Nevada’s senators remained in turmoil and now in open attacks on each other Tuesday over online gaming, as time runs out for Congress to consider a bill sought by the casino industry and millions of card players to legalize online poker. The chance of a federal law passing allowing online poker now seems highly unlikely.
Republican Sen. Dean Heller insisted that industry players and Democratic Sen. Harry Reid had agreed on a strategy that would have the U.S. House act first on a gaming bill, until Reid “decided to change gears midstream.”
Reid said Heller’s statement was fiction, and accused him of “failure of leadership.”
Reid said he has never strayed from pushing the legislation through the Senate first, where as majority leader he has control over the voting process and schedule. Behind the scenes, Reid aides continued to charge Heller was masking an inability to attract Republicans after being asked to produce at least 15 GOP votes for the bill.
Finger-pointing between the two Nevada leaders surfaced as crunch time nears on a bill that seeks to legalize and regulate online poker on the federal level while toughening restrictions against other forms of Internet gambling. A legalized market for Internet poker in which most states would be expected to participate would mean millions of dollars in business for casinos that are positioning themselves for the next big thing.
But the bill faces opposition from states that were given the green light by the Justice Department in a reinterpretation of the 1961 Wire Act last December to pursue their own legalized gambling. More than 15 are moving to do so. In addition to states rights advocates, some Indian tribes and lottery interests remain skeptical of a gaming initiative they perceive as tilted in favor of Nevada.
In addition, strained relations between Democrats and Republicans in advance of the November presidential election has closed the floor to all but the most noncontroversial measures.
Nevada senators are feeling the pressure to deliver to the casino industry that represents their biggest financial backers, some lobbyists speculated. There are only days remaining before Congress recesses for the elections. Lawmakers will reconvene in November for a lame duck session that will represent a last-ditch opportunity to pass a bill this year.
Reid on Tuesday lamented that six months of work on a Senate gaming bill was lost after Heller sent him a letter Monday that said, “as discussed, it would be beneficial for the House of Representatives to first address this issue.”
“It’s really unfair to Nevada and I’m just terribly disappointed,” Reid said. “It’s too bad, because we have all been ready to move on this for a long time.
“But it’s really failure of leadership of my friend,” Reid said of Heller.
Heller said the poker bill has not been finalized or introduced, and until then it is unrealistic to expect senators to commit to a vote. He bristled that Reid’s office called on Friday and gave him a Monday deadline to round up 15 votes.
“This was never going to happen before the lame duck session, so why all of a sudden all the noise today doesn’t make sense to me,” he said. He maintained it made little sense to pass a Senate poker bill that could be ignored by the House.
Under Heller’s scenario, the Republican House would pass a bill to undo the Wire Act ruling and toughen laws against gambling on the Internet. Under that reasoning, when that bill reaches the Senate, an exemption for poker could be added.
Heller told reporters that Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, was preparing a Wire Act bill. An aide called reporters later to walk back Heller’s remark, saying there have been discussions with Smith but no commitment for such a bill.
Some lobbyists and gaming executives were scratching their heads about the “House first” strategy. House Republican leaders have shown little appetite for gaming, and casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, an online gaming opponent, reportedly has the ear of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va.
“The House doesn’t want anything to do with this,” said a lobbyist involved in the issue.
A Las Vegas casino executive close to the issue said the House strategy had come up only peripherally in talks on the bill, and so it was a surprise to see it suddenly put front and center.
As recently as two weeks ago, strategists for both senators appeared focused on identifying potential Senate votes and procedural challenges of getting a bill through the Senate, said the executive who asked not to be named so as not to come between Reid and Heller.
“I was surprised that things fell apart, and surprised that there was an expectation that somehow this was going to start in the House,” the executive said.
But a Republican lobbyist said the House strategy was the only alternative to a Senate that has been badly polarized, particularly on a bill that would be submitted at the last minute, had not been vetted by a committee and was being forced to a vote.
“I have no idea what number of votes you would get on the Democratic side, but on the Republican side it wouldn’t matter if this was a bill to cure cancer… The instinctual reaction was going to be, ‘No, thank you,’” the lobbyist said.
Where online poker and its millions of fans go now is back to hoping for state by state legislation, as their leaders in Washington cannot seem to ever agree on anything.
September 12, 2012
Bwin.Party partner up in Social Gaming deal
bwin.party has today announced a further step forward in their strategy to get into the social gaming business with the signing of an agreement with Nordeus, to develop initially a social sports betting application.
“Having launched a new business unit called Win to drive our social gaming initiatives in May 2012, finding the right partner to help us exploit our strong presence in real money sports betting has been a key area of focus”. Said Bwin.Party.
Founded in March 2010 by ex-Microsoft engineers Branko Milutinovic, Ivan Stojisavljevic and Milan Jovovic, Nordeus has established itself as the market leader in social sports games. The company’s Top Eleven football management social game consistently features in the Top 25 list of games by daily average users on Facebook.
Top Eleven is the most-played online sports game in the World with more than 6 million monthly active users and 2 million daily active users on Web, Android and iOS devices. In addition to its popularity on Facebook, the Top Eleven game is available on Odnoklassniki, a Russian social network with more than 100 million users.
Nordeus was voted The Best Gaming Startup at the Europas Awards 2011 and was chosen as one of the 25 hi-tech European companies with ‘most potential and successful outcome’ by the European Tech Tour Association.
Norbert Teufelberger, Co-CEO of bwin.party, said:
“Nordeus has demonstrated that there is great demand for social sports games around the world through its Top Eleven game. We will leverage our unrivalled sports brand and products as well as our online betting and gaming expertise. Nordeus and bwin.party are two European companies with global footprints and share an aspiration to become clear leaders in social sports gaming.”
