Daily Archives: July 5, 2017

Connecticut, the casino capital of New England, is getting ready to expand gaming operations even more. With that expansion comes a special duty to help problem gamblers.

This state already has two of the largest casinos in the U.S. Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, just a few miles apart in southeastern Connecticut. The governor last week signed legislation for a third casino, in East Windsor. It's meant to compete with the mega-casino that MGM is building 12 miles up the road in Springfield, and to help the state out of its budget crisis. The state gets a cut of casino slot revenue.

But wait, there's more eight new off-track betting licenses have also been approved, increasing the number of OTB parlors allowed in Connecticut from 18 to 24. The state gets a cut from them too. And state-regulated sports betting may be on the horizon.

Of course, Connecticut residents spend a lot on lottery tickets now, and Keno started in April 2016. Those games are operated by a quasi-state agency.

All this gaming might be good for the state's treasury, or at least blunt the financial blow from the Massachusetts casino. But it could cause a strain on the towns, companies and families close to the gambling parlors.

They're often left to deal with the dark side of gambling the crimes, bankruptcies, divorces and suicides that can come from gaming addiction.

The Dark Side

Consider this: Nearly $8 billion was bet on slots at Connecticut casinos from July 2015 to June 2016. Research has found that 30 to 60 percent of gambling revenue is generated by problem and pathological gamblers those who lose control over their gambling impulses, despite their losses.

Jeffrey J. Marotta, president of Problem Gambling Solutions, a respected research company, estimates that 39,000 Connecticut residents are problem gamblers. Problem gambling rates are said to be twice as high for those who live close to a casino.

Connecticut has seen a number of town officials, business managers and others trusted with money caught up in gaming addiction since casinos came to the state. Embezzlement arrests, for example, rose nearly 400 percent from 1992, when Foxwoods opened, to 2009, according to one study.

Two particularly vulnerable populations are women and veterans. A study of Connecticut gamblers published in 2001 raised the possibility that "women, once they begin gambling, develop gambling problems at a more rapid rate than men." Veterans are also at higher risk for problem gambling.

The state has a responsibility to mitigate the harm that expanding gambling will do those for whom a slot machine is as addictive as a drink, a cigarette or a painkiller.

Underfunded Services

The state does put $2.5 million into problem gambling services yearly, says Marlene Warner, acting executive director of the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling. In addition, the Mashantucket Pequots and the Mohegans the Native American tribes that run the state's two casinos and will jointly operate the third support the nonprofit Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling with $600,000 annually. With the third casino, the tribes will contribute $300,000 more a year for research and treatment of problem gambling.

But the council is still "woefully underfunded," its acting director says. Though Connecticut's two mega-casinos are among the largest in the nation, this state is eighth nationally in per-capita investment in problem gambling services, says Mr. Marotta of Problem Gambling Solutions. Oregon invests, on a per-capita basis, about twice what Connecticut does. Even West Virginia spends more per-capita on services than this state does.

Connecticut's government has become dependent on gaming money as so many states now are to finance important public services, such as schools and roads. Gaming isn't going away. So the state has to direct more of its winnings toward helping those whose pastime is spinning out of control.

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Editorial: Prepare For Gambling Ills - Hartford Courant

Miami Herald

Florida hits $340 million jackpot by settling gambling dispute with Seminole Tribe Miami Herald Blackjack will continue uninterrupted at casinos run by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, parimutuels will be ordered to stop offering controversial competing card games, and the State of Florida will have access to more than $340 million in new money ... Seminoles, State Of Florida Reach Gambling DealCardPlayer.com Florida, Seminole Tribe reach deal on state's gambling futureCalvinAyre.com all 7 news articles »

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Florida hits $340 million jackpot by settling gambling dispute with Seminole Tribe - Miami Herald

PRINCETON Princeton soon may see alterations in the city liquor laws if proposed changes in the ordinance are approved at the councils next meeting.

City Manager Rachel Skaggs said the changes would include a Class G license for city sponsored events, in the case that a street is closed, such as the Main Street concerts, a reduction from five licenses to three for stand-alone gambling parlors, a nonprofit special event license and a temporary license for events not to be held on a public street.

