
A poker dealer lays out charity fundraiser competition chips at a Salem, N.H. makeshift casino; this New Hampshire legislature now would like to approve one land that is legitimate for their state (Image: VNews.com)
New Hampshire may have reputation as a quiet, relaxed state where sleep and breakfasts and a little skiing are about the most exciting happenings around, but that image can be about to change. With everyone else in the region accumulating their gambling industries, it seems as though the Granite State may be prepared to join into the brick-and-mortar race and welcome a land casino of these own.
Representing the Future
Based on reports, over 100 representatives in the state House of Representatives have signed on up to a bill that would welcome only one casino to the state of New Hampshire. That’s more than half the amount of representatives that would eventually need to vote for such a bill to pass through the house.
The general public declaration had been 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 also participated in a press conference to show exactly how strongly they felt about bringing casino gambling to New Hampshire.
‘We have momentum because we listened,’ said Representative Katherine Rogers. ‘We heard the issues of House people final spring whom stated we did not have the best regulatory framework.’
All Systems Go
The new bill addresses concerns, giving their state lots of oversight over the casino bidding procedure and supplying capital for issue gambling services. The bill will allow for just one casino, with the license for that casino going through a competitive bidding process. It would also create a brand new Hampshire gaming commission that would oversee not merely the casino, but also the lottery that is existing racing, and charitable gaming operations into the state.
‘There are major improvements that will make sure expanded gambling is a good deal for the citizens of New Hampshire,’ said Representative Jeremy Dobson.
Late this week, the House methods Committee held a hearing on the bill, called HB 1633. Supporters revealed the financial benefits of a casino, saying it could generate significant revenues without requiring a wider taxation enhance. It would also be a new source of jobs in a declare that tends to lose young employees to many other parts of the country.
‘We are running out of time and energy to attract individuals to stay in New Hampshire and to give people jobs right here,’ said Diana Lacey, president of the State Employees’ Association.
One concern raised at the hearing was the concept that casino gambling may maybe not fit in with the current ‘brand’ New Hampshire has within the minds of tourists and visitors.
‘We do not have such a need that is chronic this revenue that we are willing to tolerate the burdens therefore the cost and the harm to our brand,’ said Concord developer Steve Duprey. While some supporters described that New Hampshire’s motto is ‘Live Free or Die’ which would suggest that residents should really be allowed to choose whether they want to play at a casino or maybe not Duprey countered that the state still had to make decisions in what’s right and acceptable for New Hampshire.
But others disputed the branding claim. Pat Griffin, A new Hampshire resident who had worked in advertising and marketing for their state’s tourism industry, revealed that 41 other states possess some form of casino gambling, and that hasn’t impacted nearly all of their brands. For example, Colorado has 41 casinos, but is nevertheless known for the hills and skiing. One casino, he said, defintely won’t be the point that is tipping modifications just what New Hampshire means to visitors.
Toronto Man Wanted After Failure to Pay $12.9M to Las Vegas Casinos
A nomination that is new ‘World’s Dumbest Criminals’ could be 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 always 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 car, and many certainly near 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 casinos, dating all the means back once again to 2008. Authorities are 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 grand jury indicted him on 12 counts of felony theft, composing bad checks, and obtaining money under false pretenses. This puts Kronenfeld in a special kind of stupid category, because it’s certainly one of the biggest unpaid casino financial obligation situations ever in Nevada, and if convicted, truly the only place this Canadian will likely be rolling dice will be in a very 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 Las Vegas Strip. Then, simply two weeks later, Kronenfeld presumably 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.
Based on Nevada legislation, unrepaid casino IOUs are considered fraudulent checks. With a prosecutorial bounty of 10 per cent for ‘processing and prosecution’ placed on any pre-trial settlements of these cases, many such incidents are put to bed without any charges being filed; clearly, which has not been the scenario right here, however.
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 nevada, Craig Mueller, were not returned.
Kronenfeld’s case went public back 2009, at which point the Canadian ended up being placed in casino credit reports as having their own estate that is real business, based in Ontario. Apparently he also holds A israeli passport and happens to be proven to have numerous spellings of his final title, sometimes spelling it ‘Cronenfeld.’
