Gambling in the USA

Killer gambling-addicted grandma trumped

Published

6 years ago

April 23, 2018

George Miller

Killer gambling-addicted grandma trumped

Photo credits: MINNESOTA BUREAU OF CRIMINAL APPREHENSION

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Losing Streak Lois is preparing for the rest of her life to contemplate her unlucky gambling approach.

The story of Lois Reiss, 56, is a pure American tragedy. Based on the “American dream”, the fruits are being harvested in a pure Yankee doodle style.

Obsessed by money and caught by delusion the Minnesota grandma played cat and mouse with the police for nearly six weeks.

“She smiles and looks like anyone’s mother or grandmother,” said Lee County Florida Sheriff Carlo Marceno to NBC. “And yet she’s calculated, she’s targeted and an absolute cold-blooded killer.”

And a desperate gambling addict to boot — an illness detectives believe drove her to kill her husband and a perfect stranger.

David Riess was found shot to death on March 23. One of his business partners called cops and said he hadn’t been to work in two weeks.

Before hitting the road, cops say Reiss cashed more than $10,000 in forged cheques from her morgue-bound hubby and his business.

There were sightings in Northwood, Iowa, Florida and finally, Texas.
In Iowa, she spent most of the day playing blackjack at the Diamond Jo Casino. She lost many thousands.

Reiss still had lots of cash. Her problem — and it would ultimately torpedo the accused killer — was gambling.

She was obsessed with it. Games of chance were the pistons of her every waking moment.

And then Losing Streak Lois washed ashore in Florida.

That was 59-year-old Pamela Hutchinson’s piss poor luck. She delayed her trip home for a day, and that was to be a fatal mistake.

“Reiss’ mode of operation is to befriend women who resemble her and steal their identity,” Marceno said.

Hutchinson was Reiss’ next high-stakes gambit.

She looked like the accused killer grandma, had a similar build and she had dough.

At the Smokin’ Oyster bar in Fort Myers Beach on April 5, the two women’s lives became intertwined forever.

CCTV released last week showed a grinning Riess sitting at the bar chatting with Hutchinson. Four days later the unsuspecting woman was found shot to death.

Cops suspected her MO was horrifically chilling: she killed Hutchinson to steal her identity, car and cash.
“Ms. Hutchinson’s purse was found to be in disarray and all cash, credit cards and identification appeared to be removed,” Marceno told reporters.

“Further investigation revealed that Ms. Hutchinson was targeted by the suspect due to the similarities in their appearance.”

And then the mean Minnesotan went on the run in Hutchinson’s white Acura.
“Pamela was a friend to everybody,” her cousin Daniele Watts Jeffreys told CNN. “She’s never met a stranger. She’s just an open welcoming woman.”

From the start, detectives and the US Marshals Service believed Reiss was going to try to hightail it for Mexico.
She crossed through the Florida Panhandle, then into Alabama, Louisiana and finally, Texas, where she was spotted in the beach town of Corpus Christi on the Gulf of Mexico.

“Time is of the essence. She is a gambling addict and when she runs out of money, we have no doubt she will kill again,” one detective said.

But there weren’t any chips left on the table by the end of last week.

Losing Streak Lois was cashed out in South Padre Island on Thursday.

Acting on a tip, the US Marshals busted the gambling granny at a greasy spoon.
Cops say she didn’t act surprised and didn’t put up a fight.

“To be honest with you, I didn’t know she had a gambling problem,” former friend Rod Koster told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

“She was only nice, sweet. You never would have guessed that this was going to happen in a million years.”

Florida now gets first crack at Reiss. So far, the charges are second-degree murder but that could get jacked up to murder one.

Source: canoe.com

Gambling in the USA

Nebraska’s First Permanent Casino to Open in May in Columbus

Published

1 day ago

April 25, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Nebraska’s first full-fledged, newly built and state-sanctioned gambling casino is slated to open in Columbus next month, marking a milestone in the state’s rollout of casino gambling.

The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission last Friday approved a target opening date of May 13 for Harrah’s Columbus.

“This is a big deal,” commission Chairman Dennis Lee said.

The state’s three other casinos are open, but in temporary facilities. According to construction schedules, all should be open by early next year.

“We’re definitely excited to open the first permanent casino in the state,” said Don Ostert, Harrah’s Columbus general manager.

The 17,000-square-foot casino floor will feature 400 slot machines and 11 live table games, including roulette and craps, Ostert said. It will feature a Brew Brothers restaurant and will offer Caesar’s sportsbook and racebook, Ostert said.

For racing fans, the complex will feature the state’s only 1-mile horse track, though racing isn’t scheduled to begin until August 16. By June, officials hope to have some horses out on the track to test the new surface.

Ostert said officials hope to draw customers from Norfolk and Grand Island, but also from Omaha and Lincoln.

Columbus Mayor James Bulkley said that, from the city’s standpoint, “we are very excited to see it get started and become part of the community.”

The developers incorporated some Columbus history into the casino, he said.

“The location where it is used to be called Wishbones, and it was a venue for years for entertainment, and so people recognize that name, and they have kept that name for the sports bar,” he said.

He expects the casino will draw from Omaha. Although driving to Columbus from downtown Omaha might take close to an hour and a half, the drive from west Omaha is more like an hour, he said.

“I can hit Elkhorn in a short hour today, which is now western Omaha,” he said.

In a few months, Omahans won’t have to leave town to visit a brand-new casino.

At Horsemen’s Park in Omaha, Warhorse Gaming officials are aiming to open their new casino in early August. It will open with 900 gaming positions, including table games and a Sweetwater Cafe.

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – April 15-21

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.

