TOP STORIES

Using tricks to take down an illegal betting ring didn’t work for the FBI. Now a high-ranking member of the 14K triad society could slip through its fingers due to “procedural errors.”

Last week, the word got out that FBI agents went into Paul Phua’s apartment at Caesars Palace disguised as cable guys, to gather evidence without a warrant. As more “procedural errors” come to light, the alleged gambling kingpin could get away with his illegal betting operation because the bureau itself broke a few rules while trying to get the bad guy.

US federal agents say Paul Phua Wei-seng is a high-ranking member of Hong Kong’s 14K triad society. Phua and his son Darren Phua Wai-kit have been charged with operating an illegal betting ring from a hotel in Las Vegas, during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. But they could both get away with it because of alleged breach of procedure by the FBI.

According to the latest gambling news, Phua’s lawyers filed a motion to suppress testimony he provided during a police raid, because agents didn’t follow the rules.

South China Morning Post: Procedural errors may kill FBI gambling case involving Asian kingpin Paul Phua

Phua and his son were arrested and charged with operating an illegal gambling ring in Las Vegas, during the World Cup. Now prosecutors have to prove that the two Malaysians used and operated these betting platforms from the luxury suites they rented at Caesars Palace.

Lawyers called the triad allegations unfounded and said the 50 year-old man “absolutely maintains he is innocent of the gambling charges in the United States”. Now they’re also trying to suppress statements where the defendants said Phua held a stake in IBC Bet, one of the largest betting operations in the Philippines.

Before obtaining these statements, police allegedly violated the defendants’ constitutional rights by failing to give a so-called Miranda warning, which informs suspects that they have the right to remain silent during an interrogation, until they get legal advice.

The two Malaysian men said they were staying at a villa which was offered to them free of charge by Caesars Palace. The motion says their defense lawyer was not allowed to meet them while they were being questioned.
In his affidavit, Phua wrote: “The first agent I saw pointed a machine gun at me and shouted, ‘Put your f*ing hands up’. Everyone in the villa was handcuffed, herded into the dining room, and told to get on our knees and face the wall.”

Before the World Cup, several illegal bookmakers have been arrested in Southeast Asia. Dozens of people were charged with breaking gambling laws by running unlicensed sports wagering services. Some of them pointed to IBC.

PokerNews: Did Caesars Palace and the FBI Collude in the Arrests of Paul Phua?

This July, eight people were arrested at Caesars Palace Las Vegas for being involved in an illegal betting ring. Among those arrested was 50-year-old Malaysian high-stakes poker player and alleged high-ranking member of the 14K Triad Paul Phua.

The arrests were part of an FBI sting and Phua’s lawyers claim the defendants’ Fourth Amendment rights were violated because the raid was conducted under an unlawful search warrant.

Investigations began this summer, when the defendants rented the villas and asked the casino staff for an “unusual amount of electronic equipment”. According to newspaper reports, the venue’s security personnel became suspicious and called the FBI, then worked together with agents to cut off Internet access to have an excuse to send undercover agents inside.

Posing as service technicians, FBI agents gained access to the villas and collected evidence to obtain a warrant in court. The defense argued that the warrant was obtained through an unlawful scheme.

“A ruling upholding these intrusions would cause innocent Americans to live their daily lives burdened with the palpable sense that their government is regularly scheming to spy on them in their homes,” lawyers said.

The federal government is expected to respond soon.

GamingZion: Gambler, Bookie, Diplomat, Gangster: the Fantastic Story of Paul Phua Wei-seng

Each year, illegal betting generates billions of dollars for criminal syndicates around the world. The largest scandal this year was when the FBI busted an operation run from two villas at the Caesars Hotel in Las Vegas. The head of the operation, reports said, was Paul Phua, a high-stakes poker player, former diplomat and alleged gangster.

Less than one month before being caught in Vegas, he had faced the same charges in Macau but posted bail and fled from the city. Newspapers said he flew straight to Sin City and continues his illegal business from here.

In addition to being a suspected black market bookmaker, Phua is also a legitimate businessman, owner of Sat Ieng Sociedade Unipessoal junket in Macau, where he likes to take a personal interest in entertaining his customers. He also holds a majority stake in IBC Bet, a company based in the Philippines which has grown to become one of the world’s most profitable sportsbooks.

From 2011 until his arrest in Las Vegas, Phua also held the title of San Marinese ambassador to Montenegro, although reports say he never properly checked in with the authorities in Podgorica, but did gain the advantage of traveling freely almost anywhere.

Phua is known in the world of high-stakes poker too. He makes regular appearances at the Poker King Club in Macau, and in 2012 he played in the $1 million buy-in tournament at the World Series of Poker.

Federal investigators say he is also a high-ranking member of the 14K triad, thought to be one of Hong Kong’s oldest and most powerful criminal organizations. It remains to be seen if the case against him stands or not, given the procedural errors committed by the FBI.

Using tricks to take down an illegal betting ring didn’t work for the FBI. Now a high-ranking member of the 14K triad society could slip through its fingers due to “procedural errors.”

Last week, the word got out that FBI agents went into Paul Phua’s apartment at Caesars Palace disguised as cable guys, to gather evidence without a warrant. As more “procedural errors” come to light, the alleged gambling kingpin could get away with his illegal betting operation because the bureau itself broke a few rules while trying to get the bad guy.

US federal agents say Paul Phua Wei-seng is a high-ranking member of Hong Kong’s 14K triad society. Phua and his son Darren Phua Wai-kit have been charged with operating an illegal betting ring from a hotel in Las Vegas, during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. But they could both get away with it because of alleged breach of procedure by the FBI.

According to the latest gambling news, Phua’s lawyers filed a motion to suppress testimony he provided during a police raid, because agents didn’t follow the rules.

South China Morning Post: Procedural errors may kill FBI gambling case involving Asian kingpin Paul Phua

Phua and his son were arrested and charged with operating an illegal gambling ring in Las Vegas, during the World Cup. Now prosecutors have to prove that the two Malaysians used and operated these betting platforms from the luxury suites they rented at Caesars Palace.

Lawyers called the triad allegations unfounded and said the 50 year-old man “absolutely maintains he is innocent of the gambling charges in the United States”. Now they’re also trying to suppress statements where the defendants said Phua held a stake in IBC Bet, one of the largest betting operations in the Philippines.

Before obtaining these statements, police allegedly violated the defendants’ constitutional rights by failing to give a so-called Miranda warning, which informs suspects that they have the right to remain silent during an interrogation, until they get legal advice.

The two Malaysian men said they were staying at a villa which was offered to them free of charge by Caesars Palace. The motion says their defense lawyer was not allowed to meet them while they were being questioned.
In his affidavit, Phua wrote: “The first agent I saw pointed a machine gun at me and shouted, ‘Put your f*ing hands up’. Everyone in the villa was handcuffed, herded into the dining room, and told to get on our knees and face the wall.”

Before the World Cup, several illegal bookmakers have been arrested in Southeast Asia. Dozens of people were charged with breaking gambling laws by running unlicensed sports wagering services. Some of them pointed to IBC.

PokerNews: Did Caesars Palace and the FBI Collude in the Arrests of Paul Phua?

This July, eight people were arrested at Caesars Palace Las Vegas for being involved in an illegal betting ring. Among those arrested was 50-year-old Malaysian high-stakes poker player and alleged high-ranking member of the 14K Triad Paul Phua.

The arrests were part of an FBI sting and Phua’s lawyers claim the defendants’ Fourth Amendment rights were violated because the raid was conducted under an unlawful search warrant.

Investigations began this summer, when the defendants rented the villas and asked the casino staff for an “unusual amount of electronic equipment”. According to newspaper reports, the venue’s security personnel became suspicious and called the FBI, then worked together with agents to cut off Internet access to have an excuse to send undercover agents inside.

Posing as service technicians, FBI agents gained access to the villas and collected evidence to obtain a warrant in court. The defense argued that the warrant was obtained through an unlawful scheme.

“A ruling upholding these intrusions would cause innocent Americans to live their daily lives burdened with the palpable sense that their government is regularly scheming to spy on them in their homes,” lawyers said.

The federal government is expected to respond soon.

GamingZion: Gambler, Bookie, Diplomat, Gangster: the Fantastic Story of Paul Phua Wei-seng

Each year, illegal betting generates billions of dollars for criminal syndicates around the world. The largest scandal this year was when the FBI busted an operation run from two villas at the Caesars Hotel in Las Vegas. The head of the operation, reports said, was Paul Phua, a high-stakes poker player, former diplomat and alleged gangster.

Less than one month before being caught in Vegas, he had faced the same charges in Macau but posted bail and fled from the city. Newspapers said he flew straight to Sin City and continues his illegal business from here.

In addition to being a suspected black market bookmaker, Phua is also a legitimate businessman, owner of Sat Ieng Sociedade Unipessoal junket in Macau, where he likes to take a personal interest in entertaining his customers. He also holds a majority stake in IBC Bet, a company based in the Philippines which has grown to become one of the world’s most profitable sportsbooks.

From 2011 until his arrest in Las Vegas, Phua also held the title of San Marinese ambassador to Montenegro, although reports say he never properly checked in with the authorities in Podgorica, but did gain the advantage of traveling freely almost anywhere.

Phua is known in the world of high-stakes poker too. He makes regular appearances at the Poker King Club in Macau, and in 2012 he played in the $1 million buy-in tournament at the World Series of Poker.

Federal investigators say he is also a high-ranking member of the 14K triad, thought to be one of Hong Kong’s oldest and most powerful criminal organizations. It remains to be seen if the case against him stands or not, given the procedural errors committed by the FBI.

After cutting off Internet access three Las Vegas luxury villas, FBI agents impersonated repair technicians to get inside and collect evidence.

Against the recommendation of an assistant U.S. attorney, Kimberly Frayn, the FBI went ahead with its plans and pretended to be repair technicians in order to get inside the villa. But lawyers representing four of the eight men charged in the case have filed a motion to dismiss all evidence collected that day. The prosecutor supposedly told FBI agents that “it was a consent issue.”

Under American laws, authorities need a warrant before searching a property, so defense lawyers challenged the actions described in detail by online gambling news, which were part of an investigation on an illegal sports betting operation.

If authorities don’t have the written permission, the person whose property is being inspected must first waive his constitutional protections against unreasonable searches. Otherwise, the evidence should not be used in trial, because it was improperly collected.

Fox News: Federal agents impersonated computer technicians to collect evidence in sports betting probe, lawyers say

FBI agents in Las Vegas had referred questions about their plan to the local US Attorney’s Office. Spokeswoman Natalie Collins said prosecutors were aware of the allegations, but declined to make any comments while the trial was pending.

According to American newspapers, the Drug Enforcement Administration set up a fake Facebook account, where it posted personal information and photos taken from the phone of a woman who had been arrested in a cocaine case. The idea was to trick her friends and associates into revealing incriminating information.

On another occasion, the FBI sent a fake news story to a suspect in a bomb-threat case, hoping he would click on the link thus allowing investigators to track down his location. The FBI had attributed the story to the Associated Press, causing the agency to react and describe the actions as “unacceptable”, claiming they undermined the publication’s credibility.

