van Der Sloot Being Extradited to US This Weekend: Killed Woman He Met in Casino

Written by:
Nagesh Rath
Published on:
Jun/02/2023

Here are just some of the hot gambling news stories for today.

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van Der Sloot Being Extradited to US This Weekend

(June 2, 2023) - The primary suspect in the disappearance of an Alabama high school graduate in Aruba is being extradited to the US by the Peruvian government.

Natalee Holloway disappeared in 2005 and van Der Sloot was among the last individuals she was seen with.

The Dutch citizen has been serving a 28-year sentence in Peru for the 2010 murder of 21-year-old college student Stephany Flores.

In the U.S., van der Sloot faces extortion and wire fraud charges stemming from an accusation that he tried to profit from his connection to the Holloway case.

The van Der Sloot case has been widely covered by Gambling911.com as he murdered Ms. Flores in a local Lima casino.  He was in the South American country hoping to take part in a poker tournament, which never happened.

Cincinnati Baseball Coach Resigns Amid College Betting Scandal

(June 1, 2023) - University of Cincinnati baseball head coach Scott Googins has stepped down after six seasons.  The NCAA is currently investigating a gambling matter that has rocked the sport in recent weeks.

The son of a man, Bert Eugene Neff Jr, placed wagers at a sportsbook inside Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark before an Alabama-LSU baseball game on April 28, according to Sports Illustrated.  Andrew Neff plays for the Cincinnati baseball team.

Ohio regulators ordered sportsbooks in the state to cease taking bets on the Alabama Crimson baseball team almost immediately after the Alabama-LSU game was played.  Other dominoes were quick to fall thereafter.

Alabama’s top pitcher, Luke Holman, was scratched from his scheduled April 28 start against LSU, reportedly due to a back issue, and the Tigers won the game, 8-6.

Esports Player Jailed for Role in Match-Fixing Scheme

(May 30, 2023) -  Singaporean esports player Malcolm Chung Wai Kiat has been sentenced to four months in jail and ordered to pay a $400 (325£/€370) fine after intentionally losing a match for personal gain.

Chung's friend Ryan Tan Shern, who both compete for RSG Resurgence, had owed him $400 but could not repay him so he proposed the scheme as a solution.

Chung accepted believing it was the only way to recover the money.

67 Percent of Students Living on Campus Have Placed Sports Bets, 35 Percent With Student Bookie

(May 24, 2023) - David Payne Purdum of ESPN has released findings from a recent study of college aged sports bettors.

The survey was conducted by the NCAA itself.  Its President, Charlie Baker, is looking to establish a baseline of sports betting activity in the U.S. regulated market.

  • 58% of the respondents have participated in at least one sports betting activity. The NCAA includes fantasy sports in its definition of sports betting.
  • 67% of students living on campus are bettors and tend to bet at a higher frequency, with 41% of the students who bet having wagered on their school's team. Thirty-five percent have used a student bookmaker.
  • 41% of the students who bet having wagered on their school's team.
  • 35% have used a student bookmaker.

Paris Smith Stepping Down as CEO of Pinnacle Sports

(May 16, 2023) - Longtime CEO of Pinnacle Sports, Paris Smith, is leaving her post. 

Davis Catlin, Managing Partner @ Discerning Capital in Las Vegas, was among the first to confirm the news. 

We first met Ms. Smith in 2020 when she was helping to build another reputable sportsbook.

Catlin called Monday "the biggest day in gambling" with the news of Paris stepping down and a few acquisitions of note.  Paris leaving Pinnacle Sports is pretty big and Catlin gives us some clue as to where she is heading, kind of. Oh yeah, Doyle Brunson passing away was massive. 

Fanatics buying PointsBet is a nothing burger outside of maybe easy access to already issued licenses perhaps.  Other than that, yeah, pretty big day in the gambling industry for sure.

Per Davis Catlin:

"Today was probably the biggest day in gambling news that I can remember.

