Revenue at Plainridge Park Casino flat in March

The Boston Globe

Plainridge is restricted under state law to 1,250 slot machines and no table games, putting it at a competitive disadvantage with Twin River Casino, just ...

Consultant: Some crime up around Massachusetts' 1st casino

By PHILIP MARCELO, Associated Press

UPDATED:   04/14/2016 

BOSTON -- Since Plainridge Park opened last July, communities around Massachusetts' first casino have seen an uptick in crimes like assault, drunken driving, kidnapping, prostitution, shoplifting and fraud, but much of it does not appear to be directly attributable to the facility, a consultant told gambling regulators Thursday.

Christopher Bruce, a crime analysis expert hired by the state Gaming Commission, said a preliminary review suggests increases in traffic-related infractions like erratic driving, accidents and drunken driving as well as credit card fraud may be linked to the slots parlor and harness racing track's opening.

But increases in kidnapping, prostitution and other crimes "clearly had nothing to do" with the casino, he said. The surrounding communities also generally didn't see robberies, burglaries and thefts increase with the facility's opening, Bruce said.

"Incidents at Plainridge Park are commensurate with expected totals at similar facilities that draw lots of people, have a large parking area, offer retail, entertainment, and dining options, and serve alcohol," he wrote.

Bruce told regulators more research needs to be done. Other social and economic factors could be at work, like the heroin and opioid epidemic that's hit New England particularly hard, he suggested.

Eric Schippers, a senior vice president at Penn National Gaming, said the Pennsylvania-based company that owns Plainridge Park is "pleased and proud" the state's first casino public safety report revealed "no significant negative impacts" as a result of casino operations.

Elaine Driscoll, spokeswoman for the gaming commission, similarly concluded the analysis "does not show that any significant increase in crime was influenced" by the casino's opening.

The Penn National Gaming-owned facility is the first of four casinos slated to open in Massachusetts by 2018, including much larger developments by MGM, Wynn and an Indian casino financed by the Malaysia-based operators of the Resorts World casino chain.

Thursday's analysis compared crime data from Plainville, Attleboro, Mansfield, North Attleborough and Wrentham from July to December 2015 against average statistics covering the same period since 2010.

The report, for example, shows that violent crimes like rape, assault and kidnapping were, on the whole, up from an average of about 379 incidents prior to 2015 to 415 from July to December 2015.

But property crimes like burglary, shoplifting and theft were, overall, down from an average of 1,898 incidents prior to 2015 to 1,866 from July to December 2015.

Bruce said some of the increases could be explained by unique circumstances likely not tied to the casino's presence.

A rise in prostitution could be attributed to two incidents at a hotel in Wrentham, for example. An increase in reported kidnappings appears to have been related to parental custody disputes, he said. And a "serial burglar" in North Attleborough appears to have been a factor in that town's burglary rise, Bruce said.

Plainville Police Chief James Alfred agreed with Bruce's assessment.

He said his officers aren't reporting anything "out of the norm" and suggested a retail shopping complex across from the casino tends to generate more police activity.

"So far so good is the best way to put it," Alford said.

Bruce is expected to report back to the commission in the fall with a deeper analysis through the first full year of Plainridge Park's operation.

Read more: http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_29767815/consultant-some-crime-up-around-massachusetts-1st-casino#ixzz45zl6ng2b

Consultant: Crime increased around state's 1st casino Milford Daily News Consultant: Crime increased around state's 1st casino ... including much larger developments by MGM, Wynn and an Indian casino financed by the ...

No crime increase seen in first months of Plainridge casino

The Boston Globe

The opening of the state's first casino in Plainville has not caused an increase incrime in the area, according to an analysis of data from the police ...

Consultant: Some crime up around Massachusetts' 1st casino - Boston Herald

Consultant: Some crime up around Massachusetts' 1st casino - The Sun Herald

Mass. Gaming Commission crime analyst: Plainridge Park Casino has had little impact - MassLive.com

Full Coverage

Consultant: Some crime up around Massachusetts' 1st casino

Boston Herald

Consultant: Some crime up around Massachusetts' 1st casino ... including much larger developments by MGM, Wynn and an Indian casino financed ...

Consultant: Crime Increased Around Massachusetts' First Casino - Hartford Courant

Consultant: Some crime up around Massachusetts' 1st casino

Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian Warns of Increase in Prostitution and Drugs in North Jersey

By Steve Larson

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2016

Don Guardian is fighting a two-front war: to avoid North Jersey casinos and Chris Christie's economic controls.

Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian warned lawmakers that North Jersey casinos would bring an increase in “prostitution and drugs and other minor crimes” to the region. Mayor Guardian’s comments were part of an ongoing debate in anticipation of a casino referendum which is planned for the November 2016 election cycle.

Political leaders in the state of New Jersey are grappling with the idea of licensing brick-and-mortar casinos in places like Jersey City and the Meadowlands, which would be the first time since gaming was legalized in New Jersey in 1976 that casino gambling would exist outside Atlantic City.

Proponents of the longstanding casino monopoly in Atlantic City claim that North Jersey casinos would spell the end for Atlantic City’s casino industry — and perhaps the end for the Boardwalk city as a whole.

Guardian Sought a Bridge Loan

The comments came on Monday, when Don Guardian tried to convince New Jersey lawmakers to make Atlantic City a bridge loan. He was unable to convince legislators to do so. In response, Guardian said he would shut down many aspects of city government for the better part of the month.

The Atlantic City government shutdown affects 900 city workers, and goes into effect on April 8. The shutdown is going to last until May 2, when the city receives its next quarertly revenue payment. Guardian said the shutdown would affect “non-essential services”.

Blamed Chris Christie

Mayor Guardian placed the blame for the Atlantic City government shutdown on Gov. Chris Christie, whom he says refused to a fiscal bailout package without Atlantic City signing over to New Jersey’s state government control of its financial affairs. Don Guardian called his moves “ethical decisions”, based in the common interest.

Guardian said North Jersey casinos would exacerbate traffic woes in the region, causing a massive effect both on commuter’s everyday lives and the local environment. Even more extremely, he suggested the opening of casinos in North Jersey would increase crime in the region. Presumably, North Jersey is a region particularly prone to crime, because Guardian had never complained about casinos bringing crime to his resort city.

Geoff Freeman Speaks

Geoff Freeman, the outspoken chairman of the American Gaming Association, rebuked Don Guardian for his words. In an American political season when rhetoric already is out of control, the AGA chairman said arguments about the North Jersey casinos “should be based in fact, not driven by asinine comments like those made by Mayor Don Guardian.”

Mr. Freeman said casino gambling was a solid business and community leader in every jurisdiction which has legal casino gambling in the United States. He added that it was “disappointing and disingenuous” of Mayor Don Guardian to “recycle tired myths about an industry that serves as the lifeblood of his city.”

Atlantic City’s Failing Economy

The advice is not likely to be taken. Atlantic City is reeling from the loss of 8,000 casinos jobs in 2014, which was part of catastrophic loss of 9,000 jobs overall. When one considers that Atlantic City has only 40,000 residents and 24.6% of those people are under the age of 18, one realizes that the job losses affected a full one-third of the workforce (accounting for retirees). Almost no family in the city was not affected.

Worse, the tax base of Atlantic City was gutted by the casino closings of 2014. Not only did the city lose the tax revenues from four of its largest businesses — the casinos — but it lost revenues from a third of its workforce. Under the circumstances, Atlantic City was listed in 2014 as the worst city in American in which to live — even worse than the financially troubled Detroit.

Attempts to Bridge the Divide

Some New Jersey politicians have tried to sought ways to lessen the economic effects of North Jersey casinos. Senate President Stephen Sweeney has a plan to pump $1 billion over a 10-year period into the AC economy from North Jersey casino tax revenues. State lawmakers assured that only Atlantic City casino companies could bid on the North Jersey licenses, though that hardly helps the people of Atlantic City.

Under the circumstances, those who believe casino gambling should stay in Atlantic City (only) are likely to pull out all stops, because they are trying to save the jobs of the remaining workers in the city. Voters should expect an ugly casino referendum campaign.

http://www.legaluspokersites.com/news/atlantic-city-mayor-don-guardian-warns-of-increase-in-prostitution-and-drugs-in-north-jersey/5418

Atlantic City mayor: Northern casinos would bring crime

March 22, 2016 11:37 AM by Staff & Wire Reports

Atlantic City’s Republican mayor says adding two casinos in northern New Jersey would bring crimes including prostitution and drugs and would cause as many problems as benefits.

The Record newspaper reports Mayor Don Guardian spoke Monday at a St. Peter’s College forum on a referendum on extending casino gambling beyond his financially troubled city. The referendum goes before voters in November.

Atlantic City has had a monopoly on casinos. The state Legislature has OK’d a referendum asking residents whether to change the state constitution to stop that and to offer two casino licenses for the northern part of the state.

Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce chief executive Jim Kirkos says a northern New Jersey casino would help the state recapture revenue that goes to New York’s Yonkers Raceway or to eastern Pennsylvania casinos.

https://www.gamingtoday.com/articles/article/59417-Atlantic_City_mayor_Northern_casinos_would_bring_crime#.VvPjINIrLGg

Sheldon Adelson Exposed: Underage Drinking & Gambling. Prostitution.

Sheldon Adelson Exposed: Underage Drinking & Gambling. Prostitution. (Tim James Show Teaser)

Sheldon Adelson Undercover Video Expose Shows Land Casinos May Have More Security Loopholes Than Online Ones

August 21st, 2015 by Daniel Smyth

A Sheldon Adelson undercover video expose pinpoints some weaknesses in the mogul’s Las Vegas casinos’ security measures.(Image: Reuters/Vivek Prakash)

A Sheldon Adelson undercover video expose made by a US poker player in the Sands CEO’s Venetian and Palazzo casinos in Las Vegas shows that security and the potential for underage play may be more of an issue on land than online.

The expose by Tim James is particularly accusatory in that Adelson’s primary argument for banning online poker and gaming in general has always been the potential for underage gamblers to sneak online.

James decided to turn the tables on the billionaire casino owner after seeing him wax on in interviews about the likelihood of security breaches on the Internet.

Claims Land Adelson in Hot Water

Asserting that online poker should be outlawed completely, Adelson believes that online operators aren’t able to control who has access to their sites and, therefore, to real money gambling.

Claiming this makes the industry a danger to the youth of America, the gaming operator has been on a multi-year campaign to ban online gaming. He has famously vowed, in the past, to spend “whatever it takes” to see the US rid of the perceived evil once and for all, a possibility that is probably unlikely with three American states already fully operational as legal and regulated for online gambling, and several more on the cusp.

Earlier this week James uploaded a preview to his investigative video and early on Friday that first part of the full exposé went live.

Featuring one male and one female, both under the age of 21, the video shows both undercover agents buying drinks, gambling, and even picking up a prostitute inside the Venetian Las Vegas. (Of course, for anyone who’s ever been to Sin City, hookers in casinos are about as common as people with cameras on the Strip, but that’s another story for another day).

The Sands Casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania has been fined numerous times for allowing underage patrons entry to its property.

Since going live, the video has received a wealth of support from the poker community, including the Poker Players Alliance. As of our writing, the nine-minute video, shown below, had been viewed more than 37,000 in a week.

http://www.cardschat.com/news/sheldon-adelson-undercover-video-expose-tim-james-14540

Ex-VA worker accused in theft, sex scandal

By Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press 12:03 a.m. EDT May 6, 2015

 

 

A former government employee and high school baseball coach is accused of embezzling at least $150,000 from the Veterans Administration and spending it on sex dates with a stripper named Ashley, $500 lap dances and gambling, according to criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court.

 

Glenn Alan Bates, 57, of Saline, admitted to all this, the complaint states, during an interview last summer with federal agents in his living room, telling them he stole from vending machines and VA retail stores to help feed an addiction to sex with prostitutes and nude entertainers.

 

Bates, though, kept his alleged scheme secret as he was a longtime figure in Saline High School athletics until this alleged crime was revealed. According to The Saline Post, where Bates often wrote sports stories, Bates was an assistant coach for the varsity baseball team, varsity girls' basketball team and statistician for the Saline varsity football team. "Effective immediately, Bates is no longer affiliated with Saline Area Schools," The Saline Post reported Tuesday.

 

According to court documents, Bates' troubles started around 2008, when he began to frequent a gentlemen's club in Columbus, Ohio, called Centerfold.
 

"Bates became friendly with a stripper named Ashley … he also saw other strippers and prostitutes, but he primarily saw Ashley," Special Agent Frederick Lane of the VA Office of Inspector General wrote in the complaint. "Bates stated he became addicted to the sexual encounters and he stole cash from the Canteen to pay for this addiction."
 

Bates, a former Canteen store manager at the VA in Ann Arbor, was arraigned in U.S. District Court Tuesday and freed on a $10,000 bond. While working for the government, he stole along the way, alleged the VA Office of Inspector General, which claims Bates ran a scheme for years that targeted three areas: He stole from the sales of embroidered, commemorative military hats, he raided vending machine sales and he swiped cash from the Canteen.
 

His court appointed attorney could not be reached for comment.