Branko Milutinovic, CEO of Nordeus, said:
“Following the successful release of Top Eleven, we recognised a huge opportunity for social sports betting games based on the feedback from millions of our customers. Since then, we have been seeking the right partner and we are thrilled to have an opportunity to work with bwin.party, market leader in online sports betting and one of the most known brands in sports.
“With Top Eleven, we have proven that our unique approach in social games design is highly engaging and successful. With that in mind, we are convinced that leveraging our development experience in combination with bwin.party’s expertise in real-money betting will lead to a highly successful title and establish our companies as the leaders in social sports gaming.”
“Having launched a new business unit called Win to drive our social gaming initiatives in May 2012, finding the right partner to help us exploit our strong presence in real money sports betting has been a key area of focus”. Said Bwin.Party.
Founded in March 2010 by ex-Microsoft engineers Branko Milutinovic, Ivan Stojisavljevic and Milan Jovovic, Nordeus has established itself as the market leader in social sports games. The company’s Top Eleven football management social game consistently features in the Top 25 list of games by daily average users on Facebook.
Top Eleven is the most-played online sports game in the World with more than 6 million monthly active users and 2 million daily active users on Web, Android and iOS devices. In addition to its popularity on Facebook, the Top Eleven game is available on Odnoklassniki, a Russian social network with more than 100 million users.
Nordeus was voted The Best Gaming Startup at the Europas Awards 2011 and was chosen as one of the 25 hi-tech European companies with ‘most potential and successful outcome’ by the European Tech Tour Association.
Norbert Teufelberger, Co-CEO of bwin.party, said:
“Nordeus has demonstrated that there is great demand for social sports games around the world through its Top Eleven game. We will leverage our unrivalled sports brand and products as well as our online betting and gaming expertise. Nordeus and bwin.party are two European companies with global footprints and share an aspiration to become clear leaders in social sports gaming.”
Branko Milutinovic, CEO of Nordeus, said:
“Following the successful release of Top Eleven, we recognised a huge opportunity for social sports betting games based on the feedback from millions of our customers. Since then, we have been seeking the right partner and we are thrilled to have an opportunity to work with bwin.party, market leader in online sports betting and one of the most known brands in sports.
“With Top Eleven, we have proven that our unique approach in social games design is highly engaging and successful. With that in mind, we are convinced that leveraging our development experience in combination with bwin.party’s expertise in real-money betting will lead to a highly successful title and establish our companies as the leaders in social sports gaming.”
September 07, 2012
Belgian Gaming Commission Adds More Online Operators to Ban List
Looks as though the Belgian Gaming Commission is keeping busy these days with the addition of ten new online operators to their blacklist of banned online operators. The newly formed list includes some well known operators bringing the list to 45 banned urls in total.
Please note that most operators added to this blacklist do hold licenses in other jurisdictions.
Here is the list of newly banned urls added Sept. 5th 2012
Betfred.com Bingocams.com 32redbingo.com Zeturf.com Winpalace.com Bidyes.com Gimigames.com www2.williamhill.com rivapoker.com Stargames.com
Please note that most operators added to this blacklist do hold licenses in other jurisdictions.
Here is the list of newly banned urls added Sept. 5th 2012
Betfred.com Bingocams.com 32redbingo.com Zeturf.com Winpalace.com Bidyes.com Gimigames.com www2.williamhill.com rivapoker.com Stargames.com
August 21, 2012
UEFA bans Malta player Kevin Sammut for 10 years over fixed result of Euro 2008 qualifier
UEFA acknowledged Monday that its showpiece international competition had been corrupted, as it confirmed a 10-year ban of Kevin Sammut of Malta for helping to fix a 2008 European Championship qualifying match.
Sammut was found guilty of “breaching UEFA’s principles of integrity and sportsmanship” relating to manipulating results, the governing body of European soccer said in a statement.
The Union of European Football Associations did not specify how Sammut was involved in fixing Malta’s 4-0 loss at Norway in June 2007.
Sammut, who has played 37 matches for Malta since his debut in 2005, has denied any involvement in fixing matches. He is currently under contract with Valletta, which represented Malta in Champions League qualifying last month.
The 31-year-old midfielder and two other players were charged by UEFA using evidence gathered by the Malta Football Association. It investigated an allegation made last year by a Croatian crime syndicate member during a match-fixing criminal trial in Bochum, Germany.
UEFA cleared Sammut’s teammates, Kenneth Scicluna and Stephen Wellman, because “the findings of the disciplinary inspector are insufficient to take any disciplinary action against them.”
At a news conference Monday, Malta FA President Norman Darmanin Demajo said there was “overwhelming evidence” of a fix involving players and an organized crime gang.
“Match-fixing is a clandestine activity organized by criminals — a reality we must also face in Malta,” Darmanin Demajo was quoted as saying by the Malta Today website.
However, the Malta he said his organization would not publish details from its dossier on the case.
Sammut’s ban prohibits him from any soccer-related activity. UEFA will ask FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, to extend the punishment globally.
Sammut can challenge the sanction at UEFA’s appeals panel, and then the Court of Arbitration for Sport — though without the support of his national federation.
“He will decide, it is his case,” MFA general secretary Joe Gauci told The Associated Press by telephone.
The Malta case was based on allegations made by Marijo Cvrtak, a leading member of a Croatian gang headed by convicted match-fixer Ante Sapina.
Cvrtak claimed in the Bochum court that he met three Malta players in their Oslo hotel before the Euro 2008 qualifier who would arrange the fix.
