
After an investigation that is four-year Iowa Lottery officials believe a member of staff fraudulently won the $16.5 million Hot Lotto jackpot. (This winning ticket had been from a past Lotto draw for the same amount).
Iowa Lottery officials say they’ve finally solved a mysterious four-year investigation regarding the unidentified owner of the $16.5 million Hot Lotto ticket that is winning.
The path led authorities to an unlikely source: a lottery worker who himself is not allowed to purchase a ticket, as a matter of conflict of interest.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation claims 51-year-old Eddie Raymond Tipton purchased the ticket in 2010, despite being prohibited from playing due to his employment because the director of information securities aided by the Multi-State Lottery Association.
Investigators determined that Tipton went to great lengths to conceal their identity and collect on the winning solution with the support of others.
After digging through one of the most complex scandals in the state’s 26-year lottery history, detectives hit paydirt whenever they gave immunity to A canadian man, Philip Johnston, who was hired by Tipton. The data received resulted in Tipton’s arrest this and he is currently being held on $10,000 bail at the Polk County Jail on two felony counts of fraud week.
Hot Lotto, Cold Case
Tipton is charged with purchasing A lotto that is hot ticket December 29, 2010, at A des Moines Quick Trip gas station.
At that time, the jackpot was valued at $16.5 million, with a money option of $10,750,000. The Iowa Lottery revealed a winning ticket had been sold, nevertheless no winner had come forward.
In the problem, county prosecutors assert that Tipton contacted a Texas lawyer who arranged to hire Johnston to claim the jackpot, but lottery officials refused to payout following the Canadian’s tale didn’t accumulate.
The case went unsolved until simply hours before the one-year claiming deadline.
A trust set up to protect the identity of the winner in December of 2011, New York attorney Crawford Shaw presented the winning ticket on behalf of Hexam Investments Ltd. When Shaw declined to answer questions regarding the ticket purchaser’s identification and those included with its handling, payment was denied.
Authorities weren’t sure whether the owner that is original of solution ended up being the victim of a bad criminal activity or had committed a criminal activity, but they did understand something smelled fishy.
When surveillance video clip was made public of a tipton that is disguised the solution, a former co-worker arrived forward. Authorities also gathered proof after giving Johnston immunity in return for information on the ticket owner that is original.
Ironic Twist
Headquartered in Iowa, the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) is a non-profit group consisting of 31 member states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Virgin isles.
In addition to the Hot Lotto, MUSL overseas Powerball and coordinates with Mega Millions. Tipton’s task performance in information protection might have ironically generated his downfall.
Iowa Lottery CEO Terry deep told reporters, ‘ We now have strong security procedures in place to protect and ensure the integrity of our games and we definitely believe this situation indicated those processes worked to protect lottery players, lottery games, and lottery rewards.’
Since Tipton had been privy to private security information and protocol, he was banned from playing the lottery, but still felt his scheme would not be detected. ‘We all know there is always people who will try and beat the machine. We have and certainly will continue to upgrade our security procedures to recognize vulnerabilities to drive back them,’ deep explained.
Hot Lotto isn’t televised drawing. Instead, the lottery uses number that is random. Investigators will continue to examine the case, because they hope to find out whether Tipton somehow influenced the computer’s generated numbers.
Caesars Bankruptcy Plans Get Destroyed In Court
Caesars’ intends to restructure its astronomical debt has met a hurdle that is big the shape people District Judge Shira Scheindlin, whom says that its plans are a violation of federal law. (Image: finechinagirl.com)
Caesars Entertainment’s (CZR) plans to place its main operating arm, Caesars Entertainment working Company (CEOC), into Chapter 11 bankruptcy hit a setback that is major week when a
New York judge ruled that its reorganization efforts have violated law that is federal.
Caesars is involved in months of litigation and negotiation featuring its bondholders as it tries to restructure some $18 billion of its debt.
But the group’s lower level creditors argue that its restructuring plan, worked out with its creditors that are major unjustly protects the company’s interests at the expense of these own.
When Caesars filed for voluntary bankruptcy court in Chicago the other day, these creditors had already filed a suit of unique against Caesars, for involuntary bankruptcy, three days earlier in a court in Delaware.
The hearing this in Manhattan was an attempt by Caesars to have the Delaware filing dismissed, a move that ultimately caused the company more harm than good week.
Render Unto Caesars…
US District Judge Shira Scheindlin was critical of CZR, ruling that creditors’ accusations concerning the transfer of valuable properties away from CEOC over the summer time, also the CZR’s removal of guarantees for creditors, were a violation of the federal Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
It absolutely was exactly casino-online-australia.net this type or kind of ‘impermissible out-of-court restructuring’ that the Act was built to avoid, she said.
