Friday, March 28, 2008

Guilty plea in hockey group swindle

Guilty plea in hockey group swindle:
"A former employee of the Brooklyn Park Youth Hockey Association pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing from the organization's pulltab receipts.
Laurie Marie Jones, 46, of Blaine, who had been charged with embezzling about $461,000, is to be sentenced in May for theft by swindle of more than $35,000. The embezzling began in early 2004 and continued through mid-2006, according to charges filed in Hennepin County District Court.
Jones, the assistant manager of pulltab gambling for the hockey association, was responsible for ordering pulltabs from distributors, picking up both cash and unsold tickets from closed games, then depositing money into the organization's account.
Jones also was in charge of keeping records and overseeing audits performed by the Brooklyn Park Youth Hockey Booster Association."

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Daniels OKs pull-tab bill; games debut July 1 | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star

Daniels OKs pull-tab bill; games debut July 1 IndyStar.com The Indianapolis Star:
"Indiana taverns will be allowed to offer pull tabs and other small-stakes games under a bill Gov. Mitch Daniels signed into law Wednesday.
House Enrolled Act 1153 allows taverns to offer pull tabs, tip boards and punchboards starting July 1. The highest price for a game under the law would be $1, with a maximum payout of about $500.

Daniels, however, signed the bill with reservations and considered allowing it to become law without his approval -- the third option he has in addition to signing a bill or vetoing it.

'For the first time, he considered not signing a bill that came to him,' said Jane Jankowski, the governor's press secretary. 'But in the end, he decided that would be a cop-out.'"

KTUU.com | Alaska's news and information source | Woman charged for stealing thousands from pull tab business

KTUU.com Alaska's news and information source Woman charged for stealing thousands from pull tab business:
"KENAI, Alaska (AP) - An employee at a pull-tab business has been arrested for stealing more than $53,000 to support an addiction to painkillers.
Brandi M. Montague of Soldotna, was charged last week with first degree theft after an annual audit at River City Pull Tabs revealed an unexplained loss.
The business is owned and operated by the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce, which contacted police.
Police say the alleged theft occurred between July 2006 and June 2007.
According to court documents, Montague said she used the money to support her addiction to painkillers and would rip the pull tabs and cash out any winnings.
Michelle Glaves is executive director of the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce.
She says Montague worked as a pull tab clerk at River City Pull Tabs for about three years.
She said she couldn't comment on why the chamber suspected Montague."

Daniels warily signs pull-tabs into law | The Journal Gazette

Daniels warily signs pull-tabs into law The Journal Gazette:
"INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Mitch Daniels hesitated before signing a bill Wednesday that would allow Hoosiers to gamble in bars and taverns around the state.
Instead, he considered allowing it to become law without his signature – a move somewhere between approval and veto.
In the end, Daniels released a statement saying he decided “to accede and defer to the clear will of the people’s representatives and sign (House Enrolled Act) 1153, permitting tightly regulated, low-stakes wagering in Indiana’s for-profit taverns, matching that already legal in non-profit establishments.”
He went on to say that Hoosiers believe in freedom but also personal responsibility in the exercise of liberties.
“I sign this bill with misgivings and caution, and the hope that any Hoosiers who choose to risk their money in these games will do so responsibly and with extreme care,” Daniels said.
It was one of 19 bills that the governor signed into law Wednesday.
The gambling measure allows bars and taverns to offer Type II gaming, which largely consists of small paper games of chance like pull-tabs, punchboards and tipboards, starting this July."

The Herald Bulletin - 8:13 p.m.: Bar owners ready for pull tabs

The Herald Bulletin - 8:13 p.m.: Bar owners ready for pull tabs:

"Tavern owners are hoping pull-tab games will strengthen their customer base beginning this summer.

Gov. Mitch Daniels on Wednesday signed a law allowing bars to offer pull tabs and other forms of low-stakes gambling.
“I think everybody is ready,” said Sherry Watson, owner of the Third Base Pub in Anderson.
She estimated that most local bars would use pull tabs to boost sales, and that the games would bring older customers back to her bar.
“I think the pull tabs appeal more toward older people,” Watson said.
Paper pull tabs come in a variety of game styles, but most cost $1 and pay off when the player pulls a perforated tab to reveal numbers that match digits on the outside of the card."

