Online Casino Blog » Real Life Casinos

The Casino Smoking Debate: Should There Be a Ban on Smoking?

Mike Smack — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:02:15 +0000

We know the studies about second-hand smoke. We know that there have been numerous studies worldwide proving that secondhand smoke is much more dangerous to the health than most of us thought. Tons of illnesses are associated with it. But a lot of times it seems like casinos and cigarette smoking goes together (and a nice cigar as well). Players know second-hand smoking is a bad thing - but it usually seems like most players even though aware of the risks hardly care.

Wherever you go in most casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or any major casino around the world you’ll find cigarette bunnies walking around the casino area selling nicotine-based products. With all the tension around the tables (poker, blackjack and baccarat tables for example - especially high limits) grabbing a quick smoke can sometimes seem irresistible for players when they’ve had a couple drinks of alcohol and really enjoying themselves - or are really depressed from horrendous play. Well, this whole smoking debate is causing legislators to come up with laws pertaining to secondhand smoke in casinos. Anti-smoking laws are being pushed for implementation in some states and cities.

There’s been some major debate among top professional casino players whether regulations to stop smoking inside the casino gaming area should be implemented or not. You’ll find opinions on both sides of this matter. There’s awareness of players on the dangers of second-hand smoking. There’s also been wide-reaching information campaigns on smoking in casinos and helping to educate players on the risk that second hand smoke could give to other players. The main issue rests with legislators. Many interest groups advise the complete ban on smoking on different events and casino conferences.

There have been studies and research conducted that have concluded that casino workers on the casino floor where smokers are present have a higher rate of exposure to second-hand smoke than an average person. It’s also been proven that people exposed to second-hand smoke have a greatly increased risk of developing cancer and heart disease. On the other side of this debate, we have casino owners that, while stating their concern on the risk of casino second-hand smoke, have also stressed the potential loss of revenue that a smoking ban may result into the casino businesses. Although they would like to be a part of this no-smoking campaign, the fear of having a low business turn out is greatly feared.

What makes the issue even more complicated is that many casino workers are against a smoking ban! They are hesitant to agree on no-smoking policies and regulations because they know what might happen - less tipping from casino players who used to buy dozens of cigarettes and even possibly losing their jobs from less people frequenting their casinos and possibly going strictly to online casinos.

Those that smoke in casinos know the problems associated with heavy smoking but it’s just an accepted casino fact that smoking has always been a part of gambling - for better or worse. There’s so many casino players that couldn’t imagine themselves throwing down a game of blackjack or poker or slots without having a puff on their cigarette or cigar. A lot of players concentrate on their game by puffing on their favorite companion - a cigarette from their pack of smokes or a nice cuban cigar. Whether you agree or disagree with a casino smoking ban let’s have an open discussion on all possibilities on this topic. These discussions need to be properly heard by our legislators and discussed in an open forum.

Do you think smoking should be banned in brick-and-mortar casinos?

How to Play Lerpa

Mike Smack — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:00:00 +0000

If you are looking for a card game to play at your next gathering, you might want to consider the obscure card game of Lerpa to entertain your guests. The rules of the game are not that complicated and you will soon be playing in no time if you follow the rules as they are written here.

A standard deck of cards is used to play Lerpa, with the exception of the eights, nines and tens, which are removed. There is a slight variation on the value of the cards. The cards from the ace through two are valued in the typical way with the exception being that the seven is valued higher than a king but lower than an ace – making it the second most valuable card.

The dealer will deal each player three cards. He has the opportunity to deal himself into the game once he’s dealt the other players. If the dealer is dealing himself then his last card will be flipped face up and will determine the trump suit. If the dealer is not dealing himself in, he will flip over the top card from the deck in order to declare the trump suit.

Going clockwise around the table, each player will have the decision to play the hand (to knock). The dealer is obligated to play if he has dealt himself in to the game.

Once it’s been determined which players are playing their hand, the game will move around the table, starting with the player on the left of the dealer. This player will play the first card. The card that is played by the first player will be the suit that is followed by everyone else in the game.

The game is played in suits, with each player following the suit of the first player. So if let’s say this player plays a spade, everyone else must play a spade if they have one. If there is not a card of that suit in the player’s hand, they have the option of playing a trump, which can win the trick. The trump card can be beat with a card in the trump suit of a higher value. For example, if the trump suit is hearts and a player puts down a two of hearts, a three of hearts will beat it.

