Your state is attempting to pass the biggest expansion of gambling in its history

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. 

Their purpose is to legalize online gambling, including a bid to turn every American child’s video game console like PlayStation, Xbox and Wii into a Las Vegas casino.

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.

To read SPG’s letter, please download it here or by visiting the link: http://stoppredatorygambling.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2016-VA-Legislature-letter-on-DFS-bill.pdf
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____________

Les Bernal

National Director

Stop Predatory Gambling

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.

If you support our mission and work, please become a member by contributing $10 or more today to help sustain it. 

A life-changing problem to discuss this week

The problem of commercialized gambling will be a subject of conversation in millions of American homes over the next few days as families and friends gather for Thanksgiving. Why? Because it's America's biggest most-neglected problem today. Americans are on course to lose more than $1 trillion of personal wealth to commercialized gambling over the next eight years. Our mission is to reduce this enormous loss of wealth by citizens by 50% over the same span. Below are some must-share facts along with some specific reforms that will dramatically improve the lives of millions of Americans: The Problem: Tens of millions of citizens are broke!!! And millions of citizens are now addicted to commercialized gambling. Savings is the road to wealth creation. Savings. Yet this concept of savings is almost foreign to more than half the country’s citizens. 50% of the U.S. population has zero or negative net wealth. More than 60% of citizens don’t have enough savings to cover a $1000 emergency expense. Partial Policy Solutions That Have Been Put Forward From Both Political Parties to Help Solve the Problem: Tax Cuts Tax Credits Raising the Minimum Wage Increasing Taxes on the Rich ….None of which represent a consequential fix Absent from the List is America's Biggest Most-Neglected Problem: The Life-Changing Citizen Losses of Personal Wealth to Commercialized Gambling The sheer size and scope of these financial losses lacks any comparison: The American people are expected to lose $1 trillion of their personal wealth to government-sanctioned gambling over the next eight years. In 2018 alone, they were expected to lose $118 billion. That means Americans are losing $224,505 per minute. The Way Forward Building assets, the accumulation and investment of savings, are key for anyone looking to make a better life. A home, a college fund, retirement accounts, a stock portfolio—these assets are the hallmarks of middle and upper class America, and they are all the result of savings. Building assets is the direct opposite of commercialized gambling. No single policy reform would create more financial peace for low-to-middle-income citizens than reversing the current scheme of turning millions of people who are small earners, who could be small savers, into habitual bettors. Partial List of Reform Proposals Include: To safeguard the health of minors, no kids under should be exposed to gambling ads and marketing on TV, radio, at point-of-sale, or on the internet. No advertising or marketing of commercialized gambling to low income populations. A ban on the sale of lottery products in check-cashing outlets, which serve unbanked, low-income people. No high dollar lottery tickets should be sold in low income areas (ending the practice of selling tickets greater than $5.00) Capping staking levels on all slot machine-style games, regardless whether it is a physical machine or online, to $2.00 or less. There is no justification for staking levels above $2.00. End the predatory practice of allowing commercialized gambling on credit, whether by credit card or “markers,” (interest-free loans issued by casinos.) It’s inconceivable that states encourage citizens to fund their gambling addiction using debt. Require state lotteries to track and report re-wagers and quantify their relationship to sales and subsequent prizes. Ban “loot boxes” and other elements of commercialized gambling that are currently being engineered into video games that kids under 18 are playing. Reduce the overall amount of lottery games being marketed to the public. Presently, some states offer dozens of different gambling games. For example, Texas was promoting 92 scratch games for sale in November 2019. Reduce the amount of locations where extreme forms of gambling like electronic gambling machines are being marketed by the state. Reduce the speed of the commercialized gambling being offered by states. Many of the most harmful forms of commercialized gambling are also the fastest like electronic gambling machines, online gambling, and scratch tickets. Require commercialized gambling interests to be treated the same under civil litigation laws as any other business. Create an Office of the Public Advocate committed to public service in representing state citizens in any matter that is covered by the authority of the state gambling commissions, as well as proceedings before state and federal agencies and courts, so that they are protected from being exploited and cheated by commercialized gambling operators. This is similar to what many states do in representing state utility consumers. Require that state problem gambling councils collect and report annual data on state gambling addiction numbers and on the effectiveness of the problem gambling interventions being funded (changing the measurement from how many calls are taken to how many people are moved from addicted to not addicted). Restrictions on the inducements offered to gamblers to keep them gambling or luring them to start gambling after they have stopped. Please consider how you can use your time, talent, and treasure to help move these desperately-needed, long-overdue social reforms forward over the next 18 months and let me know. Thank you. 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 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 to improve the common good. What We Stand For — - We believe everyone 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 government body should depend on predatory gambling to fund its activities. If you share our beliefs, please help sustain our work by making a tax-deductible, financial gift today of $10 or more.

