1) Any store, restaurant or casino operator across the US that sells lottery tickets or offers electronic gambling machines is invited to stop doing it for this one day on Sept. 29th. Turn off the gambling machines just for one day. Stop selling scratch tickets for one day.
2) Any citizen who gambles is invited to stop gambling for one day on Sept. 29th. If you have a loved one or a good friend who is an active gambler, urge them to participate and be their sponsor for Sept. 29th. As a sponsor, your role is to help the person stay away from gambling, be supportive and help them pursue other activities.
"Take a Break from Gambling Day" has two purposes:
- The first is to offer an opportunity for gambling operators to acknowledge they have a duty of care to citizens.
- The second is to offer family members and friends a way to start a conversation about gambling with the people they love.
The effort echoes The Great American Smokeout by the American Cancer Society which was effective in awakening the public conscience about the severe impact that smoking has on people's lives.
Improving the lives of the American people, using education and advocacy to free us of the dishonesty, exploitation, addiction and lower standard of living that commercial gambling spreads.
Members of SPG's network in both Nebraska and Alabama recently defeated massive predatory gambling bills in the face of big money lobbying campaigns by gambling interests. These are major wins for opponents of predatory gambling.
Last week a bill proposing to legalize a state lottery in Alabama was rejected. Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, a key sponsor of the lottery bill, called the defeat a vote against "children in poverty today," once again proving the truth that when a practice is dishonest, its promoters speak about it dishonestly. Joe Godfrey, the leader of the Alabama Citizens Action Program and a SPG board member, played a key role along with several others in applying relentless pressure throughout the last four weeks.
This week the Nebraska Secretary of State announced that all three proposed predatory gambling petitions failed to reach the valid signature threshold to appear before state voters on the November ballot. Pat Loontjer, the dynamic and effective leader of Nebraska's predatory gambling opposition group "Gambling with the Good Life, has been educating citizens in her state about the issue for many years, making it challenging for even a paid signature gathering effort by gambling interests to advance. Pat is also a SPG board member.
You and I know how tough the fight is against predatory gambling in our communities and in our states. No other issue has such a disparity in political spending. Nor is there another issue that government officials make no effort to remedy even though the facts are clear and unavoidable that government's partnership with gambling has been a spectacular failure.
We are called upon not to be successful, but to be faithful. Today, we are thankful to be faithful and successful.
Improving the lives of the American people, using education and advocacy to free us of the dishonesty, exploitation, addiction and inequality that commercial gambling spreads.
Hi, our members were featured in a massive amount of major national news stories in recent days. The stories below literally are just a sampling. If you're passionate about the serious problem of predatory gambling in America but question whether anything can be changed, it's time to rethink. Share these stories with your email and social media networks and help us educate more people about these dangerous and deceptive practices. Make the effort to follow usFacebookand Twitter for more. The train for reform is moving, thanks to the work and sacrifices of all our members. Keep pushing. Best, Les
Not sure how to navigate Facebook and Twitter? Download this guideto learn the basics and help us reveal the truth to more people.
NBC National News, Hallie Jackson Show
"Online betting spikes ahead of Super Bowl" featuring Stop Predatory Gambling's Director of Education Harry Levant Watch Video
Fox National News
"31 million Americans will reportedly bet on Super Bowl LVI: Fox News reports on the growing sports betting industry ahead of Super Bowl 2022" including an interview with Stop Predatory Gambling member Drew Camard of California Watch Video
Sign our petition to encourage Congress to act to restrict gambling advertising, marketing, and sponsorships, especially in sports. Learn More & Sign
Stop Predatory Gambling Foundation 100 Maryland Avenue NE, Room 310 | Washington, District of Columbia 20002 (202) 567-6996 | les@stoppredatorygambling.org
While much of the public attention has been focused on the presidential campaigns, there is a stealth, powerful lobbying campaign underway by commercial gambling operators in more than 20 states where legislatures are currently in session.