Latest News

Caesars Entertainment announced that the Caesars Sportsbook Mississippi app is accepting mobile sports bets at Harrah’s Gulf Coast in Biloxi, Mississippi. Sports fans 21 and older who are interested in wagering on sports via mobile devices can download the Caesars Sportsbook Mississippi app to register and deposit statewide but must be physically present on-property at Harrah’s Gulf Coast to wager.

The Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) has announced that FanDuel’s sports betting app and website has officially launched. This development will introduce FanDuel’s sports wagering platform to District residents and visitors, completely replacing the current GambetDC sports betting app and website.

eCOGRA has been officially authorised by the Secretaria De Prêmios e Apostas (SPA) to operate as a certifying entity for betting systems, live gaming studios and online games in Brazil. This announcement marks a significant milestone as eCOGRA continues to extend its international offering of iGaming testing, inspection and certification (TIC) services in regulated markets across the globe.

Jennifer Shatley, a recognised expert in the field and a highly sought speaker and advisor, has joined the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) as Executive Director. Shatley has had 25+ years worth of experience, working closely with the treatment community, academics, researchers, government bodies, state councils and gaming industry representatives to promote responsible gaming.

Odditt, a leading provider of innovative sports betting data, tools and analytics, has appointed Elaine Milardo as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). With over 25 years of experience in the data industry and key roles at DraftKings and Vistaprint, Elaine brings a wealth of expertise to Odditt’s growing team.

Partnerships

Trustly, the global leader in Open Banking Payments, and Light & Wonder, the leading cross-platform global games company, are bringing cashless, in-person deposits to casino floors with Light & Wonder’s cashless solution, RAPIDPLAY. Building on Trustly’s success with guaranteed payments in online sports betting and iGaming, Trustly will deliver the same seamless, quick and secure online payment experience to the physical casino floor.

Fintech company Sightline has entered into an exclusive partnership with compliance and anti-fraud technology solutions leader GeoComply to bolster the security and efficiency of digital transactions within the regulated gaming industry. Sightline will integrate GeoComply’s cutting-edge IDComply identity verification solution as well as GeoComply’s compliance-grade geolocation tools across its comprehensive suite of digital payment solutions for land-based casinos and online gaming operators.

BetMGM has announced a partnership with GameCode, a distinguished iGaming company focused on the North American market. The partnership includes the launch of Boom Boom Boom, HammerCash, Gold Gold Gold and Super3 series which are now live at BetMGM in Michigan and New Jersey through direct integration. BetMGM plans to offer GameCode’s full portfolio of games in all jurisdictions where the operator’s iGaming platform is live pending regulatory approvals.

SCCG Management has announced a joint venture investment with Numb3rs, an innovative all-in-one payment solution provider built for gaming operators. The partnership aims to transform the gaming sector by integrating Numb3rs’ proprietary tech stack, ECRYPT, into the marketplace, thereby offering a comprehensive suite of payment processing solutions.

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – April 8-14

Published

2 weeks ago

April 15, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Latest News

FanDuel Group, the premier online gaming company in North America and an Official Partner of Churchill Downs Inc., announced five time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan and Grammy award-winning R&B singer Ne-Yo as the headlining performers at FanDuel’s inaugural Kentucky Derby Party. The exclusive, invite-only event will take place on Friday, May 3 at Paristown Arts and Entertainment District in Louisville, Kentucky from 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM.

TPI, a leading provider of innovative player communication solutions for the casino industry, has appointed Joe Tingson as its new Vice President of Customer Success. With his unparalleled dedication to his customers, Joe will play a pivotal role as a leader for our digital Customer Success and Product teams.

PrizePicks, the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America, has announced plans for its new 33,000 square foot Atlanta Headquarters, which will be located in the Star Metals Building in Midtown Atlanta. The company plans to grow its workforce by 1000 new jobs over the next seven years, the economic impact of which will be $25M to the state of Georgia.

Century Casinos Inc. has announced that it opened its hotel in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, The Riverview. The Riverview is a 69 room, six-story building with 68,000 square feet that is adjacent to and connected with Century Casino Cape Girardeau. The project cost $30.5 million and was financed with cash on hand.

Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) has announced the opening of Terre Haute Casino Resort in Terre Haute, Indiana. The $290 million investment includes a casino floor with 1000 slot machines, 36 table games, and a state-of-the-art sportsbook. The 400,000-square-foot entertainment venue also features regionally inspired bars and restaurants including: Four Cornered Steakhouse, Rockwood Bar & Grill, The Soda Shoppe, Crossroads Center Bar and High Limit Bar.

Bragg Gaming Group Inc., a global B2B gaming technology and content provider, announced that Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Ronen Kannor, has notified Bragg’s board of directors (Board) that he will resign from his position to pursue other career opportunities, effective June 3, 2024. The Company confirms that the search for a replacement CFO has commenced.

Partnerships

EQL Games has partnered with global aggregation leader and NeoGames company, Pariplay, to provide the Virginia Lottery, through an agreement with NeoPollard Interactive, with a series of eInstant iLottery games for their industry-leading digital platform.

JACK Entertainment LLC announced the selection of Konami Gaming Inc.’s SYNKROS to power industry-leading systems technology across its 1.5 million square feet of casino entertainment space. The Ohio-based gaming operator’s portfolio includes a combined 2600+ gaming machines and 85 table games at JACK Cleveland Casino in downtown Cleveland, and at JACK Thistledown Racino, located approximately 10 miles to the southeast.

PrizePicks, the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America, announced that the company has reunited with the Atlanta Braves as the club’s Official Daily Fantasy Sports Partner for the 2024 season. The partnership extends a longstanding relationship that dates back to 2020, with the two Atlanta-based companies continuing to work together on unique opportunities for their dedicated fans.