The highest card that is played will win the trick and the player that wins will lead the hand on the next round. If at any point a player has the ace of trumps and can legally play the card, he is required to play the card during the game.

How to Bet in Lerpa

The betting is where the game gets interesting. When going into this area of this game take note that this is where the true skill of Lerpa comes into play.

In the beginning of each round, the dealer pays the table three of whatever the players decide will be used for the game. For example, three chips will be placed into the pot.

At the end of the hand, the chips will be divided up among the winners according to how many tricks were won by each. If you won two tricks, you will receive two thirds of the pot.

There will be players who chose to stay in the hands but did not win any tricks. These players are then required to put in the entire value of the pot. This is called being Lerpa’d.

As you can see, the skill of the game comes from evaluating the risk of staying in and playing or not. If you are skilled at evaluating risk, you will be a big winner in the game of Lerpa.

Playing this game is a great way to introduce something new to your guests. Chances are they have never played this game before and it can be a fun and exciting way to spend an evening with close friends. Changing up the games that you play on your card game nights will keep things new and exciting for your guests. Make it a challenge to come up with new games when you have a chance to host your next game night.

The Donald Trump and Jimmy Buffett Connection: Margaritaville

Mike Smack — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:32:24 +0000

At this point we’re all aware of Donald Trump. You all know who Donald Trump is right? He’s not only the guy behind the successful Miss Universe pageants that have hot beauties trumping all over the stage (Venezuela won the 2008 Miss Universe in case you didn’t know), but he also had hand in choosing his apprentice that would eventually succeed him – in one of the most gripping and highly anticipated reality shows nowadays, “The Apprentice.” In short, he is arguably the most famous billionaire in the United States. Still adding to his infamous status of “The Donald” is the fact that he is boiled with controversies here and there – such as his never-ending feud with “The View” former co-host, Rosie O’Donnell – and his comments about her being a fat and ugly pig.

The Latest in the Donald Trump Casino World

So what is the real issue with Donald Trump now? What’s going on that is now keeping him in the headlines and that’s making his followers quite a bit shocked and surprised?

Well, for one thing, Trump is now selling. Yes, that’s right. He’s now selling his Trump Marina Hotel and Casino, according to Donald Trump Entertainment Resorts, to a New York gambling-based company – the Costal Marina, LLC - for a whopping $316 million. The name of the company will now be changed – from Trump Marina to “Margaritaville.” – the same title as the hit song and franchise by Jimmy Buffett.

This has been an issue for some time as Trump has fought off some tough competition recently from competing companies – the Borgata and Harrah’s – as they all tried to fight for a prime spot in the Coastal Marina’s bid. Trump has decided to still hold on to his prized remaining casino despite this sale – the Taj Mahal Trump Plaza Hotel and Casinos. He’s not just going to sit tight with the Taj Casino - there will be renovations going on with the hotel as Trump announced that a $255 million expansion will now take place.

What this Casino Deal Means to Trump and the Future of Margaritaville

According to sources, the money that is being generated from this sale will allow Donald Trump to be able to do many things and pursue different ventures – such as using these new funds to renovate his casinos that are remaining and will allow him to be able to pay his debt of $1.5 million. The rest of the money remaining will be set aside to invest in some properties – casino real estate. This is according to Trump Chief Executive Mark Juliano, who also added that there is no definite decision made yet as to exactly where this money is going and where the rest of the proceeds will go to. Keep in mind that the new owners of this casino will have to wait for another year to begin operations since the sale still needs to be approved by the New Jersey authorities.

All of this legal haggling means that the Margaritaville Casino in the Atlantic City Marina will not be in existence for another year – so no “Margaritaville” for the time being. When it opens, it will actually be the first “Margaritaville” casino in the Atlantic City area, since the Margaritaville Casino & Resort in Biloxi, Mississippi will open in 2010.

Come Christmas time of ‘08 it’s expected that this deal will finally close and the title of the property will now be transferred to the Margaritaville guys.

