Monthly Archives: August 2022

August 22, 2022

We often put a lot more thought into exercising our bodies than we do our minds, but exercising each is critical to living a long, healthy, and happy life. You may already have the physical side of things down pat, whether weight training, group sports or cardio exercises like running. Being physically active can have a great impact on our mental health, but our minds still need stimulation to keep them working correctly.

Games can be the ideal solution for giving your brains the mental workout they deserve. There are also many options available, from puzzle or strategy games to adventure or casino games. Most people choose a few different favorite options when it comes to gaming, so if youve never played before, it could be a good idea to try out a few different free trials until you find the best fit.

Sudoku

Sudoku is a great game option for people who enjoy mathematical problems without getting overly complex. There are a few different iterations of sudoku, ranging from the easy to the frustratingly difficult. Sudoku can help you improve or build on existing maths skills and can stretch your brain like no other. You could consider buying a physical book full of sudoku puzzles or downloading one of the many apps available.

Crosswords

Crosswords can help you improve your general knowledge and vocabulary. They are also known to help preserve brain function and reduce memory loss as we get older. Just as it is vital to care for our hearts, lungs, and other organs so they will remain working well as we age, we need to care for our minds to keep them working properly. Crosswords are one of the best ways to do this, and like sudoku, you can either buy a physical book of crosswords or download a handy app.

Wordsearches

Wordsearches are a simpler puzzle game but can still be beneficial for our brains. They are a good option for when youre feeling mentally wiped, as they keep your mind working but arent overly taxing. The larger the wordsearch, the bigger the challenge, so you could try out a range of options to puzzle over.

Jigsaw Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles are a classic option that can be therapeutic and fun to use. Many people enjoy jigsaw puzzles as an activity for two or more people. This can help you build up your teamwork skills while keeping your mind engaged. Jigsaw puzzles leave you with a real sense of achievement, and many people even frame and display their finished puzzles.

Solitaire

Solitaire is a card game traditionally played by one player, though it is now predominantly played digitally. It often comes preloaded to laptop and computer operating systems, contributing to its lasting popularity. The aim is to arrange cards into a specific order while following the set rules for making moves. It can be an excellent game for anyone who wants to hone their logical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Poker

Poker is another game that helps boost your mathematical, strategy and logical thinking skills. Poker requires an understanding of the strategy involved to play well and the ability to read others to identify tells and figure out whether another players hand is better than your own.

A great way to learn more about poker is by playing in an online casino. You will usually be able to play against the computer or other remote players. You should be cautious when selecting an online casino and ensure that the one you use is reputable and trustworthy. You can find a great list of quality casino options from OnlineCasinos.co.uk.

Chess

Chess is a game that requires you to think several steps ahead at all times. The rules can be complex, and it takes time and skill to be able to play a game against an opponent effectively. You could start by learning what all the pieces do and how they work together before learning some of the common strategies deployed by players. Again, you can play with a physical chess set or match off online again an AI or other live players.

Grand Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto is an excellent option for anyone who wants to improve their multi-tasking skills while enjoying an immersive gameplay experience. These games are typically set in fictional cities in the US and require the player to navigate different quests and tasks while evading police attention.

RuneScape

RuneScape is another immersive gaming world where your character has an enormous fantasy land to explore and enjoy. You level up gradually by completing tasks and are able to interact with other players as they play, adding a great social element to the gameplay.

Dungeons And Dragons

Dungeons and Dragons has been popular for decades and involves a group of people working together to complete an adventure written by a Dungeon Master (DM). You start by building a character sheet which can come with many variables depending on the species, race, and qualities of the character you want to make.

You will need a good understanding of statistics to build the most effective character possible, though many people choose entertainment value over maxing out their characters abilities. If D&D sounds like a game you would be interested in, you could consider getting a group of friends around to play or look for a digital group you could join to learn the ropes.

Medal Of Honor

The Medal Of Honor games have seen significant popularity over the years as a highly entertaining game to play solo or with friends. In addition to being a fun, first-person shooter game, some studies have shown that first-person shooter games improve the minds ability to learn and overall cognitive function.

Minecraft

Minecraft is a game which can help you channel your inner creativity. It involves using building blocks to make structures in-world, where the only limit is your imagination. You can also play against other players in battles, though many people choose to enjoy the game solely for its world-building function.