In Good Business with Other Big Losers
While enormous, Kronenfeld’s case is scarcely the only large bad-debt situation to strike Nevada’s gambling enterprises in recent years. One such high-profile case involved the previous owner of chatchke-manufacturer Oriental Trading Co., Terrance ‘Terry’ Watanabe, who had been indicted in 2009 after it absolutely was alleged he failed to pay right back (then) Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc (now Caesars Entertainment) in the total 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 isn’t the sole other high-profile gambler to get caught without repaying their debts; notorious porn-purveyor Joe Francis of Girls Gone crazy fame was also the subject of a IOU dispute with Wynn Resorts Int’l to the tune of $2.5 million. And NBA that is former All-Star Walker whom pleaded accountable before his case came to trial received a five years’ probation phrase and had to fork over $770,000 in restitution.
Florida Faces Battle for the Bulging Wallets by Warring Casino Factions
It’s really 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)
Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson sometimes lobbies for gambling enterprises and sometimes lobbies against them (as in their massive anti-online campaign for days gone by year); but whatever he does, he does it with gusto and lots and lots of cash. Therefore it should come as no shock that his company is one of several major casino operators backing 100 lobbyists (well-armed with every politician’s favorite form of homage: moolah) whose goal will be to place some pressure on Florida’s legislators regarding the Sunshine State’s stalled land gaming status.
Fighting for County Rights
Obviously, gambling outfits with something to gain are most enthusiastically behind this legislative posse’s funding; which puts Genting at the front regarding the line; they are looking to get into the Miami beachfront market having a Resorts World Miami project for a long time now without success. This could be the standoff of all standoffs: because very recently, top state lawmakers managed to make it clear that the whole problem of gambling in Florida is low on the importance totem pole this year.
Nonetheless, cash talks and you know what walks, so week that is last’s Senate Gaming Committee seat Garrett Richter promised to introduce a brand new bill making it possible 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’s all just in the nick of the time. Yessirree, Bob, those homage gift ideas can function the Red Sea whenever delivered over lunch at a fancy tallahassee eatery, it would seem.
Richter who just per week before was decrying how impossible it absolutely was to coordinate every one of Florida’s various and sundry video gaming factions is now saying that while the issues at hand remain complex, he intends to get this casino plane ‘off the floor.’
He’ll have his 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 rights that are exclusive popular and high-end (i.e., very profitable) table games like baccarat and blackjack. The 2010 compact did not encompass craps or roulette, and requires the Seminoles to spend $250 million a year to florida through 2015. From then on, 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 here, that’s maybe not somebody from Las Vegas,’ referring to images regarding the Florida state flag.
And there’s yet more technical political waltzes happening within the Sunshine State, because former Governor Charlie Crist has decided he wants their old work back, meaning he’d have to unseat governor that is current Scott come November. Adelson, needless to say, has been recognized to throw his weight via his bankroll around within an election or two, and with Scott as the incumbent that is republicanCrist was also Republican back as he ended up being governor, but has since switched to first being an Independent, and now a Democrat), Scott no question could use the Sands CEO’s support.
To your end, Scott had a conference with Adelson in Las Vegas shortly after using office in 2011, of which time he stated to maintain favor of resort casinos in their state. Throwing even more fire onto this situation that is already incendiary the reality that the Seminole tribe donated an awesome half-million to Scott’s rebid campaign last 12 months: the largest single political donation created for the year. Talk about being pulled in two directions.
Lines in the s that are sand(
And also the battle lines have now been drawn elsewhere, too: and in addition, 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. Specialists predict campaign efforts gets even more excessive, in an effort to match Adelson’s nearly limitless governmental spending plan to bring lawmakers around. In fact, the COO associated with the operating supply behind the Mardi Gras Casino in Hallandale Beach says he expects all of it to show into ‘ a major food fight’ before the election year is over.
Of course, there is always a naysayer, and Senator Gwen Margolis (D-Miami) has recently developed a bill to put an end to the lobbying some would say vote-buying madness. She desires to end the ‘sea of cash [that] is sloshing into the campaign coffers’ and states only a statutory law against it’ll work. 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 potential for which makes it as absolutely nothing.