UEFA declined to comment on reports in Malta that Cvrtak attended Sammut’s disciplinary hearing held last Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.
In the match, Sammut was substituted at halftime when Malta trailed 1-0. Norway scored three late goals, boosting payouts on potential wagers placed on how many goals would be scored and the margin of Malta’s defeat.
The MFA also identified Scicluna and Wellman, who both played the full 90 minutes in Oslo, as being involved in the case.
Malta finished last in its Euro 2008 qualifying group. Norway placed third and failed to advance to the tournament.
In court, Sapina and Cvrtak were said to have made millions in profit by bribing referees, players and officials to help manipulate matches and results. Most wagers were placed in Asian betting markets.
The gang claimed to have manipulated a 2010 World Cup qualifier between Liechtenstein and Finland in September 2009. A Bosnian referee was paid 40,000 euros ($52,000) to ensure two goals would be scored in the second half.
The match was scoreless at half time and ended 1-1, with one goal scored from a penalty kick awarded by the referee, who has since been suspended from soccer for life.
Sapina was convicted on 22 counts of fraud and attempted fraud, while Cvrtak was found guilty on 26 counts of fraud and attempted fraud.
Both were sentenced to 5½ years in jail, though their prison terms were reduced because of time served in custody awaiting trial.
Sammut was found guilty of “breaching UEFA’s principles of integrity and sportsmanship” relating to manipulating results, the governing body of European soccer said in a statement.
The Union of European Football Associations did not specify how Sammut was involved in fixing Malta’s 4-0 loss at Norway in June 2007.
Sammut, who has played 37 matches for Malta since his debut in 2005, has denied any involvement in fixing matches. He is currently under contract with Valletta, which represented Malta in Champions League qualifying last month.
The 31-year-old midfielder and two other players were charged by UEFA using evidence gathered by the Malta Football Association. It investigated an allegation made last year by a Croatian crime syndicate member during a match-fixing criminal trial in Bochum, Germany.
UEFA cleared Sammut’s teammates, Kenneth Scicluna and Stephen Wellman, because “the findings of the disciplinary inspector are insufficient to take any disciplinary action against them.”
At a news conference Monday, Malta FA President Norman Darmanin Demajo said there was “overwhelming evidence” of a fix involving players and an organized crime gang.
“Match-fixing is a clandestine activity organized by criminals — a reality we must also face in Malta,” Darmanin Demajo was quoted as saying by the Malta Today website.
However, the Malta he said his organization would not publish details from its dossier on the case.
Sammut’s ban prohibits him from any soccer-related activity. UEFA will ask FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, to extend the punishment globally.
Sammut can challenge the sanction at UEFA’s appeals panel, and then the Court of Arbitration for Sport — though without the support of his national federation.
“He will decide, it is his case,” MFA general secretary Joe Gauci told The Associated Press by telephone.
The Malta case was based on allegations made by Marijo Cvrtak, a leading member of a Croatian gang headed by convicted match-fixer Ante Sapina.
Cvrtak claimed in the Bochum court that he met three Malta players in their Oslo hotel before the Euro 2008 qualifier who would arrange the fix.
UEFA declined to comment on reports in Malta that Cvrtak attended Sammut’s disciplinary hearing held last Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.
In the match, Sammut was substituted at halftime when Malta trailed 1-0. Norway scored three late goals, boosting payouts on potential wagers placed on how many goals would be scored and the margin of Malta’s defeat.
The MFA also identified Scicluna and Wellman, who both played the full 90 minutes in Oslo, as being involved in the case.
Malta finished last in its Euro 2008 qualifying group. Norway placed third and failed to advance to the tournament.
In court, Sapina and Cvrtak were said to have made millions in profit by bribing referees, players and officials to help manipulate matches and results. Most wagers were placed in Asian betting markets.
The gang claimed to have manipulated a 2010 World Cup qualifier between Liechtenstein and Finland in September 2009. A Bosnian referee was paid 40,000 euros ($52,000) to ensure two goals would be scored in the second half.
The match was scoreless at half time and ended 1-1, with one goal scored from a penalty kick awarded by the referee, who has since been suspended from soccer for life.
Sapina was convicted on 22 counts of fraud and attempted fraud, while Cvrtak was found guilty on 26 counts of fraud and attempted fraud.
Both were sentenced to 5½ years in jail, though their prison terms were reduced because of time served in custody awaiting trial.
Rank purchase of Gala Casinos delayed
The purchase of Gala Casinos by the Rank Group has hit a delay as The Office of Fair Trading has referred the acquisition to the Competition Commission for further investigation. It was believed that the OFT would rubber stamp the deal and the purchase could go ahead in the 4th Quarter of the year.
However the OFT says due to its concerns that the merger will substantially reduce competition in the casino sector it has now referred the deal to the Competitions Commission which is expected to report back in early February.
The OFT’s investigation found that Rank and Gala are two of the three large national casino operators in the UK.
Following the merger, there would be only two large national casino operators, Rank and Genting.
The OFT is concerned that the merger would reduce competition both at a national level and in nine local areas.
A reduction in competition in the casino sector could result in a worse deal for consumers.
Additionally, the OFT found that there are high barriers to entry and expansion in the casino sector due, among other things, to the licensing regime, which would severely limit the ability of third parties to enter or expand to replace the loss of competition caused by the merger.
Given the realistic prospect of this merger resulting in a substantial lessening of competition, the OFT considers it appropriate to refer the merger to the Competition Commission for an in-depth review.
Rank offered to provide undertakings in lieu of reference to the Competition Commission, including the divestment of casinos in a number of local areas.
