Batman-inspired sheriff spends taxpayer dollars like Bruce Wayne on casinos and first-class trips

TOM BOGGIONI
31 JUL 2015 AT 09:50 ET 

Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill -WXIA screencap

A Georgia sheriff who has a Batman statue in his office, hands out coins bearing his name and the Batman logo, and drives around town in taxpayer paid for black Camaro, is being scrutinized over his spending habits as a grand jury prepares to look into his involvement in the shooting of a friend, reports WXIA.

A local prosecutor has asked a grand jury to look into Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill’s actions after he shot real estate agent Gwenevere McCord inside of a model home on May 3. The shooting, which Hill described as happening while practicing “police tactics,” destroyed McCord’s spleen and one of her kidneys, with the woman also losing  a portion of her large intestine.

With Hill avoiding speaking to the media, WXIA began looking into the expense account of the self-promoting sheriff who has been living a life of luxury — first class plane tickets, casino visits, expensive dinners, and personal gifts — all on taxpayer’s dime.

Hill’s records show the sheriff traveling to multiple cities to take martial arts or survivalist classes, along with extending his stays at casinos which he also charged to the taxpayers.

In a one year period, the sheriff also billed the county for three trips he took to stay at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Additionally Hill billed the county for personal items such as fashion sunglasses, machetes, and the Batman  commemorative coins — costing the county $2,000 —  which he passes out to locals.

According to the Daily Beast,  Hill was the recipient of a 32-count racketeering indictment for his alleged use of county-issued credit cards, but was cleared.

When Hill first took office in 2005 he fired 27 deputies on his first day resulting in the county paying out a $7 million settlement to the fired law enforcement officers.

Watch the video below from WXIA: ON LINK BELOW 

https://www.rawstory.com/2015/07/batman-inspired-sheriff-spends-taxpayer-dollars-like-bruce-wayne-on-casinos-and-first-class-trips/

Casino security pictures ID man sought in burglary on casino property

CRIME NEWS FOR SOUTH MISSISSIPPI

February 17, 2014

 

Tran

 

Casino security pictures ID man sought in burglary

 BILOXI -- Security pictures of an auto burglary in the IP Casino parking lot led to tips that helped identify Kevin Van Tran as the suspect, police said.

The vehicle's owner reported the inside of his car had been ransacked Sept. 18 and several items were stolen. Surveillance video showed Tran, a regular at the casino, burglarize the car and leave in a different vehicle, police Sgt. Steve Schlicht said.

Police had released a picture and information asking the public for help. Police arrested Tran, 22, of D'Iberville, on Saturday. He was held at the Harrison County jail on a $10,000 bond set by Justice Court Judge Albert Fountain.

Anyone with information about the case or other crimes in Biloxi is asked to call police dispatchers at 392-0641 or investigators at 435-6112.
 -- Robin Fitzgerald  http://www.sunherald.com/2014/02/17/5346583/crime-news-for-south-mississippi.html  

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2014/02/17/5346583/crime-news-for-south-mississippi.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2014/02/17/5346583/crime-news-for-south-mississippi.html#storylink=cpy

 

Mississippi: 15 year low, They just stopped coming

Mississippi casino revenues on pace for 15-year low

May 21, 2013

Business, Tourism

JACKSON, Mississippi – Mississippi casinos could be headed to a 15-year low in gross gaming revenues, if the trend from the first four months continues the rest of the year.

April figures released by the Mississippi Gaming Commission this week show another month of revenue decreases as casinos attempt to reverse the trend of out-of-state gamblers staying out of state.


“People are more cautious with their money now and they tend to stay closer to home,” said Godfrey.

He added that out-of-state visitors decreased dramatically from 2008 to 2012, falling from 36.5 million to just under 25 million.

“They just stopped coming,” he said. “And we have to come up with the amenities to bring them back.”

Casino revenues in the state have been dropping since 2007, because of the recession and increased competition. Casino analysts point to the need for more amenities in the Tunica area and along the coast to reverse the downward spiral.