According to Lane's affidavit, Bates came under the radar of the Office of Inspector General in 2013, after an audit revealed more than $478,000 in potential losses from the VA Canteen.

When investigators showed up at Bates' home last August, Lane wrote, Bates let them in and confessed to the following:

"Bates stated that he was aware of the audit … and admitted that he stole cash from the Canteen, but he disputed the amounts listed," Lane wrote. "Bates estimated he stole approximately $150,000."

According to the complaint, Bates admitted to stealing $100,000 in cash from the sales of commemorative military hats and roughly $600 a month from vending machine sales for about three years.

During the interview, records show, Bates also explained how he spent a lot of the stolen money.
 

A big chunk was spent at Centerfold, a gentleman's club in Columbus that featured nude entertainers. Bates first went there in 2008 and became addicted over the years, the complaint said. He befriended a stripper named Ashley, often paid her $500 or more per night for lap dances, and had sex in his hotel room with her and paid her for it, the complaint said.

Though Bates also saw other strippers and prostitutes, he primarily saw Ashley, records show.

Sex dates aside, Bates also was a gambler, the complaint said, noting he spent some of his ill-gotten proceeds at casinos in Indianapolis and Battle Creek.

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/2015/05/05/ex-va-official-steal-lap-dance-gambling/26931071/

 

Feds: VA official stole cash for stripper sex, gambling


 

China corruption crackdown finds Macau sex ring

Alan Ho, nephew of casino magnate Stanley Ho, was arrested with five associates.

By Ed Adamczyk | Jan. 16, 2015

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2015/01/16/China-corruption-crackdown-finds-Macau-sex-ring/7741421420519/#ixzz3P5JVYZu1

The Lisboa hotel and casino, one of the Ho family's holdings in Macau (CC/ Hotel Lisboa Macau)

MACAU , China, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- The arrest of a business leader on prostitution charges in the Chinese city of Macau is an indication of China's growing corruption crackdown.

The former Portuguese colony, a gambling and resort destination, was ceded to China in 1999, and earlier this week, Alan Ho, nephew of hotel and gaming executive Stanley Ho, was arrested for allegedly operating a prostitution ring from his uncle's hotels. The elder Ho had a monopoly on Macau's gambling operations for over forty years; his SJM Holdings remains Asia's largest operator of casinos. Alan Ho's arrest comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping's sweeping crackdown on government bribery, embezzlement and other forms of corruption, designed to strengthen the authority of the Communist Party, has netted thousands of suspects and resulted in trials and jail terms. Casinos in Macau reported significantly less revenue in 2014, largely because Chinese business people and government officials were reluctant to book vacations ad gambling junkets to the city. "There is undoubtedly a new sheriff in town," Steve Vickers, a political risk consultant in Hong Kong, told Bloomberg News. "This is consistent with President Xi's call for Macau authorities to show 'greater courage and wisdom' and to 'strengthen and improve regulation and supervision over the gaming industry.'" When visiting Macau in December, Xi commented the "fierce and enduring" fight against corruption would continue.

Alan Ho, 68, was arrested with five other hotel officials allegedly responsible for online recruitment of sex workers. Macau Judiciary Police spokesman Choi Iat-peng said a data base of 2,400 alleged prostitutes was confiscated, in addition to one million Macanese pacatas ($125,245) in cash. The Hong Kong business newspaper the Standard reported the prostitution ring had earned 400 million pacatas ($50.09 million) since 2013.

Tackling Prostitution, Corruption and Gambling....

PUBLISHED: Nov 22, 2014 04:45pm

UPDATED: Nov 22, 2014 04:45pm

Malaysia looks to China to tackle prostitution, corruption and gambling

Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says the ministry and the police will send their officers to China to learn in detail the success of the police there.

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 22, 2014:

 

The Home Ministry is keen to learn from the success of the Chinese police in tackling four aspects of law enforcement — modern policing, online gambling, corruption and prostitution.

 

Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the ministry and the police would send their officers to China to learn in detail the success of the police there.

 

Commenting on the success of the Ministry of Public Security and the Chinese police in curbing online gambling, Ahmad Zahid said they could curtail these activities successfully although there was no online gambling server in China.

 

“The servers are not available in Malaysia nor in China, but are available in other countries, which makes it difficult to curtail.

 

“However, the Chinese police have managed to handle the problem well,” he said after visiting the exhibition in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of the Film Censorship Board (LPF) in Alamanda here today.

Ahmad Zahid added that the ministry would study several methods used in China.

