Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter stole $16M from MLB star for gambling debt: U.S. DOJ – National

The former longtime interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is being charged with federal bank fraud for crimes involving gambling debts and theft of more than $16 million from the Japanese sensation, federal authorities said Thursday. U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada announced the charges Thursday. Ippei Mizuhara served as Ohtani’s interpreter after Ohtani came … Read more

Workers sue to overturn law that exempts Atlantic City casinos from indoor smoking ban

TRENTON, N.J. — Frustrated at having unsuccessfully agitated for over three years to get lawmakers to ban smoking in Atlantic City casinos, workers on Friday tried a new tactic. They filed a lawsuit to try to overturn a law that leaves casino workers as the only ones not covered by the protections of a clean … Read more

After welcoming guests for 67 years, the Tropicana Las Vegas casino’s final day has arrived

LAS VEGAS — In the 1971 film “Diamonds are Forever,” James Bond stays in a swanky suite at the Tropicana Las Vegas. “I hear that the Hotel Tropicana is quite comfortable,” Agent 007 says. It was the Tropicana’s heyday. The lavish casino was a frequent haunt of the legendary Rat Pack, while its past under … Read more

Largest U.S. sportsbooks join forces to tackle problem gambling

Seven of the nation’s largest gaming companies are joining forces to create a trade group to promote responsible gaming, and for the first time ever, will share information about problem gamblers. The seven operators — FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Penn Entertainment, Fanatics Betting & Gaming, Hard Rock Digital and bet365 — will form the Responsible Online … Read more

Too much Atlantic in Atlantic City: Beach erosion has casinos desperately seeking sand by summer

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The ocean and beaches have always been a part of Atlantic City’s identity: from salt water taffy to Miss America bathing beauties to the name of the place itself, the city has been marketed as a place to have fun by the sea. But there is a little too much Atlantic … Read more

Florida online sports betting challenge is denied by state’s highest court

ORLANDO, Fla. — Opponents of online sports betting in Florida on Thursday lost their latest fight against a Seminole Tribe agreement with the state that permits the gambling. The Florida Supreme Court ruled that the opponents had filed the wrong type of petition to challenge the compact between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Gov. … Read more

It’s March Madness and more people than ever can legally bet on basketball games

People in North Carolina may have a little more riding on this year’s NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, as they will be able to legally bet on the games through their smartphone apps and computers for the first time. For the sixth straight year, the number of states allowing legal sports betting has expanded … Read more

Florida rivals ask courts to stop online sports gambling off tribal lands

ORLANDO, Fla. — The state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida will be raking in hundreds of millions of dollars from online sports betting this decade, thanks to a compact between the tribe and Gov. Ron DeSantis that gave the tribe exclusive rights to run sports wagers as well as casino gambling on … Read more

Panel says the next generation of online gambling will be more social, engaged and targeted

NEW YORK — The future of online gambling will be more social, more engaged with players and more targeted to their individual interests, an industry panel said Thursday. Speaking at the Next.io conference on internet gambling and sports betting, panelists said online gambling — which is still in its infancy after a decade — already … Read more

New Jersey gambling regulator who advised nation on integrity and oversight retires

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — David Rebuck, who oversaw New Jersey’s development of nation-leading internet gambling and sports betting industries and advised more than two dozen states on setting up and regulating their own gambling operations, retired Friday after 13 years as one of America’s most influential gambling regulators. Rebuck, 71, stepped down as director of … Read more