
A poker dealer lays out charity fundraiser tournament chips at a Salem, N.H. makeshift casino; the brand New Hampshire legislature now wants to approve one land that is legitimate for the 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 everybody else in the region accumulating their gambling industries, this indicates as though the Granite State may be prepared to become listed on into the brick-and-mortar race and welcome a land casino of these own.
Representing the Future
In accordance with reports, over 100 representatives in the state House of Representatives have actually signed on to a bill that will welcome only one casino to hawaii of the latest Hampshire. That’s significantly more than half the amount of representatives that would eventually need to vote for such a bill to pass through the home.
People declaration was meant as a sign of early strength for the bill. A total of 108 representatives publicly supported the bill, making up a bipartisan team of 83 Democrats and 25 Republicans. Many of those representatives even took part in a press conference to strongly show just how they felt about bringing casino gambling to New Hampshire.
‘We have actually momentum because we listened,’ said Representative Katherine Rogers. ‘We heard the concerns of House people final springtime who stated we don’t have the proper regulatory framework.’
All Systems Go
The bill that is new concerns, giving hawaii lots of oversight over the casino bidding process and supplying money for problem gambling services. The bill would allow for starters casino, utilizing the permit for that casino going right on through a bidding process that is competitive. It would also create a New Hampshire video gaming commission that will oversee not just the casino, but also the lottery that is existing racing, and charitable gaming operations within the state.
‘There are major improvements that will make sure expanded gambling will be a good deal for 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 economic benefits of a casino, saying it could bring in revenues that are significant needing a broader tax enhance. It would be a brand new supply of jobs in a suggest that tends to lose young workers to other parts of the united states.
‘We are running out of time and energy 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 basic idea that casino gambling may perhaps not easily fit into with all the current ‘brand’ New Hampshire has into the minds of tourists and visitors.
‘We would not have such a need that is chronic this revenue that we’re willing to endure the burdens and also the cost and the injury to our brand,’ said Concord developer Steve Duprey. While some supporters stated that New Hampshire’s motto is ‘Live Free or Die’ which may suggest that residents should be allowed to choose whether they need to try out at a casino or perhaps not Duprey countered that the continuing state nevertheless had to make decisions about what’s right and acceptable for New Hampshire.
But other people disputed the branding claim. Pat Griffin, A new Hampshire resident whom had worked in marketing and advertising for the state’s tourism industry, pointed out that 41 other states involve some type of casino gambling, and that hasn’t impacted the majority of their brands. As an example, Colorado has 41 gambling enterprises, but is nevertheless known for the hills and skiing. One casino, he said, won’t be the point that is tipping changes what New Hampshire means to visitors.
Toronto Man Wanted After Failure to pay for $12.9M to Las Vegas Casinos
A nomination that is new ‘World’s Dumbest Criminals’ is actually a Canadian man who reportedly owes the Venetian casino in Las Vegas and an added $12m in IOUs and is now AWOL and wanted
There are a things that are few can get you selected for ‘World’s Dumbest Criminal’: robbing a bank with surveillance cameras everywhere, trying to take a police vehicle, and most truly towards the top of that list would be skipping out on major casino players paradise casino gambling debts. Not smart, not smart at all.
That’s what one Toronto high-roller is finding out after failing woefully to repay some $12.9 million in losses to two vegas casinos, dating all the means back in to 2008. Authorities are now actually seeking him out to file charges in the instance.
Not-Yet-Arrested Development
43-year-old Semion Kronenfeld is now called on a Clark County District Court arrest warrant, after having a jury that is grand him on 12 counts of felony theft, composing bad checks, and obtaining cash under false pretenses. This puts Kronenfeld in a particular kind of stupid category, as it’s certainly one of the biggest unpaid casino financial obligation situations ever in Nevada, and if convicted, the sole place this Canadian will likely be rolling dice is going to be in a very state penitentiary, possibly for decades.
The Clark County indictment that was handed down this week says that the high-roller failed to repay $7.9 million back in October of 2008 on IOUs made away to the Venetian casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Then, simply two weeks later, Kronenfeld allegedly pulled a number that is similar 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 legislation, unrepaid casino IOUs are considered fraudulent checks. With a bounty that is prosecutorial of % for ‘processing and prosecution’ placed on any pre-trial settlements for these cases, many such incidents are put to bed without any charges being filed; obviously, that has not been the way it is here, though.