On cooperation to tackle corruption, Ahmad Zahid said corruption, which was previously rampant and obvious among enforcement officers, including the police in China, had successfully been resolved.

“This success is being studied to strengthen the police’s integrity department to curtail corruption and strengthen integrity.”

Read more: http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2014/11/22/malaysia-looks-china-tackle-prostitution-corruption-gambling/#ixzz3JpiEWxzf

Globe story to detail FBI reports of gambling investigation

June 6, 2014

Globe story to detail FBI reports of gambling investigation

By Debby Woodindwoodin@joplinglobe.com

The Joplin GlobeFri Jun 06, 2014, 03:54 PM CDT

The Joplin Globe, after filing a request nearly two years ago, has received more than 600 pages related to a nine-year gambling and public corruption investigation conducted by the FBI.

In a story on Sunday, the Globe will disclose the details contained in reports released by the FBI as the result of a Freedom of Information request filed by the Globe in September of 2012

The entire file of the probe has more than 5,500 pages. So far he FBI has reviewed 1,038 of those pages and released 603 pages of those to the Globe on June 2.

Years were spent conducting photograph surveillance, phone taps, trash collecting and interviews in the federal investigator’s efforts to bring down a wide-ranging vice operation in Jasper and Newton counties in Missouri and Cherokee County in Kansas.

“Although the investigation centered around the gambling operation, sources continued to report a belief that (a bookie) was involved in much more. It was suspected he was involved in drug trafficking and prostitution and had numerous contacts within the judicial system, law enforcement and medical care communities,” reads one of the reports disclosed under the Globe’s request to release to the public records of the probe.

Those reports also detail the final conclusions of investigators about the theft of money from the Jasper County Drug Task Force, which has gone publicly unsolved since 2006.


http://www.joplinglobe.com/topstories/x1396878533/Globe-story-to-detail-FBI-reports-of-gambling-investigation

 

Can Macau Reinvent Itself ...?

Can Macau Reinvent Itself or is it Too Late?

Posted by Sam Petersonon March 15, 2014|

 

When you think of gambling, immediately you envision the original “Sin City” Las Vegas. But times have changed and Macau, once a quiet Portuguese colony that was handed back to China in 1999, has now become the global leader when it comes to “Sin”.

 

 

Macau today produces seven times more gambling revenues than Las Vegas with a whopping $46 billion a year and it is estimated this will triple in the next 6 years. With all this money and gambling, Macau has also developed another side, an underworld of money laundering, prostitution, corruption and loan sharks.

A key challenge for Macau is curbing the gambling addiction that has gripped so many people in Macau especially so many casino employees who have fallen prey to loan sharks.

Now some Chinese officials want to clean up Macau’s image and entice more wholesome family activities and entertainment. Similar to Las Vegas, Macau will introduce more shows, music concerts and other events beyond just being a gambling destination.


http://www.onlinecasinoarchives.com/world/2014/03/15/can-macau-reinvent-itself-or-is-it-too-late/



 

What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas?

Mandalay Bay agrees to $500K fine in drug sting

Thursday, March 13, 2014

 

 

LAS VEGAS — The Mandalay Bay Resort plans to pay a half-million-dollar fine after employees at an upscale Las Vegas Strip lounge provided prostitutes and drugs to undercover officers.

 

The Nevada Gaming Control Board filed a proposed settlement with the casino this week. It's awaiting approval by the Nevada Gaming Commission.

 

Authorities say undercover officers bought cocaine, ecstasy and other drugs from employees of the House of Blues Foundation Room over the summer of 2012. Officials say employees also connected officers with four prostitutes and a private room for sex. The sting caught 10 employees and five non-employees engaging in this kind of illegal activity.

 

Two have been arrested, according to Gaming Control Board Enforcement Chief Karl Bennison, and more arrests may be in the works. The arrests were delayed to avoid disruption to the operation.

 

"You're trying to see how far up the management chain things are being directed," Bennison said.

 

Officials with Mandalay Bay parent company MGM Resorts do not contest the findings of the complaint. The company said the employees involved in the activities have been fired, and the lounge has increased its training procedures to prevent future misconduct.

 

"While these activities took place outside our knowledge, we acknowledge our responsibility, as landlords, to monitor all nightclub and ultra-lounge operators at our resorts. The intolerable activities discovered by investigators are obviously completely contrary to the type of luxury resort our company strives to run," the company said in a statement. "House of Blues has increased its compliance and training procedures and reemphasized its zero tolerance for inappropriate conduct."