"- Paris Smith Stepping down from CEO of Pinnacle. I'm lucky to call Paris a good friend and she is an absolute rock star. Its the end of an era for Pinnacle. She is one of the best executives in this industry & a wonderful person, but luckily she isn't going too far!

"- Aristocrat Buys NeoGames for $1.2B. This is one of the best assets (& least appreciated) in this industry from my perspective. Tsachi Maimon is a great executive and it gives Aristocrat a great platform to build on. Congrats to Daniel Yang for doing this deal - its a great one!

"- PointsBet USA Sells to Fanatics. Congrats to Sam Swanell & Co for knocking this one out for $150M. B2C in the US is a really brutal market, so I think they got a very good price for this asset. I am sure Matthew King knows what he is doing here as he is sharp - but we will have to wait & see his plans for integrating its players and its odds production group, Banach. The headline number seemed big to me, but I've been been wrong before...

"- Doyle Brunson's Passing - I did not know him, but he was a legend. Anytime you lose a legend, its worth taking a moment to appreciate his accomplishments. I enjoyed this quote in the NY Post from my poker playing buddy, Ben Lamb, "He was good at being likable while taking your money"

"The crazy thing is that the rumored M&A isn't even done yet. Don't people look at the cost of capital anymore?!?!?!"

BetBash 'Life Changing' for Some: 'I Created BetBash Not to Make Money Off Tickets' Says Organizer

(May 4, 2023) - If BetBash 3 is anything like the first BetBash, it's going to be a simply amazing event.  We were not in attendance at the second installment at the Circa Resort & Casino last year but heard it was off the charts as well.  This third BetBash event will also take place at the Circa on 8/8/23-8/11/23.

The event brings together those in the sports betting space, both big and small, to intermingle with one another and conduct some networking.  In attendance at the first BetBash event was none other than the man, the myth, the state senator who helped make sports betting across the US a reality, Raymond Lesniak. 

There was even a speed dating competition at the more recent BetBash event apparently. 

Data specialist Plus EV Analytics tweeted out that the event was "life changing". 

"This event materially changed my life for the better last year. Barring some kind of emergency I’ll be there again this time. Hope to meet many of you there!"

Organizer Gadoon “Spanky” Kryollos says "I created BetBash not to make money off tickets, but to expand my sports betting network and to hang out and have a few cocktails with people that love this bizness as much as I do."

Somach URNED Universal Condemnation: One Year Later, What Became of Dusty Schmidt's Facebook Wall?

(May 2, 2023) - "What's in the jar?" Gambling911.com reporter Thomas Somach tactlessly asked poker pro Dusty Schmidt's widow after she posted a photo of herself holding a jar on his Facebook page, presumably they were his ashes.

Friends of Dusty's lashed out and Dusty's widow immediately blocked Somach from ever posting on his wall again.

That wall has since gone quiet, but not before a handful of Dusty's friends began battling each other.  Two accused Schmidt of going all-out QAnon the years leading up to his untimely death.

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Frank Laconde posted:

R. I. P. Dusty, I just learned about this...

We were only good friends until you had made that really very sudden, weird and unfortunate 180 degree change in attitude and intellectual approach/etc. a few years back, something I still have no fucking any sense making explanation for, but until then I can honestly say that I did admire you and also enjoyed our intelligent discussions about poker, politics, atheism/religion, science, golf, sports and betting and whatnot.

My first thought regarding your sad passing was obviously Covid given how you didn't take any rational measures which you would have done just a few years ago without any doubt and hesitation before your sudden 180 degree transformation to irrationality and denial of science/etc. with your new weird attitude but it seems at least that was not the case.

However, I hope wherever you are there's golf, poker and sports betting available. You were a very cool, rational, modest and decent dude until a certain point.

Peace man and hang loose.

Another friend, Joey Gary, soon chimed in.

