Hollywood Casino in Columbus Is One of Four Land-Based Ohio Casinos
Three people recently were charged with operating an illegal gambling operation in Canton, Ohio. The two-count indictment charged Jerry Warren, Tracie Warren-Pastore, and Yabacushyanei Bennett with conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to conduct an illegal gambling business. Warren and Bennett are from Canton, while Warren-Pastore is from North Canton.
According to charges by U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach, three conspired together in operating gambling businesses from sometime in 2008 until May 2013. One of these unlicensed gaming ventures was called the Nugget, which was found in Canton. These establishments contained as many as 200 slot machines between them. Citizens could play the slot machines, which carried the names Enchanted Kingdom, Frog Prince, Treasure Driver, Pharaoh’s Fortune, and Lucky Meerkats.
Canton Casino Operation Made $2,000 a Day
It is thought the businesses would make as much as $2,000 in gross revenues in a single day. Prosecutors are seeking the forfeiture of more than $1.3 million in cash. Also, authorities want those charged to forfeit four cars, including a 2011 Mazda CX-9, 2008 Land Rover, 2000 Porsche Boxster, and 2011 Jaguar XJ8.
Kathy Enstrom is a Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in the Cincinnati Field Office. Enstrom says, “IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to enforcing these laws and following the money, wherever it leads.”
Illegal Casino Closed in Logan, Ohio
Officers from the Ohio Investigative Unit and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office searched the Red Door Casino in Logan and removed several gaming machines from the premises. Authorities had received several allegations of illegal gambling at the Red Door location, but the owners dispute whether their operation is legal or not.
Marshall Lucas, who uses the Notweega nation name Dancing Elk, is the owner of the establishment. He says that officials have no right to take his gaming equipment, because his business is a sovereign casino. Dancing Elk claims he’s been harrassed in this way for years. At present, he has a $20 million lawsuit against the city of Logan.
Dancing Elk Says The Casino Is Sovereign
“They have no right to enter our property. This is sovereign property. We are non-reservation Indians,” said Dancing Elk to a local NBC affiliate. “We are operating a sovereign business…They are stealing our property, the are destroying our property. We’ve been dealing with this for over 5 years now.”
Ohio Officials Say Red Door Casino Is Illegal
Authorities with the state say they have every right to shut down the gambling at the Red Door, because the casino is off the reservation and unlicensed. Ohio BCI Special Agent Supervisor Scott Finch says, ” There’s several different variables that actually makes it illegal..some of the cash payouts and some of the things they were doing.”
Ohio officers made no arrest during the raid, but the charitable law prosecutors at the Attorney General’s Office for Ohio will decide what charges will be filed.
Self-Exclusion Numbers for Ohio
The number of land-based casino and racino gamblers continues to rise each month. In March 2014, the state’s self-exclusion program had over 700 people ban themselves from gambling inside Ohio’s four brick-and-mortar casinos. That number is up from 530 back in September 2013–a 37% increase.
A similar program exists with Ohio’s four horsetrack casinos (“racinos”), where 155 people placed themselves on the non-gaming list. Back in September, 79 people enlisted themselves in the self-exclusion listings. At the time, only 2 racecourses were open, so those numbers appear to have remain static.
Banning Oneself from Gaming Houses
The self-exclusion list is a legal option which has gained popularity around the world. A person who believes they cannot resist the temptation to gamble compulsively has the option to ban themselves from casino gambling. They add their name to a list at the state gaming office, for 1 year, 2 years, or even 5 years. If they were to try to gain entrance to one of Ohio’s four land-based gambling ventures, they would not be allowed to enter.
If a person’s problem gambling is an issue over pari-mutuel betting at the racetrack, they can ban themselves from that list. People have the option for a comprehensive ban, as well. Some people understand when they are away from the casino that their gambling can get out of control, so they prefer to ban themselves before they step into a house of gambling.
Some U.S. states allow people to join the self-exclusion list without stating they have a gambling addiction. Other states require a person to admit they have an issue controlling their spending while at the gaming table, betting booth, or slot machine. In some areas, debates rage over how these policies should work. Self-exclusion laws became an issue in the Australian parliamentary election in 2013.
