gambling

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States Lose Shirts as Gamblers Cut Back

(Newser) - Every state but Utah and Hawaii allows some form of legal gambling, and most have come to rely on it as a growing source of revenue. Unfortunately, a lot fewer people are hitting the slots or buying lotto tickets these days, the Wall Street Journal reports. Commercial casinos produced 2....

MLB Chief Weighs Pardon for Pete Rose

Aaron, others want disgraced player in Hall of Fame

(Newser) - Pete Rose may yet have a shot at baseball’s Hall of Fame: Commissioner Bud Selig is weighing ending Rose’s lifetime ban for gambling on the sport, the New York Daily News reports. Hank Aaron, whose opinion counts heavily with Selig, told reporters over the weekend he’d like...

19 Men Busted in Canary Fight Ring
19 Men Busted in
Canary Fight Ring
Jul 27, 2009 3:00 AM CDT

19 Men Busted in Canary Fight Ring

(Newser) - Police busted 19 men suspected of operating a canary fight ring in Connecticut, reports WFSB TV. Some 150 canaries and saffron finches were confiscated in Shelton. “There were 100 canaries fighting, and they were betting on them 'til they were dead. It’s absolutely shocking,” said a neighbor....

Russia Bans Gambling as Mega-Casinos Crap Out

Planned mini-Vegases stall in financial crisis

(Newser) - Gambling has played a major role in Russian life since 1989, with high-rolling casinos—more than 30 in Moscow alone—echoing the cowboy capitalism of the post-Soviet years. But July 1, Russia is shutting down all gaming and slot machine halls, confining gambling to four Vegas-style zones across the country....

Gambling NBA Ref Gets Early Release After Mob Beating

(Newser) - The NBA ref imprisoned for betting on games will finish his 15-month sentence in a halfway house, the Tampa Tribune reports; he’ll be released Wednesday. A press release from a “prisoner advocacy group” said Donaghy is being sprung early because he “was injured during an assault in...

Feds Freeze Online Poker Players' Winnings

Prosecutors deal blow to gamblers as crackdown begins

(Newser) - Federal authorities have seized or frozen bank accounts holding $34 million belonging to online poker players in what appears to be the start of a crackdown, the Wall Street Journal reports. The accounts are managed by a company that handles payments for several popular online poker sites, and the cash...

Terminally Ill Man Picks a Winner: Himself

At 50-1 odds, British cancer patient has won $16K betting he'll live

(Newser) - A terminally ill British man collected about $8,200 today after betting he’d stay alive, the BBC reports. After being diagnosed with asbestos-related cancer in 2006 and told he had just months left, 59-year-old Jon Matthews made £100 bets he’d stick around until June 1, 2008, and...

Grandma Beats House With Record 154 Rolls

(Newser) - Patricia Demauro didn’t know how to play craps. She came to the table in Atlantic City with $100. But when the dice came to her, beginner’s luck paid off. The New Jersey grandmother threw, and threw, and threw. Over four hours and 18 minutes, she threw the dice...

Del. Moves to Legalize Sports Betting

(Newser) - The Delaware State Senate has approved a bill legalizing sports betting and allowing casinos to operate table games like roulette, the News Journal of Wilmington reports. The governor, seeking to close a gaping budget gap, will sign the bill this week. The measure sailed through the senate after a pitched...

Scientists Bet There's a Gambling Gene

Study suggests genetics behind taking money risks

(Newser) - Genetics might be behind your betting habits, researchers have found. People with a “short” type of a certain gene were more likely to take risks than those with the “long” type, the Daily Telegraph reports. In a study, 30 volunteers were, for example, given cash and allowed to...

UK Minister Denies He Bet Governing Party Would Falter

Lord West got 66-1 odds on Labour defeat

(Newser) - Lord Alan West, the UK’s colorful security minister, today denied he’d bet on the Labour party’s defeat in the next election, the Times of London reports. The Telegraph yesterday alleged that West placed the bet when Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair as prime minister, grabbing 66-1 odds....

Gun, Restraints Found in Craigslist Suspect's Home

(Newser) - A search of the home of alleged Craigslist killer Philip Markoff turned up a handgun, ammunition, and plastic restraints, the New York Times reports. Boston police believe the ties are identical to ones used in two hotel robbery/assaults that left one woman dead by gunshot last week. Markoff pleaded not...

Casinos Score Big With 1¢ Slots

(Newser) - Penny-pinching gamblers are flocking to casinos for a cheaper bet these days: penny slots. The machines enable them to play longer with the same amount of cash, and, thanks to modern paper payouts, no longer burden them with noisy bucket-loads of coins. Casinos don't mind the games, either. "...

Casinos Onto iPhone Card-Counting App

(Newser) - Las Vegas card-counters beware, if you're using an iPhone, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. A California gaming authority has tipped off Nevada officials about an iPhone program that helps users count cards in blackjack. "The program calculates the true count and does it significantly more accurately," a Gaming...

Renegade Trader Leaves Deutsche Bank Reeling

(Newser) - How does one lose almost $2 billion in a matter of months? Look no further than the story of Deutsche Bank’s Boaz Weinstein, the chess master and gambling extraordinaire who made more than $1.5 billion for the firm in just 2 years before losing it all and more,...

Super Bowl Inspires Super Wacky Wagers

How much do you want to bet Bruce sings Born to Run ?

(Newser) - Propositions, or "prop bets," can add some spice to a Super Bowl blowout even as they leave oddsmakers shaking their heads. "They're a pain in the ass," a Las Vegas bookmaker tells ESPN the Magazine. "But it keeps non-fans interested for the entire game."...

Don't Want to Bet on the Super Bowl? Bet on Jennifer

Internet offers wagering on how long it'll take her to sing anthem, and other odd stuff

(Newser) - Want to gamble on the Super Bowl, but know nothing about football? No problem: You can place your bets for how long it will take Jennifer Hudson to sing the national anthem Sunday instead, TMZ reports. Sites like BetUS.com have all sorts of options that have little to do...

China Test-Runs 'Immoral' Horse Betting
China Test-Runs 'Immoral' Horse Betting 
glossies
Jan 3, 2009 11:02 AM CST

China Test-Runs 'Immoral' Horse Betting

Horse racing returns to mainland for first time since Communist victory

(Newser) - China is taking slow and cautious steps towards unlocking its huge betting market, the Economist reports. Gamblers at a Wuhan racecourse recently became the first people allowed to try their luck on the horses since the Communists outlawed gambling in 1949—although a winning pick only rewarded customers 20 lottery...

States See Lottery Sales Take Rare Dip

Recession crimps this usually safe revenue stream

(Newser) - In good times and bad, state governments have relied on the lottery to bring in as much as $1 billion for education programs and other beneficiaries. But last quarter, sales of tickets fell by $215 million nationwide, only the second dip in 16 years. At a moment when states are...

Vegas Is US Suicide Capital
 Vegas Is US Suicide Capital 
Dec 11, 2008 3:54 PM CST

Vegas Is US Suicide Capital

Residents about 50% more likely to die by own hand; visiting increases risk for out-of-staters

(Newser) - Being in Las Vegas is quite a gamble: The risk of committing suicide for Sin City residents is twice as high as in the rest of the US, a recent study finds—with its 40 million annual visitors at even greater risk. But Harvard sociologists noted that those odds for...

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