Crime
Paddy Power Further Enrages Public With Oscar Pistorius Money Back Guarantee
Ireland’s biggest bookmaker, Paddy Power, incensed many last week when it opened up odds on the trial of South African paraplegic runner Oscar Pistorius.
Sicilian Mafia Sent Hit Man to Knock Off Rudy Giuliani
The head of the Sicilian Mafia once sent a hit man to knock off then US Attorney Rudy Giuliani in the 1980s, the New York Post reported this week.
“Boss of bosses” Salvatore Riina targeted Giuliani because of his friendship with an anti-mafia judge in Sicily, Giovanni Falcone.
Sands Casino Bethlehem CEO Resigns Following Hacking
The CEO of Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem has resigned following a hacking that took down all Sands Las Vegas websites for nearly a week.
Robert DeSalvio, the President and CEO of the Sands establishment, is stepping down. It was revealed last week that the hacking had gone through Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. DeSalvio has insisted that his decision is unrelated to the hacking.
Chan Pelton Stripped of WSOP Ring Following ‘Chip Theft’: Banned for Life
Poker player, Chan Pelton, has been stripped of his ring following an investigation by World Series of Poker organizers. Pelton is also banned from all Caesars properties.
Former Cricket Player Lou Vincent Pleads Guilty as Part of ‘Bookie’ Scheme
(Reuters) - Former New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent has pleaded guilty to not reporting an approach by a bookmaker while playing in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) last year.
The 35-year-old Vincent is one of three former New Zealand cricketers under investigation by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for alleged match-fixing.
Vincent, who retired from all cricket last year, had failed to report the approach to the ICC while playing for the Khulna Royal Bengals in the domestic Twenty20 competition in January last year.
Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Jail for Running Online Sportsbook
A Stamford, Connecticut man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in running an illegal online sportsbook that authorities claim had ties to organized crime.
U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly announced Wednesday that Silverio Califano, 53, of Stamford, was sentenced Feb. 26 by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford followed by three years of supervised release. He must also forfeit $40,000 and was fined another $4000.
FBI Accused Mafia of Fixing Muhammad Ali Fight: Liston Bet Against Himself
Newly released documents have uncovered an investigation by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) into a supposedly fixed fight between legendary boxer Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston.
The investigation accuses the Mafia of having fixed the historic 1964 fight.
Three Generations of One Family Indicted in Poker Heist
A grand jury has indicted three generations of a single family on charges related to a poker heist at Colonial Country Club in Memphis, Tennessee.
Mother Mildred Fioretto, daughter Sheree McKinley and granddaughter Marilyn Jackson were indicted in connection with the Sept. 9 robbery. McKinley’s boyfriend was also indicted.
Crossing the Line? Bookie Taking Bets on Runner Oscar Pistorius Murder Trial
In recent years, bookies across the world have steered clear of taking bets on murder trials. This week it was observed that Irish bookmaker Paddy Power had begun to take bets on the outcome of South African paraplegic runner Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial.
High Court Won't Review DiCristina Poker Club Conviction
WASHINGTON (Associated Press) — The Supreme Court will not disturb the criminal conviction of a New York man whose underground poker game ran afoul of a federal anti-gambling law.
Full Tilt Poker Defendant Ira Rubin ‘Faulty’ Indictment Claim Denied by Judge
A U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit judge on Wednesday rejected Ira Rubin's claim that his indictment was faulty because the conduct he was charged with was not a crime under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA).
Sands Bethlehem was Main Target of Last Week’s Hacking
LAS VEGAS - (Associated Press) -- Casino giant Las Vegas Sands Corp. said Tuesday that hacking into their websites and internal systems last week went deeper than the company had previously known.
All of the Las Vegas-based company's sites were down for six days after hackers posted images apparently condemning comments CEO Sheldon Adelson made about using nuclear weapons on Iran.
Sands said hackers crashed its email system and stole employees' Social Security numbers.
Annie Duke Resurfaces: Will Play in Philadelphia Poker Tournament
Annie Duke announced she will be participating in the Jewish National Fund’s 7th Annual Poker Tournament in Philadelphia on February 27. This is the first time Duke has made such a public appearance on the poker circuit in more than a year.
Sands Hackers Got Customer Credit Card Info, Passwords for Slot Machine Systems
LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) — Casino giant Las Vegas Sands Corp. said Tuesday that hacking into their websites and internal systems last week went deeper than the company had previously known.
Former Baltimore Ravens Star Ray Rice Arrested at Revel Casino in Atlantic City
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Associated Press) — Atlantic City police said Baltimore running back Ray Rice was arrested at a casino after an argument with his fiancée turned physical.
Atlantic City police said that Rice and Janay Palmer were arrested on simple assault charges and were released on a summons after an incident at the Revel Casino early Saturday morning. Both Rice and Palmer declined medical attention, and neither reported any injuries
Another Man With Ties to Legends Sports Gambling Ring Plead Guilty
Timothy Robillard, 44, pleaded guilty Monday to one felony charge of running an illegal gambling operation. The former Albany, New York corrections officer faces a year of conditional discharge and a $25,000 forfeiture of profits when sentenced in April.
