Clevfan at MW found it
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."
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."
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