
A poker dealer lays out charity fundraiser competition chips at a Salem, N.H. makeshift casino; the brand New Hampshire legislature now wants to approve one genuine land casino for their state (Image: VNews.com)
New Hampshire may have a reputation as a quiet, relaxed state where bed and breakfasts and a little skiing are about the most exciting happenings around, but that image could be about to alter. With everyone in the region building up their gambling industries, it seems as if the Granite State may be ready to join into the brick-and-mortar race and welcome a land casino of their own.
Representing the Future
In accordance with reports, over 100 representatives in the state House of Representatives have signed on up to a bill that would welcome only one casino to hawaii of New Hampshire. That’s more than half the number of representatives that would eventually need to vote for such a bill to pass through the house.
People declaration had been meant as a sign of very early strength for the bill. A total of 108 representatives publicly supported the bill, making up a group that is bipartisan of Democrats and 25 Republicans. A lot of representatives even participated in a press conference to show so how strongly they felt about bringing casino gambling to New Hampshire.
‘We have actually momentum because we listened,’ said Representative Katherine Rogers. ‘We heard the issues of House people last spring whom said we didn’t have the best regulatory framework.’
All Systems Go
The new bill addresses concerns, giving the state plenty of oversight over the casino bidding procedure and providing financing for issue gambling services. The bill would allow for starters casino, aided by the permit for that casino going right on through a bidding process that is competitive. It would also create a brand new Hampshire gaming commission that would oversee not just the casino, but also the existing lottery, racing, and charitable gaming operations into the state.
‘There are major improvements that makes sure expanded gambling is a deal that is good the citizens of New Hampshire,’ said Representative Jeremy Dobson.
Late this the House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on the bill, known as HB 1633 week. Supporters described the financial benefits of a casino, saying it could generate revenues that are significant needing a wider taxation enhance. It would be a source that is new of in a declare that tends to lose young workers to other parts of the nation.
‘We are running out of time for you to attract people to stay in New Hampshire and to here give people jobs,’ said Diana Lacey, president of the State Employees’ Association.
One concern raised at the hearing was the concept that casino gambling may maybe not easily fit into with all the current ‘brand’ New Hampshire has into the minds of tourists and visitors.
‘We don’t have such a chronic need for this income that we’re willing to endure the burdens plus the price and the damage to our brand,’ stated Concord developer Steve Duprey. While some supporters described that New Hampshire’s motto is ‘Live Free or Die’ which may suggest that residents should be allowed to choose whether they want to try out at a casino or maybe not Duprey countered that the continuing state nevertheless had to help make decisions about what’s right and acceptable for New Hampshire.
But others disputed the branding claim. Pat Griffin, a brand new Hampshire resident who had worked in advertising and marketing for hawaii’s tourism industry, stated that 41 other states possess some as a type of casino gambling, and that has not affected most of their brands. For instance, Colorado has 41 gambling enterprises, but is nevertheless understood for its mountains and skiing. One casino, he said, won’t be the point that is tipping modifications what brand New Hampshire means to site visitors.
Toronto Man Wanted After Failure to pay for $12.9M to Las Vegas Casinos
A new nomination for ‘World’s Dumbest Criminals’ is actually a Canadian man who reportedly owes the Venetian casino in Las Vegas and one other $12m in IOUs and is now AWOL and wanted
There are always a few things that can get you nominated for ‘World’s Dumbest Criminal’: robbing a bank with surveillance cameras every-where, wanting to take a police car, and many truly at the top of that list would be skipping out on major casino gambling debts. Not smart, not smart at all.
That’s what one Toronto high-roller is finding out after neglecting to repay some $12.9 million in losses to two vegas gambling enterprises, dating all the means back to 2008. Authorities are actually seeking him out to file costs in the case.
Not-Yet-Arrested Development
43-year-old Semion Kronenfeld is now named on a Clark County District Court arrest warrant, after a grand jury indicted him on 12 counts of felony theft, writing bad checks, and obtaining cash under false pretenses. This puts Kronenfeld in a special kind of stupid category, since it’s certainly one of the biggest casino that is unpaid instances ever in Nevada, and if convicted, the actual only real place this Canadian will be rolling dice will be in the state penitentiary, perhaps for decades.
The Clark County indictment that has been handed straight down this week states that the high-roller failed to repay $7.9 million back in October of 2008 on IOUs made out to the casino that is venetian the nevada Strip. Then, simply two weeks later, Kronenfeld allegedly pulled a similar quantity on the Stations Casino-owned Green Valley Ranch casino, located in Henderson, just outside of Las Vegas proper; he reportedly stiffed that property for $5 million.
In accordance with Nevada law, unrepaid casino IOUs are considered fraudulent checks. With a prosecutorial bounty of 10 percent for ‘processing and prosecution’ put on any pre-trial settlements of these cases, many such incidents are placed to sleep without any charges being filed; clearly, that has not been the way it is here, though.
Around this writing, Kronenfeld continues to be AWOL, according to prosecutor Jake Merback, who heads up Clark County’s bad check unit, and calls to Kronenfeld’s attorney in Las Vegas, Craig Mueller, were not returned.
Kronenfeld’s case went public back in 2009, at which point the Canadian was listed in casino credit reports as having their own investment company, based in Ontario. Apparently he also holds A israeli passport and has been recognized to have numerous spellings of his final title, sometimes spelling it ‘Cronenfeld.’