In an effort to stop the trend, some Tunica casinos have instituted a $1 million giveaway every Saturday night and are planning a new advertising campaign to counter negative-stereotype ads from a greyhound park and casino in Arkansas. The search is also on for new amenities on the coast. The latest effort came last week when the Biloxi City Council added its support to an effort to build a stadium and bring a Double-A baseball team to the city.

[Stadiums don't create economic development.]

http://msbusiness.com/businessblog/2013/05/21/mississippi-casino-revenues-on-pace-for-15-year-low/

 

Gambling Addict Killed in Home Invasion, Owed $10 Million

Hilltown Murder Victim Owed $10M to Casinos, Banks

Chris Palmer of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Canazaro owed more than $10 million to various casinos, banks and the government

• January 22, 2013

Chris Palmer of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Hilltown robbery and home invasion murder victim Joseph Canazaro was $10 million in debt to casinos, banks and the government.

Bankruptcy documents from 2008 showed Canazaro owed hundreds of thousands of dollars to casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Biloxi, MS, according to the article.

A matter was settled in bankruptcy court where Canazaro cashed $210,000 in faulty checks with two check-cashing agencies, Palmer reports.

Locally, Canazaro owed taxes to Hatfield Township and New Britain Township.

Hilltown Township Police and the Bucks County District Attorney believe Canazaro’s Swartley Road home, which he rented, was targeted for robbery by two men who are still wanted by authorities, according to the article. The two suspects got into the home through a first-floor bedroom window.

In an NBC10 interview with Doug Shimell, Hilltown Township Chief Chris Engelhart said investigators are looking into Canazaro owing money to others not listed on bankruptcy records.
Detectives are also investigating if murder was the motive, Shimell said.

"Whether something happened during the process of the home invasion route, we don't know that," Engelhart said. "Did they get the information they needed, and no longer needed him? We don't know."

http://lansdale.patch.com/articles/hilltown-murder-victim-owed-10m-to-casinos-banks#photo-13016678

Massive Casino Debt Passed Along

Pinnacle to buy Ameristar Casinos
Price tag set around $869M
Dec 21, 2012

In a deal that would more than double its size, Pinnacle Entertainment said Friday that it will buy rival Ameristar Casinos for about $869 million, plus take on $1.9 billion of its debt.

Pinnacle owns seven U.S. casinos and a racetrack and is developing another property. Ameristar has eight casinos in the United States — including one in Vicksburg — and has a $500 million casino under construction in Lake Charles, La. The company said buying Ameristar could help it become a bigger player in the gaming industry, while trimming costs.

U.S. casinos have struggled to recover from the recession as consumers watch spending. Larger U.S. casino companies have increasingly relied on their properties in Asia for profits.

If the deal is approved by shareholders and regulators, Pinnacle will pay $26.50 for each share of Ameristar Casinos Inc. That’s a 20 percent premium over the company’s Thursday closing stock price of $22.07. It’s also gaining $116 million of the company’s cash.

Ameristar shares jumped 17 percent to $25.75 on the news, while Pinnacle shares rose 3 percent to $13.80.

The deal, expected to close by the end of the third quarter, has been approved by the boards of both Las Vegas operators. Pinnacle said it has received a financing commitment.

Pinnacle said the acquisition would save it at least $40 million a year and boost earnings.

Pinnacle has casinos in Louisiana, Missouri and Indiana. It’s developing another property in Ohio and also has a racetrack in the state. Ameristar’s holdings include casinos in Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, Mississippi, Indiana and Nevada. Had the two companies already been combined, it would have generated $2.4 billion in revenue in the 12 months through September, Pinnacle said.

Pinnacle was the parent company of Biloxi Casino Corp., which did business as Casino Magic Biloxi.

That casino closed in fall 2006, and the Biloxi property was sold to Harrah’s Entertainment for $25 million.

http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20121222/BIZ/312220017/Pinnacle-buy-Ameristar-Casinos

Acquisition of Ameristar Casinos, Inc. by Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. May Not Be in Ameristar Casinos Shareholders' Best Interests

SAN DIEGO and LAS VEGAS, Dec. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Shareholder rights attorneys at Robbins Umeda LLP are investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of the law by members of the board of directors of Ameristar Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASCA) in connection with their efforts to sell the company to Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: PNK).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111014/ROBBINSUMEDALOGO)

On December 21, 2012, Ameristar Casinos and Pinnacle Entertainment announced they had entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Pinnacle Entertainment will acquire Ameristar Casinos through an all cash offer. Ameristar Casinos shareholders will receive $26.50 per share. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2013.

