Crime

Sicilian Mafia Boss Dissolved in Acid: Three Men Arrested

Three men this week were arrested for the 2002 murder of Sicilian Mob boss Andrea Cottone. 

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Mar/20/2014

Paddy Power Pistorius ‘Will He Walk’ Bet Ad Most Complained About Ad Ever

The UK Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) has said that Irish bookmaker Paddy Power’s Oscar Pistorius murder trial 'Money Off If He Walks' ad was the single most complained-about advertisement ever recorded.

Paddy Power was forced to pull the ad after the ASA issued it a dire warning.

The ASA in its findings released Wednesday said: "We acknowledged that the ad had appeared in the context of a high profile murder trial that had received extensive media coverage and was of interest to the public.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Mar/19/2014

Taj Mahal Killer Confesses to Two More Atlantic City Murders

Raheem Simmons, 20, pleaded guilty Tuesday (March 18, 2014) to two counts of aggravated manslaughter for the 2011 shooting deaths of Antwan Brown and Travon Kinard in Atlantic City.  Both victims were 20 years old at the time of they were killed.  All three resided in Camden, New Jersey.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Mar/18/2014

Pope Francis Plays Down Mafia ‘Hit’ Fears: Toddler Latest Victim of Italy Mob

The Vatican announced this week that Pope Francis was set to visit with victims of Italy’s Cosa Nostra. 

“For the families of innocent victims, this meeting with the Pope is a gift,” Fr. Luigi Ciotti expressed in a March 15 article on Vatican Radio.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Mar/18/2014

PartyPoker Founder Sued by Chevron Over Alleged Fraud

A judge in Gibraltar has that oil giant Chevron can move forward with a lawsuit seeking unspecified damages from PartyPoker (now Bwin.Party) co-founder Russell DeLeon in connection with his financing what the oil company says was a liability suit that ultimately turned into a racketeering conspiracy.

Submitted by Ace King on, Mar/18/2014

BetOnSports Founder Gary Kaplan Assessed $36.5 Mil Tax Bill

BetOnSports founder Gary Kaplan will have to pay $36.5 million to the IRS after losing an appeal.

Kaplan’s attorneys initially argued double jeopardy as he was already ordered to pay the US government $44 million after having served a 51-month prison sentence.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Mar/17/2014

Ifrah Law Wins Dismissal in PokerStars Class Action

Ruling for defendants in plaintiff-friendly jurisdiction likely spells end of class action

Submitted by Press Release on, Mar/17/2014

Billionaire Macau Real Estate Developer Joseph Lau Found Guilty of Bribery

(Reuters) - Real estate developer Chinese Estates Holdings said on Sunday its Chairman and Chief Executive Joseph Lau has resigned after he was found guilty of bribery and money laundering charges in Macau.

Submitted by Reuters on, Mar/16/2014

X-Rays Obtained in Alleged Floyd Mayweather Vegas Assault

TMZ.com has obtained the x-rays of two men who claim to have been assaulted by boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr.’s crew.

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Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Mar/15/2014

Mandalay Bay Will Pay Half-Million Dollars After Drug, Prostitute Bust

LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) - 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.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Mar/13/2014

Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness Sentenced to 3.5 Years Prison for Tax Fraud

Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness was sentenced Thursday to 3.5 years behind bars by a German court for tax evasion. 

"In the name of the people, Mr Ulrich Hoeness is sentenced for seven serious counts of tax evasion to a prison term of three years and six months," Judge Rupert Heindl told the Munich courtroom.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Mar/13/2014

Bayern Munich President Evaded $18.5 Mil in Taxes: Used Money for Gambling

(Reuters) - Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness stunned a German court on Monday by admitting he had evaded taxes of 18.5 million euros ($26 million) using a secret Swiss bank account - more than five times the amount on a prosecutors' charge sheet.

Once one of Germany’s most admired managers, Hoeness apologised and appealed for leniency at the start of a trial in a case that shocked Germany and prompted other tax dodgers to turn themselves in.

Submitted by Reuters on, Mar/12/2014

‘Mob Wives’ Star Ex-Hubby Testifies Against Gambino Associate in Murder Trial

The ex-hubby of “Mob Wives” reality star Renee Graziano took to the stand Tuesday to testify against former buddy and Gambino mob associate Luigi Grasso.  

Admitted killer Hector Pagan says he pulled the trigger and killed Luchese associate James Donovan outside a Gravesend body shop in 2010.  But Pagan knew enough about Graziano that he agreed to become a Mob turncoat in return for a reduced sentence.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Mar/11/2014

Van der Sloot to be Extradited to US in 2038: Killed Woman During Poker Tour

A citizen of Aruba who killed a young Peruvian woman while attending the Latin American Poker Tour in 2010 will be extradited to the US in 2038.

Submitted by Ace King on, Mar/11/2014

Lead Investigator Into Pete Rose Still Believes He Should Not be in Hall of Fame

The lead investigator in the 1989 Pete Rose Major League Baseball gambling matter tells the Washington Post he still believes Rose does not deserve to be entered into Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

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John M. Dowd led the investigation, later dubbed the “Dowd Report”.

Submitted by Don Shapiro on, Mar/10/2014

Sands Casino Guest Credit Card Information Hacked Into

If you have stayed at the Sands Bethlehem Casino or any of the other Sands Las Vegas affiliated casinos, including the Venetian, you may want to double check your credit card bill.  It turns out that customer credit cards have been compromised as part of a hacking that took down all of Sands site an entire week last month.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Mar/07/2014

Ontario Police Take Down ‘Major’ Online Gambling, Weapons Ring

Eleven individuals, aged 21 to 43, face charges ranging from illegal online gambling, bookmaking to illicit drug distribution.  The Ontario, Toronto-based ring is also said to have organized crime ties. 

