
Suffolk Downs Racetrack will be forced to close following a Revere casino that is unsuccessful bid.
The City of Revere near Boston will sue the slots of vegas casino app Massachusetts Gaming Commission over its decision to honor the East Massachusetts casino gaming license to Wynn Resorts over Mohegan Sun. Mohegan Sun, which wanted to create a $526 million casino on land owned by the Suffolk Downs Racetrack in Revere, lost the license battle last month following a protracted bidding process which cost both sides vast amounts, and at times descended into tit for tat recriminations.
While Wynn now focuses on its vision of creating a resort in Everett, just a couple miles to the eastern, Revere is left to pick up the pieces and mourn the resulting closing of this historic Suffolk Downs thoroughbred racetrack.
The horseracing industry had been hit by way of a 40 per cent reduction in recent years and it ended up being believed that the proposed Mohegan Sun resort would be adequate to save lots of Suffolk Downs, whose owners had pledged to continue operating for at minimum another 15 years should win the license revere.
In reality, the requirement to safeguard Suffolk Downs was one of many primary motivations for the establishment of the 2011 Gambling Act, which expanded casino gaming into the state and created the Massachusetts casino that is east license. The decision to choose Wynn Resorts has hammered the final nail into the thoroughbred horseracing industry in the area and that could influence the jobs and livelihoods of up to 800 people. Many people in Revere feel betrayed by the politicians.
Suit Wants Choice Vacated
The lawsuit, which isbeing brought jointly by the populous city and the union that represents 145 workers at Suffolk Downs, claims that the Commission ‘acted arbitrarily and capriciously, abused its discretion, violated conditions of the gambling legislation, gave Wynn unequal (and better) therapy than other video gaming candidates, and treated other applicants unfairly and inequitably.
‘By its functions and decisions, the commission has completely violated the letter of the Gaming Act, the purposes behind the Gaming Act, the Commission’s own regulations and procedures, and provisions of the Massachusetts Constitution,’ it states.
The suit asks the court to nullify the decision and purchase the Gambling Commission to reassess the license in accordance with the gambling law.
Criminal Land Sale Issues Addressed
‘ We now have seen … intense disappointment express itself in several ways, including legal action and even false accusations of bias up against the Commission,’ said Interim director of the Gaming Commission Hank Shafran in reaction to the lawsuit. ‘ This latest effort is just one more manifestation of dissatisfaction from invested parties after having a lengthy assessment and public deliberation process that was based solely on the merits of competing proposals. We have been confident that this complex certification process has been performed in a manner that is comprehensive, thoughtful and reasonable, albeit unsatisfactory and disappointing to those who had envisioned a different outcome.’
However, according to Revere Mayor Dan Rizzo, the Commission still has pressing questions to answer in relation towards the selection process. ‘ There are certainly a number of troubling and alarming failures by the Gaming Commission that raise serious questions concerning the process that is entire of the location A license,’ said Revere Mayor Dan Rizzo. ‘From inequity in the procedure, to a deep failing to need adequate community mitigation, to ignoring prospective unlawful task from the Everett land, the Commission has in nearly every regard failed to live up to its responsibilities under the Gaming Act.’
Rizzo is talking about the fact that FBT Everett Realty, the company that sold the Everett plot of land to Wynn Resorts, attempted to conceal this one of its directors, Charles A. Lightbody, had Mob connections and convictions that are criminal. It is against Massachusetts video gaming legislation for a convicted felon to profit from a casino’s operations. Three members of the business, along with Lightbody, were arrested on state fraud charges just two weeks after the Gaming Commissions decision.
Irish Gambling Control Bill Imminent
Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan, who announced at this year’s spending plan that he expects a duty that is betting on the web gambling transactions to yield €25 million per year. (Image: Eric Luke/ Irish Times)
An Irish Gambling Control Bill could be a truth shortly, with Irish media reporting that the push that is long-awaited modernize the country’s regulatory framework is, at final, ‘imminent.’ The draft Gambling Control Bill, which had been knocking around since last July with seemingly little progress, is about to become a reality.
The bill will upgrade the current Betting Act 1931, the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 and chapters of the Finance Act 1992 in order to more efficiently encompass online gambling.
With echoes of the brand new British Gambling Act, which is scheduled to come into force on November 1st, it will need offshore operators offering betting services to Irish customers to put on an Irish license, whether or otherwise not they have any real presence in the country. a betting duty will be imposed on betting deals involving all Irish clients.
Currently, only bookmaking shops are required to pay for a gambling duty, 1 per cent on deals, nevertheless the new rules will need all operators, bookmakers and gambling exchanges, remote and land-based, to pay the same income tax. It’s been estimated that around €1.6 billion ($2 billion) per year is gambled by Irish clients regarding the internet each year.