Monday, March 10, 2008

Small-stakes wagers | The Journal Gazette

Small-stakes wagers The Journal Gazette:
"While Hoosiers have every reason to be concerned about any significant new expansion of legal gambling, the legislature’s decision to allow taverns to sell pull-tabs and tip boards is fair and acceptable.
The bill, which Gov. Mitch Daniels should sign, would put taverns back on even footing with alcohol-serving veterans organizations and private clubs, which received legislative approval last year to offer the small-stakes gambling. Some – perhaps many – taverns already offer tip boards and pull-tabs under the table, so it’s difficult to believe that legalizing them will create much new gambling. This legislation will allow taxpayers to receive a small percentage of revenues that the games already generate.
At the same time, the state will not rely too much on the unstable revenue. The state is expected to receive $5 million to $25 million a year – less than the amount from just one riverboat casino.
Lawmakers never gave a real hearing to the concerns of tavern owners after a state crackdown in 2005 ended the revenue from electronic slot machines that owners had come to rely on for many years despite their illegality. State government’s decision to enforce the law was correct, but legislators never really heard bar owners’ pleas to at least consider legalizing them. Giving tavern owners a small piece of the gambling pie is reasonable.
Still, part of the legislation allows raffles and winner-take-all drawings, a more questionable activity that wasn’t adequately probed during hearings. State regulators should closely monitor the drawings, and lawmakers should reconsider that portion of the law next year."

Small-stakes wagers | The Journal Gazette

Small-stakes wagers The Journal Gazette:
"While Hoosiers have every reason to be concerned about any significant new expansion of legal gambling, the legislature’s decision to allow taverns to sell pull-tabs and tip boards is fair and acceptable.
The bill, which Gov. Mitch Daniels should sign, would put taverns back on even footing with alcohol-serving veterans organizations and private clubs, which received legislative approval last year to offer the small-stakes gambling. Some – perhaps many – taverns already offer tip boards and pull-tabs under the table, so it’s difficult to believe that legalizing them will create much new gambling. This legislation will allow taxpayers to receive a small percentage of revenues that the games already generate.
At the same time, the state will not rely too much on the unstable revenue. The state is expected to receive $5 million to $25 million a year – less than the amount from just one riverboat casino.
Lawmakers never gave a real hearing to the concerns of tavern owners after a state crackdown in 2005 ended the revenue from electronic slot machines that owners had come to rely on for many years despite their illegality. State government’s decision to enforce the law was correct, but legislators never really heard bar owners’ pleas to at least consider legalizing them. Giving tavern owners a small piece of the gambling pie is reasonable.
Still, part of the legislation allows raffles and winner-take-all drawings, a more questionable activity that wasn’t adequately probed during hearings. State regulators should closely monitor the drawings, and lawmakers should reconsider that portion of the law next year."

Saturday, March 01, 2008

Casper Star-Tribune Online - Casper

Casper Star-Tribune Online - Casper:
"Wyoming law forbids gambling unless a nonprofit corporation operates bingo or pull tabs to raise money, and the law requires the game to be traditional paper bingo with players using daubers to mark the numbers on the cards.

Electronic bingo is illegal except at casinos operated by Indian tribes. E-bingo can play like gambling machines in Las Vegas-style casinos, and depending on the games and machines, e-bingo players can finish up to 90 cards a minute.

Some fraternal organizations and nonprofit organizations had e-bingo machines until January 2005 when the Wyoming Supreme Court declared them gambling machines. Those organizations claimed the loss of those machines cost them significant revenues compared to offering only paper bingo.

Now, two major bingo halls remain in Casper: Hilltop Bingo operated under the auspices of the Lions Club of Casper, and Troopers Bingo operated under the auspices of The Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps."

Pull tabs could (legally) return to bars | The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN

Pull tabs could (legally) return to bars The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN:
"Hoosier bar and restaurant owners moved closer to being able to offer pull tabs and other gaming Wednesday when the Indiana Senate narrowly approved a bill authored by Rep. Dennis Tyler, D-Muncie.
'I was not really surprised,' said Tyler, who thought the measure had enough support to reach a conference committee.
Last year, the Legislature approved a charity gaming bill that allowed forms of gaming for non-profit private organizations, mostly operated by churches and fraternal groups.
Lawmakers also approved slot machines at Indiana's horse tracks, and more perks for casino gaming, but left neighborhood bars and taverns with no gaming.
The 26-21 vote reflected bar and restaurant owner concerns that they had been hard hit by everything from gaming crackdowns by the state to public smoking bans imposed by local government."