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Exercising Your Mind: 12 Games To Keep You Mind As Active As Your Body - Los Cerritos News

Space within each scam complex is divided between different criminal outfits, with teams of people from various countries, such as Vietnam or China, located on different floors, given a script and tasked with scamming people who speak the same language. Depending on the scam, this might involve persuading people to play online casino games (which never cash out), or using chat apps to lure people into high-yield digital investment platforms, many of which are essentially pyramid schemes. Every few months, the websites or apps used for the scam are shut down and the criminal group switches to a new one with a different name and design but which functions in the same way. Scammers find victims through social media or by paying YouTubers to advertise their platforms, Hieupc says, and each small company has racked up millions of dollars.

While some people working at these scam centres choose to defraud strangers for a living, crime bosses have found it too difficult to source enough workers willing to run their scams, and have increasingly resorted to tricking people with fraudulent job ads or even kidnapping them off the street. In South-East Asias sprawling compounds, many are now trapped in modern slavery conditions and subject to horrific treatment if they try to leave.

With billions of dollars in revenue and protected havens in SEA, these fraud factories has spawned a secondary industry of human trafficking to feed their labour-intensive criminal enterprises, resulting in large-scale torture, rape, and other abuses, says Santiago.

Hieupcs findings tell the same story. The Chinese and Taiwanese scam bosses running these operations are dangerous and evil, he says. They exploit naive people looking for a legal job, keep them captive inside the compounds, force them to work every day from 8am to 11pm, and beat or threaten them if they dont make enough money. Trying to get out is incredibly dangerous, too. Last year, a 25-year-old Vietnamese man who had been secretly helping Hiepc to hack into a management system and shut down scam operations from the inside managed to escape by jumping from a window, but broke his leg in the process. In January 2021, a group of Vietnamese trafficking victims tried to break out of a compound in Sihanoukville, Cambodia but while some told Hieupc they had managed to escape, it turned out like a war with blood and violence, he says, with several trafficking victims killed and others recaptured by the scam companies.

Behind the glossy facade of the Kings Roman Casino complex are compounds allegedly housing forced workers.Credit:Getty

Some experts estimate that thousands of people are being held against their will and forced to work as scammers in Cambodia. However, our visits to some of the massive, sprawling sites known to be used for online scams in Cambodia and Laos indicated that these numbers may be the tip of the iceberg. In remote, heavily guarded compounds like the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) in Laos a casino enclave nicknamed Kings Romans we were shown row after row of newly constructed tower blocks surrounded by barbed wire, which locals and survivors say function as dorms for scammers. Clothing hanging from every window suggested these buildings were fully occupied meaning the number of people kept in modern slavery conditions in just this one site could stretch into tens of thousands.

Meanwhile, stories of similar, giant scam operations have emerged from mega-casino towns recently carved out of the jungle in Myanmar. In Cambodia alone, media reports and accounts from survivors, rescuers and Thai authorities suggest that workers are crammed into repurposed casino-hotels, sprawling dormitory buildings and isolated office blocks throughout the country, including gambling hubs in Sihanoukville, on the coast; Thai and Vietnamese border towns like Poipet and Bavet; and new hubs, like the sleepy tourist town of Kampot, which are being identified all the time. Given the scale of these sites, there are likely hundreds of thousands of people being forced to work in scam centres and that means potentially millions more people targeted by financial scams in Australia and around the world.

Malicious cyber activity against Australians is increasing in frequency, scale and impact, said a spokesperson for the Australian Federal Police in Cambodia, adding that the AFP was working proactively with Cambodian law enforcement to tackle transnational crime such as cybercrime. The AFP was increasingly seeing the use of the internet and digital platforms to recruit and exploit trafficking victims, he said, while scam groups launder their profits online through cryptocurrencies, which makes it easier for traffickers to receive, hide and move large amounts of money with less risk of being detected.

However, it seems local police and government officials are too scared or unwilling to shut these operations down.

Owners of these casino-hotels and compounds tend to be extremely well-connected. Take KB Hotel in Sihanoukville, where survivors say they were trafficked and sold to online scam companies. Director Chen Al Len is a business associate of the prime ministers nephew Hun To, with whom he is listed as a co-director of three companies: Heng He (Cambodia) Commercial Bank, registered in Phnom Penh, and Heng He Ju Long Town Real Estate and Heng Zuan Yule (Ju Long Town), both close to Bavet. Chen Al Len is also reported to be a co-owner of Heng He Casino in Bavet, inside which a newly arrived worker was found hanged inside in June. However, Hun To, who divides his time between Cambodia and Melbourne, does not not have a direct stake in either KB or Heng He Casino.