Stop Predatory Gambling Foundation 100 Maryland Avenue NE, Room 310  | Washington, District of Columbia 20002 (202) 567-6996 | les@stoppredatorygambling.org

Voters oppose online lottery, survey finds

By Sean P. Murphy GLOBE STAFF  MAY 16, 2017

Nearly 70 percent of Massachusetts voters do not support legislation that would allow the state lottery to sell tickets online, a new survey has found.

Just 5 percent said they support expanding the lottery to include Internet games “very” strongly, the survey found, while 7 percent said they support the proposal “somewhat” strongly.

The survey was conducted by Princeton Research Associates on behalf of a coalition of business owners who fear they will lose business if lawmakers allow online lottery sales. The coalition includes the Massachusetts Food Association, the Boston Convenience Store Owners Association, the New England Service Station and Auto Repair Association, and the Massachusetts Package Stores Association.

“We’re heartened by this poll because it shows the public is as skeptical as retailers are about taking the lottery online,” said Joanne Mendes, executive director of the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association, which represents convenience stores. “We hope this poll goes a long way in educating lawmakers on how the public feels.”

State treasurer Deborah Goldberg, who oversees the lottery, has pushed for online sales. Last year, a bill to allow online lottery sales passed the state Senate, but failed in the House.

Proponents of online ticket sales note that lottery revenue has fallen 16 percent between 2008 and 2015, accounting for inflation. In an increasingly cashless society, fewer people are likely to have money on hand to buy lottery tickets at convenience and liquor stores, they say.

“The only way to reach the younger market is via online lottery games,” Goldberg has said. “It’s the future and we need to face it.”

Lottery officials declined to comment.

Lottery agents across the state say they rely heavily on lottery sales, and for several years have fought back online proposals.

Jon Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, said the state’s lottery is the most successful in the country, raising almost $1 billion annually to help pay for police, firefighters, teachers and other local services.

“Abandoning the current system for a model which has yet to be proven successful anywhere in the country is simply bad policy,” he said.

The survey also found that 80 percent of respondents believe state residents already have enough access to the lottery through the more than 7,500 lottery agents at convenience stores, gas stations, package stores, and other locations. It found that 65 percent of voters believe stores would be better able to prevent minors from playing than an online lottery.

The survey was based on interviews with 550 residents, randomly selected from voter lists across the state.

Sean P. Murphy can be reached at smurphy@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @spmurphyboston.

How irrational is the selection and the COST?

Isn't this ENOUGH?  

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/05/16/voters-oppose-online-lottery-survey-finds/zMPWRIaCePc5PSvmvDpLyN/story.html?s_campaign=bostonglobe%3Asocialflow%3Atwitter

As State Senator, Michael Morrissey spoke in favor of casino gambling at several 

public forums and was wholly uninformed. now he has a 'crime problem' as 

Norfolk DA? 

Expanded FREE Drinking Hours? 

I posted the entire Boston Globe article [it had been archived] when Beacon 

Hill mentioned  expanded ALCOHOL. 

If Rosenberg leaves, this will go through. [He was unmercifully attacked 

about future changes - no one else will remember. This is what Casino Vultures do.] 

 

MASSACHUSETTS DRUNKS ON THE ROAD? Conn. ended push for 24-hour bars at casinos after crash

MASSACHUSETTS DRUNKS ON THE ROAD? Conn. ended push for 24-hour bars at casi... EXPANDED FREE ALCOHOL IS NOT '' another little change'! Massachusetts has only Plainridge Slot Ba...

