• Posts Tagged ‘law’

    Racing and Slots Combination Still Up for Debate

    Friday, December 31st, 2010

    The creation of racinos is causing some controversy in the market. A racino is a combination of race track and slots parlor. Race tracks these days are suffering. More and more are having problems. Since the recession, race tracks have had steadily declining numbers and it seems that nothing can revive them. They have tried building bigger races and bringing in more scheduled races, but nothing is working. As a last ditch effort, many are petitioning their home states in an effort to get approval for bringing slot gaming in. It is no secret that slots gaming is highly lucrative and that it is one of the final ways for economies, and race tracks, to try to save themselves. Slots are credited with bringing in 60% of the revenue that Las Vegas casinos have right now. They are the games that single handedly are allowing the casino market to continue to hold on. That is no small feat. This is why now race track owners are looking to the games as a means of building their own businesses up. There is a problem though.

    Legislators are pushing for race tracks to get their slots, but not without an added cost to the public. Sure they can expand slots gaming, but it could threaten the markets for local gaming companies. For example, a land based casino is no doubt going to suffer some losses once slots are offered at race tracks throughout the states too. Plus, with the rise in the online market this too is thinning down the market. Though gaming companies are entering the market, there aren’t as many new gamers entering to support them at the past levels of performance. In addition, some states are hoping to put millions into the racing industry as a way to save it. They are taking a lot of criticism from anti-gambling activists. They maintain that race tracks are the last things legislators should be putting their money into…especially since the recessionary aftermath is still alive and well. Nothing is back to normal just yet and businesses are stressed financially. Is this the right time for legislators to earmark millions to a steadily-dying market like race tracks?

    Laws for Slots Not Enough to End Problems

    Friday, December 31st, 2010

    In the world of gambling laws are not yet evolved enough to protect all parties involved. Right now the strongest law regarding gambling is the UIGEA, Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Though it was supposed to ban gambling, in the end it did little to really end the problem. The UIGEA pushed players to just find other ways of gambling. In today’s market the one true thing in the world of gambling is that people are going to do it. The reaction to the UIGEA proved that. People moved to offshore companies and those companies were more than happy to take on the new customer base. Though banks were leery of accepting any transactions that looked even mildly related to gambling, other companies stepped in to serve the need. The fact is that slots are lucrative and all over the world, people are trying to take advantage of them. Though the UIGEA strived to ban the activity, in the end there are still illegal activities regarding slots gaming cropping up.

    In North Carolina games that are similar, but not exactly like  slots are the center of debates. The games are lottery games and developers want them to be classified that way. They want games to be allowed because they aren’t ‘technically’ slots games. This argument isn’t convincing North Carolina legislators though. They believe that the games should be banned along with slots gaming because of their similarities to slots. It is no doubt why the developers and establishments are fighting hard for the games. They know just how lucrative these games are and that is causing them to use every argument they have to keep them. “The games aren’t the same as slots!” “The games don’t have spinning reels like slots!” These are both arguments but whether or not law makers take them as truth has yet to be seen. Most likely the games are going to be up for debate for the next few months. Yes they are lucrative, but law makers don’t want that to be the sole deciding factor of what they choose. North Carolina legislators are pushing for change but it has yet to be seen if these games are going to be a part of it.

    Is Gambling Illegal in Your Area

    Monday, November 15th, 2010

    The world of gambling is intimidating. You may wonder whether or not gambling is legal and that is a big question right now. The rules aren’t universal anymore because various areas are working with legislation. Some law makers see the profit margin available via gambling and want in. others want to be cautious about making changes and allowing gambling into their markets. It is a problem for legislators and they are fighting it out among themselves. As of right now though, the UIGEA, Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, still stands. Most people are intimidated though about what their personal jurisdiction says regarding gambling. In the US there are two factors that dictate what you can and can’t do—the federal and state level of government. If you want to know whether or not you can wager then you need to check with both. You want to make sure that you aren’t breaking any laws on either level. It is easy to make a mistake today with the vast number of gambling options. The good news though is that most online casinos are very upfront with who they can and who they can’t take on as customers at their location on the internet.

