Daily Archives: July 2, 2017

Under Mr. Putin, Moscow has poured billions of dollars into the area, paying for huge bridges, a new university campus and other costly state-directed projects. But despite ever closer relations between Moscow and Beijing, said Artyom Lukin, an international studies professor at the Far East Federal University, Russia has realized that free Chinese money is not coming.

Chinese gamblers are arriving, however, if only because gambling is illegal in their own country, except in Macau on the southern coast near Hong Kong, and because the forest northeast of Vladivostok offers the only accessible casino for the more than 100 million Chinese who live in provinces just across the border from Russia.

Li Yunhui, a 45-year-old businessman and gambler from Mudanjiang, a Chinese city about 150 miles from Vladivostok, said the Russian casino lacked the amenities and service of established gambling centers like Macau, but added: At least it is close. And the air is clean.

He said he had visited Vladivostok regularly since the early 1990s and could not fathom why Russia had lagged so far behind China in building its economy. It feels like a developing country here. This is how China was decades ago, he said. He added that he had tried to set up a small business in Vladivostok but had despaired at all the red tape: What you can do in a day in China takes weeks here.

The gambling venture is itself a showcase of how slowly things gets done. Government officials began pursuing the idea nearly a decade ago. They enlisted a well-connected local businessman, Oleg Drozdov, to build the hotel and casino complex now housing Tigre de Cristal. But Mr. Drozdov was arrested in 2013 on corruption charges after the ouster of the Primorye regions disgraced former governor, Sergey Darkin.

Summit Ascent, the Hong Kong company that now owns 60 percent of the casino venture, took over the concrete shell left by Mr. Drozdovs builders and, after investing $200 million with other investors, finished the construction and opened the casino at the end of 2015. The company, which reported a modest profit for last year, now plans to invest an additional $500 million to build a second luxury hotel, a golf club, extra gambling rooms and other facilities in the same entertainment zone.

Four other casinos planned by other companies, due to be open by now, are far behind schedule. Empty plots of land with scant signs of construction dot the forest. A Russian court recently canceled the casino project of a Russian developer because it was too slow in getting off the ground.

Eric Landheer, Summit Ascents director for corporate finance and strategy in Hong Kong, said that his company had first mover advantage and a monopoly, but that it did not want to be alone in the forest for long because gamblers preferred a more vibrant cluster of casinos.

Gambling has a long and often troubled history in Russia, where attitudes have been shaped by the Orthodox Church, which opposes casinos as the devils work, and by the writings of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, a gambling addict who explored the allure and perils of addiction in his novel The Gambler.

A champion of traditional Christian values, Mr. Putin banned casinos and slot machines in 2009, complaining that too many Russians lose their last penny and pensions through gambling.

Having Chinese and other foreigners lose their money, however, is apparently not a problem. Indeed, their losses now cover the salaries of around 1,000 Russians working for the Tigre de Cristal casino and provide a badly needed source of income for the Primorsky region around Vladivostok, a city that, aside from corruption-addled, state-funded infrastructure projects, has struggled to attract outside investment. Closed to foreigners during the Soviet era, the city now has regular flights to and from Harbin, Beijing and other Chinese cities, and can also be reached by road and train.

To make the fleecing of foreigners and a restricted number of Russians possible, Moscow gave permission for the establishment of four special gambling zones. The westernmost of these, in Kaliningrad, targets gamblers from neighboring Poland, while the others are in the resort town of Sochi and in the Siberian region of Altai.

Russians are also allowed to gamble at the Tigre de Cristal, so long as they show their passports and register. This has not gone down well with Russian priests and those who see casinos as a poor substitute for healthy economic development.

Anyone who has read Dostoyevsky knows all the problems that gambling brings, complained Andrei Kalachinsky, a veteran journalist in Vladivostok. The spread of prostitution will definitely create jobs, but what kind?

Transportation infrastructure has been another problem. A new highway connecting the casino area to the Vladivostok airport turns into a mud track in the final stretch. A winding road to the center of Vladivostok, around 35 miles away, is so clogged with traffic that Yuri Trutnev, Mr. Putins envoy for the Russian Far East, proposed opening a ferry service to speed up the journey to the casino.