At least 15 states are facing bills with almost the exact same language (AL, GA, IL, IN, MD, MN, MO, MS, NE, NM, OK, SC, VA, WV, WI.) So far, the bill has advanced the furthest in Virginia.
If your state is not mentioned above, you can be almost certain that a pro-online gambling lobbying campaign has been launched or is being planned A gambling industry news site has provided a useful legislative bill tracking link to tell you the status of online gambling bills in your state.
The implications of these bills are enormous and merit far more public scrutiny and legislative consideration than they have currently received.
We sent a letter today to the Virginia Legislature regarding their bill. Below is a press release about our letter. I urge you to read the letter itself so you can better understand what is happening and why it is essential for you to participate in your state.
I also urge you to modify the letter and the media release to fit your state and put it out there. If you want us to work with you (and any like-minded organizations in your state) to send a similar letter, let us know.
Thanks.
Les
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Les Bernal February 25, 2015 (202) 567-6996
Virginia Legislature Misled Into Passing the Biggest Expansion of Gambling in State History Bill allows gambling operators to turn every Virginia child’s video game console into a Las Vegas casino
(RICHMOND, VA) – In a letter to Virginia legislators today, a national government reform group declared that legislators were “misled” when they recently passed a bill legalizing online gambling in the state.
“This bill represents the biggest expansion of gambling in Virginia history and legislators were misled into supporting it,” said Les Bernal, the National Director of Stop Predatory Gambling (SPG) which sent the letter. “If it becomes law, gambling operators will be able to turn every Virginia child’s video game console like PlayStation, Xbox and Wii into a Las Vegas casino. The issue deserves far more public scrutiny and legislative consideration than it’s received.”
In its letter, SPG’s letter points to several examples of the misinformation campaign around the legislation:
1) The bill allows far more forms of internet gambling than constituents, legislators and state media have been led to believe, relying on cookie cutter language found in proposed DFS bills in 14 other states.
2) The bill legalizes “eSports,” allowing gambling operators to turn every Virginia child’s video game console like PlayStation, Xbox and Wii in the State of Virginia into a Las Vegas casino. Users will be allowed to wager on the results of video games;
3) As written, the bill allows wagering on non-sports fantasy contests like awards shows, political debates, and even spelling bees;
4) Despite cloaking the bill’s intent as “consumer protection,” there are virtually no new consumer protections for Virginians
5) Lobbying campaigns have presented these online gambling operators as vibrant, sound businesses but recent media reports have spotlighted how they are on shaky financial ground;
6) To give the appearance that more support for online gambling exists than there really is, proponents are deliberately blurring the amount of participants in “daily fantasy sports” with traditional season-long games already played by Virginians.
“We strongly urge the members of the Virginia Legislature and the Governor to take immediate action to halt the lobbying effort to legalize online gambling in the state,” Bernal said.
Build a more humane and just society: end government-sponsored gambling because it is dishonest, financially damaging to citizens and contributes to rising inequality of opportunity.
In Massachusetts many citizens got involved in the movement to stop casinos because they opposed a casino where they lived.
Today there is a lobbying effort underway for state government to sponsor online gambling whichwill ultimately open a casino and lottery retailer right insideyour home and onyoursmart phone,as well as for everyone else in your community.
Attorney General Maura Healey's office has proposed an initiative legalizing online gambling by regulations, a political strategy that contrasts the actions of the New York andIllinoisAttorney Generals who have acted to shut down online gambling operations in their states.
The Attorney General's proposed regulations represent the biggest expansion of gambling in Massachusetts history. While it has been presented to the public as a bid to regulate online fantasy sports gambling, the end game for gambling interests is to offer more extreme forms of gambling to citizens through the internet.
4) National political comedian John Oliver's review of online fantasy sports gambling on his HBO show Last Week Tonight. (If the image below doesn't show in your email, watch the segment here.)
We believe Attorney General Healey, her staff and others who propose to introduce internet gambling into Massachusetts are better leaders than this initiative demonstrates.
Build a more humane and just society: end government-sponsored gambling because it is dishonest, financially damaging to citizens and contributes to rising inequality of opportunity.