The Board of Directors' Actions May Prevent Ameristar Casinos Shareholders from Receiving the Maximum Value for Their Stock

Robbins Umeda LLP's investigation focuses on whether the board of directors at Ameristar Casinos is undertaking a fair process to obtain maximum value and adequately compensate its shareholders. The $26.50 per share offer price is substantially below the $31 target price maintained by an analyst at Knight Equity Research, and the $29 price set by an analyst at Imperial Capital. Further, on October 31, 2012, Ameristar Casinos announced that the company's third quarter of 2012 "was one of Ameristar's most profitable ever." Given, these facts, the firm is examining whether the board of directors' decision to sell Ameristar Casinos for $26.50 per share is fair to shareholders and maximizes the value for their shares.

Ameristar Casinos shareholders have the option to file a class action lawsuit against the company to secure the best possible price for shareholders and the disclosure of material information so shareholders can vote on the transaction in an informed manner. If you own Ameristar Casinos stock and are interested in information about your rights and potential remedies, contact Darnell R. Donahue at (800) 350-6003, ddonahue@robbinsumeda.com, or via the shareholder information form on the firm's website.

Robbins Umeda LLP is a nationally recognized leader in securities litigation and shareholder rights law. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits, and has helped its clients realize more than $1 billion of value for themselves and the companies in which they have invested. For more information, please go to http://www.robbinsumeda.com.

Press release link:
http://www.robbinsumeda.com/shareholders-rights-blog/ameristar-casinos-inc/

PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1xyyp)
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/acquisition-of-ameristar-casinos-inc-by-pinnacle-entertainment-inc-may-not-be-in-ameristar-casinos-shareholders-best-interests-184509441.html

Isle of Capri upgraded to Neutral

UPDATE: Credit Suisse Upgrades Isle of Capri Casinos to Neutral, Raises PT

Dwight Einhorn, Benzinga Staff Writer

December 10, 2012

In a report published Monday, Credit Suisse Group upgraded its rating on Isle of Capri Casinos (NASDAQ: ISLE[FREE Stock Trend Analysis]) from Underperform to Neutral and raised its price target from $5.00 to $5.50.

Credit Suisse noted, “ISLE shares have fallen 28.5% since October 1 versus 1.6%/1.8% declines in the S&P 500/Russell 2000. While we remain concerned about a challenging consumer environment, the impact of future competition (Lake Charles), and are cautious about returns the Nemacolin project (increased budget), we believe much of this is baked into the stock. While ISLE is still highly leveraged, on the positive side proceeds from the sale of its Biloxi property as well as other debt refinancing efforts in recent years have given the company more runway. ISLE has no meaningful debt maturities until 2017 and capacity under its credit facility gives it room to pursue strategic investments and potential acquisitions.”

Isle of Capri Casinos closed on Friday at $4.97.


Read more: http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/12/12/3158854/update-credit-suisse-upgrades-isle-of-capri-casinos-to-n#ixzz2EkKrctzg

Boyd Gaming seeks to have $75M death lawsuit dismissed

Boyd Gaming seeks to have $75M death lawsuit dismissed against IP Casino (updated)

 Published: Saturday, September 22, 2012
 

 

(Joshua Dahl/Correspondent) The IP Casino Resort Spa is seen in this 2011 file photo.

JACKSON, Mississippi --- A gambling company has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that claims a Mississippi casino served a heavily medicated man so many free drinks that he collapsed in the bathroom of his hotel room and died.

The lawsuit against IP Casino Resort and Spa in Biloxi was filed in U.S. District Court in Gulfport in July and seeks damages of $75 million. The suit claims casino workers ignored pleas from Bryan Lee Glenn's relatives in JACKSON, Mississippi --- A gambling company has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that claims a Mississippi casino served a heavily medicated man so many free drinks that he collapsed in the bathroom of his hotel room and died.

