Urging agreement on a casino-authorization bill among legislative negotiators who have showed little progress in closing significant gaps, Gov. Deval Patrick on Tuesday reminded lawmakers of his opposition to racetrack slot machines, said he could support efforts to underpin the horse racing industry and outlined ideas for helping displaced track workers.

The governor said he wanted fewer messages passed through “carrier pigeons,” and more communication with Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Robert DeLeo.

Patrick told reporters, “I think there’s a compromise in here that I could support that offers some kind of support for traditional racing. I don’t exactly know what that is, but my position on slots at the tracks isn’t changing.”

Both Suffolk Downs and Plainridge Racecourse have signaled interest in bidding for full-blown casinos. Under the House plan, those tracks and the state’s former dog tracks, Wonderland and Raynham-Taunton, would be guaranteed up to 750 slot machines apiece. Suffolk and Wonderland, in neighboring Revere and East Boston, share a joint venture.

Patrick and Murray have signaled stiff opposition to the House-backed guarantee of slot machines for racetracks. Voters in 2008 chose to ban dog racing.

Asked Tuesday about a sop for Raynham-Taunton, Patrick replied, “There’s been some talk about, again if there are destination resort casinos, that the employment … first dibs would go to people who used to work at the tracks, and, you know, I get that, I understand that, and that may help.”

After Speaker Robert DeLeo last week stepped up his insistence on slot machines at the tracks, which he called vital to job preservation and $100 million annually in immediate local aid, Patrick called on lawmakers to “dial down the rhetoric,” a device he used again Tuesday. Patrick said he was unsure whether a final agreement could be reached, saying there were “a lot of messages being sent through what someone described as carrier pigeons … I think there has to be conversation directly with the principals.”

“We’re not going to get a bill without a compromise between the House and the Senate, and there isn’t going to be a compromise until both sides start to engage with each other and dial down some of the rhetoric,” Patrick said Tuesday, during a visit to the News Service office that spilled into the hallway, an unusual gubernatorial visit to the fourth-floor press row.

“Everybody’s clear about their position, but getting a bill is going to require some compromise,” he said.

DeLeo said Monday, “Any bill that comes out, as far as I’m concerned, out of conference committee should have a slots component.”

Asked during an appearance on NECN whether the House conferees would sign off on a bill without racinos, the Winthrop Democrat replied, “I’ll never say never, because I think that’s part of the conference committee and what they should be doing, but I would say it’s a very important aspect of the bill I want to see there.”

The governor said the clogged legislative pipeline, backed up behind gambling, argued for “talking to each other, instead of about each other.”

“I am concerned that so much important work has been left to the end of the session. We’ve got a lot of stuff backed up,” Patrick said, referring to criminal justice policy changes, economic development proposals, and efforts to ease health care costs for small businesses.

With the July 31 close of formal sessions approaching, the prospect of a finalized expanded gambling law, once deemed a near certainty, has clouded. While Patrick, Murray and DeLeo – the so-called Big 3 of state government – all want casinos, the notion of slot machines, mechanics for regulating the industry’s start-up, and treatment of tribal nations seeking gambling rights remain tripping points.

“There are a lot of different conversations, there are a lot of moving parts, so I don’t want to harden over any particular part,” Patrick said Tuesday.
 

July 14th, 2010 – by Glen Farmer

In Charlotte County, a business has been raided on Monday under suspicion operating an unlicensed gambling operation.

Sheriff’s detectives conducted the raid and made their arrests, apprehending two residents of Cape Coral over their involvement in the operation of this illegal gambling den. Gustavo Ernesto Ortiz-Moran, 23, and Josue Joel Molina, 33, have been taken into custody by authorities.

A two month investigation had entailed detectives entering the MAX Video Arcade in Port Charlotte and attempting to play what were essentially slot games. The detectives would purchase plastic playing cards in order to use the slots.

The initial investigation culminated when, a week after the detective had played the game, Molina was given a written warning informing him that he was in violation of the law. Molina denied the allegations. The Florida Division of Para-Mutuel Wagering, part of the Department of Business and Professional Regulations showed that the MAX Video Arcade is not a licensed gambling business.

The investigation continued on July 9th, when detectives returned with the playing card from the portion of the investigation that took place in May. The remaining $5 credit on the card had been turned into $43.60 through the use of the slot machines, and had subsequently been cashed out. The detectives reportedly received hard currency for the winnings. An attendant claimed that cash payouts were a regular part of business.

Ortiz-Moran and Molina were both arrested. Molina was charged with keeping a gambling house, while Ortiz-Moran had been charged with a felony, an Agent of a Keeper of a Gambling House. Both had been bonded out.

Florida had been experiencing unprecedented gambling expansion, as table games have recently arrived at some of the casinos in the southern part of the state, while the poker rooms have received uncapped limits. The Florida Online Gambling sites have not yet been regulated, there has been some talk of expanding online gambling laws.

