Skybook.com Owner Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Prison
A St. Charles, Louisiana man, Anthony Buttitta, 43, has been sentenced to 2.5 years behind bars for tax evasion. He and his father, Dominic Buttitta, 69, of South Barrington, plead to two felony counts filed against them in U.S. District Court and were sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Milton Shadur.
MGM Tops Penn Gaming Donation in Fight for Gambling Expansion in Maryland
Penn Gaming has pledged $5.5 million in an effort to defeat a gambling expansion plan in the state of Maryland.
That news comes as MGM Resorts International, which has plans to build an $800 million casino at the National Harbor in Prince George County, had spent close to $2.5 million in support of these efforts.
Casino Mogul Steve Wynn Awarded $20 Million in Slander Suit Against Joe Francis
A jury has awarded casino magnate Steve Wynn $20 million in his slander suit against porn purveyor Joe Francis.
An L.A. Count Superior Court jury determined that the “Girls Gone Wild” video franchise owner, Francis, had knowingly made false statements against Wynn. Francis had told reporters that Wynn threatened to kill him with a shovel over the head and bury him in the desert. The jury found that Francis acted maliciously in making such statements.
Poker Room at Gulfstream Casino Now Open Following Fish Tank Fiasco
The poker room at Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino in South Florida has finally reopened after a ruptured 13,000 gallon fish tank caused extensive damage to the facilities last Sunday.
New carpeting, walls, artwork and furniture have been installed since the flooding occurred, according to Mike Couch, Gulfstream's Director of Gaming.
"It's unfortunate we had to close five days, but we're very grateful to our guests for their patience and understanding," Couch said in a Saturday release.
Sheldon Adelson, Las Vegas Sands Select Madrid for ‘EuroVegas’ Casino
By HAROLD HECKLE Associated Press
(Associated Press) - The decision by Las Vegas Sands to choose Madrid for a big "EuroVegas" casino project was welcomed by city officials Saturday, but potential obstacles include the company's decision to fund only 35 percent of the resort and to demand changes in local laws.
Ana Isabel Marino, Madrid's counselor for planning and environment, said the regional government received the news "with contained satisfaction, given that this is the first step."
New Jersey Says Professional Leagues do Not Have Standing in Sports Betting Suit
TRENTON, N.J. — (Associated Press) - A court filing claims sports gambling is so widespread already that New Jersey’s plans to implement it won’t cause any harm to college and pro sports leagues.
The argument is contained in a court filing that seeks to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the four major pro leagues and the NCAA.
Steve Wynn Seeking $12 Million in Slander Case Against Porn Purveyor Joe Francis
LOS ANGELES (Associated Press) — Steve Wynn's attorney says jurors should consider awarding the casino mogul $12 million in his slander trial against "Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis.
Attorney Barry Langberg suggested the multimillion verdict during closing arguments Friday in Wynn's case against Francis. Francis claims the casino creator threatened to kill him over a gambling debt.
Somach to Appear on Wallin Radio Show to Discuss Betting College and Pro Football
Gambling911.com reporter Tom Somach will be a guest on Saturday, September 8, 2012, on "Morning Brew," one of the most popular radio shows in the Los Angeles market.
The show airs live each Saturday morning on KCAA radio, 1050 on the AM dial, from 8-9 a.m. Pacific Time, and is hosted by Los Angeles sportscaster and Gambling911.com sports handicapper Fred Wallin.
Somach will appear on the show Saturday from 8:30-9 a.m. Pacific Time and will discuss betting college and NFL football, as well as other gambling topics in the news.
Bally Technologies Licenses NASCAR Slot Machine
Players, start your engines! Bally Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BYI) has licensed NASCAR, one of the most sought-after brands in the gaming industry.
NASCAR is the first world-class licensed brand that Bally has carried across its games and systems businesses, in the form of the slot machine game and Elite Bonusing Suite’s Virtual Racing NASCAR. Both the slot and the systems-driven promotional tool take everything racing fans love about the sport and put it into a one-of-a-kind gaming experience.
Quincy Jones Denies Steve Wynn Threatened Porn Purveyor Joe Francis Life in Slander Trial
Music producer Quincy Jones denied ever telling “Girls Gone Wild” porn purveyor Joe Francis that casino mogul Steve Wynn wanted to "bury him in the desert.”
When asked if Wynn had said this to Jones, the Grammy Award winning music icon emphatically said "No. Absolutely not” more than a dozen times during court testimony on Thursday.
Steve Wynn is suing Francis for slander. The two have been embroiled in a bitter war of words for some years now.
Gambler Who Bet on College Football 34.5 Point Underdog Wins $120k
A sports bettor managed to take full advantage of one of College Football’s biggest upsets in 32 years this past weekend as Texas State went on to beat Houston 30-13 as a +34.5 underdog.
Terror in Costa Rica as More Earthquake Videos Surface (Video)
San Jose, Costa Rica, is, and has been for over 15 years, the epicenter of online gambling. Up until recently even PokerStars, the world’s largest “real money” online poker firm, maintained a base there.
San Jose is an epicenter for something else.....EARTHQUAKES!
Floyd Mayweather Bets $200k Cowboys Second Half: Shoots Down Michigan Rumors
Floyd Mayweather has finally revealed that he never bet $3 million on the Michigan Wolverines to cover against Alabama this past weekend, but he did wager on the Dallas Cowboys to win the second half of the first NFL game of the 2012 regular season.
Bookie Pleads Guilty in Philadelphia Mob Case That Will Delve Into City’s Violent Past
PHILADELPHIA (Associated Press) - A sports bookie has pleaded guilty to racketeering charges a month before eight co-defendants go on trial in a mob case.