The OFT welcomes the parties’ willingness to resolve the concerns in local areas, however, the undertakings were not considered sufficiently clear-cut to address all of the concerns raised by this merger.
OFT senior director, and decision maker in this case, Ali Nikpay, said: “Rank and Gala are two of only three large national casino operators in the UK.
“This merger would represent a major consolidation which could be expected to reduce competition, both locally and nationally. The high barriers to entry and expansion in the casino sector mean the loss of competition could potentially be irreversible.
“As such, we believe it is appropriate that the Competition Commission reviews this merger in detail to ensure that the interests of consumers are protected.”
Rank is considering the implications of the Office of Fair Trading’s decision to refer the company’s proposed acquisition of Gala Casinos to the Competition Commission, Rank says a further announcement will be made in due course regarding the decision.
However the OFT says due to its concerns that the merger will substantially reduce competition in the casino sector it has now referred the deal to the Competitions Commission which is expected to report back in early February.
The OFT’s investigation found that Rank and Gala are two of the three large national casino operators in the UK.
Following the merger, there would be only two large national casino operators, Rank and Genting.
The OFT is concerned that the merger would reduce competition both at a national level and in nine local areas.
A reduction in competition in the casino sector could result in a worse deal for consumers.
Additionally, the OFT found that there are high barriers to entry and expansion in the casino sector due, among other things, to the licensing regime, which would severely limit the ability of third parties to enter or expand to replace the loss of competition caused by the merger.
Given the realistic prospect of this merger resulting in a substantial lessening of competition, the OFT considers it appropriate to refer the merger to the Competition Commission for an in-depth review.
Rank offered to provide undertakings in lieu of reference to the Competition Commission, including the divestment of casinos in a number of local areas.
The OFT welcomes the parties’ willingness to resolve the concerns in local areas, however, the undertakings were not considered sufficiently clear-cut to address all of the concerns raised by this merger.
OFT senior director, and decision maker in this case, Ali Nikpay, said: “Rank and Gala are two of only three large national casino operators in the UK.
“This merger would represent a major consolidation which could be expected to reduce competition, both locally and nationally. The high barriers to entry and expansion in the casino sector mean the loss of competition could potentially be irreversible.
“As such, we believe it is appropriate that the Competition Commission reviews this merger in detail to ensure that the interests of consumers are protected.”
Rank is considering the implications of the Office of Fair Trading’s decision to refer the company’s proposed acquisition of Gala Casinos to the Competition Commission, Rank says a further announcement will be made in due course regarding the decision.
Big Fish goes into real money gambling
Seattle based casual games company, Big Fish Games is going real money, Big Fish says it will offer players in the U.K. the ability to make real bets through their upcoming version of its Big Fish Casino iPhone app.
Sadly for USA players this won’t be available, until the gambling laws change there. But American regulators are moving toward a legal and regulated online gambling system, and setting up a virtual casino now gives Big Fish a new stream of cash while it waits for the U.S. landscape to sort itself out.
Big Fish’s casino app is the result of a purchase the 10-year-old company made last year, buying Oakland, CA’s Self Aware Games. That small company made a virtual gambling game called Card Ace: Casino, which was a Top 10 iPhone app.
Big Fish founder and CEO Paul Thelen said earleir in the year that the Self Aware acquisition made sense even without legal online gambling in the U.S. “What we bought was a stock,” he said. “The call option on that stock is if gambling is legalized in more areas of the country.”
But there’s been some changes to the landscape—specifically, the emergence of Betable, a London-based company that is licensed to provide online gambling in the U.K. Betable, which also has an office in San Francisco, is offering casual game developers the ability to rake in money from legal online gambling across the pond by plugging their game into its system.
Betable CEO Christopher Griffin told a crowd at the Casual Connect conference in Seattle how it all works. Betable handles all of the security, transactions, identity verification, and legal liability—for an undisclosed share of the revenue. Game publishers simply plug their creation into the Betable system and draw the users.
That separation allows U.S. game developers to legally collect money from online gamblers in the U.K., because Betable is the actual entity doing all of the nitty-gritty work of processing the gambling transactions.
In his pitch to game developers, Griffin cited in-house research that showed average monthly revenue per user for a typical casual game was $1. Adding gambling to the picture puts that figure at $100 or more a month, he says.
Big Fish’s entry into the world of online gambling is a huge signal about where the industry is going. Pretty soon, it might not be unusual for your average casual or mobile game developer to have a casino-type product that makes a bunch of money, underwriting any other games they want to produce. Or, as Griffin said, versions of existing games that incorporate gambling into the regular gameplay, rather than just pumping out digital slot machines and blackjack tables.
By jumping into the fray now, Big Fish is also getting ahead of other big names in the casual games business. High on that list is San Francisco-based Zynga, that announced last month that it was getting into online gambling in the first half of 2013.
Sadly for USA players this won’t be available, until the gambling laws change there. But American regulators are moving toward a legal and regulated online gambling system, and setting up a virtual casino now gives Big Fish a new stream of cash while it waits for the U.S. landscape to sort itself out.
Big Fish’s casino app is the result of a purchase the 10-year-old company made last year, buying Oakland, CA’s Self Aware Games. That small company made a virtual gambling game called Card Ace: Casino, which was a Top 10 iPhone app.
Big Fish founder and CEO Paul Thelen said earleir in the year that the Self Aware acquisition made sense even without legal online gambling in the U.S. “What we bought was a stock,” he said. “The call option on that stock is if gambling is legalized in more areas of the country.”