As for the gambling case, the criminal complaint revealed that the eight men came to the attention of authorities in June after requesting “an unusually large amount of electronics equipment and technical support” at their hotel. An electrical engineer working for the Las Vegas hotel said the equipment “appeared to be set up for an illegal gambling operation.”

FBI investigators tried to get into their apartment to gather evidence, but a former federal prosecutor, Mark Rasch, said the tactics they resorted will most likely not stand up in court. “Police are allowed to use a certain kind of subterfuge, but what they can’t do is create a certain kind of circumstance,” he said.

South China Morning Post: Dramatic FBI video shows how agents tricked their way into Paul Phua’s villa for gambling bust

Newspapers got their hands on 30 minutes of audio and video recordings of the FBI’s action plan to bust what appeared to be an illegal online betting operation in Las Vegas. The video was filmed through a lapel camera and shows how agents tricked their way into the villas where an alleged Asian gambling kingpin and his team were staying.

According to the defense, FBI agents shut off Internet access to Paul Phua Wei-seng’s villa at Caesars Palace, and then gained access to it by impersonating repair technicians. This is how authorities managed to collect the evidence used against the accused.

In the video obtained by the press, investigators are working on a set of code words to use while they were inside. One agent who adopted the name “Sam” – which he also used “for other stuff” in the past – is shown working on his cover story. The images briefly show another conversation about how investigators should dress.

“If you put on that shirt, you have to look the part. Go all the way,” said Mike Wood, a technician working for Caesars. He was advising Nevada Gaming Control Board Agent Ricardo Lopez before he entered one of the suites, on July 4. Lopez went back to the villa on July 5, when he pretended to fix an internet outage for several minutes.

Defense lawyer Thomas Goldstein described the operation as an “illegal search” and challenged the evidence in court.

CardsChat: Paul Phua Sports Betting Raid FBI Tactics Questioned by Legal Team

The FBI suspected that the eight men who rented villas at Caesars Palace were breaking the state’s gambling laws by running an unlicensed betting operation. Investigators spent two days working with the hotel’s computer contractor and the Nevada Gaming Control Board on shutting down their Internet access.

But they did not stop here. FBI agents impersonated repair staff to convince the customers to let them inside the apartments, and they even recorded what they found inside. The videos were the main evidence used to obtain the arrest warrant against the eight defendants.

Lawyers did not know how authorities had managed to get inside the suites until they overheard an official talk about cutting the Internet access. “They were trying everything they could to get inside without a warrant,” defense attorney Thomas Goldstein told reporters. Four out of the eight defendants have challenged the FBI’s actions in court.

Paul Phua and his son Darren were among those arrested. They were all charged with operating an illegal sports betting operation. Officials said Paul Phua is a high-ranking member of the 14K Triad, one of the world’s largest organized crime syndicates. Among gamblers, he is well-known for playing in high-stakes poker games in Macau, as well as in tournaments.

The poker community has supported the accused, and players Phil Ivey and Andrew Robl even offered $2.5 million towards Phua’s and his son’s bonds.

After cutting off Internet access three Las Vegas luxury villas, FBI agents impersonated repair technicians to get inside and collect evidence.

Against the recommendation of an assistant U.S. attorney, Kimberly Frayn, the FBI went ahead with its plans and pretended to be repair technicians in order to get inside the villa. But lawyers representing four of the eight men charged in the case have filed a motion to dismiss all evidence collected that day. The prosecutor supposedly told FBI agents that “it was a consent issue.”

Under American laws, authorities need a warrant before searching a property, so defense lawyers challenged the actions described in detail by online gambling news, which were part of an investigation on an illegal sports betting operation.

If authorities don’t have the written permission, the person whose property is being inspected must first waive his constitutional protections against unreasonable searches. Otherwise, the evidence should not be used in trial, because it was improperly collected.

Fox News: Federal agents impersonated computer technicians to collect evidence in sports betting probe, lawyers say

FBI agents in Las Vegas had referred questions about their plan to the local US Attorney’s Office. Spokeswoman Natalie Collins said prosecutors were aware of the allegations, but declined to make any comments while the trial was pending.

According to American newspapers, the Drug Enforcement Administration set up a fake Facebook account, where it posted personal information and photos taken from the phone of a woman who had been arrested in a cocaine case. The idea was to trick her friends and associates into revealing incriminating information.

On another occasion, the FBI sent a fake news story to a suspect in a bomb-threat case, hoping he would click on the link thus allowing investigators to track down his location. The FBI had attributed the story to the Associated Press, causing the agency to react and describe the actions as “unacceptable”, claiming they undermined the publication’s credibility.

As for the gambling case, the criminal complaint revealed that the eight men came to the attention of authorities in June after requesting “an unusually large amount of electronics equipment and technical support” at their hotel. An electrical engineer working for the Las Vegas hotel said the equipment “appeared to be set up for an illegal gambling operation.”

FBI investigators tried to get into their apartment to gather evidence, but a former federal prosecutor, Mark Rasch, said the tactics they resorted will most likely not stand up in court. “Police are allowed to use a certain kind of subterfuge, but what they can’t do is create a certain kind of circumstance,” he said.

South China Morning Post: Dramatic FBI video shows how agents tricked their way into Paul Phua’s villa for gambling bust

Newspapers got their hands on 30 minutes of audio and video recordings of the FBI’s action plan to bust what appeared to be an illegal online betting operation in Las Vegas. The video was filmed through a lapel camera and shows how agents tricked their way into the villas where an alleged Asian gambling kingpin and his team were staying.

According to the defense, FBI agents shut off Internet access to Paul Phua Wei-seng’s villa at Caesars Palace, and then gained access to it by impersonating repair technicians. This is how authorities managed to collect the evidence used against the accused.

In the video obtained by the press, investigators are working on a set of code words to use while they were inside. One agent who adopted the name “Sam” – which he also used “for other stuff” in the past – is shown working on his cover story. The images briefly show another conversation about how investigators should dress.

“If you put on that shirt, you have to look the part. Go all the way,” said Mike Wood, a technician working for Caesars. He was advising Nevada Gaming Control Board Agent Ricardo Lopez before he entered one of the suites, on July 4. Lopez went back to the villa on July 5, when he pretended to fix an internet outage for several minutes.

Defense lawyer Thomas Goldstein described the operation as an “illegal search” and challenged the evidence in court.

CardsChat: Paul Phua Sports Betting Raid FBI Tactics Questioned by Legal Team

The FBI suspected that the eight men who rented villas at Caesars Palace were breaking the state’s gambling laws by running an unlicensed betting operation. Investigators spent two days working with the hotel’s computer contractor and the Nevada Gaming Control Board on shutting down their Internet access.

But they did not stop here. FBI agents impersonated repair staff to convince the customers to let them inside the apartments, and they even recorded what they found inside. The videos were the main evidence used to obtain the arrest warrant against the eight defendants.

Lawyers did not know how authorities had managed to get inside the suites until they overheard an official talk about cutting the Internet access. “They were trying everything they could to get inside without a warrant,” defense attorney Thomas Goldstein told reporters. Four out of the eight defendants have challenged the FBI’s actions in court.

Paul Phua and his son Darren were among those arrested. They were all charged with operating an illegal sports betting operation. Officials said Paul Phua is a high-ranking member of the 14K Triad, one of the world’s largest organized crime syndicates. Among gamblers, he is well-known for playing in high-stakes poker games in Macau, as well as in tournaments.

The poker community has supported the accused, and players Phil Ivey and Andrew Robl even offered $2.5 million towards Phua’s and his son’s bonds.

Police revealed that Peter Foster scammed investors out of more than $10 million, in an international ponzi scheme.

The man allegedly ran a betting scheme called the Sports Trading Club, conning hundreds of Australian families. According to online gambling news, Foster told investors that he could make them a fortune through the sports betting site, an operation he ran from a hideout located in the Byron Bay area.

Using the alias Mark Hughes, the conman tricked his victims into giving him millions of dollars. Newspapers said he had raked in more than $10 million in the last few months alone, and he spent part of his illegal income on a yacht.

Police found several computers in Foster’s home office, as well as multiple mobile phones registered to different names. The equipment was all part of the plot.

The Age: Peter Foster implicated in international betting scam

Hundreds of investors could lose millions in an international betting scheme run by Peter Foster, following the notorious conman’s dramatic arrest at a luxury property near Byron Bay. The man was hiding from Australian authorities and it is believed he operated the Sports Trading Club from his hiding place.

Police raided his house on Tuesday afternoon and found six mobile phones, as well as several computers in his home office. Foster tried to flee but crashed into a neighbour’s fence and got tackled by a police officer. He allegedly tried to grab the officer’s gun and was charged with assaulting him.

The betting syndicate has offices in London, Sydney and Hong Kong, but Foster’s hideout is said to have played a key role in the operation. Sports Trading Club takes investments between $50,000 and $250,000 and places bets on sports scores, in major events around the world.

In June, the company’s UK communication manager, Patrick McMahon, told reporters that investors had received a 1900% return since January 2013. “We don’t gamble, we trade,” he said. “We make money out of other peoples’ mistakes. When one side gambles and the other trades, it is like owning the casino.”

In July, the trading company said it had gained $150 million by backing Germany to win the FIFA World Cup. It also scored a “multi-million-dollar win” by betting against Serena Williams and Novac Djokovic at the Australian Open.

Brisbane Times: Conman Peter Foster tracked for a month before arrest

Serial conman Peter Foster spent more than a year on the run before police finally arrested him in his hideout near Byron Bay. The conman had been wanted since September last year, when he failed to show up for his court date at Brisbane Federal Court. The judge found him guilty of contempt of court.

NSW Superintendent Stuart Wilkins told reporters: “We had information from the last month or so he was in and around the Byron Bay area but not a specific location so this is a good result all round. As the result of excellent community consultation and a group of people working together this person has been arrested and will be now going before courts.”

Foster, 52, is known for a series of weight loss product scams, including a nasal spray called Sensaslim. His most recent appearance in court was for breaching a previous order to stop selling these products. Over the past year, the man had been telling the media that he was in Fiji, even sending photos of himself relaxing in a chair and reading a newspaper printed in Fiji.

The police said they were not sure how long he had been hiding at the Ewingsdale property where he was caught and arrested this week. He was chased by local detectives and a TV camera crew before being tackled.

He was charged with assaulting police officers and resisting arrest, but Detective Senior Constable Gary Sheehan told reporters: “He did show a great deal of concern about his mother…but other than that he was quite cooperative. He was very cooperative, quite remorseful and, in fact, he actually apologized to me in the courtroom.”

Daily Telegraph: Con man Peter Foster pleads guilty to assault after grabbing detective’s gun

While authorities have their doubts about Peter Foster’s claim of looking after his ailing mother, the conman pleaded guilty of assaulting detectives during his arrest at Byron Bay. He was transported to the Arthur Gorrie prison in Brisbane.

Foster blamed his actions on the news crew’s “Rambo style” pursuit, and his solicitor said he had been “confused” after attempting to run away from the cameras and escape through a back gate.