 

Mandalay Bay will also pay $17,000 to reimburse investigative expenses.

 

The Foundation Room is a chic restaurant and club on the 43rd floor of Mandalay Bay, which is on the Las Vegas Strip.

 

The complaint says that the investigation was initiated after an undercover officer bought cocaine from a person later determined to be a Foundation Room host. The officer asked the host if he could use the drug at the club and was told he could, if he was careful.

 

Most of the transactions that occurred during the sting took place in public areas in the casino.

 

State gambling regulators partnered with local police to conduct a similar sting in 2012 at the Palms

Casino Resort west of the Las Vegas Strip. In that case, nightclub employees accepted payments to supply prostitutes, cocaine and pain pills

 

Last spring, gambling regulators sent a letter to all casinos warning them to curb illegal activity at clubs and pool parties.

 

"It's a constant issue and concern, Bennison said.

 

 

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/national/2014/03/mandalay_bay_agrees_to_500k_fine_in_drug_sting

 

 

Sex trafficking of minors at Foxwoods

Increase in sex trafficking of minors getting local, state attention
By Karen FlorinPublication: The Day

Published 01/28/2014

 

Department of Children and Families to hold forum Wednesday on problem

Human trafficking sounds like a crime that takes place in a big city or exotic country, but police and child welfare experts say it occurs right here in Connecticut in increasing numbers.

In December, the state police Casino Licensing & Operations Unit charged a 24-year-old Providence woman with bringing a 16-year-old girl to the Two Trees Inn on the Mashantucket Pequot reservation for a prearranged sexual encounter. Kaieema E. Gadson, charged with trafficking in persons and promoting prostitution, posted a $5,000 bond and is due back in court on Feb. 4.

The case reached the major crimes docket in New London Superior Court around the same time the state Department of Children and Families announced a forum to raise awareness about domestic minor sex trafficking in Connecticut. On Wednesday, more than 200 people, including judges, law enforcement officers, medical providers, hospital administrators and school officials are expected to attend the day-long forum at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.

During the past few years, 130 girls and boys in Connecticut have been identified as child sex slaves, according to DCF, and the agency has recently experienced a substantial increase in reports of suspected or actual human trafficking of children. At the forum, state and national experts will discuss the scope of the crime as well as legal and forensic treatment issues and how the state is working to combat what the agency describes as "the egregious victimization of children."

Gov. Dannel Malloy and DCF Commissioner Joette Katz are scheduled to speak, and key supporters of the event include the Judicial Branch, the Office of the Chief State's Attorney, the Mohegan Tribe and the Department of Consumer Protection.

A preliminary police report in the Mashantucket human trafficking case does not identify the relationship between Gadson and the teen-age victim, who was detained at the scene and taken to a hospital for a medical evaluation. But according to the DCF, traffickers often are friends or family members who employ a number of techniques, including physical and emotional abuse, to keep their victim in bondage.

In December, a joint task force of local, state and federal law enforcement agents conducted an investigation into prostitution at Foxwoods Resort Casino after receiving information about the pervasive use of online sites such as backpages.com to arrange paid sexual encounters. Participating agencies included the state police, Department of Homeland Security, FBI and Mashantucket Tribal Police Department.

On Dec. 19, agents identified "several individuals knowingly engaged in prostitution," at Two Trees, which is a tribe-owned hotel located near Foxwoods Resort Casino on the Mashantucket Pequot reservation. Gadson, who had been previously targeted for trafficking minor females and promoting prostitution, was arrested for delivering the teen-age girl to a prearranged locations "with intentions of waiting for the individual to fulfill a sexual encounter for a fee," according to the report.

Gadson, who was arrested without incident, had only been charged with motor vehicle offenses in the past, but could face additional charges. State police said they are preparing an arrest warrant application based on a previous sex trafficking/prostitution incident involving a minor.

http://www.theday.com/article/20140128/NWS02/301289945

 

Milford: NO Thing to gain!

Foxwoods has SOOOO much baggage.....this exemplifies ....


REPEAL THE CASINO DEAL!

Seaver, Trettel: Protect Milford from casino

The Milford Daily News

Posted Nov 16, 2013

MILFORD —

We urge all Milford residents to consider the substantial price we will pay if we allow a casino to be built in the midst of our residential community.

A casino will double our entire population almost daily, halting traffic on our local roads and highways. Traffic snarls will not only delay our daily drives to the grocery store, but also our commutes to work and home on I-495 when traffic backs up all the way past the Mass Pike.