    The question of whether or not games are legal lies in the fact that regulations are not in place to transfer money to and fro when it comes to wagering. Remember that in the US the UIGEA is still in effect. Legislators are doing some work on changing the laws but until they do, it is illegal for financial institutions to work with gambling transactions or allow them to go through. Part of the problem with the UIGEA though was that it never defined exactly what gambling is. It never said what activities are specifically under the heading of “gambling” titles. This has created much confusion in the market and a lot of problems for gamers. You have to make sure that you keep up on the market in your local area and know the rules. You won’t want to wager for money, win and then have to forfeit money due to the rules and not understanding them.

    Illegal Slots Parlors are Still being Uncovered

    Thursday, November 4th, 2010

    There are still some problems in the gambling market and they involve illegal activities. Legislators are upfront about the fact that it is going to take a few years for things to get regulated. Right now since the gambling industry is in its nascent stages, there are naturally going to be issues to sort out. One of the biggest is the fact that people are cutting back on their wagering as a result of the recent recession. Because a lot of businesses are suffering as a result, some are looking to illegal activities to increase their own revenue streams. In Arlington Texas recently a Texaco Food Mart was discovered as an illegal gambling facility. It was running four slot machines on its property and had collected about $15,000 in gambling revenue. In addition, the employee running the machines at the time of seizure was arrested and now faces charges ranging from possession of gambling paraphernalia and illegal gambling promotion. The owner could also be in trouble though he wasn’t on premises at the time. He could face losing his TABC license and the entire franchise.

    This is just one of the examples of what can happen with illegal gambling operations. This is why the states who are in favor of gambling are pushing so hard for the proper regulations to be put into place. They believe that if the laws are readily posted and everyone is made aware of them, criminals will think twice before they start to wager illegally. This is not proven though. Gambling activists say that illegal activities are going to occur whether or not gambling is legalized. Legalization offers gamers some protection. In the example above, the owner was notified previously of the problem and every time he removed the illegal machines, only to bring them back a few months later when things died down. This is a sign that he was fully aware of the illegalities of his actions, but still wanted to benefit from the profits available. This could create more problems for him because he was intentionally breaking the law after being warned numerous times about the issue.

    Some States Still Writing Laws on Gaming

    Sunday, October 31st, 2010

    It is a priority for state legislators to push for slots parlors. The games have proven that they can bring in millions of dollars in any given month of operations. This makes it an advantage for everyone involved. If gambling companies can get things working, they can bring in millions. That in turn means that states and the government will benefit from huge tax revenue dollars. Those revenues can then be used to pay for public works programs, education, growth and to help turn the market around. Remember that the US is coming out of the worst economic times it has been through since the 40s. It left the market in disarray and now it needs to continue to repair itself. Gambling is a priority because of the huge revenue that is available via slots gaming. This is why bringing slots gaming plan to the market is such a huge deal for legislators everywhere. They know that people are going to wager on them and bringing in millions is the only thing that can ultimately turn the market around.

    Maryland is another state that is pushing for slots gaming but the cost is proving to be huge. The state has already fueled $5.9 million into opening a casino and has yet to be successful at it. Anne Arundel Mills is the location where a slots parlor is set to open and it is not without controversy. There are two sides to the issue and they are pushing hard for their own views to be followed. It will take time, but most likely legislators are going to continue to push for reasonable regulations regarding slots gambling. Maryland wants to bring in the casino because it would help it out if its financial rut that much faster. So far the question of the casino is going to be put into the hands of the voting public. Legislators are pushing hard for their position to be heard, but it is the voters who have the final say on the issue. No one knows yet what their position is, but the signs are pointing towards slots gaming and its power to turn the market around for the good.

