My wife and I often call a happy surprise ��like finding $20 in your jacket pocket.�� Well, this story is the opposite of that.

On November 22, 2023, a Las Vegas gambler bet $200 on massive longshot golfer Joel Moscatel Nachshon to win the first round of the 2023 Fortinet Australian PGA Championship. He was going off at +20000 at the William Hill Sportsbook.

Moscatel did, in fact, win the first round with a course record-tying 63 and eventually finished seventh in the tournament.

William Hill told him it made a mistake when it posted the odds

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the gambler had the bet slip from his online sportsbook account, which showed that he won $40,200. But when he went to cash it in, William Hill told him it made a mistake when it posted the odds. Instead, the sportsbook said, the odds should have been +400, so it paid him $1,000 in winnings.

A patron dispute hearing officer with the Nevada Gaming Control Board heard arguments from both parties last Thursday and will deliver a recommendation to the Board.

William Hill said that, according to its terms and conditions, it reserves the right to correct any ��obvious�� errors.

The customer said that his gambling account showed the $40,200 in winnings for five days after the golf event concluded.

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Casino patron showered

A patron of a Pittsburgh casino who fell ill after being up covered in sewage due to a burst pipe at the venue is now seeking damages.

Live! Casino Pittsburgh operator Stadium Casino Westmoreland and the owner of the mall where the venue is located, CBL & Associates Properties, have both been named in the lawsuit.

Shortly after the incident, she fell ill for more than two weeks.

Plaintiff Rita Romagnoli of Greensburg, Pennsylvania is seeking $30,000 in damages from the two companies. Shortly after the incident, she fell ill for more than two weeks.

Plumbing negligence

Romagnoli visited the casino in Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania, with her husband Robert on July 28, 2024.

While she was happily enjoying her time at the venue, a pipe burst directly above her head, covering her in fecal matter.

Following the incident, Romagnoli was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia and hospitalized for 15 days, which she claims was a direct result of her exposure to the waste. Sewage water is often contaminated with many pathogens which can cause the disease.

The plaintiffs further stated that both the casino operator and mall owner were aware of the issue, and that her illness was the direct result of negligence on their part.

Repeat incidents

Since the filing of the lawsuit, local news outlet KDKA-TV reported that another woman had come forward after experiencing a similar incident in the same casino.

It was in my hair. It hit my face, and it was all over my clothes.��

��I was sitting at a slot machine, and all of a sudden water came pouring down on me and another gentleman that I did not know that was sitting at the slot machine next to me. It was in my hair. It hit my face, and it was all over my clothes. I mean, I was like, literally, soaking wet,�� the woman claimed.

The woman, who did not wish to be identified, stated that the casino apologized but informed her that it was only water.

��It��s a little suspect that the same thing happened to this lady,” the woman said. “It��s very, very scary and very concerning.��

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Controversial billionaire Elon Musk is no stranger to thinking outside the box, and his latest attempt to get key voters on the side of Donald Trump is no different. The Tesla and X owner is offering $1m per day in a lotto-style scheme to Americans who sign his petition which aims to uphold the right to free speech and to bear arms.

The petition has been launched by Musk��s America PAC, which is a political group he formed in spring with the intention of helping Donald Trump secure more votes in the presidential election.

the only petition backers with a chance of securing some cash are those who have registered to vote in swing states

Notably, the only petition backers with a chance of securing some cash are those who have registered to vote in swing states, as per the competition terms. The swing states include Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Musk announced the measure over the weekend, confirming that he would give away $1m every day through to election day on November 5:

A top election law expert believes, however, that Musk may be breaking the law. UCLA Law Professor Rick Hasen said: ��Though some of the other things Musk was doing were of murky legality, this one is clearly illegal.�� Hasen cited a law stating that paying people to register to vote is breaking the law. He also noted part of the elections crimes manual that defines a bribe as ��anything having monetary value, including cash, liquor, lottery chances, and welfare benefits such as food stamps.��

John Dreher, a registered voter from Pennsylvania was the first recipient of $1m. Musk has so far donated $75m in support of Donald Trump, who is facing Democrat Kamala Harris in the November election.

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A man is dead after a shootout with police at an Indiana casino. The incident took place on Saturday after law enforcement received a call at approximately 1am about a man carrying a knife and chasing a woman around the Hollywood Casino Hotel in Lawrenceburg.