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Devious Blackjack Dealers: Cheating Strategies You Need to Know

Mike Smack — Mon, 05 May 2008 22:00:07 +0000

Of course, you can imagine that all major casinos ensure that no cheating takes place in their premises (::cough cough:: APS). As the law requires, the casino’s gambling license will be forfeited should it cheat any of its players. Mind you, not only do the actual players execute some pretty elaborate cheating plans but the boxmen, dealers, and other employees of the casino may get into the cheating action as well. However, it is less probable that any of the Atlantic City or Nevada casinos do so - they have too much at stake, plus they make boatloads of money anyway without having to resort to casino cheating tactics! Those which are not governed and monitored by the Nevada Gaming Commission, such as cruise ships, are most likely to commit this type of criminal act.

The reality is, casinos do make HUGE amounts of money. And I mean GINORMOUSLY HUGE. So these massively profitable casinos don’t have to resort to cheating to make their cash on the casino floor. Anyhow, the blackjack game, compared to most casino card games, is a little more prone to cheating - many times through the tag-team of a cheating player combined with a cheating dealer.

The Two Biggest Blackjack Cheating Strategies

Let’s talk about the blackjack cheating technique known as the “second deal”. This cheating technique makes it appear that the blackjack dealer is giving you the top card but in fact what is dealt is the card that lies under it. Just think about money that can be made when you get a low card at the precise time you need it and how you also crash on a high card when it comes up at an inopportune time. Well, a top-notch and brainy “second dealer” can turn the fates of even the most notable blackjack player upside down in a very short period of time.

The other blackjack cheating technique is termed as “high-low pickup”. It’s usually done in an environment where there’s hundreds of distractions swirling around. The “high-low pickup” is done through the “false shuffle” wherein the blackjack croupier (dealer) makes it appear to reshuffle the cards when in fact the decks remain in their original position.

Why I’m telling you this: It’s good to know

I’m not telling you these techniques in order to scare you from playing blackjack at live tables, nor am I telling you this so you can start a blackjack outlaw crew and learn some dirty casino strategies. It’s good to know what’s out there though and what you might encounter in the real world of casinos. If you know these are tactics that some unscrupulous blackjack casinos and dealers do, then you are more aware and you won’t fall for it. Worst thing to have in the world of casinos is ignorance. If you’re smart, you can make your bets, have some fun, make some money, and not succumb to these cheating tactics.

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NFL Professional Football: Betting and Gambling Using Random Picks

Mike Smack — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:00:32 +0000

From luckydonut:

Back in August, I entered two football contests in Las Vegas. These things are pretty cheap for 17 weeks of take-home gambling, with some added instant perks as well as the chance of a big score.

The Great Giveaway at all the major Station Casinos is $25 per entry but you can get three entries for the price of two. That total $50 fee also gets you $25 in slot play, so it’s really just $25 for all 3 entries if you’re going to play there anyway. Each week they pay $10,000 to the person with the most winners and $5,000 to the person with the most losers, with $100,000 given away at the end of the season to the overall champion and other cash prizes to the biggest loser and the “fiddle in the middle”.

The Football Frenzy contest is also run by Station Casinos, but is only available at their properties that don’t have the word “Station” in their name, which includes both Fiesta locations and a bunch of smaller neighborhood casinos. It costs $15 for 3 entries and a t-shirt, and you can never grumble at a free t-shirt. This contest gives most of its money away each week to the top 50 winners, rather than having one massive grand prize. Losers and those who get it all about half right get nothing here.

Both contests use the same system that allows you to choose your teams for each week at a touchscreen terminal in the sports book. Fortunately for me, you can make your picks as far in advance as you want - unlike at some other casinos where you have to turn up once a week to hand in your selections.

However, for both contests, I just pressed the “random” button for each week in turn and decided to treat it like a lottery ticket. There wasn’t much point trying to actually make the right picks for a whole season of games back in August, especially when you have to compete against Las Vegas locals who are able to enter or change their picks each week once the season is in full swing.

I’d only override a computer-generated selection if it gave a stupid number for the tie-breaker, which is to guess the total points scored on Monday Night Football. Computer says 4 points? That could only happen if both teams scored exactly one safety each in four quarters, and then nobody managed to do anything in overtime for a 2-2 final score. I can’t say for sure that it’s never happened, but safeties are pretty rare and it’s been five years since the last tied game in the NFL. Declining to bet on a 4 point game total here doesn’t exactly make me a wiseguy.

It’s Football Frenzy where my numbers seem to have come in - this Sunday I had apparently picked 11 winners out of 13. It doesn’t sound spectacular, but nobody chose all 13 correctly this week and only five people were better with a 12-1 record. The system only shows eighteen of us with 11 wins, so with 50 weekly prizes I’m already in the money!