“He had an adrenaline rush. He wanted to get away from the film crew,” solicitor Terry Fisher explained.

According to Fisher, Foster had been looking after his mother and living the life of a “monk” for the past 11 months. “He has effectively been living like a monk. He should have just blended in with the locals (in northern NSW). The fact that he’s separated from his mother is causing him a great deal of pain. That is ffecting him quite deeply,” he added.

On the other hand, Tweed-Byron Local Area Commander Superintendent Stuart Wilkins claimed that Foster had been living with a male friend. Authorities did not want to comment on the allegations that Foster was running an online betting operation.

Police revealed that Peter Foster scammed investors out of more than $10 million, in an international ponzi scheme.

The man allegedly ran a betting scheme called the Sports Trading Club, conning hundreds of Australian families. According to online gambling news, Foster told investors that he could make them a fortune through the sports betting site, an operation he ran from a hideout located in the Byron Bay area.

Using the alias Mark Hughes, the conman tricked his victims into giving him millions of dollars. Newspapers said he had raked in more than $10 million in the last few months alone, and he spent part of his illegal income on a yacht.

Police found several computers in Foster’s home office, as well as multiple mobile phones registered to different names. The equipment was all part of the plot.

The Age: Peter Foster implicated in international betting scam

Hundreds of investors could lose millions in an international betting scheme run by Peter Foster, following the notorious conman’s dramatic arrest at a luxury property near Byron Bay. The man was hiding from Australian authorities and it is believed he operated the Sports Trading Club from his hiding place.

Police raided his house on Tuesday afternoon and found six mobile phones, as well as several computers in his home office. Foster tried to flee but crashed into a neighbour’s fence and got tackled by a police officer. He allegedly tried to grab the officer’s gun and was charged with assaulting him.

The betting syndicate has offices in London, Sydney and Hong Kong, but Foster’s hideout is said to have played a key role in the operation. Sports Trading Club takes investments between $50,000 and $250,000 and places bets on sports scores, in major events around the world.

In June, the company’s UK communication manager, Patrick McMahon, told reporters that investors had received a 1900% return since January 2013. “We don’t gamble, we trade,” he said. “We make money out of other peoples’ mistakes. When one side gambles and the other trades, it is like owning the casino.”

In July, the trading company said it had gained $150 million by backing Germany to win the FIFA World Cup. It also scored a “multi-million-dollar win” by betting against Serena Williams and Novac Djokovic at the Australian Open.

Brisbane Times: Conman Peter Foster tracked for a month before arrest

Serial conman Peter Foster spent more than a year on the run before police finally arrested him in his hideout near Byron Bay. The conman had been wanted since September last year, when he failed to show up for his court date at Brisbane Federal Court. The judge found him guilty of contempt of court.

NSW Superintendent Stuart Wilkins told reporters: “We had information from the last month or so he was in and around the Byron Bay area but not a specific location so this is a good result all round. As the result of excellent community consultation and a group of people working together this person has been arrested and will be now going before courts.”

Foster, 52, is known for a series of weight loss product scams, including a nasal spray called Sensaslim. His most recent appearance in court was for breaching a previous order to stop selling these products. Over the past year, the man had been telling the media that he was in Fiji, even sending photos of himself relaxing in a chair and reading a newspaper printed in Fiji.

The police said they were not sure how long he had been hiding at the Ewingsdale property where he was caught and arrested this week. He was chased by local detectives and a TV camera crew before being tackled.

He was charged with assaulting police officers and resisting arrest, but Detective Senior Constable Gary Sheehan told reporters: “He did show a great deal of concern about his mother…but other than that he was quite cooperative. He was very cooperative, quite remorseful and, in fact, he actually apologized to me in the courtroom.”

Daily Telegraph: Con man Peter Foster pleads guilty to assault after grabbing detective’s gun

While authorities have their doubts about Peter Foster’s claim of looking after his ailing mother, the conman pleaded guilty of assaulting detectives during his arrest at Byron Bay. He was transported to the Arthur Gorrie prison in Brisbane.

Foster blamed his actions on the news crew’s “Rambo style” pursuit, and his solicitor said he had been “confused” after attempting to run away from the cameras and escape through a back gate.

“He had an adrenaline rush. He wanted to get away from the film crew,” solicitor Terry Fisher explained.

According to Fisher, Foster had been looking after his mother and living the life of a “monk” for the past 11 months. “He has effectively been living like a monk. He should have just blended in with the locals (in northern NSW). The fact that he’s separated from his mother is causing him a great deal of pain. That is ffecting him quite deeply,” he added.

On the other hand, Tweed-Byron Local Area Commander Superintendent Stuart Wilkins claimed that Foster had been living with a male friend. Authorities did not want to comment on the allegations that Foster was running an online betting operation.

Australian newspapers say Crown Resorts and the New South Wales government are hiding information on the new Barangaroo VIP casino.

James Packer’s plan to build a high-roller casino in Barangaroo has received a lot of scrutiny. There was so much attention surrounding the project that everyone just assumed that all details of the agreement had been revealed, in a perfectly transparent approval process.

As it turns out, this is not entirely true. Word got out that both partners of the deal – the government of New South Wales and Crown Resorts – have been keeping important details away from the public eye, and now online gambling news outlets are raging over it.

The Barangaroo casino has received approval last year and is scheduled to open in November 2019. The venue is targeted exclusively at VIP customers and high-rollers.

Sydney Morning Herald: James Packer casino documents referred to committee after NSW government fights public release

The New South Wales government is refusing to reveal redacted information from an agreement with James Packer, regarding measures to combat organized crime and corruption at his new casino in Sydney. The question of whether the information should be made public was referred to a parliamentary committee, which will discuss the matter soon.

Greens MP John Kaye, who has been pushing for the public release of the information, said: “The Parliament has set up a secret committee to look at secret documents. The public is being kept in the dark about critical anti-corruption and organized crime penetration measures at the casino. Neither the public nor the Parliament can have an informed debate about the adequacy of these measures without knowing what they are.”

According to Labor leader Luke Foley, the opposition is in favor of releasing the documents. “The opposition has a bias in favor of public release of all relevant casino documents. When the expert arbiter recommends release, that confirms our view,” he said.

Packer’s company, Crown Resorts, was recently awarded a license to operate a VIP-only casino at Barangaroo, starting November 2019. Significant parts of the deal, the so-called “VIP gaming management agreement”, were kept hidden from the public eye.

After a motion by Kaye, MPs were allowed to see the full document, but they were forbidden from disclosing its contents. However, it was revealed that the deal between Crown and the gambling regulator talks about measures to prevent organized crime infiltration and corruption at the casino.

Casino.org: Packer Sydney Casino License Docs Kept Secret from Public

Newspapers say certain documents related Packer’s license for a new casino in Sydney were stamped secret by New South Wales’ gambling regulator, the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority.

The documents in question relate to official agreements between Crown Resorts, the NSW government and the authority responsible for overseeing the local casino industry and making sure that companies abide by the state’s gambling laws.

Eight of these were particularly interesting, as they were referring to operations that were to be executed when the license was issued. In seven out of eight documents, the names of all those involved were revealed. However, one of them was fully censored. Even the title of the agreement was kept a secret, along with the names of all parties.

The regulator said it was only allowed to reveal information related to the Casino Control Act, and only if it’s in the public interest. The authority added that it was obligated to hide all information that could cause commercial damage, which is why it hid details in the eighth agreement.

A spokesperson for the authority said: “The information redacted in the VIP Gaming Management Agreement document would, in the view of the authority, not promote the objects of the relevant act and be commercially damaging to the licensee or related entities if released. It was the authority’s view the public interest in its disclosure did not outweigh that potential harm.”

The Greens are planning to subpoena the documents in the NSW Parliament next week. “If this is entirely innocent, then the government should be happy to allow upper house MPs to see the documents,” MP John Kaye said. “If not, then it’s clear that they are running cover for James Packer and Crown.”

Premier Mike Baird added: “There’s no secrets. I know the Greens like to talk about conspiracy and secrets but there is none, as much as they look.”

ABC: High Rollers – High Risk?

Law and security experts claim Australian casinos that target Asian VIP customers risk exposing themselves to organized crime. There is a lot of money to be made in the gambling industry, and a large part of profits come from regular players, but Australian casinos seek to attract more high-rollers, particularly gamblers from China.

Since casino games are illegal on the mainland, these players often choose to spend their money in places like Macau or Australia. They are usually brought to the casino by companies called junkets, which locate, transport and provide credit for gamblers.

Crown Resorts, the Australian casino operator led by James Packer, has recently won approval to develop a six star hotel and VIP gambling venue at Barangaroo, on the shores of Sydney Harbour. According to the media, there is evidence linking junket companies to organized crime syndicates, which is why locals fear Packer’s new business will expose the country to illegal operations.

A gambling expert told reporters that junket companies “turn to organized crime to enforce gambling debts, using violence or threats of violence. It looks like casino operators relying solely on VIP customers for its profits could be facing huge difficulties, leaving the government with a problem too.

Australian newspapers say Crown Resorts and the New South Wales government are hiding information on the new Barangaroo VIP casino.

James Packer’s plan to build a high-roller casino in Barangaroo has received a lot of scrutiny. There was so much attention surrounding the project that everyone just assumed that all details of the agreement had been revealed, in a perfectly transparent approval process.

As it turns out, this is not entirely true. Word got out that both partners of the deal – the government of New South Wales and Crown Resorts – have been keeping important details away from the public eye, and now online gambling news outlets are raging over it.

The Barangaroo casino has received approval last year and is scheduled to open in November 2019. The venue is targeted exclusively at VIP customers and high-rollers.

Sydney Morning Herald: James Packer casino documents referred to committee after NSW government fights public release

The New South Wales government is refusing to reveal redacted information from an agreement with James Packer, regarding measures to combat organized crime and corruption at his new casino in Sydney. The question of whether the information should be made public was referred to a parliamentary committee, which will discuss the matter soon.

Greens MP John Kaye, who has been pushing for the public release of the information, said: “The Parliament has set up a secret committee to look at secret documents. The public is being kept in the dark about critical anti-corruption and organized crime penetration measures at the casino. Neither the public nor the Parliament can have an informed debate about the adequacy of these measures without knowing what they are.”

According to Labor leader Luke Foley, the opposition is in favor of releasing the documents. “The opposition has a bias in favor of public release of all relevant casino documents. When the expert arbiter recommends release, that confirms our view,” he said.

Packer’s company, Crown Resorts, was recently awarded a license to operate a VIP-only casino at Barangaroo, starting November 2019. Significant parts of the deal, the so-called “VIP gaming management agreement”, were kept hidden from the public eye.

After a motion by Kaye, MPs were allowed to see the full document, but they were forbidden from disclosing its contents. However, it was revealed that the deal between Crown and the gambling regulator talks about measures to prevent organized crime infiltration and corruption at the casino.

Casino.org: Packer Sydney Casino License Docs Kept Secret from Public

Newspapers say certain documents related Packer’s license for a new casino in Sydney were stamped secret by New South Wales’ gambling regulator, the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority.

