:

Westlake close to being part of gambling revenue pool - American Press