The lawsuit against IP Casino Resort and Spa in Biloxi was filed in U.S. District Court in Gulfport in July and seeks damages of $75 million. The suit claims casino workers ignored pleas from Bryan Lee Glenn's relatives in August 2009 and continued serving him free drinks well after he was visibly intoxicated.

The casino, formerly known as Imperial Palace, changed hands after Glenn's death. Boyd Gaming bought the property in 2011.

Boyd Gaming argues in court filings this week that "Mississippi law is abundantly clear that one injured as a result of his on voluntary intoxication has no viable claim against a casino which served him alcohol."

Michael Holleman, lawyer for Glenn's relatives, didn't respond to a message seeking comment on the filing.

Mississippi has a "dram shop" law that says businesses can be held liable if they serve alcohol to someone who is drunk and that person later injures or kills someone else. But Boyd Gaming sites a 1986 case, Cuevas v. Royal D'Iberville Hotel, in which the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled a business is not liable when a person voluntarily drinks "and then by reason of his inebriated condition, injures himself."

In the 1986 case, a woman said the hotel lounge served her alcohol after she was visibly drunk, a factor that contributed to her fall over a railing to the hotel lobby floor 30 feet below. She was seriously injured.

In the lawsuit against Boyd Gaming, Glenn's relatives claim they pleaded with casino employees to cut him off from alcohol because he was on medication for physical and mental ailments.

Glenn, 30, had taken prescription painkillers as well as anti-psychotic medications in the three weeks before his death, the lawsuit said. He was being treated for physical injuries as well as psychosis and hallucinations. Glenn had suffered a traumatic brain injury in a 2004 four-wheeler accident and back injuries in a 2007 car wreck.

Glenn and his mother and brother lived in coastal Long Beach, Miss., but lost everything to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and eventually settled in Virginia. They returned to Mississippi with a friend in August 2009 to pick up Glenn's check from a settlement from a previous lawsuit and to look for a place to live. They were staying at the IP resort.

Glenn picked up the $15,000 check on the morning of Aug. 6, 2009, and the group planned to use some of the money on a deposit for a place to live. But once back at the resort, Glenn began betting up to $1,000 a hand on blackjack and ordering two drinks at a time. The suit says a dealer, pit boss, waitress and security guard were among those who refused to intervene after Glenn was drunk and his family begged the casino to stop serving him.

Glenn's relatives left the casino to take someone home. When they returned, his brother, mother and a friend found him in his hotel bathroom at the resort. Glenn's friend, trained as an emergency medical technician, tried to revive him but he was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/09/boyd_gaming_seeks_to_have_75_d.html

Margaritaville Casino laying off low wage workers

Margaritaville Casino reduces staff
Posted: Thursday, September 6, 2012

Associated Press | pressofAtlanticCity.com

Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Casino & Restaurant Biloxi is laying off about 50 full-time and 150 part-time workers as the summer tourist season ends.

Chief financial officer Scott King tells the Sun Herald ( http://bit.ly/PKUuKG) that for six weeks the company has been informing employees their jobs would end with summer.

Margaritaville hired nearly 1,000 people for its opening on May 22. Traditionally, Coast casinos hire additional employees for the opening and the summer and adjust employment levels seasonally.
King says Hurricane Isaac added to the layoffs because high water damaged the marina and the outdoor bar and dining area.

The Biloxi property is the first stand-alone Margaritaville Casino. Others are being built in Bossier City, La., and Atlantic City. The original Margaritaville Casino opened inside the Flamingo Hilton in Las Vegas.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/ap/new_jersey/margaritaville-casino-reduces-staff/article_74608beb-bdcb-5fe2-b756-47439ab82f8d.html

Life's a gamble; casinos are just crazy

Johnson: Life's a gamble; casinos are just crazy
Aug 4, 2012

Written by Rheta Grimsley Johson

BILOXI, Miss. -- All of us are gamblers, whether we admit it or not. If we put money in the stock market, or drive a car on roads overrun with texting fools, or even get out of bed and go outside, we are gambling, if not with our money with our lives.