The documents in question relate to official agreements between Crown Resorts, the NSW government and the authority responsible for overseeing the local casino industry and making sure that companies abide by the state’s gambling laws.

Eight of these were particularly interesting, as they were referring to operations that were to be executed when the license was issued. In seven out of eight documents, the names of all those involved were revealed. However, one of them was fully censored. Even the title of the agreement was kept a secret, along with the names of all parties.

The regulator said it was only allowed to reveal information related to the Casino Control Act, and only if it’s in the public interest. The authority added that it was obligated to hide all information that could cause commercial damage, which is why it hid details in the eighth agreement.

A spokesperson for the authority said: “The information redacted in the VIP Gaming Management Agreement document would, in the view of the authority, not promote the objects of the relevant act and be commercially damaging to the licensee or related entities if released. It was the authority’s view the public interest in its disclosure did not outweigh that potential harm.”

The Greens are planning to subpoena the documents in the NSW Parliament next week. “If this is entirely innocent, then the government should be happy to allow upper house MPs to see the documents,” MP John Kaye said. “If not, then it’s clear that they are running cover for James Packer and Crown.”

Premier Mike Baird added: “There’s no secrets. I know the Greens like to talk about conspiracy and secrets but there is none, as much as they look.”

ABC: High Rollers – High Risk?

Law and security experts claim Australian casinos that target Asian VIP customers risk exposing themselves to organized crime. There is a lot of money to be made in the gambling industry, and a large part of profits come from regular players, but Australian casinos seek to attract more high-rollers, particularly gamblers from China.

Since casino games are illegal on the mainland, these players often choose to spend their money in places like Macau or Australia. They are usually brought to the casino by companies called junkets, which locate, transport and provide credit for gamblers.

Crown Resorts, the Australian casino operator led by James Packer, has recently won approval to develop a six star hotel and VIP gambling venue at Barangaroo, on the shores of Sydney Harbour. According to the media, there is evidence linking junket companies to organized crime syndicates, which is why locals fear Packer’s new business will expose the country to illegal operations.

A gambling expert told reporters that junket companies “turn to organized crime to enforce gambling debts, using violence or threats of violence. It looks like casino operators relying solely on VIP customers for its profits could be facing huge difficulties, leaving the government with a problem too.

We take a look at the top five promotions from amongst the ghouls, goblins and ghosts on offer this Halloween around the web.

The witches are taking to the air, the ghosts are practicing their spooky “Wooooo” noises and the goblins are massing for raids that will only be foiled by an oddly carved Jack ‘O Lantern that smells slightly charring and reminds you that your kids are going to need a trip to the dentist after all that candy. Halloween has changed a lot over the centuries but it remains one of the most popular holidays for children and adults alike.

The traditions of dressing up, giving out treats, playing tricks and telling (sometimes quite tall) tales of frightening occurrences of the supernatural variety have all developed over the years into the night of excess we now all enjoy, so if you’ve already stuffed yourself with candy corn, had enough of the roasted pumpkin seeds and want to quietly relax we thought we’d give you the heads up on some of the best promotions on offer this Halloween.

Bet365: Halloween Treat At Bet365

Running throughout the final week of October those fabulous people over at Bet365 have allowed the spirit of the season to haunt their site with a range of games giving a very straight forward offer of free spins. There’s no “opting in” here, just turn up and grab those free spins, plus some of the other little spooky treats that await you within. They’ve even got a video up to explain it all to you and wet your appetite for more than candy.

The free spins are available on a great selection of their games. You can mount up on Frankie Dettori’s Magic 7, pick a winner on the Funky Fruits Farm, find the big money on Halloween Fortune, battle it out on Iron Man 3, let out your inner animal on Kong, get lucky on Mr. Cashback, net yourself something cool on Spider-Man, gain the upper hand on The Avengers, have a slash with Wolverine or get wrapped up on The Mummy. So, something for everyone.

BetVictor: Trick Or Treat At BetVictor

The duality of trick or treating stems from a few different influences ranging from the revelry of Samhain, the Christian religion and the practical jokers of the Victorian age. But whilst soul cakes have given way to candy, and the practical jokers have become far younger than once they were, that two-sided coin still spins in the air each All Hallow’s Eve, and at BetVictor they’re abiding by the spirit of the occasion.

They’ve chosen a good cross section of their superb array of slots and added in both a trick and a treat for you this Halloween. The Trick, as such, is that you get 10% of you net losses back in cash, real cash, up to a value of 20 GBP, and the Treat is they’ll add 10% onto your net winnings on any of the qualifying slots. They’ll total up on November 2nd and simply hand over the appropriate cash to you instantly. Can’t say fairer than that.

MrGreen: 4 Spin Chilling Days at MrGreen

Over at Mr Green Casino they’re taking it to a new level but issuing a challenge to all those who think there’s nothing to be scared of this Halloween. They’re giving you just 96 hours to beat the monsters, wipe out the witches and do away with any zombies you might come across in their 4 days of spookily fabulous gaming. You don’t have long, but if you’re one lucky punter you could well walk away with 4,000 EUR and that’s not to be sniffed at.

There are a number of games to beat at Mr Green Casino, each with their own unique theme and styling rendered in superb graphics with an amazing sound track to keep your Halloween as atmospheric as possible. Tighten your neck bolt in Frankenstein, take possession of your destiny in Voodoo Vibes, make sure you survive the hoard in Zombies and then cast a spell or two to see off the Wild Witches. The games are great and the rewards even greater, so this Thursday isn’t a kick-off to miss.

BetatCasino: Grab Your Bonus At BETAT Casino

BETAT Casino is keeping the magic alive with a great reward for all those that love their games. Just wager 400 EUR on each of seven days throughout the month of October and you’ll get a cool 50 EUR credited to your account as if a wizard waved his wand and thrust the money upon you. Yup, that’s right, just turn up and play on seven days and the cash is yours to collect automatically. Now you can’t get a better deal than that.

Players do have to “opt in” of course but that’s hardly an onerous task and once you have you’re guaranteed to get that bonus if you qualify over the time. The range of games on offer is a great cross section of the genre and of course there’s a few other Halloween treats, and indeed tricks, that one shouldn’t miss out on. So as the candy frenzy approaches and you wonder if that’s roasting pumpkin or the neighbors have set fire to their pool again, check out this great offer.

Unibet: Gold Rush Halloween Special at Unibet

At Unibet they’re making sure they get you both coming and going with a stupendously double edged promotion that sees you rewarded with cash prizes and invitations to their famed free rolls. Once you opt in there’s a great duality to greet you, with both the number of days you play, AND the number of points you earn combining to give you a bigger prize and greater chance to win the superb 3,000 EUR in their special Halloween tournament at 18:00 CET on Halloween.

The number of days are split up into fives, so play five days in October and you’ll get entry to a 2,000 EUR free roll, 10 days a 3,000 EUR and from 15 days play on a 5,000 EUR free roll, and for each one of those categories of time, your points score can win you a larger and larger cash prize. 1400 points over five days gets you 60 EUR, over 15 days it’s 225 EUR, and that continues all the way up to a staggeringly good 3,000 EUR top prize.

We take a look at the top five promotions from amongst the ghouls, goblins and ghosts on offer this Halloween around the web.

The witches are taking to the air, the ghosts are practicing their spooky “Wooooo” noises and the goblins are massing for raids that will only be foiled by an oddly carved Jack ‘O Lantern that smells slightly charring and reminds you that your kids are going to need a trip to the dentist after all that candy. Halloween has changed a lot over the centuries but it remains one of the most popular holidays for children and adults alike.

The traditions of dressing up, giving out treats, playing tricks and telling (sometimes quite tall) tales of frightening occurrences of the supernatural variety have all developed over the years into the night of excess we now all enjoy, so if you’ve already stuffed yourself with candy corn, had enough of the roasted pumpkin seeds and want to quietly relax we thought we’d give you the heads up on some of the best promotions on offer this Halloween.

Bet365: Halloween Treat At Bet365

Running throughout the final week of October those fabulous people over at Bet365 have allowed the spirit of the season to haunt their site with a range of games giving a very straight forward offer of free spins. There’s no “opting in” here, just turn up and grab those free spins, plus some of the other little spooky treats that await you within. They’ve even got a video up to explain it all to you and wet your appetite for more than candy.

The free spins are available on a great selection of their games. You can mount up on Frankie Dettori’s Magic 7, pick a winner on the Funky Fruits Farm, find the big money on Halloween Fortune, battle it out on Iron Man 3, let out your inner animal on Kong, get lucky on Mr. Cashback, net yourself something cool on Spider-Man, gain the upper hand on The Avengers, have a slash with Wolverine or get wrapped up on The Mummy. So, something for everyone.

BetVictor: Trick Or Treat At BetVictor

The duality of trick or treating stems from a few different influences ranging from the revelry of Samhain, the Christian religion and the practical jokers of the Victorian age. But whilst soul cakes have given way to candy, and the practical jokers have become far younger than once they were, that two-sided coin still spins in the air each All Hallow’s Eve, and at BetVictor they’re abiding by the spirit of the occasion.

They’ve chosen a good cross section of their superb array of slots and added in both a trick and a treat for you this Halloween. The Trick, as such, is that you get 10% of you net losses back in cash, real cash, up to a value of 20 GBP, and the Treat is they’ll add 10% onto your net winnings on any of the qualifying slots. They’ll total up on November 2nd and simply hand over the appropriate cash to you instantly. Can’t say fairer than that.

MrGreen: 4 Spin Chilling Days at MrGreen

Over at Mr Green Casino they’re taking it to a new level but issuing a challenge to all those who think there’s nothing to be scared of this Halloween. They’re giving you just 96 hours to beat the monsters, wipe out the witches and do away with any zombies you might come across in their 4 days of spookily fabulous gaming. You don’t have long, but if you’re one lucky punter you could well walk away with 4,000 EUR and that’s not to be sniffed at.

There are a number of games to beat at Mr Green Casino, each with their own unique theme and styling rendered in superb graphics with an amazing sound track to keep your Halloween as atmospheric as possible. Tighten your neck bolt in Frankenstein, take possession of your destiny in Voodoo Vibes, make sure you survive the hoard in Zombies and then cast a spell or two to see off the Wild Witches. The games are great and the rewards even greater, so this Thursday isn’t a kick-off to miss.

BetatCasino: Grab Your Bonus At BETAT Casino

BETAT Casino is keeping the magic alive with a great reward for all those that love their games. Just wager 400 EUR on each of seven days throughout the month of October and you’ll get a cool 50 EUR credited to your account as if a wizard waved his wand and thrust the money upon you. Yup, that’s right, just turn up and play on seven days and the cash is yours to collect automatically. Now you can’t get a better deal than that.

Players do have to “opt in” of course but that’s hardly an onerous task and once you have you’re guaranteed to get that bonus if you qualify over the time. The range of games on offer is a great cross section of the genre and of course there’s a few other Halloween treats, and indeed tricks, that one shouldn’t miss out on. So as the candy frenzy approaches and you wonder if that’s roasting pumpkin or the neighbors have set fire to their pool again, check out this great offer.