    Cecil County Postpones Slots

    Monday, September 20th, 2010

    Cecil County is having problems with its slot parlor plan. It was supposed to host the first slots casino in the state and the plans were set. Gambling experts were excited about the addition of slots. No one debates how lucrative slots’ gaming is. Even Las Vegas officials recently did a survey that proved slots bring in about 60% of their overall revenues. That is a huge number considering that the games were previously thought of as innocuous games in a separate room. No one knew how lucrative they would be and now they are taking over. This is why Maryland’s Cecil County legislators wanted to bring slots gambling into the market. They had an aggressive plan to work with Penn National on a 1,500-machine slots facility located in Anne Arundel County. Now that plan may be put on hold for a little longer.

    It seems that the opening of the slots parlor has to be postponed because state regulators are investigating whether Penn National Gaming interfered with another gaming company’s plans to build a gaming facility. Though Penn National got the approval of the State Lottery Commission, it did not get a formal decision as to whether or not it legally handled the decision to build a slots parlor located in Perryville. Penn National’s spokesperson stated that the company is postponing their launching of the casino until “legal clarification” comes down from the state officials. The company does not want to break any rules or create problems for itself and officials would rather put plans for opening on hold then have problems with operations later. This has been a long planned building construction and is not without some issues to overcome. The plan for the slots casino though is still on the table and legislators are pushing hard for it to come to fruition. There are millions of dollars to be had over the next few years and that money would do well to help state coffers. Right now all states are still trying to work their way through the lasting deficits and huge budgetary problems the recession created. In coming weeks the issue should be sorted out and hopefully the slots parlor play will be back on track.

    Massachusetts Still Debating Gambling Issue

    Thursday, September 16th, 2010

    Slots gambling is taking over in the world now that the recession is over and businesses everywhere are looking for money generating tools. The recession was difficult on the market and more companies than ever either bowed out of the business market altogether, or are still struggling to regain their financial footing. One thing that has proven its worth over the years is slots gambling. The unassuming games have been huge money makers for gaming companies and they are now proving to be lifesavers for city and county governments. The best thing about the games is that they are highly flexible. Gaming developers are coming out with new slots games almost every month. If you looked at the market a few months ago, that doesn’t mean that you are going to find the same things in the market now. It is all moving quickly and if you love slots gaming then you should continuously check back with your favorite companies regularly. Not only are new games coming out, but companies are introducing new generations of the most popular games in the market.

    Massachusetts legislators are in on the debate over slots gaming and whether or not to bring it to racetracks. The state has long been taking votes on the issue, asking the public what their thoughts are on the issue. The public seems to want gambling to be expanded within the state though. A recent poll showed that 60% of the voters are for expansion and wanting to bring in casino slots gambling. They believe that it would positively affect their areas and bring in the money they need to turn the economy of Massachusetts around. The number of 60% is up from 56% a few months ago so it looks like more residents of the state are getting on the slots gambling bandwagon. They realize how much money is available and how much it could change the economy. Not only would it bring in an additional revenue generating activity, but it also would create jobs needed by the market. Overall the public is voicing its own opinion and stating that gambling and slots would have a positive effect on their market.

    How Did the UIGEA Come About?

    Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

    If you have studied gambling at all, then you  know the changes that happened in 2006. Basically the history of gambling in the US can be split into pre-UIGEA and post-UIGEA timelines. The UIGEA is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. It was passed in 2006, but was in the works for many years prior to that. Initially Congress first began working with gambling law back in 1998. The country was trying to find a viable way to handle online gambling. Until 2006 though the US legislators efforts all proved ineffective. In 2006 there were some negative happenings in the world of gambling. For this reason the “American Values Agenda” was created and in it, gambling was banned completely. Representatives Jim Leach and Bob Goodlatte were the leaders for the cause and they pushed to eliminate gambling because they believed it would increase fraud, identity theft, security needs and money laundering. Though there was no proof that this is what would happen, the country ended up accepting their arguments. Though there was some opposition, the UIGEA was pushed through on the tails of another bill called the Homeland Security bill. It was a huge change in the market and banned gaming overal.