Tags: florida gambling, florida gambling expansion, florida online gambling, illegal gambling, illegal gambling busts, online gambling, USA online gambling

The Ohio Lottery Commission may ask a court to give it the legal go-ahead to install video slot machines at seven racetracks across the state, including River Downs in Anderson Township and Lebanon Raceway.

At a Monday meeting, the panel will discuss changing old rules it never got to implement after Gov. Ted Strickland’s gambling plan was halted by the Ohio Supreme Court last year. The commission will also vote on whether to seek a court decision on their authority to install slots. The group that won the right to halt the slots in order to hold a referendum abandoned that effort earlier this summer.

“We hope to achieve legal clarity to implement video lottery terminals – that’s what stopped it last time,” said Jeannie Roberts, spokeswoman for the commission.

The new proposed rules wouldn’t allow gamblers under the age of 21 instead of 18, but don’t yet spell out a tax rate on gambling revenue or application fees for racetracks.

The move comes two weeks after LetOhioVote.org dropped its bid to hold a referendum on the video lottery issue that the group rethought in light of Ohio voters’ approval last fall of building four casinos across the state, including one in downtown Cincinnati.

Despite the disappearing referendum challenge in June, Strickland’s office said it wanted a court decision in the matter before it proceeded with video slots. Before the high court froze the slots last year, Strickland’s plan was the subject of numerous legal challenges.

The 2009 law that originally authorized the slots envisioned up to 2,500 machines at each track.

“You guys know what to do.”

Tournament Director Jack Effel has spent every noon-time for more than a week standing on a platform in the Amazon Room of the Rio Hotel and Casino running through rules and regulations of the day’s play at the World Series of Poker Main Event. Often he has stood beside superstars from all walks of life – NFL Hall of Famer Emmit Smith, World Poker Champion Joe Cada, UFC announcer Bruce Buffer – and listened as they got showtime about the “Shuffle up and deal” at the start of the day.

Today was slightly different. “You guys know what to do,” Effel said. “Shuffle up and deal.” As simple as that.

So began the World Series of Understatement. “Players do tend to be eliminated quite quickly,” Effel cautioned as he ran through the procedure for busted players to wait beside their table until they could be escorted to the cash cage. Everyone in the room has been there for five days and counting. They really do know what to do.

Spectators await the start of day five

The good news is that they’re all now being paid for their experience. We. Are. In. The. Money. It’s no longer about “if” but about “how much” – in terms of chips firstly and then cold hard cash.

The eliminations did not wait for very long. With only 45 seconds ticked by on the clock, the first shout of “All in and call” echoed around the Amazon Room. It was Jamie McCarrel with pocket sevens against James Gaffney with ace-jack. The sevens flopped a set and that was a double up for McCarrel.

Two tables over, Peter Bronstein was all in for his micro stack with Q♠5♠. He ran smack into Ernesto Jimenez’s pocket kings. The kings also flopped an unnecessary set. And out went Bronstein.

“It’s going to be a slaughterhouse out there,” dead-panned a Danish journalist in the media room. That too was an understatement. That too was correct.

*****

ELIMINATIONS OF THE HOUR

Eric Buchman’s World Series is over. Yevgeniy Timoshenko won’t be the champ either.

Eric Buchman eliminated on day five of WSOP Main Event

*****

ALMOST DOUBLE UP OF THE HOUR

William Thorson is up to 670,000 after finding kings and getting no one to believe him. In particular it was Darren Woods who paid the price, going all the way with pocket eights and hitting the rail. There was only a matter of a few thousand between them at the start of the day – Thorson with 346,000 and Woods with 307,000. Now Thorson now has 670,000; Woods is out.

William Thorson: doubled up in the first orbit of day five play

*****

TO THE POINT PHONE CALL HOME OF THE HOUR

Player walking out of the payout area, on cellphone: “Hello. It’s over.”

*****

TWEET OF THE HOUR

Jason Mercier: “Day 5! Still alive. Starting in 15 mins. Got above average chips. 576 players left”

*****

STATISTIC OF THE HOUR

Number of players WSOP thinks we’ll get down to today: 275

*****

BET OF THE HOUR

The under: what we’re taking on the 275 players remaining at end of Day 5

*****

TOURNAMENT HOUSEKEEPING OF THE HOUR

Levels to play today: 4
Expeced finish time: 10:15pm

*****

ANALOGY OF THE HOUR

“It’s like trying to keep track of 1,000 kids.” — ESPN’s Francine Watson, armed with a clip board, keeping tabs on where players are moving.