Unibet: Gold Rush Halloween Special at Unibet

At Unibet they’re making sure they get you both coming and going with a stupendously double edged promotion that sees you rewarded with cash prizes and invitations to their famed free rolls. Once you opt in there’s a great duality to greet you, with both the number of days you play, AND the number of points you earn combining to give you a bigger prize and greater chance to win the superb 3,000 EUR in their special Halloween tournament at 18:00 CET on Halloween.

The number of days are split up into fives, so play five days in October and you’ll get entry to a 2,000 EUR free roll, 10 days a 3,000 EUR and from 15 days play on a 5,000 EUR free roll, and for each one of those categories of time, your points score can win you a larger and larger cash prize. 1400 points over five days gets you 60 EUR, over 15 days it’s 225 EUR, and that continues all the way up to a staggeringly good 3,000 EUR top prize.

There wasn’t a dull moment last week as big events rolled across the global headlines so lets take a look back and who did what and where

Radicalized Canadian, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, opened fire with an automatic rifle at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Canada, killing one of the ceremonial guards on duty. The self-styled one-man jihad then took possession of a motor vehicle at gunpoint and, pursued by police, drove to the Parliament building where upon he ran inside shooting randomly as he went. He was cornered, rushed, shot and killed by security staff leaving Canada in a state of shock.

Shock didn’t seem to be much in evidence as Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to five years in jail by Judge Thokozile Masipa for the killing of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in their bathroom on February 14th 2013. Found guilty of “culpable homicide” and also of discharging a firearm in public (a separate incident) the para-Olympians faced a suspended 3 year sentence even once his five years are served, although he’s expected to spend only around 10 months in custody.

Kaci Hickox, on the other hand, will have to spend three weeks in custody of the state of New Jersey after the Ebola hysteria reached new heights of stupidity in the US. The nurse who had been treating victims in West Africa is the first to suffer the human rights abuse that is the mandatory quarantine isolation period despite testing negative for the virus and displaying no symptoms whatsoever because in America freedom isn’t a right unless you’re rich.

And talking of rich, the Queen of England decided to get with the program and sent her first tweet. Despite having had an account for some time this was the first time she, instead of palace staff, had sent one out, in this case noting the opening of a new exhibition at London’s Science Museum that focuses on the information age and the changes it has wrought upon us all. She was a little overly polite and verbose but she’ll get the hang of it.

In sport, of course, it was a week of high drama with Serena Williams beating Simona Halep to win her fifth WTA finals and end the year as world number one for the fourth time, will the Men’s WTA Finals be as superb a competition to watch and wager on? Keep track on our daily news pages, but whilst we wait for them to sort that out lets take a look back at some of the pictures and stories that made our headlines last week.

1. Two distinguished ladies at the top of South Africa’s National Gaming Board have been suspended due to accusations of corruption, abuse of power and an impressive number of illegalities, which they rewarded themselves for with a 46% pay rise.

Dr. Rob Davies has temporarily removed the NGB (Photo: African Business Review)

2. Battle of the attorneys – the fate of sports betting in New Jersey is now in the hands of Judge Michael A. Shipp, and it looks like this boat is sinking.

Hold your bets, NJ residents! (Photo: Glenn Pinkerton/Las Vegas News Bureau)

3. Sheldon Adelson has bought a lot of political influence over the years, but some still see through his attempts to fight for the “moral good” by banning online gambling.

Sheldon Adelson continues crusade against online gambling (Photo: Jeff Scheid/Reuters/Pool)

4. The illegal betting bomb dropped on the Indian Premier League in 2013 is about to explode, as the police will soon present its findings. The next court hearing is scheduled for November 10.

Fixing bets affects cricket as well… (Photo: Parth Sanyal/Reuters)

5. Some of you still think that wearing a lucky hat to the next baseball game will help you win a bet; but experts have facts, information and math on their side.

Betting looks a lot like science (Photo: Sam Huston State University)

6. Two casino operators have opened gambling venues in the center of Madrid, and now visitors have a chance to play in fancy new Spanish poker rooms. Olé!

La bienvenida al casino (Photo: Gonzalo Arroyo)

7. Warren Buffett has placed his bet on the 2016 US Presidential Elections: Hillary Clinton will run and win.

Buffets puts his money on Hillary (Photo: Carlo Allegri/Reuters)

Meanwhile Nazi war criminals have been living on US social security benefits in Europe having been bribed to leave US jurisdiction, and a Google Executive, one Alan Eustace, plummeted to the ground from 135,000ft leaving only some critics of the internet giant disappointed because he was wearing a parachute and setting a new world skydiving record. Will anything else drop out of the sky unexpectedly? You better read our GamblingResults’ news pages, just in case.

There wasn’t a dull moment last week as big events rolled across the global headlines so lets take a look back and who did what and where

Radicalized Canadian, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, opened fire with an automatic rifle at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Canada, killing one of the ceremonial guards on duty. The self-styled one-man jihad then took possession of a motor vehicle at gunpoint and, pursued by police, drove to the Parliament building where upon he ran inside shooting randomly as he went. He was cornered, rushed, shot and killed by security staff leaving Canada in a state of shock.

Shock didn’t seem to be much in evidence as Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to five years in jail by Judge Thokozile Masipa for the killing of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in their bathroom on February 14th 2013. Found guilty of “culpable homicide” and also of discharging a firearm in public (a separate incident) the para-Olympians faced a suspended 3 year sentence even once his five years are served, although he’s expected to spend only around 10 months in custody.

Kaci Hickox, on the other hand, will have to spend three weeks in custody of the state of New Jersey after the Ebola hysteria reached new heights of stupidity in the US. The nurse who had been treating victims in West Africa is the first to suffer the human rights abuse that is the mandatory quarantine isolation period despite testing negative for the virus and displaying no symptoms whatsoever because in America freedom isn’t a right unless you’re rich.

And talking of rich, the Queen of England decided to get with the program and sent her first tweet. Despite having had an account for some time this was the first time she, instead of palace staff, had sent one out, in this case noting the opening of a new exhibition at London’s Science Museum that focuses on the information age and the changes it has wrought upon us all. She was a little overly polite and verbose but she’ll get the hang of it.

In sport, of course, it was a week of high drama with Serena Williams beating Simona Halep to win her fifth WTA finals and end the year as world number one for the fourth time, will the Men’s WTA Finals be as superb a competition to watch and wager on? Keep track on our daily news pages, but whilst we wait for them to sort that out lets take a look back at some of the pictures and stories that made our headlines last week.

1. Two distinguished ladies at the top of South Africa’s National Gaming Board have been suspended due to accusations of corruption, abuse of power and an impressive number of illegalities, which they rewarded themselves for with a 46% pay rise.

Dr. Rob Davies has temporarily removed the NGB (Photo: African Business Review)

2. Battle of the attorneys – the fate of sports betting in New Jersey is now in the hands of Judge Michael A. Shipp, and it looks like this boat is sinking.

Hold your bets, NJ residents! (Photo: Glenn Pinkerton/Las Vegas News Bureau)

3. Sheldon Adelson has bought a lot of political influence over the years, but some still see through his attempts to fight for the “moral good” by banning online gambling.

Sheldon Adelson continues crusade against online gambling (Photo: Jeff Scheid/Reuters/Pool)

4. The illegal betting bomb dropped on the Indian Premier League in 2013 is about to explode, as the police will soon present its findings. The next court hearing is scheduled for November 10.

Fixing bets affects cricket as well… (Photo: Parth Sanyal/Reuters)

5. Some of you still think that wearing a lucky hat to the next baseball game will help you win a bet; but experts have facts, information and math on their side.

Betting looks a lot like science (Photo: Sam Huston State University)

6. Two casino operators have opened gambling venues in the center of Madrid, and now visitors have a chance to play in fancy new Spanish poker rooms. Olé!

La bienvenida al casino (Photo: Gonzalo Arroyo)

7. Warren Buffett has placed his bet on the 2016 US Presidential Elections: Hillary Clinton will run and win.

Buffets puts his money on Hillary (Photo: Carlo Allegri/Reuters)

Meanwhile Nazi war criminals have been living on US social security benefits in Europe having been bribed to leave US jurisdiction, and a Google Executive, one Alan Eustace, plummeted to the ground from 135,000ft leaving only some critics of the internet giant disappointed because he was wearing a parachute and setting a new world skydiving record. Will anything else drop out of the sky unexpectedly? You better read our GamblingResults’ news pages, just in case.

A federal judge intervened to temporarily block New Jersey’s plans to allow sports betting at the state’s racetrack and casinos.

State lawmakers have been trying to find ways to bring sports betting to New Jersey for years, but it looks like all attempts are destined to fail. A few weeks ago, officials passed a bill allowing licensed casinos and racetracks to accept wagers.

After Governor Chris Christie signed the document into law and Monmouth Park said it was ready to start taking bets last Sunday, professional sports leagues challenged the decision in court, asking the judge to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent this from happening.

U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp decided to grant the request made by the National Football League, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and other sports groups, but did not rule on the merits of the issue yet. A full hearing will be scheduled in the future.

A spokesman for Christie emphasized that the restraining order is temporary and added: “We continue to have full confidence in the strength and appropriateness of our position as we move forward in the litigation.”

USA Today: Judge: New Jersey can’t launch sports betting

Latest gambling news announce that a federal judge decided not to allow casinos and racetracks in New Jersey to start taking sports bets. In his ruling late Friday, US District Court Judge Michael Shipp put in place a temporary restraining order to prevent state operators from offering such services last week.

Monmouth Park was planning on giving its bookmaking operations a test run on Sunday, when it would have accepted bets on NFL games, but the court said Governor Chris Christie can’t launch sports betting in the state for now.

Monmouth Park officials were expecting about 10,000 people to rush to the track this Sunday to bet on Jets-Bills, Eagles-Cardinals, as well as on other NFL games. The track was going to open as early as 7 am, in order to allow visitors to place wagers on the Lions-Falcons game played in London at 9:30 am E.T.

But the NFL and other American sports leagues have filed a complaint asking the judge to stop state operators from taking bets immediately, invoking a 1992 federal law restricting sports betting to Nevada, Delaware, Oregon, and Montana.

A final decision will be made only after a full hearing, but for now the judge has issued a restraining order stopping Monmouth Park from going ahead with its plans. Attorneys representing the racetrack have argued that the business won’t survive without this new source of revenue.

NESN: Judge Grants Leagues’ Request, Stops N.J. Sports Betting Temporarily

Following a request from four major professional sports leagues and the NCAA, a federal judge issued a restraining order preventing New Jersey operators from taking sports bets for now. The request was made by the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, Major League Baseball and the NCAA, who went to court over a new bill signed by Governor Chris Christie, allowing casinos and racetracks in the state to offer betting services.

Under current gambling laws, Nevada is the only state allowed to offer betting on individual games at local bookmakers. Delaware also offers multi-game parlay pools, requiring players to pick several games correctly before winning any money.

“More legal gambling leads to more total gambling, which in turns leads to an increased incentive to fix plaintiffs’ matches,” Shipp said in court last Friday, adding that sports betting in New Jersey “would engender the same ills” that lawmakers sought to combat when they came up with the 1992 federal law.