After receiving word that the suspect had shot a gun on the property��s fourth floor, officers confronted him in the hallway. He proceeded to start shooting at them, despite their orders for him to drop his weapon. The police returned fire and hit him at least once.

one person at the casino received treatment for minor injuries

The authorities won��t release the victim��s name until they get an official identification and notify the next of kin. Lawrenceburg Police Department officers came out of the incident unscathed, although one person at the casino received treatment for minor injuries after the suspect attacked them.

Talking about the ordeal to local media, a nearby resident said the scene was full of ambulances, police, and fire trucks, describing it as ��lit up like the Fourth of July or something.��

The Indiana casino is no stranger to serious incidents. A man tried robbing the cashier cage in March with a gun, taking a hostage as he tried to escape. Police officers eventually tracked him down to a nearby forest after using K-9 dogs, a drone, and a helicopter.

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Expanding while suing 

One of the multiple owners of property suing the Formula One Group for loss of earnings over the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix has revealed a $35m expansion.?

Ellis Island Hotel & Casino announced plans for a major upgrade late last week

The owners of the off-Strip Ellis Island Hotel & Casino announced plans for a major upgrade late last week. The family-owned establishment is taking on the expansion while suing F1 and Clark County over damages Ellis Island claims resulted from the months-long construction for last year��s Vegas Grand Prix.

Las Vegas Locally took to X with an artist��s impression of Ellis Island��s proposed multimillion-dollar upgrade: 

According to Friday��s Las Vegas Review-Journal, the $35m project will include expansions to Ellis Island casino��s gaming floor, a new rooftop event space, and a center bar. The property��s existing Village Pub & Caf�� and karaoke lounge are also getting a revamp. 

The best kept secret

The property that dubs itself ��the best kept secret in Las Vegas since 1968,�� has given itself multiple upgrades since launching in the ��60s but none as extensive as its current project. 

Las Vegas-based firms Bentar Construction and Steelman Partners are taking on the design and construction, respectively, of the Ellis Island property.

upgrade will also include over 250 new slot machines

The multimillion-dollar upgrade will also include over 250 new slot machines and a new pit area in the facelift to its casino floor. According to the LVR-J, Ellis Island has ��a reputation among bargain-hunting gamblers for offering lower table game minimums,�� such as $5 blackjack and $10 roulette games.

Ellis Island Vice President of Operations Anamarie Ellis said her firm��s casino team was ��eager to expand our mix, bringing in more fan-favorite slots.�� The executive added Ellis Island was ��looking forward to bringing this new aesthetic to the floor.��

Anamarie��s sister Christina Ellis, who is Vice President of Development, expressed her excitement at getting the $35m upgrade project underway. She stated Las Vegas was growing and that the family-run business was ��eager to expand our offerings while staying true to what has kept us a staple on Koval Lane for 56 years.��

What next?

Ellis Island is located near the F1 Paddock Building on Koval Lane, site of a huge temporary bridge built for the 2023 Vegas Grand Prix. The organization in May filed a lawsuit against F1 and Clark County seeking damages of $50,000+ linked to financial losses and expenses brought about by the months-long construction project. 

Ellis Island states in court filings it lost millions of dollars in 2023 because the Vegas Grand Prix affected customer and employee access to the property for months before the event because of construction works and during the November race event itself

Ellis Island will no doubt appreciate a legal windfall to offset its historic expansion project. According to media reports, however, ��a judge heard oral arguments from both parties last month, but no action was taken.��

Ellis Island��s lawsuit follows a separate action against F1 by multiple Las Vegas business owners including Battista��s Hole in the Wall restaurant and its subsidiary, Stage Door Casino. Battista��s and other businesses claimed they lost $30m because of the 2023 race, and backed on online petition to stop the 2024 F1 race.

The 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend, meanwhile, is scheduled to run from November 21-23.

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Iconic basketball player Shaquille O’Neal has signed on as brand ambassador for DraftKings despite his role as a pundit for NBA on TNT, which has rival sportsbook operator FanDuel as a major sponsor.