In the Region

Tyco Electronics buys ADC Telecom

Tyco Electronics Ltd. said Tuesday it would acquire ADC Telecommunication Inc. in a deal valued at $1.24 billion. Tyco, which is incorporated in Switzerland but run from offices in Berwyn, said the acquisition would help it provide broadband access to networks around the world. Also Tuesday, Tyco said it returned to profitability in the third quarter, reporting net income of 72 cents per share during the period that ended on June 25. Excluding onetime items, its adjusted earnings came to 70 cents per share. During the same period last year, Tyco lost 16 cents per share. Shares of ADC, Eden Prairie, Minn., rose $3.67, or 41.5 percent, to $12.52. Tyco Electronics shares rose 64 cents, or 3.5 percent, to $25.92. – AP

 

Table games for three Pa. casinos

Three central Pennsylvania casinos added table games Tuesday. Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs debuted 62 tables, Mount Airy Resort Casino had 72, and Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course near Harrisburg opened 52 table games to the public. Parx, Harrah’s Chester Casino and Racetrack, and Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem all debut blackjack, poker, craps, and other games on Sunday. Three Western Pennsylvania casinos went online with table games last Thursday. – Suzette Parmley

 

Extension for InfoLogix

InfoLogix Inc. said it had received an extension to comply with Nasdaq’s listing requirements. The Hatboro company, which helps businesses use mobile technology, was cited for missing the $2.5 million minimum stockholders’ equity requirement. The extension sets milestones to be met by Aug. 15, with complete compliance by Oct. 18. Company shares closed down 78 cents, or 12.6 percent, at $5.39. – Roslyn Rudolph

 

Editor to lead Main Line chamber

Bernard Dagenais is resigning as editor of the Philadelphia Business Journal to become president and chief executive of the Main Line Chamber of Commerce, the weekly newspaper reported on its website. Dagenais, who has been the paper’s editor since 2002, will start his new job on Aug. 9. The chamber, based in Wayne, has a staff of 11 and has 1,100 members in Philadelphia’s western suburbs. The CEO job has been vacant since December, the Business Journal said. – Paul Schweizer

 

Exelon, Shaw team for Saudi plants

An Exelon Corp. unit is teaming up with engineering consultant Shaw Group and Toshiba Corp. to design, build, and run nuclear plants in Saudi Arabia, the companies said. Exelon Nuclear Partners, whose plants include Limerick Creek, Oyster Creek, Peach Bottom, and Three Mile Island, would provide operations services for the new sites. Exelon is the parent of Peco Energy Co., Philadelphia. Shaw has a Moorestown office employing close to 300. Company spokeswoman Gentry Brann said they could be involved in this work. – Roslyn Rudolph

 

Elsewhere

Financial reform looks likely to pass

President Obama on Tuesday secured the 60 votes he needs in the Senate to pass a sweeping overhaul of financial regulations, all but ensuring that he soon will sign into law one of the top initiatives of his presidency. With the votes in hand to overcome Republican delaying tactics, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday he hoped for final passage on Thursday. The House already has passed the bill. Support for the bill jelled Tuesday after conservative Sen. Ben Nelson (D., Neb.) said he would vote for the bill after raising concerns the previous day. – AP

 

Intel reports a big profit

Intel Corp. posted its largest income in a decade Tuesday as the company benefits from a strengthening computer market and more sophisticated factories. The results topped Wall Street’s forecasts, and Intel raised its guidance. Intel reported after the market closed that net income was $2.89 billion, or 51 cents per share, in the quarter ended June 26. That compares with a loss of $398 million, or 7 cents per share, a year ago, when Intel was forced to pay a $1.45 billion fine in Europe over antitrust violations. Analysts expected net income of 43 cents per share in the latest period. Revenue was $10.77 billion in the latest period, above the $10.25 billion expected by analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters. – AP

 

Federal deficit tops $1 trillion

The federal deficit has topped $1 trillion with three months still to go in the current budget year, showing the continued effect of a deep recession on the government’s finances. In its monthly budget report, the Treasury Department said that through the first nine months of this budget year, the deficit totals $1 trillion, down by 7.6 percent from the $1.09 trillion in red ink run up during the same period a year ago. The June deficit totaled $68.4 billion, the second highest June deficit on record. The all-time high of $94.3 billion was recorded in June 2009, a month when the government was spending heavily to stabilize the financial system and jump-start economic growth. – AP

 

Trade deficit rises for May

The U.S. trade deficit rose 4.8 percent in May to $42.3 billion, the highest in 18 months, as rising imports offset another solid gain in U.S. exports, the Commerce Department said. The surge in imports was a hopeful sign for the economic recovery because it suggested businesses are optimistic that U.S. consumers will spend more in coming months. Imports were up 2.9 percent to $194.5 billion, while exports rose 2.4 percent to $152.3 billion. – AP

 