But there’s been some changes to the landscape—specifically, the emergence of Betable, a London-based company that is licensed to provide online gambling in the U.K. Betable, which also has an office in San Francisco, is offering casual game developers the ability to rake in money from legal online gambling across the pond by plugging their game into its system.
Betable CEO Christopher Griffin told a crowd at the Casual Connect conference in Seattle how it all works. Betable handles all of the security, transactions, identity verification, and legal liability—for an undisclosed share of the revenue. Game publishers simply plug their creation into the Betable system and draw the users.
That separation allows U.S. game developers to legally collect money from online gamblers in the U.K., because Betable is the actual entity doing all of the nitty-gritty work of processing the gambling transactions.
In his pitch to game developers, Griffin cited in-house research that showed average monthly revenue per user for a typical casual game was $1. Adding gambling to the picture puts that figure at $100 or more a month, he says.
Big Fish’s entry into the world of online gambling is a huge signal about where the industry is going. Pretty soon, it might not be unusual for your average casual or mobile game developer to have a casino-type product that makes a bunch of money, underwriting any other games they want to produce. Or, as Griffin said, versions of existing games that incorporate gambling into the regular gameplay, rather than just pumping out digital slot machines and blackjack tables.
By jumping into the fray now, Big Fish is also getting ahead of other big names in the casual games business. High on that list is San Francisco-based Zynga, that announced last month that it was getting into online gambling in the first half of 2013.
August 14, 2012
NSW to clamp down on sports match-fixing
Anyone found guilty of match fixing or corrupt betting could spend up to 10 years in jail under new laws to be introduced by the NSW government.
Gaming minister Graham Annesley says NSW will be the first state in Australia to introduce the tough new penalties.
"There is no bigger threat to the integrity of sport than match-fixing," Annesley said in a statement.
"Sport is big business these days and it would be naive of any government to think sport is immune to corrupt conduct."
NSW Hospitality and Racing Minister George Souris said the reforms were necessary if punters were to have any confidence in the sports and racing betting market.
"The NSW government and the racing industry are absolutely committed to making certain the reputation of sport and racing in this state remains intact," he said in a statement.
The proposed laws follow a Law Reform Commission report written in response to a betting scandal involving a 2010 rugby league match between Canterbury and north Queensland.
The report was tabled last year.
Gaming minister Graham Annesley says NSW will be the first state in Australia to introduce the tough new penalties.
"There is no bigger threat to the integrity of sport than match-fixing," Annesley said in a statement.
"Sport is big business these days and it would be naive of any government to think sport is immune to corrupt conduct."
NSW Hospitality and Racing Minister George Souris said the reforms were necessary if punters were to have any confidence in the sports and racing betting market.
"The NSW government and the racing industry are absolutely committed to making certain the reputation of sport and racing in this state remains intact," he said in a statement.
The proposed laws follow a Law Reform Commission report written in response to a betting scandal involving a 2010 rugby league match between Canterbury and north Queensland.
The report was tabled last year.
August 10, 2012
Former MGM analyst gets prison sentence
A former analyst who worked at MGM Mirage in Las Vegas was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison Monday in an elaborate player’s club scheme on the Strip.
Tony Ahn, 29, who lost his job amid the cheating scandal, pleaded guilty in May to spearheading the conspiracy. He acknowledged betraying the trust of his company, then known as MGM Mirage, to unlawfully win $863,895 from slot machines.
U.S. District Judge James Mahan ordered Ahn on Monday to pay the entire $863,895 in restitution and serve two years of supervised release after he gets out of prison.
“This is an American tragedy to see you here,” Mahan told Ahn. “You have so much potential. I hope you see this as a positive and turn your life around.”
Ahn apologized to the judge and promised never to get in trouble with the law again.
“I definitely made a big mistake,” he said. “There’s no excuse for what I did.”
His lawyer, Thomas Pitaro, told Mahan that Ahn has “all the talent in the world” and hopes to make up for his wrongdoing when he gets out of prison.
In arguing for the 57 months behind bars, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Chu said Ahn had used inside company knowledge to plan the lucrative scheme and recruit members to it.
Ahn used his company position to identify regular customers with unused free play points, then transferred the points to counterfeit players club cards and recruited people to play slot machines with the cards at the company’s casinos along the Strip, Chu previously alleged in court papers.
Free play points earned by thousands of MGM Mirage club members, many of whom lived outside Nevada, were stolen between July 2009 and July 2010, according to prosecutors.
The company under its new name, MGM Resorts International, owns 16 casinos in Nevada, including 10 on the Strip.
Four other indicted members of Ahn’s ring – Joseph Ramirez, David Evans, David Pecor and Ahn’s brother, Danny Ahn – have pleaded guilty and are waiting to be sentenced.
Alan Feldman, senior vice president of public affairs for MGM Resorts International, said at the time of Ahn’s plea that the company’s internal Fraud Control Group uncovered the scheme and reported it to Nevada gaming regulators and the FBI.
The scheme unraveled in March 2010 after state authorities arrested one of the unindicted members of the group for playing with counterfeit players club cards. Shortly after the arrest, Ahn and the group took measures to cover their tracks.
They buried a computer, card encoder, flash drive and blank player’s club cards used in the scheme in the desert, prosecutors alleged.
Months later, however, with the help of cooperating defendants, FBI agents dug up the items and impounded them as evidence.
Tony Ahn, 29, who lost his job amid the cheating scandal, pleaded guilty in May to spearheading the conspiracy. He acknowledged betraying the trust of his company, then known as MGM Mirage, to unlawfully win $863,895 from slot machines.