The popular personality announced the move on X, posting a video of him throwing a ball into a basket while sitting down, dubbing himself ��Mr. DraftKings�� in the 17-second-long clip:

DraftKings Chief Marketing Officer Stephanie Sherman welcomed the 52-year-old to the team and mentioned how his ��personality and unparalleled energy will elevate our brand through various marketing initiatives all NBA season.��

appearing in ads for PointsBet in Australia and acting as a brand ambassador for WynnBET

O’Neal is no stranger to endorsing products, having appeared in a long list of commercials over the years promoting everything from cereal to cruises. This includes other sports betting brands, with the NBA Hall of Famer appearing in ads for PointsBet in Australia and acting as a brand ambassador for WynnBET.

Shaq isn’t the only major NBA star who’s also a DraftKings ambassador, with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James signing a multi-year deal with the Boston-based company in February.

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DraftKings expands poker

DraftKings has expanded its player-vs-player poker offering to Pennsylvania, two months after its initial test launch.

Electric Poker, a real money, player-vs-player game, first appeared in the DraftKings app for users in Michigan in August, causing speculation that the company would gauge the reaction before potentially expanding to other states.

That has now proven to be the case, as Pennsylvania residents can now access the game from the app after a successful trial.

we are thrilled to expand our Electric Poker offerings to our customers in Pennsylvania��

��After positive feedback from our players in Michigan, we are thrilled to expand our Electric Poker offerings to our customers in Pennsylvania, delivering them a best-in-class online poker experience,�� said Jason March, Vice President of iGaming Marketing and Operations at DraftKings.

Electric Three

Electric Poker is DraftKings�� take on the popular Jackpot Sit & Go format, which has now proliferated to become one of the most popular forms of online poker. Three players play at a table where the prize is randomized, with the potential to hit major jackpots of thousands of times the buy-in.

The game offers four buy-in levels from $1 to $25, and has jackpots of up to 10,000x the buy-in.

The action tends to be fast-paced with short blind structures, although the levels last longer if higher prizes are spun. In DraftKings�� version, players are also forced all-in after a certain period of time has elapsed. The game offers four buy-in levels from $1 to $25 and has jackpots of up to 10,000x the buy-in.

In order to play, players will need to have the latest version of the DraftKings sportsbook or casino app, be registered in Pennsylvania, and also be physically present in the state when joining a game.

Pennsylvania pooling

One of the advantages of the Jackpot Sit & Go format is that it can function even with low liquidity – only three players are needed to get a game going.

Despite the format working well with smaller player pools, DraftKings�� timing on joining the online poker market in Pennsylvania is nonetheless interesting with the state now set to pool its online poker rooms with others around the US.

Michigan has recently overtaken Pennsylvania as having the largest market share of online poker, which is likely because of its membership of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA). Under the agreement, Michigan can pool its players with others in states like New Jersey and Nevada.

Now, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro has told lawmakers to lay the groundwork for the state to also join the group. Pennsylvania would be the largest state in the agreement, and the move would likely return it to the number one spot for online poker market share.

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Save the youth

Dallas Cowboys�� co-owner Charlotte Jones has called for Texas to legalize online sports betting in order to save vulnerable young people from the risks of using apps offered by the unregulated market. 

remove threatening ��bad actors��

The Cowboys Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer said in a CBS interview she supports legalizing the vertical in Texas as it would remove threatening ��bad actors.��  

Media personality Bill Jones interviewed Jones for CBS News and shared a clip on X in which the Cowboys exec expressed her concern that unauthorized betting firms were preying on youth in the state:

The daughter of legendary Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said people in Texas ��don��t understand�� the risk of offshore operators and that a regulated market is needed to protect them. 

All about the apps

Jones said that apps provided by illegal operators are ��targeting�� Texas schoolkids.?

��They��re going direct to them in this black market and allowing them to participate in this gambling where they don��t have to prove their age and they don��t have to verify anything,�� Jones warned.?

��They then find themselves in a trap they can��t get out of.��

Jones added that the motive for a legal market with restrictions would be ��so our kids can become safe.��

As chief overseer of the Cowboys marketing department and all brand strategies and applications, Jones also has the background to appreciate the wider potential of a legal Texas sports betting market. Citing Pennsylvania��s haul of $640m in tax revenue over five years that the state plowed ��back into the community,�� Jones posed a question. 

��Just think if we had that money here in Texas, think about what that could mean for so many things for us that are important to Texans,�� Covers cited her as stating.   