The authorities have also been sluggish in delivering on a promise of visa-free entry for visitors from China and other selected countries. Despite the delay, Chinese can still obtain visas relatively easily if they sign up for a tour, and their numbers visiting Vladivostok and the surrounding Primorsky last year more than doubled to around 300,000.

Yuri Kuchin, an opposition member of the Vladivostok City Council, said local bureaucrats usually hindered rather than helped foreign investments, dragging their feet on most issues unless there is a financial benefit for themselves. While a bitter critic of the government, he said he supported the foreign-led casino project as a source of jobs and a good way to squeeze out illegal gambling dens in the area, which he said were often protected by corrupt officials.

The Primorye Development Corporation, the government agency now responsible for the project, declined to say what was being done to combat illegal clubs or explain how the casino project fit into the regions overall development strategy.

A number of foreign projects in Vladivostok have fizzled, including two five-star Hyatt Hotels that were supposed to have opened for business five years ago but are still under construction. Yet the Tigre de Cristal casino, though delayed by various mishaps like the arrest of a local business partner, is now not only up and running, but is making a profit.

Lawrence Ho, Summit Ascents chairman and son of the Macau gambling tycoon Stanley Ho, acknowledged in a report to investors that the year has not been without its challenges but said, Over all, I am very optimistic about the potential of our investment in the jewel of the Russian Far East.

The most lucrative sources of business at the casino are Chinese high-rollers recruited by so-called junket operators, agents who find gamblers, provide credit, make travel arrangements and manage private V.I.P. rooms at the casino. For these services, the casino pays the junket operators a chunk of what it wins from their clients more, Mr. Landheer said, than the 40 percent to 50 percent paid to them in Macau.

All the same, Tommy Li, a junket manager from northeastern China, complained that Vladivostok offered few of the attractions of Macau and was far too cold in winter. Its only real appeal for Chinese gamblers, he said, is its proximity.

One of his main gripes is that there are not enough prostitutes, who he said were far more readily available, and cheaper, in Macau. Mr. Landheer, the corporate finance director, said his company was not in the business of providing prostitutes and would like to see all illegal activities eliminated.

But, he added, there are many other service providers in Vladivostok ready to satisfy all the gamblers needs.

A version of this article appears in print on July 2, 2017, on Page A12 of the New York edition with the headline: In Russias Far East, a Fledgling Las Vegas for Asias Gamblers.

Originally posted here:

In Russia's Far East, a Fledgling Las Vegas for Asia's Gamblers ... - New York Times

The calls come in when Ed Talbot is counseling clients, driving back to his Madison home or browsing the produce aisle at the grocery store.

The voices on the other end are often anxious, worried, desperate. They want help for loved ones addicted to making bets, at times the callers themselves are the ones in trouble.

Talbot, who turns 75 in August, is one of their only options. The iPhone he carries with him is the states hotline for problem gamblers, which Talbot has manned since its inception two years ago.

You want to strike while the iron is hot, if they make the call you want to be able to respond, said Talbot, executive director of the states nonprofit council on problem gambling. They win the next bet, and its see you later.

Despite being the first state to profit off legalizing the lottery, New Hampshire is one of the last to dedicate a portion of earnings to help treat compulsive gamblers.

Only this year, after Republican Gov. Chris Sununu signs a bill authorizing keno, will a small percentage of the states roughly $77.5 million annual lottery profits be funneled into treatment.

Currently, no public money is earmarked to that purpose and the state has little infrastructure to help the estimated 22,000 residents believed to have gambling problems. Unlike Massachusetts, New Hampshire has never set up a process to certify gambling addiction counselors, Talbot said.

It is very disconcerting, said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. The state has an important role to play providing that safety net.

Compulsive gambling can be devastating and lead to bankruptcy, substance abuse, anxiety, depression and even suicide. Talbot knows all of that first hand.