I don’t know yet how much it will be, it depends on the outcome of tonight’s game, but the very worst case is $50 in slot play in the bank for Christmas. Prizes 1-5 are obviously gone but if I can scrape 6th-8th I’ll have a massive $100 cash to collect from the Fiesta Henderson in December! 9th or 10th place makes it $50 cash instead of the slot play, which makes little difference to me at a casino with +EV video poker.

My randomly-generated-by-computer tie-breaker for tonight’s MNF game is 31. It’s a sensible number…. come on the 17-14 scoreline!

EDIT: 24-0. Officially I took 28th place in the Football Frenzy. The MNF result was still to be counted and I got it wrong, slipping to 11-3 for the week. Still, it’s $50 in slot play in the bank…

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Suncoast Hotel and Casino Review

Mike Smack — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:00:05 +0000

From Dr. Pauly:

Located high above the Las Vegas Valley in the shadows of the Red Rock Mountains the Suncoast Hotel and Casino is another example of a plush local resort finding favor with the tourist crowd. Las Vegas visitors wanting an alternative to the hustle of the strip can head to the west side Suncoast for a relaxing stay and a place to play in a luxurious environment. The Suncoast is a member of the Coast Casino resorts, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boyd Gaming Group.

Suncoast Hotel features 388 deluxe guest rooms and 39 posh suites ranging in size from 1100 to 2300 square feet. All of the guest accommodations have floor length windows providing million dollar views of the surrounding valley and mountain vistas. A complete list of amenities are included starting with a 24 hour fitness center outfitted with the latest in workout equipment.

Jen’s Salon De Beaute provides a complete menu of beauty treatments guaranteed to pamper and rejuvenate the weary traveler. An adjacent golf course is available for guest and there’s even a secure game arcade for the kids. Free scheduled airport shuttle service makes coming and going a breeze. Suncoast guarantees the lowest room rates through their website reservations system so your room is just a click away.

Dining options range from a quick specialty coffee and pastry at Seattle’s Best to a memorable evening of superb steaks, chops, and fresh seafood all served with a spectacular view at Primos. Mexican dishes are the mainstay at the brightly decorated Senor Miguel’s. Hearty old world Italian selections combine with flown in fresh seafood at Via Veneto Italian and Seafood.

Diners wanting an endless choice of items will find the St. Tropez International Buffet to be their favorite with its seven unique serving stations. Upscale Las Vegas coffee shop food is available 24 hours at the CafÃ© Siene which also offers an extensive Asian menu. Enjoy deli sandwiches and a dessert counter at the Bagel Cafe Express; and finally, my personal favorite, The Oyster Bar, featuring steamers, pan roasts, shooters and fresh catch seafood prepared exhibition style in this traditional oyster bar.

More than 80,000 square feet of casino space is filled with 50 traditional table games including Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Baccarat, and Pai Gow Poker. Slot and video poker players will be pleased with the vast selection of games to be found among the 2,400 machines. Sports bettors can enjoy watching their favorite events live on the two dozen large televisions plus a feature event giant screen display in the 150 seat Race and Sports Book.

Bingo fans will be thrilled with the award winning bingo hall, voted best of Las Vegas 2007. A separate section for smokers ensures clean air for the rest of us. A convenient snack bar is located in the room and players have a choice of 8 daily sessions. Don’t forget to register for your Club Coast Player’s card to start earning points for your play which you can use for cash and comps. You can apply for your player’s card at the Suncoast website and the card is accepted at all Coast Casinos.

Suncoast Casino’s Poker Room is a spacious, high ceiling room with great lighting that is preferred by most poker players. Located in the main casino the room gives players a view of the casino action with without the usual casino noise. Nine tables with shufflemasters ensure a smooth game in the popular poker room. Managed by casino veteran Pete DeMonte, former manager of the now closed historic Stardust Poker Room, poker players are guaranteed a premium playing experience.

Hold’em players have a variety of game choices beginning with $2-$4 Limit, $4-$8 Limit, and $10-$20 Limit. No Limit Hold’em players can choose $1-$2 blinds with a $100-$300 max buy-in or $2-$5 blinds with a $200-$500 max buy-in. Stud and Omaha are spread with sufficient interest as well as most any poker games and conditions.