And yet there's something altogether different and desperate about the casinos and the fast rate at which ordinary people will push money into machines in the hope of making more. A suspension of disbelief, I'd call it.

I never can figure out the appeal, exactly. I love the Mississippi coast, always have, one of the best-kept secrets in the South. Even post-Katrina, it's an unofficial architectural museum, a laid-back anecdote to the high-rise clutter of Florida beaches, where you have to check into a hotel or condo to see the water.

But the casinos that thrive where the working shrimp boats used to dock are a mystery to me. I'm clueless, as the kids would say.

There is no glamour, once you pass the fancy shops and live flowers in the lobby of a hotel that wears the casino name. Patrons wear blue jeans and tennis shorts and maybe even their idea of what one should wear to a casino, but the amalgamation is decidedly unglamorous, like old Mardi Gras beads strewn in a kitchen junk drawer.

There is no view of the ocean, lest you be distracted from gambling. There is no raucous laughter or convivial air; gambling is a solitary sport.

Coast casinos are not one-size-fits-all. There are smoke-free casinos for the sensitive, military and senior discounts at some of the restaurants, a Jimmy Buffett casino for Parrotheads. The casinos work at it, whatever "it" is.

You might say you come here for the cheap buffet, or the shops, or a show, but I'm betting you'll gamble just a little. Just enough to pay for the evening at the restaurant, the shops or the show. If that doesn't work out, you say you paid for the fun. As that "man of virtues" William Bennett once told us, not everyone is betting the milk money.

I check my watch and feed the quarter slot $20. It takes three minutes for the hungry machine to finish it off. It would take a minimum-wage worker nearly three hours to earn it.

I sound like a scold whenever I talk about gambling. But having grown up with Depression-era parents and grandparents, I'm more incredulous than disapproving.

My grandmother would wash and reuse tin foil until it was soft and wrinkled. Now, two generations later, grandmothers are rolling in behind their walkers to push their Social Security checks into the clattering slot machines.

I've wasted more money in my life than I care to recall. I've bought more useless bric-a-brac than a Dollar Tree store, more clothing in a year than my grandmother owned in her entire life. And boats -- those holes in the water into which you throw money -- have seduced me since I could float in a miniature boat in a circle at the state fair.

But when I've spent money -- carelessly, unwisely, impulsively -- there's most always been something in a bag or on a trailer to haul home.


http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20120805/OPINION/208050331

Welcomed into Massachusetts!

Bill Kearney

Massachusetts ‘GAMING’ Future

The Associated Press - Fri, Jul. 27, 2012 - $75M lawsuit claims casino let man drink to death

JACKSON, Miss. - A lawsuit claims a Mississippi casino served so much alcohol to a man taking powerful prescription painkillers that he died on the floor of his hotel bathroom.

The lawsuit against IP Casino Resort and Spa in Biloxi was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. It seeks damages of $75 million.

The suit claims casino workers kept serving free drinks to 30-year-old Bryan Lee Glenn in August 2009, ignoring pleas from the drunken man's family to stop serving him.


Read more:


JACKSON, Miss. - A lawsuit claims a Mississippi casino served so much alcohol to a man taking powerful prescription painkillers that he died on the floor of his hotel bathroom.

The lawsuit against IP Casino Resort and Spa in Biloxi was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. It seeks damages of $75 million.

The suit claims casino workers kept serving free drinks to 30-year-old Bryan Lee Glenn in August 2009, ignoring pleas from the drunken man's family to stop serving him.

The suit says Glenn died in his hotel room. He'd taken prescribed painkillers including Percocet, morphine and Xanax, as well as antipsychotic medications in the three weeks before his death, the lawsuit says. He was being treated for physical injuries as well as psychosis and hallucinations. Glenn had suffered a traumatic brain injury in a 2004 four-wheeler accident, then suffered back injuries in a 2007 car wreck.

Casino spokeswoman Lynn Frisby said the company doesn't comment on pending litigation.
The lawsuit represents only one side of the legal argument. The casino hasn't responded in court filings.