In Good Company with Other Big Losers
While enormous, Kronenfeld’s case is scarcely truly the only bad-debt that is large to hit Nevada’s casinos in recent years. One such high-profile case involved the former owner of chatchke-manufacturer Oriental Trading Co., Terrance ‘Terry’ Watanabe, who had been indicted in 2009 he failed to pay back (then) Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc (now Caesars Entertainment) in the amount of $14.75 million in IOUs after it was alleged. However, Watanabe counter-sued Harrah’s and money for an undisclosed amount was reached in July 2010.
And Watanabe is not the actual only real other gambler that is high-profile get caught without repaying his debts; notorious porn-purveyor Joe Francis of Girls Gone Wild fame was also the subject of a IOU dispute with Wynn Resorts Int’l to the tune of $2.5 million. And former NBA All-Star Antoine Walker who pleaded guilty before his case came to trial received a five years’ probation phrase and had to fork over $770,000 in restitution.
Florida Faces Battle of this wallets that are bulging Warring Casino Factions
It’s a battle to the finish, with he who spends most having a shot that is good winning, as casino and anti-casino factions face down in Florida (Image: istock)
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson sometimes lobbies for gambling enterprises and sometimes lobbies against them (as in his massive anti-online campaign for the last year); but whatever he does, he does it with gusto and a significant load of cash. So it should come as no surprise that his company is certainly one of several casino that is major supporting 100 lobbyists (well-armed with every politician’s favorite form of homage: moolah) whose goal will be to put some pressure on Florida’s legislators regarding the Sunshine State’s stalled land gaming status.
Fighting for County Rights
Obviously, gambling clothes with something to gain are most enthusiastically behind this legislative posse’s funding; which puts Genting at the front side of the line; they have been hoping to players paradise free slots get into the Miami beachfront market with a Resorts World Miami task for quite a while now without success. This could be the standoff of all standoffs: because very recently, top state lawmakers caused it to be clear that the complete problem of gambling in Florida is low on their importance totem pole this year.
Nonetheless, cash talks and you know what walks, so a week ago Florida’s Senate Gaming Committee seat Garrett Richter promised to introduce a fresh bill enabling two resort casinos that could go up in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. By way of amazing coincidence, those two spots just happen to be precisely where both Adelson’s Sands and Genting have been hoping to secure casino web sites. And more luck that is good Florida’s 60-day legislative session kicks off on March 4, so it’s all just in the nick of time. Yessirree, Bob, those homage gift ideas can function the Red Sea whenever delivered over lunch at a fancy tallahassee eatery, it would appear.
Richter who only per week before was decrying how impossible it absolutely was to coordinate all of Florida’s various and sundry video gaming factions is now saying that while the issues at hand remain complex, he intends to obtain this casino plane ‘off the floor.’
He’ll have their work cut out for him, no matter how numerous lobbyists give him early Xmas presents. Florida’s compact with the Native American Seminole tribe gives that group rights that are exclusive popular and high-end (in other words., really profitable) table games like baccarat and blackjack. The 2010 compact did not encompass craps or roulette, and requires the Seminoles to shell out $250 million a year to florida through 2015. After that, tribal leaders are not planning on backing down easily; Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen reportedly told scouts from Sands and Genting when they first began their push two years ago that ‘[it shows] a Seminole lady on there, that is not somebody from Las Vegas,’ referring to images regarding the Florida state flag.
And there’s yet more complex political waltzes going on into the Sunshine State, because former Governor Charlie Crist has decided he wants their old job right back, meaning he would have to unseat governor that is current Scott come November. Adelson, needless to say, has been proven to throw his weight via his bankroll around in an election or two, and with Scott due to the fact incumbent that is republicanCrist was also Republican back when he had been governor, but has since switched to first being an Independent, and today a Democrat), Scott no question could use the Sands CEO’s support.
Towards the end, Scott possessed a meeting with Adelson in Las Vegas right after taking office in 2011, of which time he reported to be in benefit of resort casinos in his state. Throwing even more fire onto this already incendiary situation is the reality that the Seminole tribe donated a cool half-million to Scott’s rebid campaign last 12 months: the largest single political donation created for the year. Talk about being taken in two directions.
Lines in the s that are sand(
Therefore the battle lines have already been drawn elsewhere, too: needless to say, entrenched Florida icon Walt Disney Co. has made their views noisy and clear on the opposition to casino expansion in the state, and backed it up with $1.7 million spread among legislators over days gone by two years. Experts predict campaign contributions will get even more excessive, so that you can match Adelson’s very nearly unlimited political spending plan to bring lawmakers around. In fact, the COO for the operating arm behind the Mardi Gras Casino in Hallandale Beach says he expects it all to show into ‘ a food that is major’ before the election 12 months is over.
Of course, there’s always a naysayer, and Senator Gwen Margolis (D-Miami) has created a bill to put an end towards the lobbying some would state vote-buying madness. She wants to end the ‘sea of cash [that] happens to be sloshing into the campaign coffers’ and claims only a statutory law against it’s going to do the trick. Deemed the Public Confidence in Gaming Act, she is wished by us the best of luck in getting this thru. It probably appears nearly as good a possibility of making it as definitely nothing.