Working at a dog track for more than a decade, Talbot bet on the greyhounds, a habit that slowly escalated into addiction. As he spent more and more time gambling, his home life grew worse. Talbot missed his daughters school functions and went into marriage counseling. On her deathbed in 1976, Talbots mother warned him that if he didnt stop gambling he would lose everything.

The next day she passed away and I spent the next year of my life proving her absolutely right, Talbot recalls. I lost my job, my family, I had no self esteem at all.

Using the last money he had, Talbot made his final bet in 1977. Days later, he showed up to a support group in Massachusetts. It took him the next eight years to pay off all his debts.

Now he wants to help others. A few years ago Talbot, who has had a house in the state for more than two decades, helped launch the New Hampshire Council on Problem Gambling.

I cant tell you how much better my life is, he said. All the things that I saw other people had and they loved and I couldnt understand it, I was so enraptured with gambling. Today I have those things, and I always felt I can help somebody else.

The council operates on a shoestring budget, comprised mainly of an annual $25,000 donation from the Lottery Commission. Two years ago the council submitted to the state a five-year plan to address problem gambling, but theres been no money to fund it, Talbot said.

The keno bill now requires 1 percent of the profits raised go to the states health department to help problem gamblers. Since the funding is tied to kenos popularity, its hard to tell exactly how much money will be raised.

Even then, the dollars arent necessarily a guarantee.

Almost two decades ago lawmakers decided to send 5 percent of state liquor profits into a fund for substance abuse treatment. Lawmakers then raided the fund almost every year afterward to help pay for other government functions. Amid the states ongoing opioid crisis, lawmakers two years ago slashed the funding formula to 1.7 percent. This year they raised it back up to 3.4 percent.

Its not clear how the money meant to treat compulsive gamblers will be used, but it is set to be managed by the states Department for Health and Human Services.

Few services currently exist. The National Council on Problem Gambling lists no counselors in New Hampshire. Three gamblers anonymous groups meet only in the southern tier of the state.

Though the exact number of compulsive gamblers in the state is unknown, there are signs of a problem.

Talbot estimates he gets between six and 12 calls a month. Before his phone number was publicized on the councils website, the Massachusetts helpline usually fielded between 400 and 500 calls a year from New Hampshire residents, Talbot said. Even more were directed to the National Council on Problem Gambling, which contracted with the Louisiana state helpline to cover calls from New Hampshire, according to its website.

Roughly 60 percent of adults in New Hampshire played lottery last year, according to the state Lottery Commission. In its most recent report from 2013, the National Council on Problem Gambling estimates about 2.2 percent of adults in the state had a gambling disorder.

If you think 1 percent is not that much, its a bunch of folks, said Charles McIntyre, executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery. These are problems we want to avoid.

Even though services for problem gamblers may soon become state-funded, Talbot doesnt anticipate he will stop answering the New Hampshires helpline anytime soon.

Right now the most important thing is if somebody calls they need to talk to someone, he said. That window can close.

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NH late to the game in funding treatment for problem gamblers - Concord Monitor

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The Antioch Police Department is excited to announce the 82nd installment of the Neighborhood Cleanup Program. This is a collaborative community effort which involves active participation from The Antioch Police Department Crime Prevention Commission; Neighborhood Watch Program; Volunteers in Police Service; community volunteers and the Public Works Department.

Collectively, We, everyone who works and lives in the City Antioch, can make a difference and improve the quality of life. Its our community and its our chance to make a difference.

The City of Antioch Neighborhood Clean Up program is not just for residential neighborhoods. It is a program that will change venues, on a monthly basis and it will include business and commercial areas as well. Neighborhoods that are free of trash and refuse are inviting, and a clean community instills a sense of community pride.

The 82nd Neighborhood Cleanup event will occur on Saturday, July 1 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. We will be cleaning the neighborhoods from 16th St. to Merrill Dr. between Marie Ave. and A Street (see map). Volunteers will meet at Kimball Elementary School on August Way.

Volunteers will receive instructions and the equipment necessary to accomplish the goal. The targeted area is within walking distance. Excluding inclement weather, future Neighborhood Cleanup events are scheduled for the first Saturday of every month and the locations will be announced in advance.