Property values all over town will likely drop. Even the chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission thinks so.

Water is a precious natural resource, and Milford has a limited supply. Foxwoods would take a substantial portion of our reserve.

Casinos generate much more crime than anyone cares to admit. Imagine seven million more people in Milford each year! DUIs, embezzlement, and prostitution will be a guaranteed new fact of life. No amount of casino revenue could be worth having a loved one critically injured by a driver who drank too much at the casino.

The casino payments are simply a combination of taxes, which every business pays, and mitigation.

Mitigation is the money we are being promised in exchange for the damages a casino will inflict on our quality of life by creating daily headaches on our roads, lowering our home values, overburdening our schools and hospital, compromising our water supply, and most importantly, putting our families at risk.

Let us stand together to protect ourselves, our kids, and our grandkids. Every vote will count in this critical referendum. Please join us at the polls on Nov. 19 and vote NO!

JOHN SEAVER
STEVE TRETTEL
Milford

Read more: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/opinions/letters_to_the_editor/x915445002/Seaver-Trettel-Protect-Milford-from-casino#ixzz2kwzhaQAZ
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Negatives Outweigh Positives

Boston Globe LTE:

It is interesting but hardly surprising that wealthier towns reject having a casino in their back yards. Even if people there want jobs, they wouldn't be satisfied with the pay or conditions of jobs offered by casinos. But there is also another factor. More and more people are waking up to the fact that with casinos the minuses add up to more than the pluses. Not only are they stronger; the minuses are much more reliable and likely to last longer than the pluses.

We know that crime and prostitution will increase. It always does wherever there are casinos. We know that number of problem gamblers will increase. It always does. Bankruptcies will increase. Gamblers who have lost too much money will fall to the temptation to embezzle money at their workplace. Family breakups and suicides will increase. These things have happened wherever there are casinos.

But what about the pluses? Yes, there will be jobs, but not as many as advertised, and they will be mainly at the low end of the wage scale. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts will be collect considerable money, both from licensing fees and a share of the profits. But how long will these jobs last? How long will the profits hold up? We have to face the fact that casinos in Massachusetts will face competition from bordering states such as Rhode Island and Connecticut. The big casinos in Connecticut are facing falling receipts which means the state is getting less money than it used to. We know that the casinos in Atlantic City were very profitable until Pennsylvania and other neighboring states decided to have their own. Now I have read that in West Virginia the casinos have told the state that their licensing fees will have to be reduced or else they will slash a thousand jobs. The pluses evaporate; the minuses remain with a vengeance.

Like many fads gambling can be a bubble. Two or three decades ago it may have seemed like a good idea. But as the craze caught on and more and more states authorized casinos. the competition has grown fiercer; there are more and more bubbles and they will burst. The housing market was a good investment at one time, but getting in at the apex of the bubble was a bad idea. I think more voters are beginning to wise up and change their attitude about casinos. Even in Springfield 42% of the voters opposed the idea.

It is time to give the voters a chance to express their opinion before it becomes too late. A coalition of voters is pushing for a referendum on the subject to be held in 2014. I don't know why Attorney General Martha Coakley is trying to keep it off the ballot. She should change her mind and give the people of Massachusetts a chance.

Peter B. Denison           

Somerset, Ma 02726

The Future of Gam[bl]ing?

Coming to your Massachusetts neighborhood when government is addicted to gambling revenues!

Do you think Massachusetts residents would have voted for this? There is nothing in the legislation to prevent brothels, strip clubs and prostitution in your neighborhood by any other name.

Family entertainment you say? 

It's not a strip-club... it's a resort! Could the success of several new casino/strip-club hybrids reveal the future of the American casino industry? Well of course! It's all about the bottom line, but even more so when your state and local government are stakeholders in that same bottom line. And even if that bottom line is a faux leather G-string stuffed with one-dollar bills.

First casino gentlemen's club looks to enhance AyCee's sex appeal

Almost Angels: Live Shots

Chuck Darrow

Posted: Tuesday, August 6, 2013, 3:01 AM

AS ANY fan of "Boardwalk Empire" knows, Atlantic City and sex have always gone hand in, um, hand. But never before has it figured so prominently in the beleaguered resort's entertainment master plan.

As you read this, several adults-only attractions are filling venues of various sizes in three different gambling dens. More to the point, Ivan Kane's Royal Jelly Burlesque and Le Male Burlesque at Revel Casino-Resort, Almost Angels at Trump Taj Mahal and "The Burlesque Show" at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa are thriving despite the town's continuing economic woes.