U.S. District Judge James Mahan ordered Ahn on Monday to pay the entire $863,895 in restitution and serve two years of supervised release after he gets out of prison.
“This is an American tragedy to see you here,” Mahan told Ahn. “You have so much potential. I hope you see this as a positive and turn your life around.”
Ahn apologized to the judge and promised never to get in trouble with the law again.
“I definitely made a big mistake,” he said. “There’s no excuse for what I did.”
His lawyer, Thomas Pitaro, told Mahan that Ahn has “all the talent in the world” and hopes to make up for his wrongdoing when he gets out of prison.
In arguing for the 57 months behind bars, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Chu said Ahn had used inside company knowledge to plan the lucrative scheme and recruit members to it.
Ahn used his company position to identify regular customers with unused free play points, then transferred the points to counterfeit players club cards and recruited people to play slot machines with the cards at the company’s casinos along the Strip, Chu previously alleged in court papers.
Free play points earned by thousands of MGM Mirage club members, many of whom lived outside Nevada, were stolen between July 2009 and July 2010, according to prosecutors.
The company under its new name, MGM Resorts International, owns 16 casinos in Nevada, including 10 on the Strip.
Four other indicted members of Ahn’s ring – Joseph Ramirez, David Evans, David Pecor and Ahn’s brother, Danny Ahn – have pleaded guilty and are waiting to be sentenced.
Alan Feldman, senior vice president of public affairs for MGM Resorts International, said at the time of Ahn’s plea that the company’s internal Fraud Control Group uncovered the scheme and reported it to Nevada gaming regulators and the FBI.
The scheme unraveled in March 2010 after state authorities arrested one of the unindicted members of the group for playing with counterfeit players club cards. Shortly after the arrest, Ahn and the group took measures to cover their tracks.
They buried a computer, card encoder, flash drive and blank player’s club cards used in the scheme in the desert, prosecutors alleged.
Months later, however, with the help of cooperating defendants, FBI agents dug up the items and impounded them as evidence.
August 09, 2012
Mastronardo Brothers Charged in High Tech Sports Betting Ring
A 23-count indictment was unsealed Wednesday charging 16 defendants, including the daughter of former Philadelphia mayor and police commissioner Frank Rizzo, in a conspiracy case involving the Mastronardo Bookmaking Organization, a multi-million dollar sports betting operation with bettors throughout the U.S.
At its peak, the alleged organization had more than 1,000 betters and was generating millions of dollars a year, according to the indictment.
Charged are: Joseph Vito Mastronardo, Jr., and John Mastronardo, the two alleged leaders, Joseph F. Mastronardo, Eric Woehlcke, Harry Murray, Joseph Vitelli, Anna Rose Vitelli, Patrick Tronoski, Edward Feighan, Kenneth Cohen, Schuyler Twaddle, Michael Loftus, Michael Squillante, David Rounick, Ronald Gendrachi, and Joanna Mastronardo, the wife of Joseph Mastronardo, Jr. and the daughter of the late Frank Rizzo. All, with the exception of Twaddle, were arrested Wednesday morning.
At its peak, the alleged organization had more than 1,000 bettors and was generating millions of dollars a year. All but one defendant (Joanna Mastronardo) are charged with conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and conducting an illegal gambling business. The indictment alleges that between January 1, 2005 and January 1, 2011, the organization utilized internet websites and telephone numbers that allowed bettors to place sports bets on football, baseball, basketball, golf, horse racing, and other sporting events. Residents of Costa Rica staffed the internet and telephone sites. The defendants allegedly hid more than $1 million in and around their homes including in specially-built compartments and in PVC pipes that were buried in a yard.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger, FBI Special Agent-in-Charge George C. Venizelos of the Philadelphia Field Office, Special Agent-in-Charge Eric Hylton of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman.
The indictment alleges that the defendants ran the organization using telephone, Skype, email, text messaging, and in-person communication. They allegedly met bettors in-person, often in public buildings and parking lots, to collect or deliver payments that ranged from $1,000 to more than $100,000. The organization also allegedly used a gas station on Norristown Road in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania as a mailing address and drop-off site to collect gambling payments.
According to the indictment, members of the Mastronardo Bookmaking Organization laundered the gambling proceeds using check cashing agencies, private bank accounts, and international bank accounts and provided instructions so that a losing bettor could pay a gambling debt through a charitable donation.
According to the indictment: leader Joseph V. Mastronardo, Jr., supervised the agents, sub-agents, websites, the office employees, laundered some of the betting proceeds, collected debts, and instructed others to collect debts. Mastronardo’s brother, John, also a leader in the organization, supervised agents and sub-agents, laundered proceeds, and collected debts. Joseph’s son, Joseph F. Mastronardo, worked as an office employee, collected debts, and performed other financial duties. Eric Woehlcke was initially a bookmaker and office employee, then worked as an office manager, and eventually became a leader supervising agents and sub-agents and laundering proceeds. Harry Murray was a bookmaker who resided in Florida and laundered proceeds in and outside the U.S. Joseph and Anna Rose Vitelli owned J & A Check Cashing where, in 2006, they allowed the organization to occupy an office for the illegal gambling business and which was also used to aid in the laundering of proceeds. Tronoski, Feighan, Cohen, Twaddle, Loftus, Squillante, Rounick, and Gendrachi were all bookmakers.
The indictment alleges that in March 2010, Joseph V. Mastronardo, Jr., in a conversation with bookmaker Harry Murray, commented “Well times like this I’m happy I’m a bookmaker,” to which Murray responded, “Me too.”