Norfolk DA wants state funds to deal with Plainridge Casino-tied crime

Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey’s office is asking the state’s gaming commission to help foot the bill for an attorney who would deal specifically with crimes – such as firearm offenses, domestic violence cases and even instances of assaults on police officers – tied to the new Plainridge Park Casino, reports the Herald’s Matt Stout. Crime associated with new casinos? We thought there wasn’t supposed to a big spike in crime tied to casinos, or at least that’s what we were told by gambling proponents. (Insert obligatory snort here.) DA seeks $75G for a casino attorney

DA seeks $75G for a casino attorney Norfolk prosecutors say the Plainridge Park Casino is driving up the number of criminal cases in their workload ...

Norfolk District Attorney ­Michael W. Morrissey confused?

Norfolk District Attorney ­Michael W. Morrissey confused? The Boston Globe presented information this morning about the personal communication between the discredited che...

Hollywood Casino, Pennsylvania: Middletown woman pleads guilty to embezzling $535,000

Middletown woman pleads guilty to embezzling $535,000

POSTED 2:31 PM, OCTOBER 21, 2016, BY FOX43, UPDATED AT 02:33PM, OCTOBER 21, 2016

HARRISBURG, PA. — A Middletown woman pled guilty to embezzling over a half-million dollars in stolen insurance funds.  Diane M. Fabian, 66, was an employee of Wolf Strite Insurance Agency, and later Don Jacobs Insurance Services, Inc.  Starting in at least 2008, she began forging customer names on company checks and would deposit the funds to her own account.  To get the checks, she would inform the company that a client had been overbilled or that a refund was due – when in fact it was not.  In other instances, insurance companies such as Liberty Mutual would issue a refund check, but Fabian would forge the customer’s name, deposit the check and keep the money.

Fabian pleaded guilty Thursday to 76 charges of forgery, theft by deception, and theft by failure to make required disposition, scheming at least $535,000 in stolen insurance funds.

 Fabian admitted the scheme to detectives.  She said that she was addicted to gambling, and spent much of the money at Hollywood Casino.  She has since self-excluded herself from the casino.  Most of the charges are third-degree felonies, each of which carries a 7-year statutory maximum.  Fabian is set to be sentenced by the Hon. John F. Cherry on January 5, 2017.  Lower Paxton Detective James Glucksman worked on this case, as did the Insurance Department of Pennsylvania, and prosecutors David Wilson and A.J. Jarbola.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania’s helpline (800) 848-1880 or the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs’ Gambling Addiction Hotline (877) 565-2112. For more information regarding compulsive and problem gambling, please visit http://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/?p=66