Tournament poker players have plenty of choices with a daily 10:00 am No Limit Hold’em event that has a $40 buy-in. Sunday through Thursday at 7:00 pm there is a $60 buy-in event. Friday and Saturday a 6:00 pm bounty tournament ($5 for every player you eliminate) with a $50 buy-in and one optional $30 rebuy is played. Suncoast Poker Room also participates in the joint Coast Casino’s freeroll poker tournament.

Parking and access to the room is close and easy for both valet and self parking. Players earn comps at the rate of $1.25 an hour for 4 hours and then $0.50 per hour there after up to a maximum of $9 a day Comps can be used at all food outlets or applied to room rates. Promotions are ongoing and include cash awards for certain “Bonus Hands” plus a 1:00 am to 6:00 am $100 for pocket aces and a 3:00 am to 9:00am Double Jackpot payout for high hands. Complete details of promotions and games are available by phoning the poker room at 702.636.7111.

Enjoy your visit to the poker room at the Suncoast Casino.

Suncoast Hotel & Casino
9090 Alta Drive Las Vegas, Nevada 89145
Toll Free: 1.877.677.7111
Local: 702.636.7111
www.suncoastcasino.com

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The Reason Why Ocean’s 13 Has an Asian-Themed Casino

Mike Smack — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:00:13 +0000

From lucky donut:

This clip is from the DVD movie extras for Ocean’s 13. As producer Jerry Weintraub is walking us around the casino set, he explains why the inside of The Bank casino looks the way it does.
“It’s Asian-themed because there is no casino that we know of in Las Vegas that’s Asian so we decided to have an Asian theme.”Err, apart from Imperial Palace perhaps? They haven’t knocked it down yet. OK so I know there’s a few red-herrings thrown in to confuse you as to what their theme actually is, like the collection of classic American cars and the Hawaiian Luau, but it’s definitely meant to be Asian. It even says so in Wikipedia, and that’s almost never wrong.
If the roof doesn’t convince you…

…there’s dragons out front. What more does it need?

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2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Has Been Announced

Mike Smack — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 17:00:04 +0000

Ready to hit the Caribbean? And play poker while you’re there - at a major poker tournament?

You’ll have your chance at the 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. The PCA 2008 just got even bigger because now it’s a part of the European Poker Tour - the top poker series in Europe. With this combo, you’ll be getting more players, more satellites and a larger prize pool.

The 2007 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure winner was Ryan Daut, who won from a population of 937 other contestants to get to his heads-up match with Isaac Haxton. Even though Haxton had a 3-1 chip lead, he picked up all the chips in the pot holding A-10, which beat Haxton’s Q-8.

Want to know what Daut got as his prize?

$1,535,255 cash. Nice.

Where and when is the PCA 2008 going to be held this year?

The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure 2008 is taking place from January 5th to January 10th at the incredible hotel Atlantis in Paradise Island, right off Nassau, capital city of The Bahamas, on the island of New Providence. This used to be a World Poker Tour event but now it’s the PCA.

What’s the Atlantis hotel and resort?

With over 6000 employees, this place is huge. And it’s definitely a place for high rollers - a room at the Bridge Suite can go up to $25,000 - a night! It’s also been a popular spot recently in movies. If you’ve seen the James Bond movie Casino Royale, then you’ve seen Atlantis - parts of the film were filmed at the Ocean Club. Other movies include Into the Blue and After the Sunset. It was built by South African hotel and gambling developer Sol Kerzner of Kerzner International Limited.

How can I get in?

Go to the PokerStars lobby, click Events, and then PCA. Buy-ins for satellites start at only $2. You can also get in for free using your PokerStars Frequent Player Points (FPP). If you fail to qualify, you can also buy directly into the PCA for $7,800 plus a $200. entry fee. Accommodations and meals are $3000 for seven nights at Atlantis Paradise Island with $1000 food credit. $1000 will be credited to your PokerStars account for travel and spending expenses. The event will be capped at 1,200 poker players.

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Borgata Scandal: Mafia Runs Illegal Sportsbook in Atlantic City

Mike Smack — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 01:00:55 +0000

What a shocker.

Underground sports gambling rings are often associated with the mafia.

Ok, maybe it’s not such a surprise.

Location in this story is Atlantic City in New Jersey, home state of Tony Soprano in the hit HBO show The Sopranos.