€25 Million become Raised
Finance Minister Michael Noonan announced in their 2015 spending plan speech this that he anticipated a yield of €25 million ($32 million) per annum in taxes week. He added that €11m of the money raised goes towards investment in Ireland’s horse and greyhound racing industries, as well as contributing to a social responsibility fund that helps to fight problem gambling.
‘In recognition of the importance of the bloodstock that is irish to the rural economy and the anticipated yield of €25 million per annum from wagering duty, the Government may be providing an additional €6 million ($7.6 million) a year for three years to the fund for horse and greyhound racing,’ said Noonan. ‘The national normally allocating capital that is additional of million ($6.3 million) to Horse Racing Ireland in 2015 to leverage investment in race courses.’
Irish bookmakers have broadly welcomed the bill. ‘We have worked closely with the authorities in Ireland regarding the Betting (Amendment) Bill, ensuring that there is an amount pitch that is playing all companies whom operate in the Irish marketplace irrespective of whether they’ve been located in Ireland or otherwise not,’ said a spokesman for market-leader Paddy Power.
Action in the Right Direction
The bill will also establish consumer complaints and age verification procedures, controls on advertising, also as laying down provisions for the licensing of land-based gambling enterprises in Ireland. The number of the latest casinos permitted are restricted to 40 with no casino allowed more than 15 tables.
The news of regulation is well-timed. Just week that is last study claimed that problem gambling in Ireland had risen 250 percent in the final 36 months, and a lurid report within the Irish Independent suggested that the rapid adoption of mobile technology was at fault.
In accordance with Justice Minister Alan Shatter, the bill is a part of the direction that is right. ‘This legislation has got the twin goal of effortlessly regulating the newest and dynamic gambling sector that has emerged in the past few years, whilst also providing the chance to introduce important new measures to protect vulnerable adults and young people,’ he said. ‘I expect the gambling sector to commit itself in a meaningful way to the concept and practice of socially responsible gambling.’
UK Gamblers Unhealthy Good Deal, Researchers Say
Most UK slot players do not look similar to this, according to a new health study on Uk gamblers. (Image: hyyy.com)
A new survey conducted by jackpot.co.uk sought to determine the overall health and wellness of UK gamblers when compared with the general population. Its findings did not paint a pretty image, with UK gamblers evidently becoming an unhealthy bunch who have to get some exercise and reduce on the booze intake.
Would you lie awake at evening wondering just what the normal body mass index is of British slot players? Do you worry about whether online poker players drink excessively? Well, this will be the scholarly study for you. Researchers surveyed 2,131 active UK gamblers on their own health and lifestyle choices, such as for instance how much they drink or whether they smoke, and calculated their Body Mass Index (BMI), with some results that are alarming.
Topping the BMI stakes, it seems, are the aforementioned slots players, who tipped the scales with an average BMI of 31, a score that is not considered healthier by medical professionals. In fact, it falls to the mildly obese category, since the average BMI of the British populace is 27.
The study also found that slots players did the least amount of exercise compared to other gamblers (repeatedly pulling that lever doesn’t count apparently, although nice try!) In fact, just 27 per cent of slots players and 28 % of video poker players reported that they did the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Video poker players additionally came in with the second greatest BMI, of 30, which figures. All had BMIs over that of the national average in all, roulette, blackjack and craps players.
Survival of the Fittest
On the other end of the scale had been Pai Gow players, whom scored an average GPI of 23, well underneath the average that is national. One cause for this could be the overall game’s popularity among people of Chinese ethnic origin, a group which includes reduced obesity rates generally speaking than people of European origin. Nevertheless, as the scientists are quick to point out, the results could be skewed by the tiny sample size of respondents in this category.
One group that maybe fared surprisingly well were poker players, who’d the joint 2nd cheapest BMI (with baccarat players), at 25. Significantly, they were the second group that is largest of respondents and therefore offered a reliable test size. Poker players were also the most physically active of all teams, with 50 percent meeting the necessary quantities of exercise. As they might be nice and slender, though, they do drink too much, coming in second in the boozy stakes behind those perennially unhealthy slots players. (perhaps because they’re lighter than slots players they get drunk quicker, right?)
Up in Smoke
In general, the survey showed that casino gamblers across the board were almost 4 per cent more likely to smoke than the basic population. Pai Gow players came in highest, with a whopping 46.2 percent classifying themselves as cigarette smokers, although once we have seen the outcomes may be anomalous due to the small sample size. Baccarat came in second, though, with 25 % saying they smoked, probably since they all think they are James Bond, and people incorrigible slots players coming in 3rd with 24 percent.
The study also asked its respondents about their platform that is preferred for gaming and discovered that people players who predominantly played on their desktops had been almost certainly going to have high BMI scores, compared to those who also played real time and on their mobiles.
If you’re an online slots player with a computer that is desktop you should think about quitting the booze and cigs, and taking up yoga, before it’s all too belated. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ve some bicep exercises related to a few cocktails.