SOURCE: Dauphin County District Attorney

http://fox43.com/2016/10/21/middletown-woman-pleads-guilty-to-embezzling-535000/

New York State: Group Cries Foul on NY's Fantasy Sports Law

Group Cries Foul on NY's Fantasy Sports Law

By JOSH RUSSELL 

   ALBANY, N.Y. (CN) - A new lawsuit filed in Albany Supreme Court challenged the constitutionality of the New York legislature's legalization of "Interactive Fantasy Sports" gambling.
     The lawsuit coordinated by Stop Predatory Gambling, an anti-gambling group, argued that New York State Constitution §9.1 prohibits gambling and pool-selling, except for specifically granted exemptions, including wagering on horse races, charitable contests, a limited number of commercial casinos and the state-operated lottery.
     The lawsuit seeks a judgment declaring Chapter 237 of 2016 New York State law unconstitutional and injunction prohibiting the implementation of the legalization of "Interactive Fantasy Sports" gambling.
     FanDuel and DraftKings, major daily fantasy sports websites, suspended their operations on March 21, 2016, amidst lawsuits filed by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in New York Supreme Court calling the online contests gambling and also alleging consumer fraud and deceptive advertising.
     Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is named as a defendant in the latest lawsuit, signed legislation on August 3, 2016, legalizing daily fantasy sports in New York.
     At the time of the signing Cuomo said, "This new legislation strikes the right balance that allows this activity to continue with oversight from state regulators, new consumer protections, and more funding for education." 
     The lawsuit points out that the August legislation legalized online sports gambling just in time for the Sept. 16 kickoff of the National Football League's 2016 season.
     New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman blasted DraftKings and daily fantasy sports gambling in a November 2015 cease-and-desist letter, in which he said "Like most gambling operations, DraftKings' own numbers reveal a far different reality."
     Schneiderman elaborated in his cease-and-desist order, "In practice, DFS [daily fantasy sports] is far closer to poker in this respect: a small number of professional gamblers profit at the expense of casual players. To date, our investigation has shown that the top one percent of DraftKings' winners receive the vast majority of the winnings."
     A spokesperson for New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman commented that daily fantasy sports "are creating the same public health and economic concerns as other forms of gambling, including addiction. Finally, DraftKings' advertisements seriously mislead New York citizens about their prospects of winning"
     The lawsuit noted that fantasy sports are included in Gamblers Anonymous' list of activities it defines as gambling.
     New York supporters of Stop Predatory Gambling helped bring the lawsuit.
     "We believe in improving the lives of the people of New York," said Les Bernal, Stop Predatory Gambling's National Director. "Daily fantasy sports gambling is a huge rip-off for all citizens, regardless whether you gamble or not."
     The New York State Gaming Commission offered no comment, referring inquiries to the New York State Attorney General's Office, which is handling the litigation.
     The plaintiffs are represented by Cornelius Murray at O'Connell & Aronowitz in Albany, New York.
     The complaints were not made available to the public by the court as of press time. Courthouse News obtained the complaints on the Stop Predatory Gambling site as part of this blog post: http://stoppredatorygambling.org/blog/spg-helps-to-file-constitutional-challenge-of-nys-internet-gambling-law/. 

http://www.courthousenews.com/2016/10/06/group-cries-foul-on-nys-fantasy-sports-law.htm

Massachusetts: Professor briefs lawmakers on problem gambling study results

Professor briefs lawmakers on problem gambling study results

27.5 percent of the state's population were non-gamblers and 63.4 percent were recreational gamblers

Katie Lannan, State House News ServicePublished: September 21, 2016,

BOSTON, Mass. (STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE) – An estimated 88,000 adults in Massachusetts are problem gamblers, and another 390,000 are deemed “at-risk” gamblers and may bet more than they’d planned or borrow money to gamble, according to study findings presented Wednesday.

Research required under the 2011 law that legalized casino gambling in Massachusetts found that 1.7 percent of that state’s adult population were considered problem gamblers and 7.5 percent were at-risk gamblers, said Rachel Volberg, the study’s principal investigator.

A UMass-Amherst professor who specializes in gambling research, Volberg presented findings from a baseline study of the Massachusetts population, conducted from September 2013 to May 2014, before the state’s first slot parlor opened in Plainville. Additional research will be conducted as resort casinos authorized under the terms of the 2011 law – two are under construction – move forward and open for business.

Enrique Zuniga, one of five members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, described the research project as “very ambitious” and “something that has never been done before in the world, mostly because we’re looking at it before and after the introduction of casinos.”

The survey found that, with no casinos yet open in the state, 27.5 percent of the state’s population were non-gamblers and 63.4 percent were recreational gamblers who find betting enjoyable and do not experience harm from it.

Volberg said there were “significant differences” in problem gambling rates based on race, gender and level of education attained.

“Men are three times more likely to have a gambling problem than women, blacks are four times more likely to have a gambling problem than whites, and individuals with a high school diploma or less are twice as likely to have a gambling problem compared with individuals with a college degree,” she said during a briefing on the research for lawmakers and staff.

The baseline survey also gauged respondents’ attitudes toward gambling, finding that 57.5 percent believed some forms of gambling should be legal while others should be illegal, and that 63.1 percent believed the current availability of gambling in Massachusetts was fine. Around 22 percent said not enough gambling was available in Massachusetts, while nearly 15 percent said it was too widely available.

Seventy-two percent of respondents had participated in at least one gambling activity in the past year, with the state lottery the most popular. According to the survey, 59 percent played lottery games, 32 percent participated in raffles, 22 percent visited a casino, and 13 percent bet on sports. Only 2 percent said they gambled online.