“Technology allowed the defendants to allegedly expand their gambling and money laundering operation far beyond the borders of Pennsylvania,” said Memeger. “Unfortunately for the defendants, however, we have the necessary statutory tools to investigate and prosecute those who openly flout our illegal gambling and financial reporting laws.”
“Illegal gambling and money laundering are the financial engines that help drive criminal enterprises like the one alleged today,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Venizelos. “The type of gambling activity charged here is illegal. These types of extensive and long-term joint investigative efforts, worked with our partners like the IRS and Montgomery County Detectives, are intended to dismantle criminal organizations that profit from illegal activities.”
“This alleged racketeering operation was anchored in Montgomery County, but had tentacles spreading across the U.S. and beyond,” said D.A. Ferman. “Despite our attempt to shut it down in 2006-2007 with a Montgomery County prosecution, my office discovered that the defendants, as is alleged in the indictment, were back in business. We partnered with our federal counterparts to examine the full scope of the alleged illegal gambling operation. Today’s indictment reflects the work of many law enforcement agents across multiple agencies. These defendants tried to ‘game’ the system. Today they crapped out.”
“The indictments announced today are the result of a significant and complex investigation,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Eric Hylton. “With both law enforcement and financial expertise, our agents are uniquely qualified to assist with these types of cases by following the trail of money. Our office will continue to work aggressively to identify and target illegal financial gains.”
Joanna Mastronardo is charged with one count of structuring in which it is alleged that she participated in making approximately 72 deposits in amounts less than $10,000 totaling more than $500,000 in a 12-month period.
Joseph V. Mastronardo, Jr., is charged in all 23 counts of the indictment. The remaining 14 defendants are each charged with the RICO conspiracy and with prohibition of illegal gambling. A complete list of charges is attached. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of more than $6.3 million as alleged proceeds of the illegal enterprise.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason P. Bologna.
State charges were filed against the Mastronardos in 2010, at that time defense attorney Dennis Cogan told NBC10 he expected the case to be moved to federal court given the interstate nature of the alleged crimes.
Joseph Mastronardo, who was convicted in 1987 on federal gambling charges, once ran a gambling operation that grossed $50 million a year, according to a 1990 report by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
Both brothers served short jail stints after a 2006 state investigation into sports bets they took through a Web site. They each pleaded guilty to misdemeanors, while also agreeing to forfeit $2.7 million authorities had seized.
At its peak, the alleged organization had more than 1,000 betters and was generating millions of dollars a year, according to the indictment.
Charged are: Joseph Vito Mastronardo, Jr., and John Mastronardo, the two alleged leaders, Joseph F. Mastronardo, Eric Woehlcke, Harry Murray, Joseph Vitelli, Anna Rose Vitelli, Patrick Tronoski, Edward Feighan, Kenneth Cohen, Schuyler Twaddle, Michael Loftus, Michael Squillante, David Rounick, Ronald Gendrachi, and Joanna Mastronardo, the wife of Joseph Mastronardo, Jr. and the daughter of the late Frank Rizzo. All, with the exception of Twaddle, were arrested Wednesday morning.
At its peak, the alleged organization had more than 1,000 bettors and was generating millions of dollars a year. All but one defendant (Joanna Mastronardo) are charged with conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and conducting an illegal gambling business. The indictment alleges that between January 1, 2005 and January 1, 2011, the organization utilized internet websites and telephone numbers that allowed bettors to place sports bets on football, baseball, basketball, golf, horse racing, and other sporting events. Residents of Costa Rica staffed the internet and telephone sites. The defendants allegedly hid more than $1 million in and around their homes including in specially-built compartments and in PVC pipes that were buried in a yard.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger, FBI Special Agent-in-Charge George C. Venizelos of the Philadelphia Field Office, Special Agent-in-Charge Eric Hylton of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman.
The indictment alleges that the defendants ran the organization using telephone, Skype, email, text messaging, and in-person communication. They allegedly met bettors in-person, often in public buildings and parking lots, to collect or deliver payments that ranged from $1,000 to more than $100,000. The organization also allegedly used a gas station on Norristown Road in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania as a mailing address and drop-off site to collect gambling payments.
According to the indictment, members of the Mastronardo Bookmaking Organization laundered the gambling proceeds using check cashing agencies, private bank accounts, and international bank accounts and provided instructions so that a losing bettor could pay a gambling debt through a charitable donation.
According to the indictment: leader Joseph V. Mastronardo, Jr., supervised the agents, sub-agents, websites, the office employees, laundered some of the betting proceeds, collected debts, and instructed others to collect debts. Mastronardo’s brother, John, also a leader in the organization, supervised agents and sub-agents, laundered proceeds, and collected debts. Joseph’s son, Joseph F. Mastronardo, worked as an office employee, collected debts, and performed other financial duties. Eric Woehlcke was initially a bookmaker and office employee, then worked as an office manager, and eventually became a leader supervising agents and sub-agents and laundering proceeds. Harry Murray was a bookmaker who resided in Florida and laundered proceeds in and outside the U.S. Joseph and Anna Rose Vitelli owned J & A Check Cashing where, in 2006, they allowed the organization to occupy an office for the illegal gambling business and which was also used to aid in the laundering of proceeds. Tronoski, Feighan, Cohen, Twaddle, Loftus, Squillante, Rounick, and Gendrachi were all bookmakers.
The indictment alleges that in March 2010, Joseph V. Mastronardo, Jr., in a conversation with bookmaker Harry Murray, commented “Well times like this I’m happy I’m a bookmaker,” to which Murray responded, “Me too.”