Americans are expectedto lose $118 billion of their personal wealthto commercialized gambling in 2018. Many of these citizens, some of whom are your family, neighbors and co-workers, suffered life-changing financial losses.
When you look at the bigger picture, the American people are on a collision course to lose more than $1 trillion of wealth to government-sanctioned gambling over the next eight years.
Our national network is made up almost entirely of volunteers who take action because of what we believe:
We believe everyone in America should have a fair opportunity to get ahead and improve their future.
We believe every person’s life has worth and that no one is expendable.
We believe that a good society depends on the values of honesty, concern for others, mutual trust, self-discipline, sacrifice, and a work ethic that connects effort and reward.
We believe no agency or entity of government should depend on predatory gambling to fund its activities.
Today, we're taking part in a national day of philanthropy which has become known as Giving Tuesday. We're a 501c3 public charity.If you believe what we believe, please include our mission as one of the recipients of your charitable giving today.
- A 501c3 non-profit based in Washington, DC, we are a national government reform network of individuals and organizations from across the U.S.
- We believe in improving the lives of the American people with compassion and fairness, freeing us from the lower standard of living, exploitation, and fraud that commercialized gambling spreads.
- We are one of the most diverse organizations in the United States, one in which conservatives and progressives work side-by-side with with a common national purpose.
What We Stand For —
- We believe everyone should have a fair opportunity to get ahead and improve their economic standing.
- We believe every person’s life has worth and that no one is expendable.
- We believe that a good society depends on the values of honesty, concern for others, mutual trust, self-discipline, sacrifice, and a work ethic that connects effort and reward.
- We believe no government body should depend on predatory gambling to fund its activities.
I’m writing to ask for your help with a story by a high-profile news media outlet investigating the types of business practices used by casino "hosts" to encourage citizens to gamble at casinos. Also called "player development representatives," the casino employees are assigned to citizens with the explicit purpose to extract as much money as possible, using an almost limitless variety of tactics to do so. It's important to note that state governments are complicit with these tactics. The reporter is looking to speak to people with specific knowledge and experience with these "hosts."
If you or anyone you know is willing to share their knowledge and experience to spotlight this serious issue, please send me their contact info and I'll connect them with the journalist. Thanks for your help.
Best, Les Bernal National Director Stop Predatory Gambling
________________________________
Who We Are —
- A 501c3 non-profit based in Washington, DC, we are a national social reform network of citizens and organizations from across the U.S.
- We are one of the most diverse organizations in the United States, one in which conservatives and progressives work side-by-side with a common national purpose.
What We Stand For —
- We believe in improving the lives of the American people with compassion and fairness, freeing us from the lower standard of living, exploitation, and fraud that commercialized gambling spreads.
- We believe everyone should have a fair opportunity to get ahead and improve their economic standing.
- We believe every person’s life has worth and that no one is expendable.
- We believe that a good society depends on the values of honesty, concern for others, mutual trust, self-discipline, sacrifice, and a work ethic that connects effort and reward.
- We believe no government body should depend on predatory gambling to fund its activities.
Stop Predatory Gambling Foundation 100 Maryland Avenue NE, Room 310 | Washington, District of Columbia 20002 (202) 567-6996 | les@stoppredatorygambling.org
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe elects Brian Weeden as new tribal council leader
Jessica Hill Cape Cod Times
Published May 18, 2021
MASHPEE — The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has a new chairman who aims to unite tribal members, promote economic development and preserve the tribe’s culture.
In its May 16 election, members of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe elected 28-year-old Brian Weeden as chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council.
“I feel ready to get to work,” Weeden said. “There’s a lot of things that need to be done for the tribe and the community.”
Weeden won by 20 votes, garnering a total of 241 votes to 221 for Nelson Andrews Jr.. Aaron Tobey Jr. received 167 votes, and Robert “Kyle” Bassett had 20. Carlton Hendricks Jr. was elected vice-chairman, Marie Stone elected treasurer and Cassie Jackson elected secretary.