Of the 42 charges, 17 are connected to illegal gambling, 17 related to drugs and the rest connected to weapons and possession of property obtained by crime.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Mar/07/2014

Paddy Power Stops Pistorius Bet: 1000 Wagers Taken, Over 5000 Complaints

Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has finally caved in and ceased taking wagers on the Oscar Pistorius murder trial in South Africa.   Pistorius shot his wife dead last year, mistaking her for an intruder.  The paraplegic runner insists the shooting was an accident.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Mar/06/2014

‘Sopranos’ Star Breaks Silence About Crime, Prison Sentence

Former “Sopranos” star Lillo Brancato shared his remorse for the death of officer Daniel Enchautegui.  Brancato served eight years for his role in the fatal shooting during a burglary attempt gone terribly wrong.  He was recently released.

BetOnline

Submitted by Jordan Bach on, Mar/06/2014

5000 Plus Complaints Lodged Against Paddy Power Pistorius Bet Ad

As Gambling911.com reported yesterday, Irish bookmaker Paddy Power was forced to remove an ad promoting wagering on the Oscar Pistorius murder trial following some 5000 complaints filed with the Advertising Standards Authority.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Mar/06/2014

Bitcoin Exchange Executive Found Dead: No Foul Play According to Police

SINGAPORE (Associated Press) — The CEO of a virtual currency exchange was found dead near her home in Singapore.

A police spokesman said Thursday that initial investigations indicated there was no suspicion of "foul play" in the Feb. 26 death, meaning officers do not suspect murder.

The spokesman said police found 28-year-old Autumn Radtke, an American, lying motionless near the apartment tower where she lived.

Police have so far classified the death as "unnatural," which can mean an accident, misadventure, or suicide.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Mar/06/2014

Paddy Power in Hot Water With ASA Over Pistorius Advertisement

“It’s Oscar Time” – such read an advert from the controversial Ireland-based bookmaker PaddyPower.com.

Oh yes, punters love to bet on the Oscars, and they did in droves this past Sunday.

There’s just one small problem.  Paddy Power’s ad had nothing to do with the Academy Awards, although it certainly looked to capitalize on them.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Mar/05/2014

Was 1995 Penn State – Rutgers Game Fixed in Light of McQueary Claims?

ESPN The Magazine broke the shocking details that former Penn State Football Assistant Coach and one time backup quarterback Mike McQueary claims to have been a victim of sexual abuse as a child in addition to being a degenerate gambling.  Now one has to wonder if McQueary’s betting on games translated into throwing one specific showdown, that wasn't much of a showdown when all was said and done.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Mar/05/2014

Al Capone Miami Beach Mansion for Sale

Notorious late mobster Al Capone’s Miami Beach mansion is on the market for a cool £5.06m.  Not bad for the Miami market.

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Built in 1922 on Palm Island, off the Miami Beach coast, the extravagant home encompasses 30,000 sq ft of waterfront space.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Mar/04/2014

Sandusky Whistleblower was a Degenerate Gambler, Abuse Victim

The man who stepped forward as a whistleblower against long time Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was reportedly a victim of sexual abuse himself.  He was also a degenerate gambler.

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ESPN The Magazine broke the shocking details regarding Mike McQueary.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Mar/04/2014

Outrage Over Paddy Power Oscar Pistorius Murder Trial Betting Intensifies

The public – and presumably a chunk of Paddy Power’s customer base – have taken to Twitter to lambaste the Irish bookmaker for continuing to take bets on the outcome of South African paraplegic runner Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Mar/04/2014

Japan Finance Minister Gathering Facts on Bitcoin Exchange Mt.Gox

(Reuters) - Japanese Finance  Minister Taro Aso said on Tuesday that the government is still trying to figure out what has led to the collapse of the Tokyo-based bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox and is not sure whether crime is involved.

"We still have not had a clear grasp of the situation," Aso said in response to a reporter's question after a cabinet meeting. "(We) don't know if it was a crime or just a bankruptcy."

Submitted by Reuters on, Mar/03/2014

Bitcoin Businesses Subpoenaed by US Attorney Preet Bharara

(Reuters) - Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara has sent subpoenas to Mt. Gox, other bitcoin exchanges, and businesses that deal in bitcoin to seek information on how they handled recent cyber attacks, a source familiar with the probe said on Wednesday.

In the attacks - known as distributed denial of service attacks - hackers overwhelmed bitcoin exchanges by sending thousands of phantom transactions. At least three exchanges were forced to halt withdrawals of bitcoins on February 7, including Mt. Gox, which was the largest at the time.

Submitted by Reuters on, Mar/03/2014

Paddy Power Defends Taking Bets on Oscar Pistorius Murder Trial: Angry Tweets

Controversial Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has defended its decision to offer betting on the outcome of Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial.

Pistorius, a paraplegic runner, claims he shot into a locked bathroom believing an intruder had entered the residence he shared with Steenkamp.  Instead he fatally wounded his girlfriend.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Mar/03/2014

Boxing Champion Antonio Tarver Arrested for Not Paying Gambling Debt

Boxing champion Antonio Tarver was arrested this past weekend for failing to pay a gambling debt of $200,000 to the Wynn Las Vegas.  His mug shot was first published by TMZ.

BetOnline

Submitted by Tyrone Black on, Mar/03/2014

Breaking News

BC.Game Reddit Reviews

There is little doubt that BC.Game is a big player in the worldwide online gambling space, especially when it comes to crypto.  It's not immediately clear if some of the negative stuff we've been reading about BC.Game is perhaps a symptom of growing pains.

Legality of Sweepstakes Casinos in Doubt

Forbes.com just published an amazing - and lengthy piece - pertaining to the world of sweepstakes casinos and the legal gray area they work in across the U.S.