China to Crack Down on Vices Including Gambling, Prostitution
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s government told police across the country to get tough on prostitution, gambling and drugs following an expose in the “sin city” of Dongguan, where a crackdown on prostitution led to the detention of nearly 1,000 people this month.
The announcement, on the Ministry of Public Security’s official website late on Monday, said investigations had begun in several provinces, and police had broken up 73 vice rings and closed down 2410 prostitution and gambling dens over the past week.
Sands Casino Websites Finally Restored Following Hacking
(Associated Press) - Casino giant Las Vegas Sands Corp. has restored its websites a week after they were hacked.
The Las Vegas-based company pulled down its sites Feb. 13 after hackers defaced them with images condemning comments CEO Sheldon Adelson had made about using nuclear weapons on Iran.
Sands restored the websites Monday afternoon. Spokesman Ron Reese says the company first became aware of the hacking on Feb. 12, when company email went down.
WSOP 3 Time Gold Ring Winner Chan Pelton Accused of Pocketing Tournament Chip
A three-time gold ring winner in World Series of Poker circuit events, Chan Pelton, is under investigation for allegedly pocketing a T25,000 chip from the WSOP Circuit Palm Beach Kennel Club in Florida.
Frustration Continues as Sands Las Vegas, Venetian Websites Down Again
One week after a malicious hacking of the Sands Las Vegas casino websites, the progress getting them back up has been especially slow.
Sands Casino Websites Back Up But Slow to Access
Days after a hacking of its various corporate websites, Sands Casino was back up and operational on the Web Saturday evening. Still, the sites were slow to access at times.
The access time had some initial telltale signs of a Denial of Access (DoS) attack though the slow downloads were more likely attributed to routine maintenance.
A DoS attack sends pockets of useless traffic from compromised servers to a website, thus crippling load ability.
Regulators Still Unsure if Sands, Venetian Guest Credit Card Info Compromised
LAS VEGAS – (Associated Press) - A Nevada gambling regulator said Thursday afternoon that it's unclear whether the hackers who knocked down all of Las Vegas Sands Corp.'s websites for three days and counting had stolen patron data, including credit card information.
Second Bitcoin Exchange Halts Withdrawals: Canada to Tighten Grip
A second major bitcoin exchange has temporarily ceased withdrawals following an apparent cyberattack that has seen the anonymous digital currency’s price drop in recent days.
Bitstamp followed the move of Mt.Gox by halting withdrawals after hackers had exploited a bug in some underlying software to carry out the attack.
FBI Confirms Probe of Sands Website Hackings: Credit Card Breach a Concern
Day 3 of the Las Vegas Sands casino websites remaining down following a corporate-wide hacking and it was still unclear as to whether customer credit card information could have been compromised.
At the time of the hacking, employee social security numbers were seen scrolling across the breached website.
Former Full Tilt Poker Operative ‘Malpractice’ Claim Against Attorney Thrown Out
A Nevada district court has thrown out a claim against noted online gambling industry attorney Jeff Ifrah by which a former client asserted “malpractice”.
Chad Elie, a convicted online poker payment processor who was among those indicted during a sweeping crackdown on the industry April 15, 2011, alleged last April that Ifrah gave him misleading professional advice so that he could continue making millions of dollars in commission.
Lawyer in Allied Veterans Gambling Case Sentenced: Faces Dozens of Years Jail time
SANFORD, Fla. (Associated Press) - An attorney for a veterans group that prosecutors say was a $300 million gambling operation is being sentenced for his conviction on 103 counts.
Kelly Mathis faces dozens of years in prison during his sentencing hearing Wednesday.
Las Vegas Sands Not Saying If Customer Credit Card Info Compromised (Video)
Las Vegas Sands officials were not responding to inquiries related to customer credit card information following a hacking of its corporate websites Tuesday that continued to leave its digital services in disarray 36 hours later. The site remained out of commission heading into Thursday.
First They Steal Doyle Brunson’s Identity: Now They Steal His Crutches
80-year-old poker icon Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson tweeted that his crutches had been stolen from an Albertson’s drug store over the weekend.
He tweeted:
Sands Casino Sites Still Down After Hacking: Social Security Numbers Posted
The Sands Las Vegas casino property websites were down throughout the day Tuesday following what appeared to be a website hacking. At one point during the early part of the day it was reported that staff and executive social security numbers were scrolling on the compromised sites.
US, Italian Authorities Arrest 17 Gambino Crime Family Operatives in Massive Sting
(Associated Press) - U.S. and Italian authorities said Tuesday they had broken up a new heroin-and cocaine-trafficking ring coordinated by Italy's powerful 'ndrangheta organized crime syndicate and New York City's Gambino crime family. Seventeen people were arrested in Italy and another seven in New York, officials said.