As of this writing, Kronenfeld stays 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, had been not returned.
Kronenfeld’s case went public back in 2009, at which point the Canadian had been listed in casino credit reports as having his or her own real estate investment company, based in Ontario. Apparently he also holds a passport that is israeli happens to be recognized to have numerous spellings of his final name, sometimes spelling it ‘Cronenfeld.’
In Good Business with Other Big Losers
While enormous, Kronenfeld’s case is hardly the actual only real large bad-debt situation to strike Nevada’s casinos in recent years. One particular high-profile case involved the previous owner of chatchke-manufacturer Oriental Trading Co., Terrance ‘Terry’ Watanabe, who ended up being indicted in 2009 after it had been alleged he failed to pay straight back (then) Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc (now Caesars Entertainment) in the amount of $14.75 million in IOUs. However, Watanabe counter-sued Harrah’s and money for an amount that is undisclosed reached in July 2010.
And Watanabe is not the only 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 niche of a IOU dispute with Wynn Resorts Int’l to the tune of $2.5 million. And NBA that is former All-Star Walker who pleaded bad before his case came to trial received a 5 years’ probation sentence and had to fork over $770,000 in restitution.
Florida Faces Battle associated with the wallets that are bulging Warring Casino Factions
It’s really a battle to the finish, with he who spends most having a good shot at winning, as casino and anti-casino factions face off in Florida (Image: istock)
Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson sometimes lobbies for casinos and sometimes lobbies against them (as in their 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 shock that his company is one of several casino that is major supporting 100 lobbyists (well-armed with every politician’s favorite type 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 posse that is legislative funding; which puts Genting during the front side associated with line; they’ve been trying to get into the Miami beachfront market with a Resorts World Miami project for quite a while now without success. This could be the standoff of most standoffs: because very recently, top state lawmakers managed to get clear that the whole dilemma of gambling in Florida is low on the importance totem pole this year.
Nonetheless, money talks and you know what walks, so a week ago Florida’s Senate Gaming Committee chair Garrett Richter promised to introduce a brand new bill allowing for 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 is all just in the nick of the time. Yessirree, Bob, those homage gift ideas can function the Red Sea when delivered over meal at A tallahassee that is fancy eatery it seems.
Richter who only per week before was decrying how impossible it was to coordinate each of Florida’s various and sundry gaming factions is now saying that while the issues at hand remain complex, he intends getting this casino plane ‘off the floor.’
He’ll have their work cut out him early Xmas presents for him, no matter how many lobbyists give. Florida’s compact with the Native American Seminole tribe gives that group exclusive liberties to popular and high-end (i.e., very profitable) table games like baccarat and blackjack. The 2010 compact did maybe not encompass craps or roulette, and requires the Seminoles to shell out $250 million a year to florida through 2015. After that, tribal leaders aren’t planning on backing down easily; Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen reportedly told scouts from Sands and Genting when they first started their push two years ago that ‘[it shows] a Seminole lady on there, that’s not somebody from Las Vegas,’ referring to images regarding the Florida state flag.
And there is yet more complicated political waltzes going on in the Sunshine State, because former Governor Charlie Crist has decided he wants their old work straight back, meaning he would have to unseat current governor Rick Scott come November. Adelson, needless to say, has been known to throw his weight via his bankroll around in an election or two, and with Scott while the Republican incumbent (Crist was also Republican back when he had been governor, but has since switched to first being an Independent, and now a Democrat), Scott no doubt could use the Sands CEO’s support.
Towards the end, Scott possessed a meeting with Adelson in Las Vegas soon after using office in 2011, of which time he stated to be in favor of resort casinos in their 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 designed for the entire year. Talk about being taken in two directions.
Lines in the s that are sand(
Plus the battle lines happen 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 continuing state, and backed it up with $1.7 million spread among legislators over days gone by couple of years. Specialists predict campaign contributions gets even more excessive, in an attempt to match Adelson’s nearly limitless governmental spending plan to bring lawmakers around. In fact, the COO of the operating supply behind the Mardi Gras Casino in Hallandale Beach says he expects it all to make 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 already produced a bill to place an end to the lobbying some would state vote-buying madness. She would like to end the ‘sea of cash [that] is sloshing into the campaign coffers’ and claims only a statutory law against it’ll do just fine. Deemed the Public Confidence in Gaming Act, she is wished by us the utmost effective of luck in getting this through. It probably stands as good a chance of rendering it as positively absolutely nothing.