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“They own your state”: In his own words, watch super lobbyist Jack Abramoff explain government’s failed partnership with predatory gambling
Speaking at Harvard University, former lobbyist Jack Abramoff explains how your state is “owned” by predatory gambling operators. He starts by explaining that “everything about the gambling industry is politics.” This aired on C-SPAN on December 27, 2011. Thanks to SPG… Read more
Fake comments, fake supporters, all in the name of sneaking through a failed policy
Jessie Powell of Massachusetts, a citizen leader against the failed government policy of predatory gambling, recently spotlighted testimony about how predatory gambling interests paid a viral marketing firm to post fake comments on news websites to give the appearance of… Read more
Maine moves closer to “casino republic” status
Dennis Bailey, the talented, longtime leader of CasinosNo! in Maine, sent out the news alert below early this morning. From Dennis: Yesterday, the Maine House of Representatives bowed to the unprecedented lobbying campaign by the pro-casino forces and approved three… Read more
Corruption at Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
Yesterday, a grand jury responded to alleged corruption at the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board by recommending a major overhaul of personnel and procedures at the Board and strengthened casino regulations. It also suggested dramatically reducing the number of secret meetings… Read more
Ohio Supreme Court Justice: Casino money should not be allowed to emasculate state constitution
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Paul Pfeifer has called for a full review of the Ohio Constitution and rules that allow it to be altered, finding it hard to believe that the constitution can contain a provision allowing four casinos that… Read more
Why predatory gambling interests spend so much money on lobbying
Over the last twenty years, there are countless examples how predatory gambling interests will spend whatever it takes to overwhelm the political process. Just yesterday, the Associated Press reported that casino interests spent more than $3 million lobbying in Massachusetts… Read more
New Jersey bill doesn’t “reform” casino regulations – it destroys them
Below is a must-read column written by former N.J. Casino Commission member Carl Zeitz that appears in today’s Press of Atlantic City newspaper. It is a response to the push by predatory gambling interests to emasculate New Jersey’s oversight of casinos…. Read more
Governor-elect Cuomo must act against secret New York casino scheme
The New York Times reports that lame duck New York State Governor David Paterson is near an agreement with an out-of-state Indian tribe to build a full-scale casino in Sullivan County only 90 miles from Manhattan. As is typical with… Read more
Leaderless in Illinois
Predatory gambling profits in Illinois are in a free fall. The state already has an aggressive state Lottery, nine casinos (a tenth is on the way) and recently passed a proposal to turn bars and restaurants across the state into… Read more
The Most Predatory Business in America Now Also Runs Its Own Coerce-The-Vote operation
When it comes to the nation’s elections and legislative process, the mantra for gambling interests has always been “Let Us Buy the Vote!” But now, in its relentless quest to legalize internet gambling and with its Initial Public Offering looming,… Read more
Updated results from predatory gambling election measures
Here’s the latest results on key predatory gambling election measures from across America: 1) Oregon: Non-Tribal Casino Measure Goes Down To Defeat 2) Missouri: Cape Girardeau approves casinos 3) California: Richmond voters appear opposed to $1B casino 4) Maryland: Anne Arundel voters… Read more
Give them their money back
Yesterday, Courthouse News Service’s Tracey Walsh published this must-read story from Alabama: On the heels of corruption indictments against Alabama state senators and lobbyists involving electronic bingo, hundreds of bingo players sued the Macon County Greyhound Park aka Victoryland, claiming… Read more
Nothing sweet about Sugar House casino in Philly
Many well-intentioned media professionals write about casinos yet do not visit them frequently nor do they lose their own money inside casinos. They have little understanding of the casino business model, their “products” and “services” and their highly predatory marketing… Read more
The voices are loud and clear from both coasts
In a demonstration how the issue of predatory gambling extends across the entire U.S., here are two must-read items from Sunday’s papers: one from Maine’s Morning Sentinel which spotlights why casinos represent failed public policy in that state and the… Read more
Casinos continue to bilk taxpayers