Glenn and his mother and brother lived in coastal Long Beach, Miss., but lost everything to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and eventually settled in Virginia. They returned to Mississippi with a friend in August 2009 to pick up Glenn's check from a settlement from a previous lawsuit and to look for a place to live. They were staying at the IP resort.

Glenn picked up the $15,000 check on the morning of Aug. 6, 2009, and the group planned to use some of the money on a deposit for place to live. But once back at the resort, Glenn began betting up to $1,000 a hand on blackjack and ordering two drinks at a time , whiskey and cola and shots of tequila. The suit says a dealer, pit boss, waitress and security guard were among those who refused to intervene after Glenn was falling down drunk and his family begged the casino to stop serving him.

"He's old enough to make his own decisions," the lawsuit claims a pit boss said to Glenn's brother.

The lawsuit says Glenn had attempted suicide days before his death, was highly intoxicated and became agitated when his family tried to get him to leave the casino. When his friend and relatives finally convinced Glenn to leave, the lawsuit says, a dealer told him he still had chips and said,

"`Aren't you going to come back and play?'"

He went back to gamble more and met a prostitute, whom he paid for services to be rendered later.

When the casino stopped serving Glenn he began to leave with the prostitute, who reached in his pocket and took money. Glenn's mother argued with the prostitute, then went to a security guard, who made the woman give the money back, according to the lawsuit.

Glenn then went to a casino bar, called the Chill Lounge, and began drinking Long Island iced teas, a drink made with five liquors. His relatives say they asked the bartender to stop serving Glenn, but the relatives then had to leave to take another family member home. Glenn was not in the lounge when they returned. A doorman told his relatives he had been escorted out of the casino by security, the lawsuit says.

Glenn's brother, mother and friend found him in his hotel room, "on the floor and half in the bathtub, facing the toilet with his pants around his ankles," the family's lawyer wrote in the lawsuit.

Glenn's friend, trained as an emergency medical technician, tried for 25 minutes to revive Glenn until a casino medic arrived, according to the lawsuit. The medic told Glenn's friend to continue CPR because the medic didn't have a "mouthpiece." An ambulance crew arrived 20 minutes later, but
Glenn died on the scene, the lawsuit says.

"Despite their best efforts to save him from harm, Bryan was slowly poisoned while his friend and family ... helplessly watched," the family's attorney, Michael Holleman, wrote in the lawsuit.

http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/nation/20120727_ap_75mlawsuitclaimscasinoletmandrinktodeath.html#ixzz21rdxCerQ

Gambling addictions, suicides come with opening of casinos

We have lost our moral compass when we allow Government to partner with a Predatory Industry that destroys our fellow citizens. 

In Gulfport, Mississippi, suicides skyrocketed 213 percent in the first two years the casino there opened. In Biloxi, they jumped a staggering 1,000 percent in the first four years.


Gambling addictions, suicides come with opening of casinos

Posted: 05/20/2012

• By: Michael Baldwin, newsnet5.com

CLEVELAND - No doubt plenty of business has been generated by the recent opening of Horseshoe Casino Cleveland. But it does come with a price for those who have a gambling addiction.

Inside the halls of Recovery Resources is where you'll find Jen Clegg. She's on the front lines of gambling addiction in northeast Ohio.

"By the time the person comes into treatment here, they are kind of recognizing that they have a problem with gambling. They may not identify it with an addiction, but they definitely recognize that there's a problem."

NewsChannel5 tried to talk with a gambling addict, but they all declined an interview.

Clegg said the addicts all come there for hope, something they see as a luxury. Gambling addicts stare their addiction in the face every time they walk into a grocery store, convenient store or gas station.

"There's no cut off to gambling like alcohol and drugs. Alcohol and drugs you kind of naturally stop because your body shuts down," explained Dr. Heather Chapman, who works at the VA Medical Center.

She recently spoke at a seminar in Cleveland designed to help social workers mentor those who have dealt with other addictions like substance abuse, only to be welcomed into the world of gambling addiction.

"We can see, we can smell alcohol on a person's breathe. We do drug screens and tell that somebody is using substances. But there aren't screening tools for gamblers. I can give somebody a urine test and spades and diamonds and clubs aren't going to come out," said Clegg.