Attorneys representing the sports organizations have argued that the leagues would suffer irreparable harm if such offers were available in the state. The lawsuit will proceed and the court will schedule a full hearing, but Shipp said a temporary restraining order was necessary to make sure that the matter is properly debated in court first.

Wall Street Journal: Judge Blocks Bid to Legalize Sports Betting in New Jersey

A previous attempt to overturn the sports betting ban and allow New Jersey players to bet on sports failed, and officials are not sure what will happen next. For now, Nevada continues to remain the only state where sports betting is fully legal. Delaware has a few similar operations, but the state only offers multi-game parlay pools.

While Atlantic City casinos said they would wait for the judge’s decision before starting any bookmaking operations, Monmouth Park Racetrack had originally planned to begin sports betting this weekend. The venue’s plans were put on hold by the restraining order.

Dennis Drazin, the operator of Monmouth Park, wrote in a recent statement: “While we are disappointed not to be able to start this Sunday, we are confident that sports betting will be coming to New Jersey in the very near future.”

While preventing the racetrack from starting its new operations, Judge Shipp also requested the five plaintiffs to put up a $1.7 million bond, to cover New Jersey’s potential revenue losses should the state eventually win the argument. The judge also said the temporary restraining order only applies to sports scores at events run by the four leagues and the NCAA.

A federal judge intervened to temporarily block New Jersey’s plans to allow sports betting at the state’s racetrack and casinos.

State lawmakers have been trying to find ways to bring sports betting to New Jersey for years, but it looks like all attempts are destined to fail. A few weeks ago, officials passed a bill allowing licensed casinos and racetracks to accept wagers.

After Governor Chris Christie signed the document into law and Monmouth Park said it was ready to start taking bets last Sunday, professional sports leagues challenged the decision in court, asking the judge to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent this from happening.

U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp decided to grant the request made by the National Football League, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and other sports groups, but did not rule on the merits of the issue yet. A full hearing will be scheduled in the future.

A spokesman for Christie emphasized that the restraining order is temporary and added: “We continue to have full confidence in the strength and appropriateness of our position as we move forward in the litigation.”

USA Today: Judge: New Jersey can’t launch sports betting

Latest gambling news announce that a federal judge decided not to allow casinos and racetracks in New Jersey to start taking sports bets. In his ruling late Friday, US District Court Judge Michael Shipp put in place a temporary restraining order to prevent state operators from offering such services last week.

Monmouth Park was planning on giving its bookmaking operations a test run on Sunday, when it would have accepted bets on NFL games, but the court said Governor Chris Christie can’t launch sports betting in the state for now.

Monmouth Park officials were expecting about 10,000 people to rush to the track this Sunday to bet on Jets-Bills, Eagles-Cardinals, as well as on other NFL games. The track was going to open as early as 7 am, in order to allow visitors to place wagers on the Lions-Falcons game played in London at 9:30 am E.T.

But the NFL and other American sports leagues have filed a complaint asking the judge to stop state operators from taking bets immediately, invoking a 1992 federal law restricting sports betting to Nevada, Delaware, Oregon, and Montana.

A final decision will be made only after a full hearing, but for now the judge has issued a restraining order stopping Monmouth Park from going ahead with its plans. Attorneys representing the racetrack have argued that the business won’t survive without this new source of revenue.

NESN: Judge Grants Leagues’ Request, Stops N.J. Sports Betting Temporarily

Following a request from four major professional sports leagues and the NCAA, a federal judge issued a restraining order preventing New Jersey operators from taking sports bets for now. The request was made by the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, Major League Baseball and the NCAA, who went to court over a new bill signed by Governor Chris Christie, allowing casinos and racetracks in the state to offer betting services.

Under current gambling laws, Nevada is the only state allowed to offer betting on individual games at local bookmakers. Delaware also offers multi-game parlay pools, requiring players to pick several games correctly before winning any money.

“More legal gambling leads to more total gambling, which in turns leads to an increased incentive to fix plaintiffs’ matches,” Shipp said in court last Friday, adding that sports betting in New Jersey “would engender the same ills” that lawmakers sought to combat when they came up with the 1992 federal law.

Attorneys representing the sports organizations have argued that the leagues would suffer irreparable harm if such offers were available in the state. The lawsuit will proceed and the court will schedule a full hearing, but Shipp said a temporary restraining order was necessary to make sure that the matter is properly debated in court first.

Wall Street Journal: Judge Blocks Bid to Legalize Sports Betting in New Jersey

A previous attempt to overturn the sports betting ban and allow New Jersey players to bet on sports failed, and officials are not sure what will happen next. For now, Nevada continues to remain the only state where sports betting is fully legal. Delaware has a few similar operations, but the state only offers multi-game parlay pools.

While Atlantic City casinos said they would wait for the judge’s decision before starting any bookmaking operations, Monmouth Park Racetrack had originally planned to begin sports betting this weekend. The venue’s plans were put on hold by the restraining order.

Dennis Drazin, the operator of Monmouth Park, wrote in a recent statement: “While we are disappointed not to be able to start this Sunday, we are confident that sports betting will be coming to New Jersey in the very near future.”

While preventing the racetrack from starting its new operations, Judge Shipp also requested the five plaintiffs to put up a $1.7 million bond, to cover New Jersey’s potential revenue losses should the state eventually win the argument. The judge also said the temporary restraining order only applies to sports scores at events run by the four leagues and the NCAA.

The team investigating the 2013 Indian Premier League betting-fixing scandal is expected to submit its report soon.

All eyes are on the cricket industry this week, as latest gambling news reveal more information on the betting-fixing scandal involving the Indian Premier League (IPL). Over the next four days, the police team that investigated the case will present its final report to the Supreme Court. The next hearing is scheduled for November 10.

The police submitted its first report earlier in February, along with a sealed envelope containing the names of 13 people thought to be involved in the scandal. Only one of those names was disclosed – that of Narayanaswami Srinivasan, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) – but it was more than enough to show how deep the corruption scandal runs.

Six international cricketers are said to be among the 13 accused. Rumor has it the list includes India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina, as well as three first-class players. Dhoni and Raina were recently questioned in Delhi. Gurunath Meiyappan, the BCCI presiden’t son-in-law, is also said to be involved, along with Bollywood actor Vindoo Dara Singh and Raj Kundra, coowner of Rajasthan Royals.

India Today: 2013 IPL betting-fixing scandal: Cops to submit report today

A team of four policemen is currently running all investigations, and the Mugdal committee will most likely base its report on their findings. The group is led by 1983 batch IPS officer Bibhuti Bhusana Mishra, who is also the Deputy Director General (Operations) of the Narcotics Control Bureau.

“The panel will submit the report based on whatever they [the police investigators] have found. It will discuss the evidence and their report, and will then come to a conclusion,” a source said on Sunday. “The final discussions will start tomorrow and will go on for the next three days consecutively after that – from October 27 to 30. And the report will be submitted to the Supreme Court on November 3.”

Regarding the identity of the 13 persons currently under investigation, the source said: “There are six international players and three non-internationals. We cannot name them because if their names don’t come out [as guilty]… we cannot spoil their careers.”

Srinivasan’s name was officially disclosed by the Supreme Court itself. The source added that, in addition to Vindoo and Kundra, another person would “obviously be Meiyappan”.

DNA India: Gurunath Meiyappan, Vindoo Dara Singh’s voice sample confirmed in IPL spot-fixing case?

English newspapers have revealed that Chennai Super Kings team principal Gurunath Meiyappan’s voice was heard in a tapped phone conversation. The information was confirmed by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory. Experts also heard the voice of Vindoo Dara Singh and other people who were arrested under the accusation of spot-fixing.

An internal investigation ordered by the BCCI cleared Meiyappan and Raj Kundra of corruption. Soon after, Justice Mudgal was appointed to investigate the IPL scandal. He said allegations of illegal betting against Meiyappan stand proven.

Meiyappan, who is son-in-law of BBCI president and Chennai Super Kings owner Narayanaswami Srinivasan, was accused of providing inside information to bookmakers, as well as of placing wagers on IPL matches.

Srinivasan is also said to be involved. The Supreme Court has suspended him from his position as head of the BCCI until investigations are over. Now he is President of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Wall Street Journal: Police: Indian Cricket Team Owner Admits to Betting

The police in Delhi confirmed that Raj Kundra, co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals cricket franchise, has admitted to placing illegal bets on IPL matches, through a business associate who runs a bookmaking operation. Kundra was questioned as part of a broader investigation into illegal sports wagering in the country. Although Indian gambling laws forbid betting on cricket, the businessman was not arrested.

Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar told reporters: “He has admitted to betting. We have also come to know that he has lost a lot of money in betting.”

Three players were arrested in May last year for allegedly colluding with bookmakers to fix certain moments in cricket matches.

In a statement released after the accusations were made public, the Rajasthan Royals said: “We are completely taken by surprise…We will fully cooperate with the authorities to ensure a thorough investigation. The management at Rajasthan Royals has a zero-tolerance approach to anything that is against the spirit of the game.”

Kundra owns a nearly 12% stake in the franchise, through Jaipur IPL Pvt. Ltd. Although he admitted to placing wagers on matches, there was no evidence that he was involved in spot-fixing.

GamingZion: Just How Deep Does the Indian Cricket Betting Scandal Run?

The scandal broke out in May 2013, when cricket players Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested by the Delhi police. More arrests followed, as the police suspected 11 other people of being involved in the scandal. The BCCI said it had very strict policies against betting corruption and decided to suspend the three players just a few hours after they were arrested.

A few days after the arrest, actor Vindu Dara Singh and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) former team principal Gurunath Meiyappan were also taken in. Meiyappan was initially released on bail, but then he was caught asking team members for information on matches and passing it on to bookmakers.

A report by Justice Mukul Mudgal’s committee said: “The role of Gurunath Meiyappan in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as the team official stands proved and the allegations of betting and passing of information against Meiyappan stand proved.”

At the end of May, BBCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke resigned after criticizing the way the board handled the matter and conducted its investigation. Rajeev Shukla, chairman of the IPL, followed their example.

While being headed by Meiyappan’s father-in-law, the BCCI cleared the owners of Rajasthan Royals and CSK, but the Bombay High Court established that the committee appointed by the board was constituted illegally. Srinivasan eventually stepped aside, forced by public pressure, but the measure is only temporarily.

The team investigating the 2013 Indian Premier League betting-fixing scandal is expected to submit its report soon.

All eyes are on the cricket industry this week, as latest gambling news reveal more information on the betting-fixing scandal involving the Indian Premier League (IPL). Over the next four days, the police team that investigated the case will present its final report to the Supreme Court. The next hearing is scheduled for November 10.

The police submitted its first report earlier in February, along with a sealed envelope containing the names of 13 people thought to be involved in the scandal. Only one of those names was disclosed – that of Narayanaswami Srinivasan, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) – but it was more than enough to show how deep the corruption scandal runs.

