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West Virginia Senator Exposed Himself in Slots Parlor, Prosecutors Claim

A West Virginia Republican state senator was arrested Tuesday allegedly for pleasuring himself in a video lottery parlor, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Mike Maroney, West Virginia state senator, indecent exposure
State Sen. Mike Maroney (R), mugshot above, denies masturbating in a video lottery parlor. He has been relieved of his duties as chair of the West Virginia Senate’s Health and Human Resources Committee so he can work on his “personal issues.” (Image: Glen Dale Police Department)

Sen. Mike Maroney, 56, was suspended from his duties as chair of the Senate’s Health and Human Resources Committee. That’s after being charged with misdemeanor indecent exposure and disorderly conduct.

On Wednesday, he pleaded not guilty to the charges in Marshall County Magistrate Court.

Caught on Camera

Maroney was spotted on security video by two female employees of Gumby’s Cigarette & Beer World in Glen Dale, near Wheeling, WV, “committing an act of sexual gratification” in the bar’s slots parlor, according to prosecutors. The alleged incident occurred on August 4 at about 1 p.m. and no one else was in the room at the time.

Senate President Craig Blair (R) told local Fox and ABC affiliate WCHS-TV Wednesday that Maroney had been relieved of his responsibilities so he could dedicate time to his “personal issues.”

The facts that have emerged are troubling, and I am disappointed,” Blair said. “However, in this time, our primary focus is on the well-being of Senator Maroney.”

Blair added that he would offer prayers for his “friend Mike” and his family “as he deals with these issues.”

Maroney was elected to the state Senate in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. He had just months to serve after losing his bid for a third term in the 2024 primary.

He previously raised eyebrows in 2019 when he was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of soliciting a prostitute. The charge was later dropped for lack of evidence.

Gaming Champion

The senator’s longtime support of the gaming industry in West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle might explain his presence at the video gambling establishment. However, his alleged behavior while there was “not up to the standard of what we expect from our elected leaders in the State Senate of West Virginia,” Blair noted.

In 2020, Maroney opposed a legislative effort to ban greyhound racing in the state, which is now the only state in the US that still offers live races. He described the bill as “disturbing” and “embarrassing,” as he sought to protect the interests of the state’s two northern racinos.

He has also been a champion of sports betting. Again in 2020, he co-sponsored a bill that would have permitted betting on political events, although the events of this week were not a political outcome even the wiliest bettor could have predicted.

Maroney has been released on a $3,500 bond.

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Revised New York iGaming Bill Filed by State Senator

Joseph Addabbo, a state senator from New York, has introduced a new version of a bill that, if approved, would legalize online casino gaming and internet lottery in the Empire State.

Senate Bill S8185 was tabled on January 11 and it has been referred to the committee for racing, gaming and wagering within the New York Senate. Senator Joseph Addabbo has previously attempted to have a similar bill approved, Senate Bill S4856 in early 2023, but it failed to pass.

The new bill includes, among other important aspects, information regarding the eligibility for licenses in the state. According to the bill, land-based casinos from New York are eligible to get licenses to operate online casinos. At the moment the state of New York has four upstate casinos and another three downstate that are currently in development.

The three racetracks that operate in the state are also eligible for iGaming licenses. These racetracks are operated by the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, the Seneca Nation of Indians and the Oneida Indian Nation of New York.

Three More Licenses

The bill also stipulates that three additional online casino licenses will be awarded through a bidding process. Applicants will need to commit to an affirmative action programme and each operator that eventually gets a license will have to pay a one-time fee of 2 million dollars.

The proposed legislation also states that live dealer studios that supply content to casinos licensed in the state must be located within the borders of the state of New York. Moreover, suppliers of live dealer games must enter into a labor agreement with a union. If the bill would pass into law then it would come into effect right away.

Internet Lottery Rules

The bill also proposes rules for internet lottery, allowing customers in New York to play joint, multi-jurisdiction and out-of-state lottery games online. This actual access to the lotteries could be done either through a mobile device or desktop computer. Senate Bill S8185 also states the New York State Division of Lottery would be in charge of overseeing sales of tickets online.