“Technology allowed the defendants to allegedly expand their gambling and money laundering operation far beyond the borders of Pennsylvania,” said Memeger. “Unfortunately for the defendants, however, we have the necessary statutory tools to investigate and prosecute those who openly flout our illegal gambling and financial reporting laws.”
“Illegal gambling and money laundering are the financial engines that help drive criminal enterprises like the one alleged today,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Venizelos. “The type of gambling activity charged here is illegal. These types of extensive and long-term joint investigative efforts, worked with our partners like the IRS and Montgomery County Detectives, are intended to dismantle criminal organizations that profit from illegal activities.”
“This alleged racketeering operation was anchored in Montgomery County, but had tentacles spreading across the U.S. and beyond,” said D.A. Ferman. “Despite our attempt to shut it down in 2006-2007 with a Montgomery County prosecution, my office discovered that the defendants, as is alleged in the indictment, were back in business. We partnered with our federal counterparts to examine the full scope of the alleged illegal gambling operation. Today’s indictment reflects the work of many law enforcement agents across multiple agencies. These defendants tried to ‘game’ the system. Today they crapped out.”
“The indictments announced today are the result of a significant and complex investigation,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Eric Hylton. “With both law enforcement and financial expertise, our agents are uniquely qualified to assist with these types of cases by following the trail of money. Our office will continue to work aggressively to identify and target illegal financial gains.”
Joanna Mastronardo is charged with one count of structuring in which it is alleged that she participated in making approximately 72 deposits in amounts less than $10,000 totaling more than $500,000 in a 12-month period.
Joseph V. Mastronardo, Jr., is charged in all 23 counts of the indictment. The remaining 14 defendants are each charged with the RICO conspiracy and with prohibition of illegal gambling. A complete list of charges is attached. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of more than $6.3 million as alleged proceeds of the illegal enterprise.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason P. Bologna.
State charges were filed against the Mastronardos in 2010, at that time defense attorney Dennis Cogan told NBC10 he expected the case to be moved to federal court given the interstate nature of the alleged crimes.
Joseph Mastronardo, who was convicted in 1987 on federal gambling charges, once ran a gambling operation that grossed $50 million a year, according to a 1990 report by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
Both brothers served short jail stints after a 2006 state investigation into sports bets they took through a Web site. They each pleaded guilty to misdemeanors, while also agreeing to forfeit $2.7 million authorities had seized.
August 08, 2012
Naughty Poker, the newest online strip poker site, seeks user feedback for beta version
Whoever coined the phrase "lucky in cards, unlucky in love," didn't reckon on Naughty Poker, a new - and free - online strip poker site (www.naughty-poker.com) in which each winning hand shows a beautiful model striking an alluring pose in successive stages of undress.
"It is naughty, but it's a tasteful and classy kind of naughtiness combined with fast-paced game play that makes Naughty Poker a thrilling experience beyond any other online strip poker," says David Shiller, a Toronto-based software engineer who developed the site.
And with the beta version just going live, Shiller and his business partner Wendy Marais, an accomplished online marketer, are giving the public a chance to judge Naughty Poker for themselves.
Just go to www.naughty-poker.com and follow the prompts to create your own free account. If you'd prefer not to open an account, you can explore Naughty Poker for free as a guest.
"The beta version is only the beginning," says Shiller, who teamed up with Wendy earlier this year to form the Naughty Network.
"Wendy and I have lots ideas for making the Naughty Poker experience even more exciting, but before taking Naughty Poker to the next level, we want as much user feedback as possible."
To have your voice heard, click on "Beta Feedback" on the Naughty Poker home page. Then fill out and submit the online evaluation form.
"You don't have to be a shark to enjoy Naughty Poker," Marais says." Anyone, regardless of their poker skills can play - and win."
Here's how the game works:
- Once logged in, choose from among an ever-growing selection of models.
- A photo of the chosen model, fully clad, appears on the screen.
- Below the photo is a five-card poker hand.
- Designate the cards you want to exchange; you may keep the hand you have or exchange any number of cards.
- If you get a pair of jacks or better, you win, and a new, more revealing, photo of the model appears. If you draw a losing hand, you'll see a less revealing photo of the model.
- You can play as many hands as you like, and you can pick another model at any time.
"It is naughty, but it's a tasteful and classy kind of naughtiness combined with fast-paced game play that makes Naughty Poker a thrilling experience beyond any other online strip poker," says David Shiller, a Toronto-based software engineer who developed the site.
And with the beta version just going live, Shiller and his business partner Wendy Marais, an accomplished online marketer, are giving the public a chance to judge Naughty Poker for themselves.
Just go to www.naughty-poker.com and follow the prompts to create your own free account. If you'd prefer not to open an account, you can explore Naughty Poker for free as a guest.
"The beta version is only the beginning," says Shiller, who teamed up with Wendy earlier this year to form the Naughty Network.
"Wendy and I have lots ideas for making the Naughty Poker experience even more exciting, but before taking Naughty Poker to the next level, we want as much user feedback as possible."
To have your voice heard, click on "Beta Feedback" on the Naughty Poker home page. Then fill out and submit the online evaluation form.
"You don't have to be a shark to enjoy Naughty Poker," Marais says." Anyone, regardless of their poker skills can play - and win."
Here's how the game works:
- Once logged in, choose from among an ever-growing selection of models.
- A photo of the chosen model, fully clad, appears on the screen.
- Below the photo is a five-card poker hand.
- Designate the cards you want to exchange; you may keep the hand you have or exchange any number of cards.
- If you get a pair of jacks or better, you win, and a new, more revealing, photo of the model appears. If you draw a losing hand, you'll see a less revealing photo of the model.
- You can play as many hands as you like, and you can pick another model at any time.
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