The council has debated about the number of licenses afforded to gambling parlors, with council members in favor of a reduction.

Main Street aesthetics discussed

The city also solicited opinions from Main Street business owners regarding the placement of public benches. As discussed at the last meeting, council member Jerry Neumann suggested turning the benches forward facing, rather than facing into businesses and distributing the benches more equally throughout Main Streets North and South business districts.

Council member Ray Swanson suggested in the future, the city consider backless benches so pedestrians utilizing the benches have additional seating options. Neumann reported that all businesses approached with the request agreed with the move.

Kim Shute can be reached at (815) 879-5200 Ext. 13 or ntprinceton@newstrib.com Follow her on Twitter at NT_Princeton2.

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Princeton reducing stand-alone gambling parlors? - LaSalle News Tribune

The Emperors Palace in Johannesburg, South Africa, will play host to the Gambling Indaba Conference & Expo and the Totally Gaming Academys Slot Summit from Sunday 16 to Friday 21 July and Kate Chambers tells us why Clarion Gaming are among a string of supporters.

Managing Director of Clarion Gaming Kate Chambers explains: One of the reasons that we are supporting Gambling Indaba is because it holds the same values that we do. It is fundamentally committed to the business community of African gaming and recognises the importance of giving a platform to attendees to help shape the future of the industry via a well-researched and provocative agenda programme.

We are delighted to see support for Gambling Indaba from industry leading lights such as Aruze Gaming, Gaming Laboratories Africa and NOVOMATIC Africa, to name just a few suppliers on show, not to mention influential bodies like the National Gambling Board, National Lotteries Commission and South African Responsible Gambling Foundation.

Now in its third year, the Gambling Indaba Conference and Expo has attracted an international group of media supporters on top of prominent African associations including the likes of the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (FEDHASA), the Gaming Regulators Africa Forum (GRAF) and the South African Bookmakers Association (SABA), who will be participating in the conference agenda for the event as well as the worlds most important providers of gaming solutions forming an integral part of the event on the show floor.

The Gambling Indaba Conference & Expo positions itself as Africas premium event for gambling and has invested in producing a programme of content bolstered by the support of such key industry bodies and solutions providers. It takes place at Emperors Palace from Sunday 16 to Tuesday 18 July and is followed by the Totally Gaming Academys Slot Summit from Wednesday 19 to Friday 21 July.

For more information on this event, visit http://www.gamblingindaba.com

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Gambling Indaba gathers support - Totally Gaming (press release)

AFTER WAR ON DRUGS

The Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) has launched its campaign against all forms of illegal gambling, including masiao swertres, yesterday.

The campaign Swerte ang Taya sa Legal (STL) is patterned after the acronym of Small Town Lottery.

Mandaue City Police Director Roberto Alanas said in a press statement that despite the governments intensified anti-drug operations, the Philippine National Police is not turning a blind eye on illegal activities that are proliferating around the community, waiting for possible victims.

He said masiao swertres is an activity that attracts everyone for the possibility of winning prizes higher than that offered by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Offices (PCSO) swertres lotto.

This kind of gambling operation is purely illegal and has been affecting legal gambling businesses.

Due to rampant illegal swertres in the city, the MCPO has been conducting anti-illegal gambling operations since Alanas assumed as city police director in July 2016.

The MCPO has so far conducted 262 anti-gambling operations, arrested 422 persons and confiscated a total of P50,108.75 bet money from masiao swertres, card games and other illegal gambling activities.

The PCSOs small-town lottery came into existence in order to address the problem of masiao.

The STL is authorized by the national government wherein some of its proceeds will go to charity, including, among others, health-related projects of the different local government units in the country.

The MCPOs Swerte ang Taya sa Legal: Bawat Taya Mo, Nakatulong Ka sa Charity campaign encourages the Mandauehanons to help eradicate illegal gambling in the city and instead patronize the STL.

The citys six police stations also distribute campaign flyers to the people.

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MCPO sets sights on illegal gambling - Inquirer.net

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In Turkey, the government of socially conservative president Recep Erdogan is reportedly soon set to institute a national offensive designed to stamp out illegal land-based and online gambling.