Caesars’s astronomical, industry-high debt comes from 2008 when it had been bought out by Apollo Global Management and TPG Capital in a $30.1 billion takeover.
This was just as the recession began to ravage the casino industry in America, and Caesars, then with 50 casinos throughout the United States, bore the brunt of that recession.
Caesars has lost money every year since 2009, and recently posted Q3 losses of $908.1 million.
It has consistently struggled to pay the interest on its debt, last month defaulting on a $225 million payment.
In accordance with Judge Scheindlin, the dissident bondholders’ grievance alleges that Caesars’ ‘ultimate plan’ is to put CEOC ‘into bankruptcy while protecting Apollo Management LP and TPG Inc. from CEOC’s creditors.’
The number of creditors has additionally accused the company of wanting to develop a ‘good Caesars’ and a ‘bad Caesars,’ anyone to own the valuable and properties that are iconic anyone to contain the financial obligation.
Bankruptcies Frozen
Caesars has countered that the group is wanting ‘to wreak havoc on the orderly process the debtors, their experts, and the many consenting stakeholders have been preparing for months.’
‘We believe this restructuring is in the most useful interests of CEOC’s stakeholders and will result in a capital that is sustainable for CEOC and value creation for all stakeholders,’ stated Gary Loveman, CEO of Caesars Entertainment and chairman of CEOC, recently. ‘The restructuring of CEOC may be the culmination of a years-long effort to increase the health of CEOC’s balance sheet, which has included significant investment in brand new and upgraded assets, specially in Las Vegas.’
Meanwhile, the two bankruptcy situations are effortlessly frozen until the judge in Delaware decides which court will preside over the bankruptcy proceedings.
In a statement, Caesars spokesman Stephen Cohen said the organization ended up being unfazed by the court ruling this week. ‘Given how big is the claims at issue and our strong defenses, we do not really expect the ruling to impact the planned reorganization,’ he stated.
NCLGS Adopts Policy Framework for Online Gambling Regulation
NCLGS president Helene Keeley claims that the organization’s framework will offer states guidance on crafting online gambling legislature. (Image: mainstreet.com)
November the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) has voted to adopt a policy framework that was first published last.
The NCLGS, which is consists of legislators from numerous states that have active gambling industries, has been working on the policy framework since 2013.
Called the insurance Policy Framework for the Regulation of Internet Gaming, the NCLGS policy statement was built to provide states some guidance in how to enact online gambling legislation if they choose to achieve this.
After the most recent amendments to your framework, it was made clear that the NCLGS was not building a declaration for or against online gambling, but rather providing a framework that is basic legislators could work from when developing their own Internet gambling legislation.
‘ Thanks to the input of a myriad of interested parties, the Framework is informed and balanced and, I’m proud to say, is really a hallmark of NCLGS efforts to date,’ said State Representative Helene Keeley, (D-Delaware), president of this NCLGS. ‘It’s time for states that are more likely to welcome Internet gambling to take a look that is in-depth what the Framework is offering.’
Framework Highlights Ten Areas of Focus
The primary focus of the framework was to address the most important areas that governments should manage when online that is legalizing gambling.
In particular, ten issues were highlighted, including taxation and licensing to payment processing, verifying player identities (including age and location), how to create multi-jurisdictional agreements, and just what games could be offered.
While the framework is not legislation by itself, it can be used as a bare-bones structure on which a law are built.
The presence of the framework could eventually show valuable in future efforts to manage online gambling, and never just because it gives a point that is starting.
Simply having an NCLGS framework to get results from should provide legislators with desire for the issue some credibility, because it implies that serious thought and input moved into the problem from a number of parties.
It might additionally help ensure that states are working from the same playbook that is basic the issue, increasing the chances that state regulations will be compatible with each other within the future.
While the framework is much the same to the one released in November after a round that is second of (albeit with a few amendments, including stronger security for player funds), it could not be considered the official NCLGS policy framework until this month’s vote.
Commentators who had influence in the framework include the Alderney Gambling Control Commission and the us Association of State and Provincial Lotteries.
More States Considering On Line Gambling in 2015
The NCLGS framework comes at a time when an escalating number of states are considering gambling legislation that is online.
In California, legislators are again giving Internet poker a look, with Assemblyman Mike Gatto having currently introduced a bill in today’s session, albeit one with some controversial clauses.
In other states, online gambling efforts are facing longer odds.
In Washington, efforts are underway to decriminalize on the web gambling and maybe even manage poker that is online though the bill leaves most of the actual regulations to the state gaming commission.
Meanwhile, Representative Bobby Moak (D-53rd District) has introduced yet another Internet gambling bill in Mississippi, although the prospects for what the law states seem little better compared to previous years.