Some Cambodian police reportedly insist that because workers have signed contracts (albeit to commit crimes) the bosses arent holding them captive, they just do not allow them to leave or even that companies whose workers owe them money or time left on these contracts have the right to detain them. The Interior Minister also downplayed a recent rescue operation as settling a labour dispute.

Other governments have tried to intervene without much success. In April, Thai police conducted raids on a string of locations in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, and Sihanoukville, accompanied by local police. The Thai authorities were hoping to rescue up to 3000 Thais believed to have been tricked into working for scam operators and held against their will. They managed just 66 not least, according to the Thai polices own statement, because of local corruption and resistance on the Cambodian side. At one gated building in Sihanoukville, rather than the Cambodian police demanding entry on their behalf, the Thais had to spend eight hours negotiating with the Chinese owners before paying $1 500 to be allowed in and retrieve just 24 workers trapped inside.

In the gambling hub of Sihanoukville, scammers are bought and sold.Credit:Getty

Some countries that have been targeted heavily both by traffickers and scammers have made efforts to educate people back home on the risks. In Thailand, the Golden Triangle ferry crossing to Laos a common route for young people tricked into working for scam rings based out of Lao casino towns is papered with posters warning people not to fall for fake job ads. China has also stepped up public education efforts to prevent scam operators targeting its own people but one outcome of this has been that Chinese scammers have shifted focus to other countries, including in the West. And to target English speakers, they need to get hold of workers who can speak English, too.

A combination of Chinas draconian COVID restrictions and the Chinese governments public education on this have made it much more difficult for these criminals to traffic Chinese nationals into these scam and fraud zones overseas. says Tower. As a result, the criminals are now really going global targeting victims across the region and beyond.

The most effective weapon against organised crime groups perpetuating scams and abusing workers, though, is simply making what they do unprofitable. In other words, boosting awareness about the prevalence and dangers of online and telephone scams, and educating people on how to spot the signs so they dont hand over money in the first place. GASO also compiles a continually updated, searchable list of thousands of known scam sites, meaning people thinking about making an investment can check any sites or links they are using to make sure this hasnt already been identified as a con. Many of the sites on GASOs list are clearly aimed at Australian targets, including fake investment sites with names like AUSFOREX and AUSTRALTRADE.

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These efforts can only succeed if people targeted by scams are willing to come forward and explain what has happened to them and according to Scamwatch, only 13 per cent of Australian victims ever report it. Without this intelligence, moving forward to protect other victims of scams and of human trafficking becomes a near-impossible task. For anyone caught out by scam companies, its vital to appreciate that this is not a something to be ashamed about these are sophisticated, multi-million-dollar operations that specialise in manipulating people all around the world and for the person forced to run the scam, the nightmare could be far worse.

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The online scammer targeting you could be trapped in a South-East Asian fraud factory - Sydney Morning Herald

If youre looking for safe, regulated, and quality US online casinos, you have come to the right place. In our comprehensive guide, we bring you all the info you need to know about legal online gambling in the US, including our recommendations for the best US casino sites offering the biggest bonuses and most generous promotions.

Our US online casino reviews go deep into the features and properties of each unique casino site operating in the US. We have rated, reviewed, and thoroughly assessed every casino regulated within the country to give you the most unbiased and honest information and help you pick which casino is right for you.

Before we get to the reviews, lets cover the bases and talk a bit about real money online casino gaming in general.

Online casino games have been around for over two decades but only became legal in the US in 2013 when New Jersey became the first state to regulate this form of online gambling. Today, multiple states allow online casino apps and websites to operate within their borders.

Keep reading to find out which states allow online casinos to operate and in what capacity, what types of online casino deposit bonuses and other promotions you can claim, and how exactly you can sign up to start playing casino games in the US.

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With online casinos becoming bigger in the US every year, and new states issuing laws to allow them within their borders, we are seeing several major operators launch in as many markets as they can. These are the top US online casinos you should be on the lookout for:

A major online casino operator available in all regulated US markets, BetMGM Casino is the current industry leader. With a massive selection of popular casino games, valuable online casino deposit bonuses, and more, the operator offers the finest online gambling experience in the US.