When it comes to taxes on iGaming activities, the bill sets a tax of 31.5% of gross gaming revenue for all license holders. Then the state will give a portion of 11 million dollars of the taxes collected to the Commission and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports in order to fund gambling addiction treatment.

Aiming To Replicate Sports Betting Success

The state of New York is looking for a repeat of the success registered by online sports betting. Almost two years ago the state launched legal internet sports betting, with the regulated market opening on 10 January 2022. Since then it has grown significantly and has become the largest market in the United States.

Moreover, in December 2023 a new state revenue record was set as operators managed to generate 188.3 million dollars in online sports betting revenue. The previous record for the state of New York was set in October 2023, with 166.3 million dollars. In November 2023 the state also reported a new record when it comes to internet sports betting handle: 2.11 billion dollars, an all-time high for the state but also for the entire United States.

Source: “Addabbo files revised New York igaming bill“. iGaming Business. January 12, 2024.

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LIV Golf Probe Sees US Senator Subpoena Saudi-Owned Firm

A U.S. senator is turning up the heat in his probe into the Saudi Arabian government’s involvement in professional golf and the proposed merger between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour.

Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal is stepping up his investigation into the LIV Golf merger with the PGA Tour. Blumenthal has subpoenaed a U.S. subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, which he alleges is not cooperating with his probe. (File photo by USDA via Creative Commons)

Sen. Richard Blumenthal — a Connecticut Democrat who chairs the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations — issued a subpoena Wednesday. His target is the U.S. subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, which owns the upstart LIV Golf tour.

The subpoena comes as part of an ongoing investigation by the Connecticut Democrat into the Saudi government’s efforts to cover up its record of human rights abuses. The Saudis hope to improve their reputation by investing in U.S. institutions like the PGA Tour.

Saudi Investments Growing

In a memo outlining the basis for the subpoena, Blumenthal argues that the Saudi government is engaged in a multi-front campaign to increase its influence in the U.S. by acquiring key assets.

The Subcommittee’s inquiry thus far has demonstrated that PIF’s planned takeover of professional golf is part of a much larger planned expansion of its investments worldwide,” Blumenthal wrote.

Since 2015, the investment fund has seen its assets under management grow from $152 billion to $776 billion, and the Saudi government ultimately hopes to have that hit at least $2 trillion by 2030, according to the memo.

The PIF has invested in major U.S. companies, including Meta Platforms, JPMorgan Chase, and Uber, as well as prominent private equity firms, according to the memo. But Blumenthal argues there is a “lack of visibility” into how those investments may contribute to broader Saudi influence-peddling efforts.

‘Sportswashing’ Allegations

The fund could “use investment to suppress unfavorable narratives about Saudi Arabia,” Blumenthal warns, citing reports that Vice Media removed a documentary critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after merging with a Saudi media company.

Blumenthal also warns that PIF investments can be used to “distract” from negative stories about Saudi Arabia.

PIF’s PGA Tour investment fits in this bucket because it appears to be a classic attempt at a practice known as ‘sportswashing,’” Blumenthal wrote.

The subpoena targets the PIF’s wholly-owned U.S. affiliate, USSA International LLC, and seeks documents related to the fund’s involvement with the PGA Tour and other U.S. investments. Blumenthal says the subpoena is necessary after PIF  and PIF and its governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, have refused to voluntarily cooperate with the subcommittee’s investigation over the past three months.

“The Saudi’s Public Investment Fund cannot have it both ways: if it wants to engage with the U.S. commercially, it must be subject to U.S. law & oversight,” Blumenthal wrote on social media Wednesday.

Betting Scrutiny 

The subpoena comes amid scrutiny of LIV by some gambling regulators around the U.S.

Massachusetts banned wagers on LIV events this summer soon after announcing its interest in the PGA.

Earlier this month, a Kentucky Horse Racing Commission member questioned whether the eye-popping sums LIV offered to some of its top golfers undermined the league’s competitive integrity. But regulators included the league in the commonwealth’s new betting catalog.

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