Louis Barretta became the third person to plead guilty in the case, which focuses on what prosecutors say was gambling and loansharking within Philadelphia's La Cosa Nostra under acting boss Joseph Ligambi.
Outdoor Gambling in Atlantic City as Golden Nugget Offers First Exterior Casino
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — (Associated Press) - For the past few years, Atlantic City's casinos have been thinking outside the box when it comes to ways to drum up new business and compete with gambling halls in neighboring states.
But the Golden Nugget Atlantic City is doing so literally by becoming the first casino in New Jersey to offer outdoor gambling.
Costa Rica Earthquake Causes Significant Damage: Online Gambling Businesses Fine
The hub for several dozen online gambling businesses, San Jose, Costa Rica, was spared any significant damage from Wednesday’s 7.6 magnitude earthquake just 100 miles to the west.
Malta-Based Online Gambling Company Head Jailed 14 Months
Dimitrios Drosos, 45, director of betting company Gold Victory Ltd, has been jailed for 14 months after being convicted of defrauding several people of a total of €500,000.
The court found that the Malta-based company had not paid winnings to several players and the accused had pocketed the money.
€70,000 paid by the accused as bail money were forfeited after it was established that Drosos,a Greek national resident in Kappara, had jumped bail and escaped from Malta.
He was re-arrested on the strength of a European arrest warrant.
7.9 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Online Gambling Hub of San Jose, Costa Rica
A 7.9 magnitude earthquake has hit the online gambling hub of San Jose, Costa Rica, one of the worst quakes in some time. The earthquake hit at 14:42 UTC, just before 9 am local and 11 am EDT.
The quake was not directly located in the San Jose region where most online gambling companies are set up. Employees were rattled by the event as one of the biggest weekend’s in online sports betting is about to kick off.
Nearby Cities
Burst Fish Tank Destroys Gulfstream Park Casino: Called ‘Catastrophic Failure’
The damage caused by a burst fish tank at South Florida’s famed Gulfstream Park Casino appears to be akin to that of a massive flood sweeping through two floors of this sprawling establishment. Hurricane Isaac didn’t even cause this type of damage to the Louisiana and Mississippi riverboat casinos. Who would have thought a ruptured 13,000 aquarium could cause such destruction?
GOP Platform on Internet Gambling May Have Been Influenced by Sheldon Adelson
Some in the gambling sector have begun to speculate that GOP political donor extraordinaire, casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, may have had a degree of influence as it relates to the newly released Republican platform from last week – You know the one, it espouses family values and how legalizing Internet gambling will lead to the destruction of such values.
Forbes: Is Zynga’s New 888 Hire a Means to ‘Exploit’ Gambling or Consumers
Inquiring minds want to know, or at least Forbes.com Financial columnist Louis Bedigian: Will Zynga's New Hire Exploit Gambling or Consumers?
The question is being asked after it was revealed that the world’s leading social media company and biggest operator of a “free-to-play” online poker room, Zynga, just hired 888.com’s former VP of Regulated Markets, Maytal Ginzburg. 888.com operates the world’s 4th largest “real money” online poker room and is widely seen as having one of the largest global Web casino businesses.
Mobster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger Attorneys to Update Judge Ahead of Trial
BOSTON (Associated Press) — Federal prosecutors and lawyers for mobster James ‘‘Whitey’’ Bulger are due in court this week to update a judge on the exchange of evidence in the case.
Bulger is the former leader of the notorious Winter Hill Gang and was also an FBI informant against the Mafia. He’s accused of participating in 19 murders.
Circumstances Surrounding Tank Explosion at Gulfstream Park Casino Remain Fishy
The Sunday morning explosion of a 13,000-gallon saltwater aquarium at the popular South Florida Gulfstream Park casino remained a mystery Tuesday.
David Gzesh Confirms Sale of Seized Online Gambling Domains
Michael H. Berkens of TheDomains.com has confirmed that attorney David Gzesh purchased and put up for sale online gambling domain names previously seized by US authorities.
Massive Israeli Gambling Ring Busted: Arabian Race Horses Confiscated
Law enforcement in Northern Israel announced a major gambling bust on Monday. Dozens of top dollar Arabian race horses were also taken into custody during a raid on the operation.
Authorities believe the business could have been engaging in money laundering activities.
Burst Fish Tank Shuts Down Gulfstream Racing and Casino Park Gambling for Days
A burst fish tank has resulted in the shutdown of all gambling operations at Gulfstream Racing and Casino Park in South Florida.
The situation occurred on the facility’s second floor where the 13,000 gallon saltwater tropical glass tank broke early Sunday morning. Both floors of casino gambling had to be shut down.
Macau Says August Gambling Revenue Second Highest on Record
HONG KONG, (Reuters) - Gambling revenue in Macau grew 5.5 percent year-on-year in August, government data showed on Monday, signalling a muted pick up in growth buoyed by demand from mainland gamblers.
Mayweather Mystery Bet: He May Have Won With Alabama
Reports surfaced this past week that boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. had placed a $3 million bet on the Michigan Wolverines to cover the spread against Alabama Saturday night.
Well, the Crimson Tide destroyed Michigan and presumably Mayweather lost his bet.
But not so fast.
9 Seized Online Gambling Domains Put Up For Sale Including DoylesRoom.com
Nine online gambling domain names seized as part of a sting operation by the US Attorney’s Office in Maryland have been put up for sale or license. These include DoylesRoom.com and Bookmaker.com.
Nevada Governor Not in Agreement With GOP Platform on Internet Gambling (Video)
Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval is in sharp disagreement with his party when it comes to online gambling and their platform adopted over the past week that includes a few lines promising to continue prohibition.
News 3 in Las Vegas sent reporter Sergio to talk to the governor, who has been pushing for legalization of online gambling in the state.
