Adelson Properties Boycott Planned by Poker Players, 22 Arrested in Gambling Probe
These are the top gambling news stories here at Gambling911.com Monday June 25, 2013 (Afternoon EDT). Follow us on Facebook Here
*Poker Players Consider Organized Boycott of Sheldon Adelson Properties – Following his negative remarks about legalized online poker in the US, the poker community is hoping to organize a boycott of the casino tycoon’s properties, including the Venetian and Sands of Las Vegas.
"As an industry leader, and more importantly as a father, grandfather, citizen and patriot of this great country," writes Adelson in his op-ed, "I am adamantly opposed to the legalization and proliferation of online gaming."
Martin D. Owens, a California attorney specializing in the law of Internet and interactive gaming (and co-author of "Internet Gaming Law" with Professor Nelson Rose of Whittier Law School) calls Adelson's worries and objections preposterous.
"Mr. Adelson," he says, "is staging a very belated and unimaginative rear-guard action."
John Pappas, president of the 1-million-member-plus Poker Players Alliance calls Adelson's worries baseless.
"I think he's missed the mark by a wide margin," says Pappas. "The reality is that licensed and regulated internet poker is taking place worldwide and right here in America and right here in his [Adelson's] back yard of Nevada. All of the perceived evils have been addressed through appropriate oversight—greater oversight and regulation than what's available in a brick-and-mortar setting. Age-verification? Protecting problem gamblers? Those can be addressed on the Internet even better than in one of Mr. Adelson's casinos." The fact that every action by every player online is tracked in real time he calls "a regulator's dream."
An ABC News report noted that angry vitriol towards Adelson appearing on various poker players Twitter accounts.
The idea of boycott has been gaining steam since 2011, when Adelson first came out swinging against online poker, according to the ABC News report.
Says Pappas of his own organization, "Nothing's being organized by us; but yes, we've heard, certainly, from plenty of outraged players. The fervor has increased since last week, with some saying they will never play the Venetian again."
Would a poker boycott hurt Adelson? Likely not, says Pappas: "Poker's not a big profit center for a casino. Never has been. It's an attraction to bring in a type of customer who will then go on the play the slot machines or the craps table or the sports book."
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*22 Arrested in NJ Gambling Probe - FREEHOLD, N.J. (Associated Press) — Authorities say the deputy director of public works for Toms River is among 22 people arrested as part of an investigation into a $1 million-a-week gambling ring. The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office says the enterprise operated in Monmouth, Somerset, Essex and Hudson counties and in New York. Authorities say the ring used websites to track illegal bets and records profits and losses. Prosecutors also allege members sold marijuana and prescription drugs. |
Anthony Benyola of Toms River is suspended from his job with the township's public works department.
Authorities say 55-year-old Richard Crossan of Hillsborough and 38-year-old Anthony Gagliardi of Monmouth Beach acted as co-conspirators.
Three suspects remain at-large.
Initial court appearances are scheduled in Freehold on Tuesday afternoon.
*Latest WSOP Bracelet Winner - Steve Gross' past record at the World Series of Poker didn't matter heading into the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Six-Handed event -- and it's a good thing, too. By his own estimate, the 27-year-old poker professional from Marlboro, N.J. was 0-for-15 in WSOP events thus far in 2013, but the fact of the matter is, he had lost count.
Fortunately, his dry spell got a jolt of life as he bested 400 entrants, earning $488,817 and his first gold bracelet in the prestigious $5,000 buy-in event. Gross is quite an accomplished player and those who followed him understood it was only a matter of time until he'd have a breakthrough WSOP victory.
Gross' WSOP resume boasts 14 cashes, four final tables and now a WSOP gold bracelet victory. Additionally, he was the 2009 Cardplayer Online Player of the Year.
Here's a look a the final table results for the six-handed event:
1st: Steve Gross - $488,817
2nd: Salman Behbehani - $301,965
3rd: Tim Pfutzenreuter - $194,147
4th: Joe Leung - $128,742
5th: Lee Goldman - $87,890
6th: Nader Arfai - $61,739
(source: www.wsop.com )
- Ace King, Gambling911.com