Frank Laconde I just found out he passed away today months later. Couldn’t have said it better myself. I was cool with him and talked to him about poker, politics or whatever else up until Trump became his hero and idol and he lost touch with reality. I had to eventually block him. Cheers to Dusty Schmidt. U were an awesome guy at the core . I would have liked to keep being your friend but I guess politics and friendship don’t mix.

Frank responded to Gary, elaborating further on the two men's friendship.

Joey Gary The funny or rather tragic thing is that the Dusty I was friends with would have despised, to the CORE, the Dusty he became when Trump showed up and he fell for that racist and dumb/uneducated/ignorant pied piper/charlatan/fraudster, that includes all relevant topics, politics, general ethics, science, religion, etc.

I really have no answer to the question how he could have made a 180 degree turn for the worst, how that was even remotely possible.

Suddenly he even showed white supremacist and racist tendencies in addition to the scientific, political and general ethical/etc. ignorance. Just wow, and that was a nogo path for me.

At the time, the subject of Schmidt seemingly going down the rabbit hole was a taboo subject, especially so soon after his death.  Somach, however, was among the first to pepper his widow with questions regarding Schmidt's anti-Covid vax stance.

To be clear, Schmidt was among the greatest poker players but his reputation had gotten stained in these final years.

Other friends of Dusty's were not having the vitriol - even if it was laced with adoration of the man these gentlemen once knew and loved.

Patrick A. Bonilla responded:

Frank Laconde you two are a couple of classless fucks. So you are ok talking politics with someone until they disagree with you? Then come to his page and disrespect him when he’s passed and can’t defend himself? What I miss most about my friend is watching him destroy tards like you two.

- Nagesh Rath, Gambling911.com

Mouth Compares Shaun Deeb Playing in a Ladies Poker Event With Gender Identity in Today's Game

(May 1, 2023) - Outspoken right-leaning poker pro Mike "The Mouth" Matusow on Sunday night got into the debate over gender identity and the game of poker (i.e. transgender players and which events to participate in).

It's actually news to us that Shaun Deeb actually once played in a women's poker tournament.

By the way, in case you missed it like we did, The Mouth enjoyed poker and dinner with Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz last week.

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Mike tweeted:

"In 2007 08 @shaundeeb was ahead of his time when he played in ladies event . I remember telling him it was endorsement suicide. In 2023 you prolly have better chance at an endorsement if you decide to identify as female! Worlds gone insane!"

The Mouth was responding to a tweet from fellow pro Mike Glantz.

"I think most of us agree a transgender person should be allowed to play in a Ladies Poker Event. Unlike sports, there is no clear physical advantage. But, how do you feel about a transvestite playing in a Ladies Poker Event? And if you think they should not, why?"

And, as we all do, just jump to the comments.

GJTucker tweeted:

"Vanessa Selbst and Doug Polk could play in both and I don’t think anybody would mind."

And Erik Rami offered:

"Im very open to change my mind in a second but arent guys physically more aggressive , assertive and combative ? Having that combined with a proper poker strategy is a clear advantage for males imo."

And Baudib tweeted:

"Trying to turn this into a trans issue is so intellectually dishonest. Dave is a cis male who claims to be a cis male. Every women’s tournament is open to everyone as we can see because venues can’t actively bar men from entering them."

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NHL Fan Gets Put to Sleep After Tense Altercation

(May 1, 2023) - While we are all still chatting about that upset win by the 60-1 long shot Florida Panthers beating the Boston Bruins, what about this poor sap?

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From FlyersInsider:

Recently, a video was released from the Devils' 4-0 victory over the Rangers, showing two fans engaging in a heated argument mid-play. The situation escalated quickly as the Devils fan smacked the Rangers fan's drink out of his hand, causing the Rangers fan to retaliate by putting his assailant in a choke-hold until he lost consciousness.

This series continues with the Devils a -120 favorite over the Rangers Monday night (May 1).

- Nagesh Rath, Gambling911.com

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