Live Gambling News, Top Trending: Updates 24/7

Written by :

C Costigan

Published on :

12 May, 2026

Hammond Indiana Alleged 'Enforcer' in Sports Betting Ring Reportedy Hobnobbed With Elected Officials
Missouri AG Seizes Over $58K From Gas Station Slot Machines in Sting Operation
Manhunt for Arizona Man Who Faked Cartel Kidnapping Over Gambling Debt

Scroll Down

Top Trending

Manhunt for Arizona Man Who Faked Cartel Kidnapping Over Gambling Debt

Tuesday May 12, 2026 (10:09 pm EDT)

An Arizona man convicted in a bizarre fake cartel kidnapping hoax is being sought by authorities after prosecutors say he fled before he could be sentenced. Mark Michael Ellis, 33, of Prescott, Ariz., was convicted by a Yavapai County jury on May 7 on charges related to the alleged fake kidnapping involving bogus ransom demands and false claims that he had been abducted by a Mexican cartel in January 2025. Ellis even placed a Facetime to his employer from what he claimed was a basement where the cartel was holding him as a hostage. That location turned out to be his girlfriend's garage. Investigators linked the kidnapping hoax to gambling debts and methamphetamine use.

Gambling Crime

Hammond Indiana Alleged 'Enforcer' in Sports Betting Ring Reportedy Hobnobbed With Elected Officials

Tuesday May 12, 2026 (10:09 pm EDT)

An alleged enforcer in a Northwestern Indiana sports betting bust appears in photographs with top regional elected officials including a Region police chief and recent sheriff's candidate as well as a top labor union officials. Michael Campbell agreed last week to waive his right to a detention hearing and will remain incarcerated until his case is resolved. Prosecutors also accuse Campbell of exhibiting “erratic behavior,” specifically when chasing an undercover agent on April 9 in his car for about an hour, at speeds in excess of 100 mph. The business is said to have used threats and intimidation to collect funds, according to court filings.

Gambling Crime

Missouri AG Seizes Over $58K From Gas Station Slot Machines in Sting Operation

Tuesday May 12, 2026 (10:09 pm EDT)

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced Tuesday afternoon that her office seized 35 gas station gaming devices and $58,815 from five gas stations across the state in a sting operation done in conjunction with several law enforcement agencies. Three of the five gas stations are in mid-Missouri: the Eagle Stops on North Providence Road in Columbia and North Shore Drive in Lake Ozark, and Woody's Pub and Grub in Ashland. "This remains a high priority for our office in conjunction with the highway patrol and all these local departments because these machines are illegal, but also, they become an attractive place for other criminal activity," Hanaway said Tuesday.