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DFS fans are all familiar with DraftKings, but the operator now also runs online casinos in major US gambling markets. Today, DraftKings Casino is one of the best casino platforms out there, with a special focus on servicing players who prefer mobile gaming.

BetRivers operates its sportsbook in a great number of states and its online casino in four markets and growing, BetRivers is another major US operator that should not be overseen. BetRivers Casino is a serious contender in the US iGaming market and a site well-worth the visit for all players.

A major online casino operator in NJ and PA, Borgata Online Casino operates an entertaining and exciting iGaming platform that can contend with the best of them. Whether you are looking to play slots, live table games, or other casino games, Borgata Online Casino has your back.

If you are a player looking for the top online casino apps in the US, there are quite a few things to consider. We always recommend playing only on legal online casino sites, but what does that mean exactly? What things should you be on the lookout for?

Here are a few main criteria we believe make an online casino a great option for you:

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Getting started with US online casino apps is not too difficult, but there are certain steps you will have to go through. Here is a step-by-step guide to getting started with US-based online casinos:

While legal online casinos are now available in the US, there are still many offshore sites that accept American business without the appropriate licenses. So how exactly can you know which sites are regulated and safe to play at? Here are a few major clues to look out for that will let you know if a casino is legal and safe to play at:

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Legal online casinos have only been a reality in US markets for a very short time, while players have been playing on illegal offshore platforms for years. So why exactly should you play at a legal casino and stop using any unlicensed platforms? Here are only a few of the important reasons for that, while many others exist as well.

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Some of the best online casino deposit bonuses, no deposit bonuses, and other promotions can actually be received from legal US sites. If you want to play casino games, playing with a legal operator is a matter of value, as there is a lot to gain by playing in the right place.

Valuable online casino deposit bonuses can be received from every US casino operator. When signing up, players are presented with an opportunity to make their first deposit, which is usually doubled in value by the casino matching the amount you deposit with bonus funds.

Claiming a deposit match bonus will give you a significant starting boost with extra money in your balance, meaning you get to play higher and have a better chance for a bigger win. While there are no guarantees, the welcome bonus will give you more chances to win, with very little downside.

No deposit bonuses are promotions offered by operators to players who simply sign up. Just registering an account with many US casino sites will give you a no deposit bonus worth anywhere between $10 and $50.

These bonuses are designed to let you try real money gaming without any risk at all. While you are not risking anything, you will be given a chance to cash out your winnings if you do end up in profit, so there is really no downside to taking these bonuses and trying your luck for free.

As previously mentioned, US online casinos all offer loyalty schemes, which reward players who keep coming back, as well as those who play exceptionally high stakes.

If you enjoy playing slots or table games for a lot of money, or simply like to play for lower stakes every day, joining these loyalty schemes will give you some extra reason to keep coming back to play on the same site every time, as your perks and loyalty points keep racking up and your rewards only get bigger with time.

With many live casinos available around the country, even in states where iGaming is not yet regulated, it makes sense to ask questions about the difference between live and online casinos. In truth, online casinos offer quite a few advantages, and here are a few of them:

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Online casinos were not always legal in the US, and their legal history is somewhat short and interesting. Here are the main things you need to know about how online casinos came to America and how we got to this point in time in terms of legislation and the spread of iGaming:

Online casinos are legal in some parts of the US, namely Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, and Connecticut. In these states, licensed operators provide legal online casino games. In all other parts of the US, it is not yet possible to play casino games on the internet legally.

Each of the states in which online casinos are legal has a regulatory body of its own. In order for a casino to provide services in a certain state, it must obtain the appropriate gaming license from the regulator in that state.

The easiest way to find out if an online casino is regulated in your state is to visit their website and check for regulator seals. If the operator is regulated, they will have a seal on their website, which links back to the regulators website. If they are not regulated, such a seal will not appear. In some extreme cases, the seal may be faked, but you can easily check if the seal is real by visiting your states gaming regulator and checking their list of regulated entities.

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If your state offers legal online casino gaming, you will be able to set up an account and play real money games within minutes. Find out which operators are regulated in your state, visit their websites, and start up the registration process where you will provide your personal details and create a unique login name and password to play with.

While there are many online casino operators in various states, the ones we mentioned on this page BetMGM Casino, BetRivers Casino, Caesars Casino, and Stars Casino are among the very best in most markets. Playing with major brands is always a good idea, as these casinos offer the highest levels of security and the best games around.

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Best Real Money Online Casinos in the US 2022 - Pokerfuse