    Once the UIGEA was passed, it changed the market. It forced financial institutions to say no to gambling. They had to police all transactions coming in, flag those that were affiliated with gambling and then deny them. If they didn’t they were under the threat of high fines and the surrender of money. Banks became overly cautions for fear of losing money and activities that should have been legal were swept away under the heading of “gambling related” activities. The deficiencies of the UIGEA are becoming fully apparent now. The bill was supposed to stop gambling, but all it did in retrospect was to stop gambling in the US. US players quickly shifted to offshore gambling companies and used them to play games. That of course means that billions of dollars were channeled out of the country- and that money will never be recovered. The UIGEA was an incomplete document and now there are serious changes coming about to amend it. If the changes do go through, it looks like gambling will be legalized and regulated. Only time will tell what really happens, but it seems that legalizing gambling is only a matter of a few months.

    Learn to Play Slots Online Safely

    Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

    You probably already know when choosing an online casino that you should check for the eCognra seal of approval as well as read the testimonials, as well as tour the casino before joining as well as check the rating, as top rated casinos usually have the seal of approval as well as follow the correct procedures and fair gaming standards. Now since you are already aware of this, are you aware of the safety of the slot machines? So often people are heard asking questions such as, “Does this slot ever pay out?” or “I wonder if anyone has won any jackpots on these slots,” and finally, “Are online slots safe?” These are all viable questions that every online gamer has to ask themselves.

    As with any online gaming, players should always check out the casino website first for all the things listed above as well as asking around inside the online community casino chat rooms as there are many of them, and most online casinos have live chat on their sites, as well as customer care availability around the clock. While online slot machines are usually safe, it all depends on what you hope to get out of playing the slot machines. It also depends on where you do play the online slot machines because although it is not right and simply put it sucks, there are those online casinos, that have online slot machines that are not there for you to win and are not there for your entertainment, but rather the owner of the online casino’s pockets. It is true that there are online casinos that are not reputable, but it is up to the player to research the casino site before he or she joins and or plays on that particular site or online slot machine. The other concern is that with laws changing on a weekly basis, it is hard to keep up with what websites are going to truly protect their players and which ones aren’t. It’s up to you as the gamer to keep yourself safe by doing your own research on what games you want to play and what casinos you want to trust.

    PA Makes Gaming Changes

    Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

    When you think of casinos in the US, normally you think of the centers like Las Vegas and Atlantic City. These are cities that have built much of their industries on gambling and tourism. Although they are the biggest and most well known, now things are changing in the world of gambling. In fact, almost every state these days is toying with bringing gambling laws in. They see the huge tax-revenue potential with gaming and want a cut. The recession left many states with few ways of managing financially and the deficits are huge. Because of this, it is going to take a few months for things to regulate and for states to find additional funding options. One problem is where are the funds going to come from?

    The quick answer is to implement gambling—legally and regulated— into the state. Pennsylvania, for example, has just approved slots parlors. They are hoping that slots will bring in the millions of dollars needed to overcome state deficits in funding. When Las Vegas released its numbers last year it was surprising to find out that slots were the biggest and most reliable money-maker of all the games available. While high-rollers slowed down on the large-wager tables, gamblers continued to go into casinos to play the slots. Because of this research casinos throughout the country are trying to use slots as a money generating activity. They are hoping the millions expected will be channeled into the economy and help to bring it back from the recession. Though the recession is over, the financial aftermath is still proving to be difficult to overcome.

    Right now research is showing that some form of gambling is legal in forty-eight of the fifty states. That is a huge number and that means that a wide range of legislators are hoping to capitalize on slots gaming. Only time will tell how reliable it is, but for now it seems like it is going to be a sure-fire way to bulk up state coffers. Without gambling, many legislators are arguing that there are few other avenues of finding the millions needed to handle the budgets.