Six international cricketers are said to be among the 13 accused. Rumor has it the list includes India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina, as well as three first-class players. Dhoni and Raina were recently questioned in Delhi. Gurunath Meiyappan, the BCCI presiden’t son-in-law, is also said to be involved, along with Bollywood actor Vindoo Dara Singh and Raj Kundra, coowner of Rajasthan Royals.

India Today: 2013 IPL betting-fixing scandal: Cops to submit report today

A team of four policemen is currently running all investigations, and the Mugdal committee will most likely base its report on their findings. The group is led by 1983 batch IPS officer Bibhuti Bhusana Mishra, who is also the Deputy Director General (Operations) of the Narcotics Control Bureau.

“The panel will submit the report based on whatever they [the police investigators] have found. It will discuss the evidence and their report, and will then come to a conclusion,” a source said on Sunday. “The final discussions will start tomorrow and will go on for the next three days consecutively after that – from October 27 to 30. And the report will be submitted to the Supreme Court on November 3.”

Regarding the identity of the 13 persons currently under investigation, the source said: “There are six international players and three non-internationals. We cannot name them because if their names don’t come out [as guilty]… we cannot spoil their careers.”

Srinivasan’s name was officially disclosed by the Supreme Court itself. The source added that, in addition to Vindoo and Kundra, another person would “obviously be Meiyappan”.

DNA India: Gurunath Meiyappan, Vindoo Dara Singh’s voice sample confirmed in IPL spot-fixing case?

English newspapers have revealed that Chennai Super Kings team principal Gurunath Meiyappan’s voice was heard in a tapped phone conversation. The information was confirmed by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory. Experts also heard the voice of Vindoo Dara Singh and other people who were arrested under the accusation of spot-fixing.

An internal investigation ordered by the BCCI cleared Meiyappan and Raj Kundra of corruption. Soon after, Justice Mudgal was appointed to investigate the IPL scandal. He said allegations of illegal betting against Meiyappan stand proven.

Meiyappan, who is son-in-law of BBCI president and Chennai Super Kings owner Narayanaswami Srinivasan, was accused of providing inside information to bookmakers, as well as of placing wagers on IPL matches.

Srinivasan is also said to be involved. The Supreme Court has suspended him from his position as head of the BCCI until investigations are over. Now he is President of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Wall Street Journal: Police: Indian Cricket Team Owner Admits to Betting

The police in Delhi confirmed that Raj Kundra, co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals cricket franchise, has admitted to placing illegal bets on IPL matches, through a business associate who runs a bookmaking operation. Kundra was questioned as part of a broader investigation into illegal sports wagering in the country. Although Indian gambling laws forbid betting on cricket, the businessman was not arrested.

Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar told reporters: “He has admitted to betting. We have also come to know that he has lost a lot of money in betting.”

Three players were arrested in May last year for allegedly colluding with bookmakers to fix certain moments in cricket matches.

In a statement released after the accusations were made public, the Rajasthan Royals said: “We are completely taken by surprise…We will fully cooperate with the authorities to ensure a thorough investigation. The management at Rajasthan Royals has a zero-tolerance approach to anything that is against the spirit of the game.”

Kundra owns a nearly 12% stake in the franchise, through Jaipur IPL Pvt. Ltd. Although he admitted to placing wagers on matches, there was no evidence that he was involved in spot-fixing.

GamingZion: Just How Deep Does the Indian Cricket Betting Scandal Run?

The scandal broke out in May 2013, when cricket players Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested by the Delhi police. More arrests followed, as the police suspected 11 other people of being involved in the scandal. The BCCI said it had very strict policies against betting corruption and decided to suspend the three players just a few hours after they were arrested.

A few days after the arrest, actor Vindu Dara Singh and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) former team principal Gurunath Meiyappan were also taken in. Meiyappan was initially released on bail, but then he was caught asking team members for information on matches and passing it on to bookmakers.

A report by Justice Mukul Mudgal’s committee said: “The role of Gurunath Meiyappan in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as the team official stands proved and the allegations of betting and passing of information against Meiyappan stand proved.”

At the end of May, BBCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke resigned after criticizing the way the board handled the matter and conducted its investigation. Rajeev Shukla, chairman of the IPL, followed their example.

While being headed by Meiyappan’s father-in-law, the BCCI cleared the owners of Rajasthan Royals and CSK, but the Bombay High Court established that the committee appointed by the board was constituted illegally. Srinivasan eventually stepped aside, forced by public pressure, but the measure is only temporarily.

Adelson has managed to turn many politicians against online gambling, but supporters of the virtual industry are not giving up.

The battle over internet gambling in the US continues. While opponents of online casinos are becoming louder and more aggressive, Erik Telford, senior vice president at the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity in the United States, has expressed concerns about the influence industry representatives seem to have on politicians.

A few days ago, Telford made his voice heard too and came out strongly against casino mogul Sheldon Adelson’s political influence, in his bid to put an end to most forms of online gambling in the US. “When powerful gaming interests are spearheading the fight to ban online gambling, it should give you pause,” he wrote in an opinion piece published in the political newspaper The Hill.

CEO of Sands Vegas, Sheldon Adelson is one of the largest campaign contributors in America. With elections being held this year, several politicians have withdrawn their support for the online casino industry just to get on the billionaire’s good side.

“Their main policy objective is focused on federal legislation to ban online gambling outright – stifling their competition before it ever reaches the market. It is a glimpse of crony capitalism in its most naked form, and represents a very troubling assault on Internet freedom, giving government a foot in the door for a broader regulatory regime and usurping our federalist system,” Telford warned.

The Hill: Ending the cycle of casino cronyism

Online gambling news revealed that, in his campaign to restore the 2011 Wire Act, the casino mogul has drawn Sen. Lindsey Graham and Representative Jason Chaffetz on his side. But Telford characterized this as “a pretense to advance a moral good”, adding that “this policy would undermine the free market, encourage crime, and erode the constitutional concept of states’ rights.”

Telford quoted free market advocates, who believe that a regulated market would help protect players from fraud and concluded: “Just like Prohibition in the 1920’s, banning this vice would actually incentivize criminal behavior. Those fearful of fraud, child participation, and profits diverted to gangs or terrorists should push for legalization in every state to make the industry as transparent as possible.”

In a letter sent to US congressmen, representatives of the Institute For Policy Innovation wrote: “In this black market, where virtually all sites are operated from abroad, consumers have little to no protection from predatory behavior.”

At the end of his article, Telford reminded readers that legalizing this “multibillion dollar business” would make things more transparent, allowing authorities to verify industry revenues, as well as to profit from tax revenue.

Vegas Inc: At G2E, Sheldon Adelson reiterates disdain for Internet gambling

Billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson continued his crusade against online gambling at this year’s Global Gaming Expo (G2E), telling those present at the trade show that internet casinos make it easy for underage users to play because “when you’re on the Internet, you cannot know your customer.”

Roger Gros, publisher of Global Gaming Business, defended the online gambling industry, claiming that the internet allows operators to authenticate players’ identities. When hearing the argument that internet gambling should be legal because it already happens, Sheldon replied: “Then why don’t we legalize prostitution? Why don’t we legalize cocaine and heroin? That’s not a good reason, to say that they’re doing it anyway.”

Soon after Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware legalized online casino games, other states started to talk about doing the same thing. Adelson then set up the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling, a nonprofit organization dedicated to outlawing the business once and for all.

The casino mogul wants US gambling laws to completely ban online casino games and often argues that he fears online gaming will exploit the poor by making gambling too accessible.

“I don’t want those people to get abused because when I look at people like that I see the faces of my parents,” he said in his speech. “I just don’t see that there is any compelling reason to put an electronic casino in 318 million hands.”

iGamingPlayer: New Jersey Assembly Committee Opposes Federal Online Gaming Ban

As one of the three states that have already legalized online gambling, New Jersey is trying to send out a message to Congress, urging officials to reject a federal ban on internet casinos. The industry is already established in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware, and other states have announced their intentions to join them in opening the market.

A resolution from Assemblyman Vincent Mazzeo, who represents Atlantic City, says such a ban would not only damage New Jersey’s casino industry, but also infringe on its state’s rights.

“A federal prohibition against internet gaming would directly and negatively impact New Jersey by dismantling the investments that the state and Atlantic City casinos have already made to implement and regulate Internet gaming, taking away the economic and employment opportunities already realized by the state and its residents, and foreclosing the future potential of internet gaming to generate tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue, create high-tech software jobs, and foster valuable business ventures for Atlantic City casinos in this State,” it said.

“Internet gaming has begun to yield benefits for our state’s economy, over $80 million has been wagered, and that’s generating sorely needed tax revenue that’s serving as a stimulus for Atlantic City at this critical time,” Mazzeo explained in his statement.

While fully aware that the industry hasn’t reached its full potential, officials believe a federal ban would have a negative impact, rendering a number of investments useless and taking away millions of dollars in tax revenue.

The resolution opposes the “Restoration of America’s Wire Act” bill strongly backed by Sheldon Adelson, which is now before both houses of Congress.

Adelson has managed to turn many politicians against online gambling, but supporters of the virtual industry are not giving up.

The battle over internet gambling in the US continues. While opponents of online casinos are becoming louder and more aggressive, Erik Telford, senior vice president at the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity in the United States, has expressed concerns about the influence industry representatives seem to have on politicians.

A few days ago, Telford made his voice heard too and came out strongly against casino mogul Sheldon Adelson’s political influence, in his bid to put an end to most forms of online gambling in the US. “When powerful gaming interests are spearheading the fight to ban online gambling, it should give you pause,” he wrote in an opinion piece published in the political newspaper The Hill.

CEO of Sands Vegas, Sheldon Adelson is one of the largest campaign contributors in America. With elections being held this year, several politicians have withdrawn their support for the online casino industry just to get on the billionaire’s good side.

“Their main policy objective is focused on federal legislation to ban online gambling outright – stifling their competition before it ever reaches the market. It is a glimpse of crony capitalism in its most naked form, and represents a very troubling assault on Internet freedom, giving government a foot in the door for a broader regulatory regime and usurping our federalist system,” Telford warned.

The Hill: Ending the cycle of casino cronyism

Online gambling news revealed that, in his campaign to restore the 2011 Wire Act, the casino mogul has drawn Sen. Lindsey Graham and Representative Jason Chaffetz on his side. But Telford characterized this as “a pretense to advance a moral good”, adding that “this policy would undermine the free market, encourage crime, and erode the constitutional concept of states’ rights.”

Telford quoted free market advocates, who believe that a regulated market would help protect players from fraud and concluded: “Just like Prohibition in the 1920’s, banning this vice would actually incentivize criminal behavior. Those fearful of fraud, child participation, and profits diverted to gangs or terrorists should push for legalization in every state to make the industry as transparent as possible.”

In a letter sent to US congressmen, representatives of the Institute For Policy Innovation wrote: “In this black market, where virtually all sites are operated from abroad, consumers have little to no protection from predatory behavior.”

At the end of his article, Telford reminded readers that legalizing this “multibillion dollar business” would make things more transparent, allowing authorities to verify industry revenues, as well as to profit from tax revenue.