Hillary Chabot of The Boston Herald writes an important follow up story about how welfare recipients are using their Electronic Benefits Transfer cards at casinos. It follows on the heels of the recent Los Angeles Times report that found California… Read more
Indictments Reflect Emerging Pay to Prey Political Culture
Below is the statement issued by Stop Predatory Gambling on today’s federal indictments in the Alabama gambling vote-buying scheme: “Today’s indictments reflect America’s emerging “pay to prey” political culture. Casinos are the most predatory business in the nation and they have escaped scrutiny… Read more
The push for more tribal casinos continues
This news article by a pro-tribal casino media source provides a window into the swirling political winds involving the intense push for off-reservation Indian casinos. Casino interests are now the biggest spending political players in America – six out of ten… Read more
What we own is broken and it’s up to us to fix it
News about another massive public corruption scandal spread across America yesterday. This time in New Jersey. It comes on the heels of other recent corruption scandals, extreme examples of mismanagement and inept leadership from around the country including Illinois, California, Pennsylvania,… Read more
Casino interests continue to use Native American tribes to force their way into communities
The New York Times is reporting the Obama administration has approved the Shinnecock Indians on Long Island for federal recognition on Tuesday, culminating a court battle lasting three decades and paving the way for the tribe to build a casino… Read more
Deadbeat optimists
The Miami New Times has a terrific cover story this week portraying the business and politics around predatory gambling in Florida, all done with the government’s blessing. It is a must-read. Within the story, the reporter described a frequent casino… Read more
America is becoming the world’s biggest casino republic
The San Jose Mercury News reported this week that six of the top 10 largest donors to political causes nationwide were Indian casino tribes, spending a total of $160 million, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics study. The… Read more
How much does he use and lose on electronic gambling machines?
Mobile County (Alabama) District Attorney John Tyson questioned whether Milton McGregor, who operates more than 6,000 electronic bingo machines at Victoryland casino in Shorter, Alabama, crossed a legal line when he hired a detective to recently follow a state law… Read more
New Jersey gives casinos even more political power
The New York Times recently reported that New Jersey lawmakers have passed a bill that would allow state officials to get jobs working for firms that work for casinos immediately after leaving office. Currently, state employees and board members must… Read more
Maine gears up for another fight against the predatory gambling trade
Predatory gambling interests turned in petitions yesterday aiming to force another referendum next year on whether to allow a casino in western Maine. Maine voters have repeatedly rejected such initiatives since 2003, when a proposal by two of the state’s… Read more
Turning America into a casino republic
The St. Regis Mohawks of New York voted last week to stop efforts to pursue a casino in Sullivan County, a news event we highlighted. But the tribe announced Monday that its election board nullified the results after determining that… Read more
Something for nothing schemes like predatory gambling require a lot of money to deceive voters and legislators
In 2008, nine states considered whether to replace declining revenues with money from gamblers. Voters in five states (Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maryland and Missouri) supported ballot measures that expanded gambling in their states. Alaska, Maine and Ohio voters rejected their… Read more
If the public really wanted it, the predatory gambling trade would not need to spend $32 million to remind them
A pro-casino group in Ohio reports it has spent nearly $32 million promoting a fall ballot issue that would authorize casinos in the state’s four largest cities (and there is still twelve more days to go in the campaign.) A… Read more
The spend enough money until you win strategy
For nearly 10 years, Maine voters have defeated referendums to legalize casinos yet the predatory gambling trade continues to come back again the next election cycle to push another casino referendum. This same strategy, replicated in other parts of the… Read more
What happens when one something for nothing schemer collides with another?
A Las Vegas casino is suing accused swindler Allen Stanford for repayment of a gambling debt of more than a quarter million dollars, according to court papers. The Bellagio Casino seeks to recover the $258,480 debt Stanford accrued in January… Read more