ARTICLE: Although gambling is illegal, prosecutions remain very rare

[clevfan]

Although gambling is illegal, prosecutions remain very rare
February 09,2005
Adam Linhardt
Freedom News Service


Last year, Las Vegas sports books collected $828 million in football wagers, which included both the National Football League and college games over the course of both seasons, according to the Nevada State Gaming Control Board.

Gamblers wagered about $80 million on last year's Super Bowl game between the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers alone, according to Robert Walker, the director of race and sports betting for MGM Mirage casinos.

The paid Las Vegas-based Internet site, www.donbest.com, ranks North Carolina as its 20th most prosperous state, according to Rick Allec, the company's general manager.

The Web site doesn't take bets, but provides customers with information and odds for sporting events.

"North Carolina makes up a small portion of our business," Allec said. "It's smaller than I thought it would be, considering all the basketball in your area."

But Las Vegas represents just a fraction of sports betting in the country, said Walker, of MGM Mirage casinos.

"I believe that if there's, say $100 million wagered on the Super Bowl here, there's probably $500 million wagered off-shore," Allec said.

National Basketball Association players must undergo a training seminar when they enter the league on issues facing players, said Scott Leightman, vice president of public relations for the Charlotte Bobcats.

Part of the seminar addresses gambling, he said.

"Obviously, we have policies with conjunction with the league. We don't support gambling," Leightman said. "It is part of our contract, but like any other team policy, we don't get into specifics (with the media)."

Betting on sporting events, even office pools or friendly wagers, are out-of-bounds under North Carolina laws, District Attorney Mike Lands said.

"North Carolina law is pretty general - you can't gamble," Lands said. "A lot of people think you can."

But at the same time, prosecution of such cases are rare. Lands compared sports gambling with a poker game between friends - both are illegal, but unless police receive a complaint, law enforcement can do little to stop small-time gambling.

Office pools fall into the verboten category, he said, but prosecuting such cases is difficult for law enforcement, he added.

"We would be more interested in someone running an organization for profit, than some guys getting together to bet on a game among themselves - but, yes, friendly bets are against the law," he said.

Off-shore betting is illegal in North Carolina and elsewhere in the United States, said Tim Stutheit, special agent with the FBI in Charlotte.

"We concentrate on large organizations, generally those that are tied to public corruption or organized crime," Stutheit said. "Due to limited resources, we go after those organizations and not the individual betters."

The recent prosecution of those behind the so-called "Basement" in Charlotte was one of the larger cases handled by the FBI in the area. In that case a former Mecklenburg County sheriff's deputy, Albert John Luisa, was sentenced to five years in prison for protecting the poker and gambling ring from other law enforcement, according to The Associated Press.

Three other law enforcement officers were convicted in the case, which authorities estimated brought in gambling profits of $500,000 annually.

Lands said he doesn't expect the state's gambling laws to change anytime soon.

"It's interesting, you hear about North Carolina starting a lottery occasionally," Lands said. "I would bet that if the state got into the lottery business they wouldn't change these other laws. These kinds of things - like video poker - the Legislature needs either to outlaw it or allow it. It's difficult for law enforcement the way it is now."

[Dante]

great read Cleve...I posted this at the RX also... hope all is well with you!

[The Actuary]

Off-shore betting is illegal in North Carolina and elsewhere in the United States, said Tim Stutheit, special agent with the FBI in Charlotte.

I think this is bullshit.

State laws are almost exclusively limited to the boundaries of the state-some states expressly prohibit internet gambling-NC is not one of them-no way it is currently illegal as the state statutes are currently on the books. If currently illegal under federal law, why is there a constant bleeting of the idiots in Washington to enact legislation to make it illegal?

The one guy convicted of the crime of gambling on the internet in the USA happened to be in one of the states where it is explicitly prohibited by law and to be honest-law is probably unconstitutional as the state has virtually no jurisdiction beyond it's borders.

[jag]

in north carolina you can put a buck in a pay pool table and wager as much as you like; because, you are directly involved in the outcome of the contest, and, by definition, it is not gambling... go figure... parimutuel wagering bills never seem to make it out of committee at the legislature... given the size of the equine industry here it is only a matter of time... it took decades in virginia... keep hope alive!!!

it's interesting that a businessman in durham has begun litigation after his attempt to open a card room failed... his arguement: it is a game of skill in which the participant is directly involved in the outcome...
again, keep hope alive!!!

[Onasoapbox]

Jag--About keeping hope alive in North Carolina; I hope you are right. But remember this is the home state of Billy Graham and the center of the "religious right".

If you live in NC; YouBet.com will not allow you to open an internet horse wagering account with them --a US company! (because of NC law).