Vegas Inc: At G2E, Sheldon Adelson reiterates disdain for Internet gambling

Billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson continued his crusade against online gambling at this year’s Global Gaming Expo (G2E), telling those present at the trade show that internet casinos make it easy for underage users to play because “when you’re on the Internet, you cannot know your customer.”

Roger Gros, publisher of Global Gaming Business, defended the online gambling industry, claiming that the internet allows operators to authenticate players’ identities. When hearing the argument that internet gambling should be legal because it already happens, Sheldon replied: “Then why don’t we legalize prostitution? Why don’t we legalize cocaine and heroin? That’s not a good reason, to say that they’re doing it anyway.”

Soon after Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware legalized online casino games, other states started to talk about doing the same thing. Adelson then set up the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling, a nonprofit organization dedicated to outlawing the business once and for all.

The casino mogul wants US gambling laws to completely ban online casino games and often argues that he fears online gaming will exploit the poor by making gambling too accessible.

“I don’t want those people to get abused because when I look at people like that I see the faces of my parents,” he said in his speech. “I just don’t see that there is any compelling reason to put an electronic casino in 318 million hands.”

iGamingPlayer: New Jersey Assembly Committee Opposes Federal Online Gaming Ban

As one of the three states that have already legalized online gambling, New Jersey is trying to send out a message to Congress, urging officials to reject a federal ban on internet casinos. The industry is already established in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware, and other states have announced their intentions to join them in opening the market.

A resolution from Assemblyman Vincent Mazzeo, who represents Atlantic City, says such a ban would not only damage New Jersey’s casino industry, but also infringe on its state’s rights.

“A federal prohibition against internet gaming would directly and negatively impact New Jersey by dismantling the investments that the state and Atlantic City casinos have already made to implement and regulate Internet gaming, taking away the economic and employment opportunities already realized by the state and its residents, and foreclosing the future potential of internet gaming to generate tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue, create high-tech software jobs, and foster valuable business ventures for Atlantic City casinos in this State,” it said.

“Internet gaming has begun to yield benefits for our state’s economy, over $80 million has been wagered, and that’s generating sorely needed tax revenue that’s serving as a stimulus for Atlantic City at this critical time,” Mazzeo explained in his statement.

While fully aware that the industry hasn’t reached its full potential, officials believe a federal ban would have a negative impact, rendering a number of investments useless and taking away millions of dollars in tax revenue.

The resolution opposes the “Restoration of America’s Wire Act” bill strongly backed by Sheldon Adelson, which is now before both houses of Congress.

New Jersey residents might have to wait a while longer before they can place bets on sports and horse races in the state.

With Governor Chris Christie approving a new gambling bill and rumors of the Taj Mahal closing later in November, New Jersey continues to be at the centre of attention in the US. At the end of last week, state authorities gave casinos and racetracks the green light to start accepting bets, but professional sports leagues have challenged the decision in court.

Monmouth Park is prepared to start taking bets at the racetrack this Sunday, but punters might have to wait a while longer because the country’s four professional sports leagues and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have filed a lawsuit on Monday, seeking a temporary injunction to stop local gambling venues from opening sports books.

On the other hand, industry representatives argue that allowing sports betting in the state could help thousands of former Atlantic City casino employees find a new job.

NY Times: Sports Betting in New Jersey Is Challenged

For a while now, New Jersey has been trying to come up with ways to circumvent a 1992 federal law banning state regulators from handing out sports betting licenses. Last week, an important step has been taken in that direction after Governor Chris Christie signed the new gambling law partially repealing the statewide sports wagering ban. But then came the bad news: professional leagues are seeking an injunction from Judge Michael A. Shipp of Federal District Court.

New Jersey’s first sports book is schedules to have a soft opening this Sunday at Monmouth Park. The racetrack’s operators said they’re planning to have 10 tellers take bets, only on the National Football League for now, all by hand. Both the track’s managers and state leaders expect thousands of people lining up to place their bets on football Sundays.

Dennis Drazin, a legal adviser for Monmouth Park, told reporters: “As we speak, we are geared up to start taking bets.” Lawyers representing the NCAA, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the National Hockey League and the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball declined to make any comments at this point.

The challenge argues that New Jersey has tried this trick three years ago, when attempts to legalize gambling on amateur and professional sports failed. “Because this effort is no more lawful than New Jersey’s past ones, it, too, should be enjoined,” lawyers wrote in the complaint.

On the other hand, State Senator Raymond J. Lesniak said: “I have a hard time believing that a judge will determine that the leagues can prove they can be irreparably damaged by Monmouth racetrack’s taking bets, when people are betting every single day legally in Nevada,” adding that sports associations are looking to secure a monopoly.

USA Today: NFL, other leagues move to stop N.J. sports betting plan

In the complained filed earlier this week, the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and the NCAA said New Jersey was “in clear and flagrant violation of federal law.” Attorneys representing the leagues are expected to ask the judge for a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction, to prevent local businesses from taking bets.

According to track consultant Dennis Drazin, Monmouth Park is planning to take bets on sports scores as early as October 26, during the Jets-Bills game, as well as for other NFL match-ups scheduled for Sunday. The operator is likely to add a $100 bet limit for the first day. Records will initially be kept by hand, and the track expects 5,000 customers to rush to the bookies this Sunday.

“We won’t be able to have everything set up electronically for 3 or 4 weeks,” Drazin explained. “My own take on this is the people have been clamoring for this for so long that we want to introduce them to it even if you can’t do it full scale just yet.’”

Legal analysts said it’s hard to predict if all this will actually happen on Sunday.

“The leagues loaded up their complaint with buzzwords to paint a picture of immediate and irreparable harm to the plaintiffs if bets start being taken, and they’ve won injunctive relief in the past,” gaming attorney Christopher Soriano said.

According to Drazin, the track could earn as much as $1 billion per year from sports betting, giving the state’s gambling industry a much needed boost.

Philadelphia Business Journal: Hundreds file for unemployment after casino closures

Atlantic City saw its last wave of casino workers filing for unemployment at the beginning of September, following the closure of two casinos over Labor Day weekend. More than 5,000 employees lost their jobs in the process.

An assistance center was set up at the Atlantic City Convention Center, and officials from the state Department of Labor and union representatives from Local 54 of Unite-HERE were there to offer them help in filing for unemployment. They were also given information on how to sign up for health insurance.

“We’re working every day to create solutions,” Mayor Don Guardian told reporters. “As a city that cares about its residents first, we want you to know what steps we’re taking to assist in transitioning individuals losing jobs.”

Officials added that laid-off workers would be getting all the necessary training “to help ensure [they] have a smooth, quick transition to new employment.”

Job-training initiatives will be held at the Atlantic Cape Community College, aiming to train up to 1,200 employees every year. Officials plan to open a job placement center by October, assisting all Atlantic City residents.

Atlantic City started the year with 12 casinos, but their number has dropped to just eight by mid-September.

New Jersey residents might have to wait a while longer before they can place bets on sports and horse races in the state.

With Governor Chris Christie approving a new gambling bill and rumors of the Taj Mahal closing later in November, New Jersey continues to be at the centre of attention in the US. At the end of last week, state authorities gave casinos and racetracks the green light to start accepting bets, but professional sports leagues have challenged the decision in court.

Monmouth Park is prepared to start taking bets at the racetrack this Sunday, but punters might have to wait a while longer because the country’s four professional sports leagues and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have filed a lawsuit on Monday, seeking a temporary injunction to stop local gambling venues from opening sports books.

On the other hand, industry representatives argue that allowing sports betting in the state could help thousands of former Atlantic City casino employees find a new job.

NY Times: Sports Betting in New Jersey Is Challenged

For a while now, New Jersey has been trying to come up with ways to circumvent a 1992 federal law banning state regulators from handing out sports betting licenses. Last week, an important step has been taken in that direction after Governor Chris Christie signed the new gambling law partially repealing the statewide sports wagering ban. But then came the bad news: professional leagues are seeking an injunction from Judge Michael A. Shipp of Federal District Court.

New Jersey’s first sports book is schedules to have a soft opening this Sunday at Monmouth Park. The racetrack’s operators said they’re planning to have 10 tellers take bets, only on the National Football League for now, all by hand. Both the track’s managers and state leaders expect thousands of people lining up to place their bets on football Sundays.

Dennis Drazin, a legal adviser for Monmouth Park, told reporters: “As we speak, we are geared up to start taking bets.” Lawyers representing the NCAA, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the National Hockey League and the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball declined to make any comments at this point.

The challenge argues that New Jersey has tried this trick three years ago, when attempts to legalize gambling on amateur and professional sports failed. “Because this effort is no more lawful than New Jersey’s past ones, it, too, should be enjoined,” lawyers wrote in the complaint.

On the other hand, State Senator Raymond J. Lesniak said: “I have a hard time believing that a judge will determine that the leagues can prove they can be irreparably damaged by Monmouth racetrack’s taking bets, when people are betting every single day legally in Nevada,” adding that sports associations are looking to secure a monopoly.

USA Today: NFL, other leagues move to stop N.J. sports betting plan

In the complained filed earlier this week, the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and the NCAA said New Jersey was “in clear and flagrant violation of federal law.” Attorneys representing the leagues are expected to ask the judge for a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction, to prevent local businesses from taking bets.

According to track consultant Dennis Drazin, Monmouth Park is planning to take bets on sports scores as early as October 26, during the Jets-Bills game, as well as for other NFL match-ups scheduled for Sunday. The operator is likely to add a $100 bet limit for the first day. Records will initially be kept by hand, and the track expects 5,000 customers to rush to the bookies this Sunday.

“We won’t be able to have everything set up electronically for 3 or 4 weeks,” Drazin explained. “My own take on this is the people have been clamoring for this for so long that we want to introduce them to it even if you can’t do it full scale just yet.’”

Legal analysts said it’s hard to predict if all this will actually happen on Sunday.

“The leagues loaded up their complaint with buzzwords to paint a picture of immediate and irreparable harm to the plaintiffs if bets start being taken, and they’ve won injunctive relief in the past,” gaming attorney Christopher Soriano said.

According to Drazin, the track could earn as much as $1 billion per year from sports betting, giving the state’s gambling industry a much needed boost.

Philadelphia Business Journal: Hundreds file for unemployment after casino closures

Atlantic City saw its last wave of casino workers filing for unemployment at the beginning of September, following the closure of two casinos over Labor Day weekend. More than 5,000 employees lost their jobs in the process.

An assistance center was set up at the Atlantic City Convention Center, and officials from the state Department of Labor and union representatives from Local 54 of Unite-HERE were there to offer them help in filing for unemployment. They were also given information on how to sign up for health insurance.

“We’re working every day to create solutions,” Mayor Don Guardian told reporters. “As a city that cares about its residents first, we want you to know what steps we’re taking to assist in transitioning individuals losing jobs.”

Officials added that laid-off workers would be getting all the necessary training “to help ensure [they] have a smooth, quick transition to new employment.”

Job-training initiatives will be held at the Atlantic Cape Community College, aiming to train up to 1,200 employees every year. Officials plan to open a job placement center by October, assisting all Atlantic City residents.

Atlantic City started the year with 12 casinos, but their number has dropped to just eight by mid-September.