Remember, cleaning up your neighborhood can make life better for your family, your neighbors and your community!

Publisher @ June 30, 2017

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By Sergeant Rick Smith, Antioch Police Community Policing Bureau

On Wednesday, June 28, 2017 at approximately 12:38 p.m., Antioch officers responded to a reported shooting that occurred in the 1700 block of Sycamore Drive. On arrival, a male victim was located and transported to an area hospital for treatment. Officers are currently investigating this incident and no further information will be released, at this time.

This investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Antioch Police at (925) 778-2441. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

Publisher @ June 29, 2017

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Publisher @ June 29, 2017

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Classic video games are now at Kangazoom.

Adds classic video games

By Jesus Cano

With the summer coming up, Kangazoom has loaded up their business with more amenities for their customers.

After years of being vacant due to Golf N Games going out of business, the establishment was open in August of 2016, and is described by many of the residents of Antioch to be a hot spot for fun. They already have a 36-hole mini-golf course, and have added a plethora of arcade games that date back to the 80s.

Many of the games include classics such as Pacman, Donkey Kong, and Streetfighter. People have stated that these arcade game provide a unique spot for Kangazoom, as these gems are slowly starting to be left in the dust for the new era of technology

The main intention of adding these games is to bring back a blast from the past, Owner Marcus Jefferson said.

Kangazoom also has two party rooms, but with beautiful Bay Area summer weather rolling their way, they decided to open up a Barbeque area.

Jefferson also hopes to put good usage the available race track they have which is located at the end of their parking lot. He also seeks to bring friendly competition by hosting multiple mini-golf tournaments for people of all ages, along with more activities and additions this summer

Kangazoom also has a special deal going on for youth baseball and softball players, where you pay regular price for rounds and get double.

Baseball & Softball Team Specials

2 Tokens for $5

4 Tokens for $9

6 Tokens for $13

1 Hour Batting Cage Rental $25

Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson and former Los ngeles Dodger Aaron Miles used these batting cages back when the place was known as Golf N Games.

Kangazoom is open every day. Monday- Thursday from 3-8pm, Friday from 12-9pm, Saturday 11am-9pm and Sunday from 11am-7pm.

To book a party or any general business inquires contact them at (925)776-4386, or visit their website at Kangazoom-Antioch.com.

Publisher @ June 29, 2017

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Publisher @ June 29, 2017

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Publisher @ June 27, 2017

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Shoppers enjoy the variety of items at Rivertown Treasure Chest.

By Allen Payton

Another new store has opened in Antiochs historic, downtown Rivertown, incorporating the area in its name: Rivertown Treasure Chest. Its a co-op thats co-owned by three ladies, Debbie Blaisure, Toni Lincks and Earlene Lanter and a portion of the sale of some items will benefit three local non-profit organizations.

Blaisure and Lincks bring their retail experience from owning Oddly Unique, just down the street. But, this store was a result of a dream.

I had a dream of mixing the new and old in a co-op, Blaisure said. Johnny Depp came to me in a dream and said to have a treasure chest theme, she joked.

The tag line says it all Something for all ages from all decades, Blaisure added.

They rent out space in their store to other retailers, who offer a wide variety of items, including clothing, candy and other sweets, plants including carnivorous types, greeting cards, and gifts.

The three non-profits that the store benefits are Celebrate Antioch Foundation which runs Antiochs July 4th Celebration and the Holiday Delites in December; An Elderly Wish Foundation which grants wishes to seniors; and Special Haven, also located on G Street, which provides a multi-sensory environment for the benefit and development of children and adults with Special Needs.

Folks can donate their used wood furniture, art, statures, vases and vinyl records and half of the proceeds from the sale of the item will be donated to the charity of the donors choice.

Two of the ladies who help manage the store, Naomi Paul and Mary Freeman said the reason they like the store, is it brings something that downtown Antioch deserves.

A little kid just bought something and an adult bought something, Mary added, supporting the slogan of something for all ages.