And later this month (the date is still TBA), adult entertainment in casinos will take a quantum leap when New York-based Scores, arguably the most famous strip-club brand in America, opens a sprawling facility on the second level of Trump Taj Mahal Casino-Resort.

So, what in the name of Hugh Hefner is going on in Vegas-by-the-Sea? According to one industry observer, the town is adding a long-missing hue to its tourism palette.

         

"Adult entertainment is a prominent part of the entertainment scene in Las Vegas. It is not dominant, but it is part of what makes Vegas successful," reasoned casino analyst Joe Weinert, senior vice president of Linwood, N.J.-based Spectrum Gaming. "Part of the criticism of Atlantic City over the years, rightly or wrongly, is that it is a one-horse town. Now it is being forced to broaden that base. And quality, nonseedy adult entertainment had been a missing flavor in Atlantic City."

Actually, sex in casino marketing hasn't been entirely absent in the past. Borgata famously opened in 2003 with "do not disturb" signs that read "Tied Up," instead of the traditional "Privacy Please." Male revues have come and gone through the years, while Almost Angels is 4 years old, and Ivan Kane's Royal Jelly is in its second year of operation. But this summer's additions of "The Burlesque Show" and, especially, Scores, represent a new emphasis on grown-up offerings that, if successful, likely will influence other Atlantic City gambling dens to jump into the over-21 entertainment pool.

Weinert firmly believes that using sex to lure business is a sound strategy. "I think there is room for it," he said. "Other casino operators will be looking to see if these establishments are successful and if they can add value, both to their bottom line and the city's attractions as a whole."

Also on board is the Atlantic City Alliance, the marketing office operated on behalf of the 12 casinos and charged with promoting the town.

"Atlantic City continues to diversify the entertainment to attract new and repeat customers," said Jeff Guaracino, the alliance's chief strategy officer. "Entertainment aimed at adult audiences [is] expanding in AC and includes live shows, dancers at nightclub venues and at [other] venues. Diverse entertainment options are good for Atlantic City."

There's no question that Bob Gans thinks it's time for AyCee casinos to go all-in on pasties and G-strings. If he didn't, it's doubtful that Scores Holding Co. Inc., of which he is the managing member, would be betting $25 million on the 36,000-square-foot complex on the second level of the Taj adjacent to the pedestrian bridge to Resorts Casino Hotel.

A Scores preview

Scores Atlantic City - the first establishment of its kind inside a U.S. casino - has several distinct spaces, the keystone being the 8,000-square-foot main showroom. The high-tech playpen's signature feature (besides pole-dancing "entertainers," as the company calls them) will be a 160-square-foot LED board that provides a backdrop for the stage and is capable of countless designs and graphic permutations.

There will be state-of-the-art digital "iLights" flashing on the walls and ceiling to provide a sense of animation and visual excitement (as if the dancers won't be enough).

There also are 23 private spaces of varying sizes for those who want a more personal experience with a dancer or dancers. That said, Scores will not be a typical strip club. Full body-on-body lap dancing, the raison d'etre for this type of establishment, is prohibited in casinos by state regulation.

"There will be lap dancing, but there will be no touching," said the avuncular Gans. "If you took the lap dance as the end of the line, this would be the step before that. There will be no nudity, no underage drinking, no sex, no drugs. Everything else is OK."

This restriction isn't a problem for Gans and his minions, as Scores Atlantic City was conceived as something more than a typical gentlemen's bar.

"It's not going to be a 'strip club,' " he offered. "What it is going to be is something for everybody.

We have various rooms that have been created for men, men and women, and women."

In addition to the main room, Scores will include:

_ The Spread, a TV-lined sports bar.

_ Black Box Cabaret, a multi-purpose room that can be rented (with or without female entertainers) for business or social events. It also converts into a disco.

_ The Libertine Room, which the Scores folks hope will lure celebrities. It even has its own entrance so the riff-raff needn't see the bold-facers come and go.

_ The Blue Velvet Theater, which will host a male dance revue along the lines of the Chippendale dancers.

There is also a spacious deck overlooking the beach, boardwalk and Steel Pier where smokers and drinkers can congregate.

DN Members-only: Reviews and photos from some of A.C.’s more adult fare.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/living/20130806_First_casino_gentlemen_s_club_looks_to_enhance_AyCee_s_sex_appeal.html#UsP8jvzYFoJgF8Qz.99