“I hope the tribe’s future is bright with the newly elected leadership,” Bassett said. “I know everybody that got elected, and I hope that they’re up for the challenge.”
Weeden is the youngest person to serve as Tribal Council chairman, the head of the tribe’s executive and legislative government branch.
Weeden graduated from Mashpee High School in 2011 and attended Cape Cod Community College. He works for the Mashpee Department of Public Works as a custodian at the K.C. Coombs School.
For years, Weeden has been involved in both tribal and town organizations, such as the Mashpee Conservation Commission and the Mashpee Historical Commission. He was most recently elected to the Mashpee School Committee. He is also on Mashpee’s Town Seal Design Committee, and is representing the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe on the state seal commission.
In 2009, Weeden founded the Youth Council, and created the Mashpee Youth Commission in 2019 to give young people a voice and experience in tribal and local politics.
Weeden said his main priority is to restore unity in the tribal community by talking with members and listening to them, he said. He said he plans to organize more unity conferences and ceremonial gatherings. Hendricks, the vice-chairman, also wants to have an open, transparent government where members are aware of what is going on, he said.
Weeden said another goal is to preserve and emphasize the tribe’s culture through more language classes and cultural programming, such as summer camps and Quahog Day for children. He said the tribe used to have a toddler hour at the tribal museum, where day care providers would come in with their children, and a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe would host a cultural activity.
Weeden and Hendricks say they also want to find ways to improve the tribe’s financial status through the implementation of a finance committee as well as find new streams of revenue.
The tribe has been in a dire financial situation for years, and with the plans to build a Taunton casino halted, there is a serious need for economic development.
Weeden’s past two predecessors, Cedric Cromwell and Glenn Marshall, were both indicted on felony charges while in office. Cromwell is currently facing bribery and extortion charges, and Marshall pleaded guilty to several charges in 2009, including embezzling nearly $400,000 from the tribe.
Weeden said he hopes to turn the tide and restore the tribe’s integrity.
“The Cromwell administration left the tribe devastated,” said Hendricks, who has a couple of plans to bring economic development to the tribe, although he declined to provide specifics until he shares them with tribal members and the Tribal Council. He hopes to see two viable economic plans bringing in revenue to the tribe within two years.
One of Weeden’s ideas is to create a deer farm in Mashpee. The tribe could replenish the woods and restock the Cape’s game, he said, as there are a lot of tribal members who still hunt. The tribe could sell venison to local distributors, tan the deer hide and make traditional clothing. Another idea is to do canoe tours along Mashpee’s rivers and waterways, Weeden said.
Now also president of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s Gaming Authority, Weeden plans to get input from members of the tribe and the Tribal Council about what route the tribe plans to take with its casino projects.
Weeden said he plans to put policies and procedures in place so the tribe “can never be in this situation again.”
“I think people that do wrong by the tribe should not be allowed to receive services” or be a part of the tribal government, he said.
As someone who attended White House gatherings as a tribal youth delegate, Weeden said he plans to continue making sure the tribe is represented on a national level and build relationships with potential economic partners, he said.
And at a local level, Weeden said he will also negotiate with the Town of Mashpee and review their intergovernmental agreement, and make sure the town is consulting with the tribe on matters such as development projects.
Tribal members continue to get harassed for practicing their aboriginal rights to fish and hunt, Weeden said. Members have been arrested for trespassing while trying to access waterways. The Mashpee Pond, for instance, is locked, and Weeden plans on working with the Town of Mashpee to improve treatment and access to waterways.
He also wants to work on the tribe’s land-in-trust status and continue land and restitution negotiations with the commonwealth. The tribe’s constitution also needs to be reformed, he said. Certain clauses about Tribal Council requirements and tribal enrollment should be amended to give more power to tribal members, he said.
“The constitution took away the voice of the people and gave a lot of power and authority to the chairman and the council,” Weeden said.
“This administration is going to lead the way for future generations and get everything back in order around here, culturally, spiritually, physically, mentally,” Weeden said. “And do what’s right by our people.
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