Stop by Rivertown Treasure Chest at 306 G St. in Antioch and browse through all the sections to see the interesting items from all decades. Learn more by calling 925-238-0090 or visiting http://www.facebook.com/RivertownTreasureChest.

Publisher @ June 27, 2017

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Jose Cansecowith a young fan during an autograph signing at Winter Chevrolet on Friday, June 23, 2017.

By Jesus Cano

Americas favorite pastime is alive and well in Eastern Contra Costa County. The Pittsburg Diamonds have played at City Park since 2014, and this week welcomed back to the Bay Area, former Major League slugger Jose Canseco, as he spent the weekend of June 23rd with the independent professional baseball team.

Canseco is best known for his tenure with the Oakland Athletics from 1982-1992, where nailed 209 homeruns and 647 RBIs. He and Athletics first baseman Mark McGwire formed the Bash Brothers. Along with that, he captured a World Series ring in the 1989 Battle of the Bay that was overshadowed by the infamous Loma Prieta Earthquake.

Canseco is no stranger to the city of Pittsburg, as this is his third year suiting up for the Diamonds. He states that his favorite part of being back in the East Bay is being able to be around the young players the Diamonds house.

I try to help them out with all aspects of the game, Canseco said. A lot of players actually recommend coming out to Pittsburg to play so Im really excited for this weekend.

The Diamonds have been part of the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs since their inaugural season in 2014 when they were named the Pittsburg Mettle. In 2015 when ownership switched to hands of Khurram Shah, they commenced under the Diamonds brand paying homage to the team that played in the same area back in the 60s.

Shah wants everyone to be aware that Pittsburg is home to a minor league baseball team. Even if he brings Canseco out for a couple games, he hopes to generate life-long fans after this unique experience.

Were trying to build a fan base, Shah said. We want to see a repeat of people coming to ballpark consistently.

Pittsburg took two out of the three game series against the Vallejo Admirals during Cansecos weekend with the team, where the Diamonds improved to 11-9 on the season.

Shah highlights infielder Vinny Guglietti to be one of the top guys on the team. The Connecticut native is batting .420 with five homeruns and 27 RBIs. Wes Wallace is another player that makes a huge impact according to Shah as he is hitting .364 and five homeruns. Shah states Tyler Stirewalt is starting to showcase his pitching ability. Stirewalt has 1.92 ERA so far, this season.

The Diamondsnext home game is Tuesday night, June 27 at 6:30 p.m., to begin another three-game series also against the Admirals. To learn more about the Diamonds visit http://www.diamondsproball.com.

Publisher @ June 26, 2017

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Bodog online gambling - Antioch Herald

Were still nearly two months away from the kickoff of the 2017 college football season, but its never too early to start looking ahead to those opening games. The folks in Las Vegas seem to agree, as SEC gambling odds already have been released for Week 1, perBrett McMurphy:

Unsurprisingly, the Alabama Crimson Tide are the headliner for opening weekend, currently marked down as slightly more than a touchdown favorite over the Florida State Seminoles. Alabama typically comes out firing on all cylinders as evidenced by their 52-6 beatdown of eventual Rose Bowl champion USC to open last season. With that said, Nick Saban undoubtedly will remind his team of the last time the Seminoles faced off against a highly ranked SEC squad early in the year, as they mounted an incredible second-half comeback to beat Ole Miss 45-34 last year.

With the Tide leading the way, there are a few other interesting SEC odds: both Texas A&M and South Carolina open as underdogs. The Aggies will have a new quarterback (again) and will be traveling to Pasadena, Calif., to take on the Bruins, so perhaps that line should not come as much of a surprise.

The Gamecocks being nearly a touchdown underdog is somewhat surprising, however, considering the offensive talent they return. Will Muschamp, Jake Bentley and Co.have received a fair amount of buzz this offseason, so pulling off what could technically be considered an upset win could really get the hype train rolling for South Carolina.

NEXT 2017 Fantasy Football: Position rankings, sleepers, bargains, breakouts and potential busts (07/01/2017)

Originally posted here:

Week 1 SEC gambling odds: Alabama favored over FSU; Texas A&M, South Carolina underdogs - SECcountry.com