A comment was posted by "Steve Norton" in response to this article [posted below]...it would seem it's the very same Steve Norton of Atlantic City Fame who apparently never saw the underage gambling and much else. And is that the Steve Norton whose racino filed for bankruptcy to avoid its commitment?
On the right side is a list of categories. Click on Steve Norton to view some of his history.
Steve Norton has been a Snake Oil Salesman forever!
[Great Book BTW: "TEMPLES OF CHANCE How America Inc. Bought Out Murder Inc. to Win Control of the Casino Business" by David (Cay) Johnston. New Jersey closed its eyes to a great deal as long as the $$$ rolled in. As you know, David Cay Johnston has written extensively on financial/economic issues and his writing are well researched, heavily footnoted. Simply breathtaking! Ya wanna know how/why the NJ Gambling Commission ignored Trump's Money Laundering under Steve Perskie's Chairmanship? If that the same Steve Perskie that dazzled the Massachusetts Gambling Commission who were too lazy to conduct even a simple google search?]
American Gaming Association 'extremely disappointed' in Boston FBI agents saying casino gaming will increase public corruption in Massachusetts
FBI Special Agent in Charge Vincent Lisi, head of the FBI's Boston office, takes questions from reporters during a news conference, Monday, Dec. 15, 2014, in Boston. Lisi, whose office covers Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, said he's concerned the expansion of casino gambling might lead to an increase in public corruption and financial and organized crime. The American Gaming Association, which represents the gambling industry, said Lisi's concerns were off base but the group hopes they opens the door for a more constructive relationship with the FBI going forward. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (Steven Senne)
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on December 17, 2014 at 9:35 AM, updated December 18, 2014 at 7:29 AM
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on December 17, 2014 at 9:35 AM, updated December 18, 2014 at 7:29 AM
The American Gaming Association is taking issue with the FBI in Boston warning that the proliferation of casino gaming will bring renewed issues of public corruption and organized crime to Massachusetts.
At a press conference held on Monday in Boston, Special Agent Vincent Lisi said the expansion of casino gaming creates "fertile ground" for a slew of criminal problems, most notably public corruption cases as "you have a heavy amount of regulation, along with a lucrative business."
The AGA, a trade group representing the gambling industry, took issue with the FBI's assertions that Massachusetts licensing up to three casinos and a slots parlor will create such a public integrity crisis to necessitate it launching a "Stop Corruption Now" awareness campaign.
"As casino entertainment has expanded in a safe and beneficial manner to countless communities across the United States over the last twenty years, tired stereotypes of public corruption and organized crime have been proven false," said AGA President and CEO Geoff Freeman in a statement.
"The American Gaming Association and our entire industry are committed to working with law enforcement to ensure the integrity of our product, the safety of our customers and the best interests of the communities in which we do business," he continued. "We hope these unfortunate comments will open the door to a more constructive dialogue and a lasting partnership with the FBI in Massachusetts and beyond."
In Massachusetts, the state's 2011 Expanded Gaming Act which paved the way for casino gaming required that companies wishing to do business here be vetted to eliminate any potential bad eggs among the group.
The Mass. Gaming Commission put each casino company and its executives through an investigative process and each of the companies which have been licensed were put on the spot over a variety of topics ranging from the actions of past employees to doing business in Macau, China. In the end, Caesars Entertainment withdrew its application and now is suing the state. The commission determined Ourway Realty, which owned the Plainridge harness race track, was unsuitable to do business in Massachusetts gaming.
Since then, Penn National Gaming took over that project and was licensed for its $225 million Plainridge Park Casino slots parlor in Plainville; MGM Resorts International was licensed for its $800 million resort casino in Springfield and Wynn Resorts was licensed for its $1.6 billion resort casino in Everett.
Of the three, only Wynn has had issues regarding peripheral criminal implications as joint owners of the land it is to develop are charged with trying to hide that a convicted felon stands to profit from the property transaction. Additionally, a recent New York Times report that Wynn was under investigation by the IRS led to the state gaming commission to probe the matter.
[MONEY LAUNDERING]
This story was amended on Thursday morning to clarify that Caesars Entertainment pulled out of the application process.
http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/12/american_gaming_association_ex.html
Most US gaming jurisdictions have an enviable reputation of keeping undesirable investors and individuals away from their casino industry. You have to go back to Nevada, prior to the 60's to find any mob involvement in legal casino gaming. Governor Grant Sawyer eliminated mob investment in Las Vegas in the 1960's. In New Jersey, under the leadership of ex Prosecutor, Governor Brendan Byrne, it was tougher to qualify as an operator, investor or supplier of an Atlantic City casino, than any other position in government or business in the United States. And states like Massachusetts, have followed suit, with detailed investigations of operators, and soon executives, suppliers and investors. The new FBI anti corruption tip line will get very little action from the casino industry, as too many eyes are already watching every financial transaction. The FBI will find its attention more deserved in other industries.
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