In the opposing corner

Jones hopes her backing can alter Texans�� perspectives on sports betting, but the buck currently stops at Senate level in the form of Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. 

While Patrick has opposed gambling proposals in the past, high-profile lobbyists at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas recently said they believe the chances of Texas approving a legal gambling market in 2025 is 50%.

They were, however, talking about a legal casino market. Jones nevertheless remains hopeful a sports betting bill will also cross the line and voters get a say because ��it��s our decision as Texans how we think our state should be regulated.��

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A man remains in critical condition in the hospital after getting shot multiple times in the legs while in the parking lot of the Rivers Casino in Philadelphia. The incident took place in broad daylight on Thursday, with onlookers expressing their shock after shots started ringing out at midday.

Speaking to local media, one individual said people need to be careful these days and warned: ��You got to watch your back wherever you go.��

still searching for the shooter who left the scene in a car

Police confirmed the injured party is a 37-year-old male who is getting treatment at Jefferson Hospital. They are still searching for the shooter who left the scene in a car, with law enforcement obtaining video footage from the casino.

TripAdvisor reviews for the property aren��t too flattering. One person, whose car was vandalized in the parking lot, told readers: ��Go and hang around in this place if you want to risk your life and property.��

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A growing problem

Tribes in California are embroiled in a fight against cardrooms in the state over the exclusivity of player-banker games like blackjack and baccarat, going after sweepstakes casinos.

believes it is up to tribes to tackle these social casinos that are growing in popularity

Victor Rocha, the conference chairperson of the Indian Gaming Association, spoke on Wednesday during a weekly webinar about the issue. He believes it is up to tribes to tackle these social casinos that are growing in popularity and effectively exploit legal loopholes to offer unregulated gambling in California.

Sweepstakes casinos offer free-to-play casino-style games. Real money withdrawals are not possible in the traditional sense, but players can still use their money to buy non-withdrawable virtual coins.

A tribal issue

While Rocha clarified he doesn��t want to completely block these platforms, he believes the operators should go through the tribes to offer their products, saying: ��Any new entry of gaming in California begins and ends with tribes.��

Rocha plans to hold more webinars on the matter, and guests will include American Gaming Association representatives and a lobbyist from the Sports Betting Alliance. He has been vocal on X in recent days about the topic:

California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) Chairperson James Siva remarked that once unregulated gambling platforms become popular in a state, they become much harder to take down. He said CNIGA is getting ready to send letters to popular app stores to alert them about the presence of unlicensed apps.

Taking action

National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) Executive Director Jason Giles suggested getting tribes from around the country on board to send cease-and-desist letters to sweepstakes casino operators. A similar move has recently gained traction, with state gaming regulators sending such letters to offshore gambling site Bovada.

Social casinos have received plenty of scrutiny from many circles in recent years. Numerous people have sued popular social casinos and the providers of app stores like Apple and Google for allegedly profiting from unlicensed gambling.

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System not permitted

The past three months have seen multiple fatal casino-related shootings in Las Vegas but, because of Nevada gaming law compliance issues, casinos in the state are forbidden to use a critically acclaimed AI firearm-detecting system.

used by Nevada��s Regional Transportation Commission

ZeroEyes digital detection gun-finding system is used by Nevada��s Regional Transportation Commission at its transit centers and by River Spirit Casino in Tulsa. The Oklahoma establishment is believed to be the first casino property in the US to install the system.

On Wednesday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday cited River Spirit��s Director of Compliance Travis Thompson as stating the deadliest solo mass shooting in US history in Nevada prompted his establishment to proactively search for a system like ZeroEyes to prevent a similar disaster in Oklahoma.

Despite the mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip, however, a Nevada industry expert has said current gaming laws prevent casinos in the state from implementing the AI-powered system.

Reasons and regulations

Las Vegas Security Chiefs Association President and Caesars Palace Vice President of Security, Rick Vonfeldt, admitted to the Review-Journal he ��was impressed�� with ZeroEyes.

Despite his praise after a demonstration of the firearm-detecting system at Caesar��s Horseshoe Las Vegas, Vonfeldt said ZeroEyes would not be allowed in Nevada casinos.?The security chief said the reason was that operators viewed ZeroEyes monitoring systems remotely, not onsite at the casino, which contravenes Nevada gaming law.