According to a report from the pro-government Daily Sabah newspaper, the specific details of the two-year campaign are to be formulated by a new anti-gambling team headed by a special prosecutor and featuring representatives from the states Financial Crimes Investigation Council, Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency, Revenues Department and Information and Communication Technologies Authority alongside other relevant agencies.

The newspaper reported that Turkeys Interior Ministry and Justice Ministry will subsequently work with the Revenues Department and national police service to enforce the offensive, which could see Internet cafes and other physical locations that allow customers to access illegal gambling sites hit with heavy fines.

The Daily Sabah reported that the plan could also involve the government seizing the assets and property of organisers and intermediaries found guilty of facilitating illegal gambling while search engines may be monitored with official warnings sent to any users that have been directed to prohibited online gambling websites through adverts.

Local residents may only currently legally gamble via the Milli Piyango lottery and state-run SporToto sportsbetting platform with the coming campaign reportedly set to moreover involve the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency implementing measures designed to stop the use of credit cards and alternative banking methods such as Bitcoin for illegal online gambling.

As if all of this wasnt enough, the Daily Sabah reported that the coming crackdown could also involve the launch of an awareness campaign targeted at teenagers and young adults and outlining the negative effects of gambling while the Interior Ministry is planning to distribute posters informing Internet cafe and coffee house patrons that accessing unsanctioned online gambling sites is illegal.

Finally, the newspaper reported that the offensive could additionally involve the Information and Communication Technologies Authority sending cautionary text messages to any citizen that attempts to access an illegal online gambling website while the public is to be invited to alert authorities if they see advertisements for prohibited gambling services.

Turkey set to implement wide-ranging anti-gambling campaign was last modified: July 5th, 2017 by Adam Morgan

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Turkey set to implement wide-ranging anti-gambling campaign - World Casino Directory

CARY The Cary Village Board rejected a request for a video gambling license for Bella's Bistro Market after postponing the vote twice over concerns that the business was more like a gambling cafe than an upscale wine bar.

A liquor license for the wine bar and Italian market was approved with trustees Jim Cosler, Ellen McAlpine, Kim Covelli and Mayor Mark Kownick voting yes, and trustees Christine Betz, Jennifer Weinhammer and Jeff Kraus voting no.

However, the board denied giving the business a video gaming license, with McAlpine and Covelli being the only yes votes.

Despite her approval, McAlpine said she still had some reservations.

"I just have that little concern about whether it's a gambling parlor or whether it's something else," she said at the June 20 meeting.

Rocky Bhalla president of RSB Wine Bar Inc., which owns and operates Bella's Bistro Market showed the Village Board photos of his yet-to-be-opened Round Lake location.

"I think our concept is beautiful. It'll bring more revenue to your town," Bhalla said. "Our buildup is really expensive, but it'll look cool in the corner with the exposure we have. I'm going out of my way to go to a large unit, spend more money in rent."

Bhalla emphasized that with each location, he plans to expand in size. The Round Lake location, which will open in August, is 1,200 square feet. The proposed Cary location, a corner unit in the Cary Shopping Center at 630 Route 14, is 2,400 square feet.

Bhalla originally proposed locating at the former Sports Clips space, 632 Route 14, at the April Village Board meeting, but changed to the larger location at the June 6 meeting.

Weinhammer said she liked the concept but still had concerns over the location. She previously said she didn't want to affect existing businesses in the same shopping center, such as Breaking Bread.

Bhalla said he would not move forward with opening the location with out the gambling license, and he will come back before the Village Board after the Round Lake location opens. He also plans to open a Round Lake Beach location, which is currently under construction.

The concept plan includes a food and wine counter, a large seating area, a VIP room with video gaming machines and an Italian market space. The gaming room will take up less than 10 percent of the space, Bhalla said.

Carys policy previously has been to support video gambling as an accessory to a restaurant or existing business, according to village documents.

"We're just looking out to making sure that we're remaining consistent," Kownick said. "We have petitioners every day calling us asking us for this. We have existing businesses here in town that have nothing to do with food or liquor, but they want to have gaming. We have to be very careful as to the direction we are going."

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Cary Village Board rejects Bella's Bistro Market video gambling proposal - Northwest Herald