The casino sting operation

23 people have been charged with taking part in a high-stakes poker room with underground sports gambling. And yes, some of these people had a connection with the mob. Specifically, the Philadelphia-South Jersey Mafia.

$22 million dollars in illegal bets were taken in the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa poker room, with bets on college football, college basketball, professional football, and professional basketball.

Andrew Micali, 32, who is suspected to be the ringleader of this illegal gambling ring, is an associate of jailed Philadelphia mob boss Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino, who is an alleged member of the “Cosa Nostra” mob family. Micali is being charged with loan sharking, money laundering, gambling promotion, and criminal usury. No word if he’s made anyone “sleep with the fishes” or busted any kneecaps in his loan sharking business.

Also arrested in the casino sting were associates of Micali:

Michael “Mikey Lance” Lancellotti, 45 - mob capo from Philadelphia, charged with conspiracy to promote gambling
Vincent Procopio, 41 - mob associate from Brigantine, charged with gambling promotion
Jack M. Buscemi, 50, reputed major bookmaker from Mullica Hill
Anthony Nicodemo, 36 - mob soldier from Philadelphia, charged with conspiracy to promote gambling
Steven “Stevie Gongs” Casasanto, 37 - mob associate from Philadelphia
William DePena, 39 - mob associate from Philadelphia

“They sought to escape detection by enlisting casino employees in their crimes,” said New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram. “I’m pleased to say they greatly underestimated our vigilance and determination to keep organized crime out of Atlantic City casinos.”

Even Borgata employees were in on the heist

The main issue here is that Atlantic City does not have a legal sports book offering, unlike Las Vegas. A spokesman for the Borgata named Rob Stillwell mentioned that some of the arrested people had ties with the Borgata and were “rogue employees”. Some of these casino employees included dealers, bartenders, and poker room supervisors. Borgata supervisor Joseph Wishnick, 42, was among those under custody by New Jersey police.

Bail is set for $100,000 for Micali and at $50,000 for the others arrested and currently in custody at the Atlantic County Jail.

If they get convicted this could be one of the biggest mafia casino connections in Atlantic City since the first casino in the area in 1978.

How the mafia pulled it off

The group had “wire rooms” in Philadelphia where they tallied up the bets wagered and they calculated winnings and payouts. They marketed and publicized their illegal underground casino ring predominantly by word of mouth from gamblers. These gamblers would then place their bets in the Borgata poker room. They did money laundering by getting casino employees who were their accomplices in the heist to not record exchanges of cash and casino chips, a practice called “chip washing”.

“It involves taking cash, turning it into chips, ‘washing’ the chips by betting and then turning them in, and taking cash out,” said Milgram.

They would then force losing gamblers to take out loans from the gambling ring. These loans were charged at more than 50%. And I’m sure they added, “And we’ll break your kneecaps if ya don’t pay up”.

More than $40,000 dollars of cash and Borgata casino chips were seized from Micali’s safe deposit box in the casino, along with gambling records, a laptop computer, and a .357 caliber semi-automatic handgun in his Ventor home. The police also froze his $200,000 bank account.

New Jersey has had a long history with organized crime, so when legal gambling began they had some really tight controls on there. But they’ve relaxed their gambling regulations over the years as the mafia stranglehold dropped. This just makes people get real antsy when hitting up New Jersey casinos.Back in the day, the governor at the time, Brendan T. Byrne gave that infamous speech when he legalized casino gambling in the area, “I’ve said it before and I will repeat it again to organized crime: Keep your filthy hands off Atlantic City. Keep the hell out of our state!”

This isn’t the only problem New Jersey has had with sports betting recently. In 2006, National Hockey League (NHL) coach Rick Tocchet was charged with running a sports gambling ring and pleaded guilty.

If you want a mafia-related sting similar to this, back in 2004, underboss Joseph “Mousie” Massimino was put in jail for 10 years for managing a large sports gambling ring in Philadelphia and South Jersey - which was very similar to this one.

Reactions to the arrests

This is crazy! I mean we all watch the Sopranos and we may think it’s just a television show but damn, this is real life! There’s a long history with organized crime and casinos - some may say they built Las Vegas - and it looks like that relationship is still alive today.

Does the mafia still have some control over casinos in modern times?