Even worse, gambling addictions can even lead to suicides.

In Gulfport, Mississippi, suicides skyrocketed 213 percent in the first two years the casino there opened. In Biloxi, they jumped a staggering 1,000 percent in the first four years.

"We are assessing if there is an issue with suicides and if there are underlying issues, such as depression or anxiety," explained Clegg. "And then determining how to help link the people with the services that they need."

Often times, people who have other substance abuse problems will transfer their addiction to things like gambling, Clegg said.

While Clegg doesn't expect the phone to ring off the hook right away, she does think in time the average number of six calls daily will go "way up."

Read more: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/gambling-addictions-suicides-come-with-opening-of-casinos#ixzz1xSAVLsby

We have lost our moral compass

We have lost our moral compass as a nation when Government partners with a Predatory Industry and this is the cost:

Even worse, gambling addictions can even lead to suicides.

In Gulfport, Mississippi, suicides skyrocketed 213 percent in the first two years the casino there opened. In Biloxi, they jumped a staggering 1,000 percent in the first four years.



Gambling addictions, suicides come with opening of casinos

Posted: 05/20/2012
By Michael Baldwin


CLEVELAND - No doubt plenty of business has been generated by the recent opening of Horseshoe Casino Cleveland. But it does come with a price for those who have a gambling addiction.

Inside the halls of Recovery Resources is where you'll find Jen Clegg. She's on the front lines of gambling addiction in northeast Ohio.

"By the time the person comes into treatment here, they are kind of recognizing that they have a problem with gambling. They may not identify it with an addiction, but they definitely recognize that there's a problem."

NewsChannel5 tried to talk with a gambling addict, but they all declined an interview.

Clegg said the addicts all come there for hope, something they see as a luxury. Gambling addicts stare their addiction in the face every time they walk into a grocery store, convenient store or gas station.

"There's no cut off to gambling like alcohol and drugs. Alcohol and drugs you kind of naturally stop because your body shuts down," explained Dr. Heather Chapman, who works at the VA Medical Center.

She recently spoke at a seminar in Cleveland designed to help social workers mentor those who have dealt with other addictions like substance abuse, only to be welcomed into the world of gambling addiction.

"We can see, we can smell alcohol on a person's breathe. We do drug screens and tell that somebody is using substances. But there aren't screening tools for gamblers. I can give somebody a urine test and spades and diamonds and clubs aren't going to come out," said Clegg.

Even worse, gambling addictions can even lead to suicides.

In Gulfport, Mississippi, suicides skyrocketed 213 percent in the first two years the casino there opened. In Biloxi, they jumped a staggering 1,000 percent in the first four years.

"We are assessing if there is an issue with suicides and if there are underlying issues, such as depression or anxiety," explained Clegg. "And then determining how to help link the people with the services that they need."

Often times, people who have other substance abuse problems will transfer their addiction to things like gambling, Clegg said.

While Clegg doesn't expect the phone to ring off the hook right away, she does think in time the average number of six calls daily will go "way up."


Read more: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/gambling-addictions-suicides-come-with-opening-of-casinos#ixzz1vVHR2YrZ

Isle Laying Off Workers In Biloxi, Mississippi

Now, low wage workers at the Biloxi Slot Barn can seek even lower wage jobs with a subcontractor!

Such a deal!

Remember when wealthy gambling investors promise great jobs at great wages?


Isle Laying Off Casino Workers In Biloxi, Mississippi

More layoffs are coming within the casino gaming industry in the US, but this time they do not appear to be the result of declining revenue. The Isle Casino Resort in Biloxi, Mississippi has sent walking papers to three dozen employees late last week.

The layoffs are a result of the Isle turning to a private company to take over maintenance duties at the casino. The company claims that they have encouraged workers to seek employment in other areas of the casino, or even with the new maintenance company.

The Isle is turning to Southeast Cleaning to handle all of their maintenance in the future. The Isle is one of many casinos throughout the US that have been looking for ways to cut costs and be more efficient in their spending. It is likely the private company will not cost as much on a monthly basis as the salary's of the three dozen workers.