An appeals court in California recently kept in place the conviction of a man who allegedly shot his girlfriend’s former boyfriend. The shooting took place at an internet casino in Bakersfield.

Maurice Bailey is currently serving a 22-year sentence for the 2017 shooting in California. The victim, Erskine Carr, Jr., eventually died. He was wounded in his back.

In its ruling, the appeals court said the trial judge, who sat on the 2018 case, must eliminate a prison-term extension, according to KGET, a local TV station.

The relevant law on sentencing changed recently. That impacts Bailey’s case.

Also, Bailey’s attorneys will get a chance to present arguments in court on fines which a judge ordered him to pay, KGET adds.

The surveillance video would have shown Bailey was not guilty in the case, the attorneys argued.

But the appeals court disagreed with much of their argument. There was no “intentional or wrongfully motivated delay by police in seeking to obtain the evidence,” the court ruled.

The unobtained footage was impliedly found to have had potential exculpatory value,” the appellate court said in the ruling.

“However, the trial court also found the police did not act in bad faith or with any wrongful intentions.”

Police Waited Too Long

Eventually, police officers tried to get the surveillance video. But officers asked too late. It had already been erased, KGET revealed.

Also, Stubbs allegedly was at the casino when Carr was shot. Stubbs later testified that Bailey admitted to shooting Carr, KGET reported.

Bailey avoided conviction on a first-degree murder charge. But he was found guilty of assault with a firearm on a person charge and possession of a firearm by a felon charge.

The earliest Bailey is eligible for parole is in 2034, according to state parole online records.

Unclear What Led to Carr’s Death

During the trial, experts offered conflicting testimony. Based on their statements, Carr either died from gunshot wounds or from illness stemming from drug abuse.

The post Bakersfield, California Casino Shooting Conviction Upheld appeared first on Casino.org.

Payment blocking for unregulated operators and a ban on slot machine ads form a part of a recent package of reforms introduced by Finnish lawmakers as they look to “reduce the disadvantages of gambling.”

Finland is one of just a few EU Member States to be clinging tightly to a monopolistic model when it comes to regulation of gambling. Veikkaus, a state-run retail and online gambling group, is the only entity allowed to conduct real-money gaming and betting activities in the country.

A recently introduced bill could result in a series of amendments to the nation’s Lottery Act if it gains the necessary support in the Finnish Parliament.

The new bill calls for the introduction of payment blocking for non-regulated gambling companies that target Finnish players. The measure would task the police with keeping a list of gambling companies whose transactions should be blocked by Finnish banks and other local payment service providers.

Under the newly proposed reforms, mandatory ID verification, which was already rolled out across Veikkaus’ slot machine estate earlier this year, would extend to all other forms of gambling available in Finland. This particular measure would be expected to be implemented by 2024.

Ad Regime Changes Also Loom

The way gambling products are advertised in Finland would also change if the proposed updates to the Lottery Act gain the required support.

The bill calls for a ban on advertising gambling games that are seen as particularly harmful, including slot machines. The new measures would also require gambling advertisers to include information about the age limit, the possibility to self-exclude from gambling as well as about services that help people with gambling problems.

If any of the new marketing rules are breached, the Police Board would be expected to impose penalty fees and warnings.

However, while in some areas advertising would be heavily restricted, in others controls would be relaxed.

The revised Lottery Act would permit advertising of betting games such as toto. These are currently prohibited from being marketed. The Finnish government said this measure aims to help direct players to the nation’s regulated market.

Veikkaus, Finland’s gambling monopoly, would be required to consider placing the slot machines in its venues in areas where they can be easily monitored. The company and its gambling machine vendors would also be expected to draft a self-monitoring plan to ensure that “principles and harm prevention” are well implemented.

The company recently rolled out a new feature that allows its customers to limit their losses across its physical slot machines. This came after the Finnish Ministry of the Interior had set a maximum gambling loss limit of €500 per day and €2,000 per month.

Source: Finland to introduce payment blocking and ban slot ads in new Lottery Act, iGamingBusiness, September 27, 2021

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Innovative games maker BGaming has formed a strategic partnership with online casino and sports betting platform provider Jazz Gaming Solutions (JazzGS) to enter the lucrative LatAm region.

The deal has seen the studio add its entire portfolio of titles to JazzGC’s platform in a move that would enable the latter company’s clients to diversify the offering they deliver to Latin American players.

The newly forged agreement covers BGaming’s latest online slot titles such as Aloha King Elvis, Fruit Million, and WBC Ring of Riches as well as other types of games. Regionally popular Jogo De Bicho and Jogo De Bicho Simple developed by the studio are also set to soon become available to JazzGS’s clients.

Established in 2018, BGaming is a relatively young but fast expanding iGaming studio that has incorporated a player-driven approach in its mission to develop and provide online casino content with eye-catching visuals and a host of other characteristic features.

The company’s catalog of games is currently featured in the game libraries of over 300 online casinos that target players from all over the world.

BGaming provides a rich lineup of online slots as well as an ever-growing suite of table games, including roulette, poker, and blackjack, as well as other types of real-money games. It recently expanded its table games offering with the introduction of brand exclusive table games.

Extremely Happy to Enter Latin America

As mentioned above, BGaming’s partnership with JazzGS is really important as it marks the former’s entry into Latin America.