There are no such restrictions under Oklahoma tribal gaming law, and River Spirit Casino��s owner-operator, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, found ZeroEyes ��kind of fit�� its bill around the time of the Mandalay Bay shooting.

June 2022 shooting at Tulsa��s Saint Francis Hospital

What gave officials from the tribe��s corporate parent, the Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprise (MNGE), even more impetus to implement ZeroEyes came after the June 2022 shooting at Tulsa��s Saint Francis Hospital, when a gunman killed four people before committing suicide.?

Thompson said the tragedy ��hit kind of close to home to us,�� stating the hospital was close to the MNGE casino.

The AI-powered system further appealed to MNGE officials because it did away with the ��intrusiveness�� of using metal detection arches at casino entry points. Thomson explained that ZeroEyes machine learning detection software is linked to a mass database of firearms. ��It��s constantly using the camera feeds as a secondary stream to send that to an AI server.��

Pros and cons

The MNGE and the RTC actively use the AI system to detect patrons carrying firearms into casinos or onto buses, respectively. Both organizations seem satisfied with ZeroEyes, which is also used in schools, businesses, and government settings in 40 US states.

Thomson stated ZeroEyes ��allows us to react faster�� to gun threats. 

Retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer Joel Kisner, however, said ZeroEyes may have ��logistical problems�� when a gun is detected and security officers want to take immediate action. ��Precious seconds are spent matching the found weapon to a database.��

��ZeroEyes won��t give you 100 percent detection,�� Kisner added.

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Trump surges ahead

Polymarket��s odds on the outcome of the US election have shifted significantly in favor of Donald Trump, reportedly thanks to a $26m wager from a single whale from France.

a significant gap has appeared, with Trump now enjoying a substantial 19.4% lead

Both Trump and Kamala Harris had remained neck and neck in Polymarket for several months. But since October 5, a significant gap has appeared, with Trump now enjoying a substantial 19.4% lead and a 59.7% implied probability of winning, with Harris on 40.3%.

The move is contrary to publicly available polling data, which continues to suggest a very tight race is likely. Recently-released polls from YouGov/The Economist and CBS suggest a popular lead for Harris, while the model of election forecaster FiveThirtyEight gives Harris a 53% chance of winning the election.

Instead, the reason for Polymarket��s shift appears to be a hefty $26m wager placed by a single entity, according to cryptocurrency analysts. Placed mostly in the last two weeks, the bets haven’t been met by equal demand for punters backing Harris, leading to a significant shift in the odds.

The French connection

When analsyts checked the source of the larger bets backing Trump on Polymarket, several names repeatedly showed up, including Fredi9999, PrincessCaro, Michie, and Theo4.

Analysts noted that the accounts had very little overlap in their betting, placed their wagers around the same time, and tended to bet based on large, round deposits from the Kraken cryptocurrency exchange, heavily implying that the accounts were all backed by a single entity.

A further investigation from political betting account @Domahhhh went on to reveal yet more information. Responding to a comment from the Michie account on the site, he asked to talk to the mystery figure on Discord.

Michie stated he believed Trump was a 75% favorite

A bizarre conversation followed, where Michie stated he believed Trump was a 75% favorite, denied any political bias, and claimed to be a French trader who formerly lived in New York, before things quickly turned sour and the conversation came to a close.

Manipulation feared

Polymarket is only available to customers outside of the US, although the restriction is fairly trivial to circumvent with a VPN. In contrast, rival prediction market Kalshi is only available to customers within the US, and recently won an appeal against the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to continue offering positions on the election.

Kalshi requires far less money to create a significant shift

Kalshi has also seen a divergence in favor of Trump over recent days, although the move happened later and gives Trump a 12% lead compared to Polymarket��s 19.4%. In addition, Kalshi requires far less money to create a significant shift, with less than $19m traded on the market, a figure dwarfed by the more than $2bn volume on Polymarket.

The significant divergence between betting markets and traditional polling models is likely to draw further scrutiny to the prospect of election betting in the US. One of the main arguments against allowing the wagers, which was brought up by the CFTC in the case against Kalshi, was the prospect of outsiders manipulating the market to give the impression a candidate was more favored than in reality.

It��s unlikely we��ll find out whether the mystery French trader had any ulterior motive beyond a conviction that his bets were profitable ones.

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