Portugal’s debt rating cut

Moody’s Investors Service credit rating agency downgraded Portugal’s bonds, casting fresh doubt on the country’s ability to weather its debt crisis as the economy weakens. Moody’s cut Portugal’s government bond ratings to A1 from Aa2. The move deepens the country’s financial woes because foreign lenders will likely demand higher interest returns for the risk of loaning it money. – AP

 

Procter & Gamble raises dividend

Consumer products maker Procter & Gamble Co. is raising its dividend by 9.5 percent, or 4 cents per share. The company said Tuesday its board of directors increased the quarterly dividend to 48 cents per share, the second straight quarterly 4-cent increase. The dividend is payable Aug. 16 to shareholders of record on July 23. P&G reported rebounding sales in its third quarter. – AP

 

 

 

 

 

A North Laurel bar owner who admitted operating an illegal gambling operation was fined $1,000 and had his liquor license suspended for two days for a raft of Howard County liquor violations unearthed during a March 2009 police raid.

John Divver, licensee for Sam’s at 9994 Washington Blvd., admitted to police that he allowed illegal gambling on video slot machines in his place, according to the written Howard County Alcoholic Beverage Hearing Board decision, saying that he split the revenue with the machine owners and used his share to support the bar business. In addition to the machines, police found a professional poker table with two sets of chips in an upstairs room during the raid. Two undercover detectives had received cash payouts from playing the machines during a visit to the bar March 5.

In June 2009, Divver was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation and a $250 fine on one count of gambling. The machines were confiscated.

Divver told police he had operated the gambling machines since buying the bar in February 2008, and told the hearing board during the May 25 hearing that the gambling had been a fixture at Sam’s for a dozen years. He bought the place from a dying friend but had no experience in the business, he said.

An inspection of Sam’s by county liquor inspectors on March 25, 2009, revealed no certified alcohol manager on the premises and alcohol bought at retail rather than wholesale outlets, both violations of county liquor laws. Allowing gambling is also a violation. Divver told police he was ignorant of the laws. Since then, he told the board he has brought in a partner, Gabra Afram, with experience running restaurants.

The board fined Divver the $1,000 and suspended his liquor license from 6 a.m. July 23 to 6 a.m. July 25.

larry.carson@baltsun.com

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bank of america online – A Bank of America online glitch on Wednesday sent shock waves through with the gambling community. While the glitch happened, online gamblers frightened as they assumed that their accounts were blocked due to fresh online gambling law in the United States. Bank of America adjusted the issue so customers could use their accounts again. This is the 2nd time that online gamblers have received.

Chronology and The Effect

On June 1st, a new United States law went into effect known as The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (or UIGEA). UIGEA forbids the transfer of funds from a financial organization to online gambling sites, except fantasy sports, online lotteries, and horse racing.

The UIGEA law has been a challenge for United States financial institutions because it places the other problem of stopping online gambling dealings on banking companies. A lot of the greatest institution warned the authorities that it would be nearly inconceivable to block these transactions.

MONTICELLO — As if 30 years of disappointment and crushed dreams isn’t bad enough. Now Sullivan County’s long suffering casino supporters have watched a casino debut table games just 70 miles away in Pennsylvania.

Mount Airy — one of the main competitors to Empire Resorts’ racino in Monticello — rolled out poker rooms and table games like craps and black jack on Tuesday.

As the Poconos were anticipating 450 new jobs and millions of dollars in revenue from tourism, Sullivan County again was watching the parade pass it by.

People have tried intensively for a dozen years to bring an Indian casino to the Catskills. Locally driven efforts to legalize gambling in New York were tried for years before that.

“Unfortunately we live in New York and, for some reason, everybody beats us to the punch,” said Thompson Supervisor Tony Cellini, who has kept a slot machine in his office and campaign stickers dating from the 1970s of failed casino efforts. “It is so important for jobs. Here they are across the border increasing tourism because they beat us to the punch.”

Empire Resorts, which owns the Monticello Gaming & Raceway, has been hurt already by the slot machines at Pennsylvania casinos.

But the company was putting a good face on things.

“While it is impossible to gauge the impact of Pennsylvania table games in the short-term, we plan on fighting hard to keep our customers,” Empire’s Executive Vice President Charlie Degliomini said.

“Over time, we expect that electronic versions of table games will be available in New York and this will help improve our ability to compete with Pennsylvania table games.”

Monticello’s racino on Tuesday had more than 200 people seated behind blinking video machines named Reel ‘em In and Deuces Wild.

Many gamblers said Mount Airy’s table games won’t drive the racino out of business, but would hurt the company a little.

“People who can travel will definitely check out the tables,” said Kyla Weigand of Woodbourne.

Ed Rubel of Cochecton said he’ll still come every Friday to play the machines in Monticello but that many gamblers want to play dice.

“New York is like the last one without them,” he said. “They sit on their rear ends while Pennsylvania is raking in all the money.”