Of their latest big milestone, the studio’s Head of BizDev Department, Alexandr Shavel, said that they are extremely happy to enter the LatAm market “with such a creative and reliable partner” and its team of professionals who are “passionate about their work.”

Mr. Shavel went on to add that they are now focused on expanding their portfolio of content with games developed specifically for the Latin American region and its online casino players.

Jazz Gaming Solutions boasts more than 34 years in the betting industry. The company has established itself as one of the leading online casino and wagering platform providers in Latin America. Its solutions currently power more than 20 gambling brands.

The company says that its main goal is to offer gambling customers the best and most unique experience via great products and customer service.

This is the latest in a host of important partnerships inked by BGaming in the past several months. The company has formed content aggregation alliances with BetConstruct and Pariplay to significantly expand the exposure of its content across key territories.

Source: BGaming enters LATAM market by starting cooperation with JazzGS, BGaming Newsroom, September 27, 2021

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Nine months after Congress passed legislation calling on the US Treasury Department to determine whether raising the tax threshold on slot machine winnings was feasible, members of the Congressional Gaming Caucus want to know when they can expect the report.

In a letter Friday to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, six members of the caucus reminded her about the report. It comes as lawmakers on Capitol Hill are looking to finish spending bills for the 2022 fiscal year, which starts next Friday.

We ask that the department prepare this report as expeditiously as possible and deliver it to Congress to address this long-standing and burdensome issue,” the lawmakers wrote. “We appreciate your attention and look forward to working with you on the matter.”

The letter was signed by US Reps. Dina Titus, D-Nev.; Guy Reschenthaler, R-Penn.; Steven Horsford, D-Nev.; Mark Amodei, R-Nev.; Anthony Brown, D-Md.; and Kelly Armstrong, R-ND. Titus and Reschenthaler serve as the co-chairs of the caucus.

The tax reporting threshold on slot machines is $1,200.

The study request was part of an omnibus spending bill lawmakers passed in late December. The bill called for the Treasury to report its findings to Congress within 90 days of its enactment.

That deadline passed on March 27.

At the time the bill was signed into law, President Trump was still in office. The Biden Administration would not take over until Jan. 20. Yellen was confirmed by the Senate on Jan. 25.

Current Slot Tax Threshold Set 44 Years Ago

While the caucus asked for a feasibility report, the members already have a firm position on the matter, and they shared that with Yellen as well in the letter.

“Because the threshold has not kept up with inflation, this outdated policy has produced a dramatic increase in the number of reportable jackpots, which has increased the operational costs and associated burdens for casinos, their patrons, and the Internal Revenue Service,” the letter stated.

This also isn’t the first time the Treasury Department has been called on to raise the threshold. In May 2019, Titus and US Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., wrote to then-Assistant Treasury Secretary David Kautter to raise the threshold to $5,000.

In May 2020, the American Gaming Association brought up the same issue after Trump signed an executive order calling on federal agencies to consider rescinding policies that would hinder the country’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

US Rep. Titus to Speak at G2E

Friday’s letter comes as Titus gets ready to meet with key gaming industry leaders in less than two weeks.

At next month’s Global Gaming Expo, Titus and Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak will deliver a joint keynote on Oct. 5 to discuss Nevada’s recovery and gaming’s role in that.

G2E runs from Oct. 4-7 at the Venetian Expo on the Strip.

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Oregon’s Seven Feathers Casino Resort will temporarily close starting tonight at 11 pm. The tribal gaming property will reopen at 7 am Friday with upgraded infrastructure.

Both the Canyonville, Ore. hotel and casino will be shuttered for the next several days. The closing will allow building system improvements to take place.

This closure will allow us to complete upgrades to our systems and infrastructure, maintaining our high standards as we continue to expand and improve,” the gaming property said in an online statement. The improvement will be made to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.

“The air treatment system has established a proven reputation for safety and is effective in neutralizing pathogens, including COVID-19,” the statement added.

“Our first goal is always to protect and keep safe our on-property guests and staff,” added casino General Manager Shawn McDaniel. “The expansion of (the air treatment) equipment into all our public spaces is a noteworthy step forward in improving public health at the resort.”

Seven Feathers’ 68,000-square-foot gaming floor has over 900 slots, table games, a bingo hall, and keno.

The casino is operated by the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians.

Chinook Winds Reopens

Another Oregon tribal gaming property, the Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City, reopened earlier this month after a temporary closing due to risk from the Delta variant of COVID-19, according to KATU, a local TV station.

The decision to temporarily close the venue was made by the Siletz Tribal Council and Chinook Winds senior executives.

The closure was because of “the interest of public health and safety, in the face of COVID-19 and the Delta variant,” tribal officials said in an August statement. “Despite the progress, we have made to vaccinate our team, their families, and the community, increases in cases in the county and state have led us to make the difficult decision to [temporarily] close our operations….”

The Chinook Winds Casino Resort is owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.

COVID Deaths Continue in Oregon

As of Friday, the state’s cumulative death total from COVID-19 reached 3,569, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Also, the cumulative number of coronavirus cases in Oregon reached 309,841.

In addition, there were 1,002 patients being treated as of Friday in Oregon hospitals, KOIN, another local TV station, reported.

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