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The Massachusetts Mandate: Bet Online and Go to Jail

Mike Smack — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 04:00:02 +0000

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick vs Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank.

They’re battling it out. And online casino gaming laws are at the center of the debate.

The two sides in the battle

On one side we have Gov. Deval Patrick that really wants the licensing to construct three new casinos in Massachusetts. The revenue he expects that these new casinos will generate will be about $200-$300 million dollars. Yup, that’s $200-$300 million dollars. That’s the kind of money that’s make your eyes get real big - and I’m sure the Governor’s eyes got huge when his advisers told him that big number. And guess what he doesn’t want. Yes, that’s right, he’s against online casino gaming. Can you take a guess as to why he might be against internet gambling? Yup, that’s right, because he’d be getting no money from that. Less competition equals big payday.

In fact, the governor is so against online casino players that he wants to make internet gambling completely and totally illegal in his state for all citizens and all state residents. If you live in Massachusetts and you’re caught by the government trying to bet online or through the telephone you will have to pay $25,000 in fines and fees and be placed up to two years in prison. That’s what the governor wants.

Our good buddy Barnett “Barney” Frank, who’s trying to pass the IGREA bill is obviously real pissed off about this. “Why is gambling in a casino OK and gambling on the Internet is not?” said Barney. “He’s making a big mistake. He’s giving opponents an argument against him.”

Money is a major issue

That’s not the end of this story however. There’s an interesting twist. David Schwartz, who’s the director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada, has said that the motivation for Gov. Deval Patrick’s desire to make internet casino gaming illegal in Massachusetts is to feed his financial bottom-line. He may actually be attempting to be getting more money from the casinos by eliminating competition - in this case, web casinos. “If you were cynical about it, you’d think that they’re trying to set up a monopoly for the casinos,” says David.

The Poker Players Alliance is opposed to the internet casino aspect of Gov. Deval Patrick’s bill. “It makes absolutely no sense to me,” said director Randy Castonguay. “It’s actually kind of laughable if you think about it.”

The idea that Gov. Deval Patrick wants to do this to enact a sort of gambling monopoly is an interesting one. It makes sense when you think about it - you can see the rationale here. He sees the in his future and he figures eliminating competition will bring even more money.

What people do for money

It’s amazing to think of the depths that government officials will go to in order to ban online gaming. Is it really so evil? It seems that these government officials love to paint a picture of internet gambling as a “scourge of the Earth” or as “the beginning of the decay of modern society”. But of course gambling at brick-and-mortar casinos is A-OK and perfectly fine and legal, of course because of the kickback these morality-thumpers get from these casinos. It makes me think about that track by old-school hip-hop artists Wutang Clan:

Cash, Rules, Everything, Around, Me
C.R.E.A.M.
Get the money
Dollar, dollar bill y’all

And really isn’t that’s what it all comes down to? Online casinos want the money, and hey, that’s fine, they have a business to run. We want the money, cause hey, we love playing and we want to play with freedom - where we want and when we want. And the government wants its money - and they’ll throw you in prison to get that cash in their hands. And they’ll send you a nice fat fine to line their coffers even more.

The worst part of it all is just how transparent this bill is. It’s obvious Gov. Deval Patrick doesn’t give a crap about coming off like a bad guy to the online casino gamers out there. It’s like the old days when the tobacco companies gave kickbacks to government officials to keep quiet and shut their mouth about regulation. Now the brick-and-mortar casinos are giving the money - the government is very happily accepting that cash - and we’re all the losers.

The questions and discussions arise

When is this hypocrisy going to stop? How can we get these government officials to know we want freedom to do what we want when it comes to our choices? It comes down to making a difference - even if just on a local level. Get to know your local politicians. Research their positions on subject and topics important to you before elections come up. Be informed about what they are for and what they are against - in this case, online casino gaming. Find out who supports Barney Frank’s IGREA act and who is against it - and I’d strongly suggest supporting those that support the IGREA!

It’s almost scary to think how far this is going to spread. Some states are very heavily enforcing the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Massachusetts is just the latest battleground between those want their freedom and those that want those freedoms taken away.

We can’t let these government officials bully us around and tell us what’s good for us and what’s “moral” - all the while they’re stuffing money by the boatload into their pockets. Don’t sit idly by while you get screwed. Stand up and get counted - make a difference.

“Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don’t vote.” - William E. Simon

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