After the emergence of popular daily fantasy sports websites like the Massachusetts-based DraftKings, lawmakers have expressed interest in exploring and further regulating both daily fantasy sports and the broader world of online gaming. Lottery officials have unsuccessfully sought legislative authorization to offer their products on the internet, pointing to stagnant instant ticket sales as more and more bettors choose to wager on daily fantasy sports or elsewhere.

An economic development law Gov. Charlie Baker signed last month created a special commission to study the regulation of online gaming, fantasy sports gaming and daily fantasy sports, including “economic development, consumer protection, taxation, legal and regulatory structures, implications for existing gaming, burdens and benefits to the commonwealth and any other factors the commission deems relevant.”

“We continue to think about expanded gaming, whether we’re talking about online lottery, whether we’re talking about different types of online sports gambling, other things,” Marlene Warner, the executive director of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, said during the briefing. “I think it’s important for us to be paying attention to the data that we have currently around gambling that currently exists in Massachusetts.”

Copyright 2016 STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

http://wwlp.com/2016/09/21/professor-briefs-lawmakers-on-problem-gambling-study-results/

IG: Pentagon failed to act on misuse of travel cards at strip clubs, casinos FederalNewsRadio.com In one example, the IG warned commanders in September 2014 that an Army sergeant first class seemed to have used his card at casinos at least 113 ... Watchdog slams Pentagon response to improper casino, stripper spending - CalvinAyre.com Pentagon didn't stop some employees from using government credit cards at strip clubs, casinos - Dayton Daily News Pentagon didn't stop some employees from using government credit cards at strip clubs, casinos - Palm Beach Post Full Coverage

DoD Allowed Government Spending At Casinos And Strip Clubs, According To New Report

Task & Purpose

A new report from the DoD Inspector General found workers spent nearly $100,000 at strip clubs and almost $1 million at casinos from July 2013 ...

Pentagon employees were reportedly reimbursed for spending at strip clubs and casinos The Week Magazine A report by the Department of Defense's inspector general published Tuesday concluded that Pentagon officials largely failed to discipline department ... Infamous Pentagon travel card abuse at strip clubs, casinos was never addressed - Hot Air Pentagon failed to probe spending at strip clubs, casinos - Tribune-Review Gambling with the gov't's dime: Pentagon employees used work credit cards at casinos, strip clubs - RT Full Coverage

STEVEN STRADBROOKE

WATCHDOG SLAMS PENTAGON RESPONSE TO IMPROPER CASINO, STRIPPER SPENDING

AUGUST 31, 2016

A US government watchdog says Department of Defense (DoD) officials failed to take appropriate action against staffers who misused government-issued credit cards at casinos and strip clubs.

On Tuesday, the DoD’s inspector general released a report into the May 2015 revelations that military staff had billed the government for nearly $1m in charges at casinos and a further $100k at strip clubs.

The report, which focused on a sample of 30 government cardholders, criticizes DoD management for failing to take action against card abuse even after the abuse was brought to light. The report notes that there were no formal protocols for what constituted legitimate card use, nor any specific disciplinary actions for misuse.

The report also warns that the DoD failed to take into account the potential national security ramifications of Pentagon officials’ “questionable judgment, unwillingness to follow rules and guidance, financial concerns, or gambling addictions.”

In one case, an Army lieutenant colonel who rang up $2.242 in casino charges told a supervisor that he would notify his superiors about the charges so that “when the report comes out, it’s already old news to him.”

However, the report says that the colonel’s brigade commander was still in the dark about the charges nearly one year later. Moreover, the colonel had rung up an additional $5,519 in casino charges since the original transactions were brought to light.

Another case involved a Navy civilian who rang up nearly $30k in casino charges, $3,453 of which was charged to his card after the inspector general notified the appropriate Navy command of the improper charges.

In general, the report found that DoD officials failed to monitor travel card use by individuals who’d been flagged for card misuse, nor did they impose limits on these individuals’ future use of their cards. In some cases, the DoD failed to deactivate cards even after the individuals had ended their military service.

In response to the report, DoD bigwigs insisted that the improper charges cited in the report amounted to “less than 0.04% of the total travel card spending and less than 0.03% of the total transaction volume.” The watchdog countered that such statements “minimize the importance of our findings.”

http://calvinayre.com/2016/08/31/casino/watchdog-slams-pentagon-response-to-improper-casino-stripper-spending/