The British Columbia government is seeking a court order to forfeit CAD880,000 ($647,000) deposited as a bond with the Canada Border Services Agency by a man the government alleges was a multimillionaire leader of a criminal gang that ran illegal gaming houses and laundered money through casinos. The suspect, T.L., reportedly has ties to Chinese organized crime and has been the subject of international criminal investigations.

This Is Not the Suspect’s First Brush with the Law

A recent CBC report revealed a civil claim filed this week in B.C. Supreme Court, stating the $880,000 bond was paid by the suspect’s spouse after T.L. got apprehended by US Border Patrol and handed over to Canadian authorities in 2019 for crossing the US-Canada border illegally. Subsequent investigation revealed that T.L.- who described himself as self-employed- was wanted by China for organized crime.

Court records reveal some of the documents filed by B.C.’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, showing that T.L. made large cash transactions through local casinos. In July 2017 alone, T.L. allegedly paid CAD250,000 ($184,000) for casino chips and redeemed CAD610,000 ($449,000). The suspect has a long history of casino-related incidents and suspicious transactions.

The lawsuit alleges that the bond money is the proceeds of money laundering. T.L. reportedly told investigators he moved $12 million from Macau and Hong Kong and had another $100 million sitting in China. The B.C. director of civil forfeiture considered that the suspect’s financial transactions in casinos in British Columbia demonstrated money laundering.

T.L.’s legal issues also reach farther than Canadian borders. He was arrested in 2019 after running from US border officers and then walking back into Canada on foot. He served some jail time, but authorities later released him when the CBSA paid his bond. T.L. stated he had accumulated his wealth in Macau’s junket industry, providing loans and guarantees for high-rolling gamblers and collecting commissions on repayments.

The current legal report relies on the conclusions of an independent 2018 report on money laundering that pegged B.C. casinos as a global laundering destination for the proceeds of organized crime, mainly from Asia. Chinese officials notified Canadian investigators that T.L. was convicted in China of several criminal offenses, including extortion and conspiracy, and was the subject of an Interpol red notice. 

This case highlights the growing focus on combating money laundering and gambling-related crime in British Columbia. Recently, the B.C. Securities Commission also launched a probe into a cryptocurrency platform, ezBtc, alleging it had diverted about CAD13 million ($9.56 million) of its customers’ assets toward gambling. However, B.C. still faces significant challenges in curbing the laundering of illicit funds through its casinos and the broader financial system.

While casino crime comes in all shapes and sizes, most offenses are fortunately limited to short-time disruptions. For example, indecent exposure appears to be on the rise as several recent cases soured the enjoyment of other casino goers and necessitated police involvement. The motives behind these acts remain unclear, but they could be a sign of frustration by repeated losses.

Obscenity Can Carry Significant Punishments

The most recent case involves a man taken into custody at a Shreveport casino on 14 September in the early morning hours after an obscenity-related incident. According to the Shreveport Police Department, shortly before 5:08 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 400 block of Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway on reports of indecent exposure. 

The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Lucas Burns, tried to flee the scene. Police quickly cornered him in a nearby parking garage and successfully apprehended him. Burns now faces obscenity charges in connection with the incident. A police representative was adamant that such acts would not be tolerated in any city, public or private facility. 

According to Louisiana law, individuals guilty of obscenity can face charges like fines, probation, community service, or imprisonment. Factors like prior criminal history, the location of the offense, and whether a juvenile is involved can influence the punishment’s severity. Shreveport law enforcement stressed they would do everything necessary to ensure local facilities like casinos remain safe. 

Police Are Quick to Respond to Such Cases

This event follows a similar incident that occurred in August at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, where a New York man identified as Abdul Rahman Zaina, 27, was arrested on charges of exposing himself in the poker room of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

According to police, Zaina would not leave when personnel asked him to do so. According to reports, Zaina unbuttoned his pants and exposed his genitalia in full view to the other patrons there. He caused a scene that led to his arrest after he threw a bottle at a casino dealer and a security officer, necessitating police intervention.

Both incidents highlight the security issues in casinos, especially with the increasing number of such facilities. With the continuously growing gaming industry, safety within these premises remains a concern for law enforcement and casino management as they try to balance the customer experience with the necessary screening and security procedures.

Online gaming and betting powerhouse BetMGM just unveiled a new multi-year partnership with Gannett, a diversified media company with expansive reach.

BetMGM Will Supply the Network with Odds and Betting Info

Under the agreement, BetMGM will become the preferred online sportsbook and casino partner for USA TODAY Sports. As a result, BetMGM will supply the USA Today Network with betting odds and information that will help players make informed decisions when gambling.

BetMGM will power the USA Today Network in 200 local US markets across 43 states, reaching more than 300 digital news and media brands.

As per the deal, the operator’s odds will be incorporated into stories and content sharing betting odds, moneylines, spreads and over/unders for games. Additionally, a Bet Now feature will allow consumers to jump straight into the action.

Additionally, BetMGM Sportsbook and BetMGM Casino will be listed as a partner on website footers across the entire USA TODAY Network, providing the operator with additional exposure.

BetMGM further added that Gambling.com Group will provide the USA TODAY Network audience with BetMGM’s unparalleled offers.

Representatives Are Looking Forward to Working Together

Representatives expressed excitement about the partnership with Michael Reed, chair and CEO of Gannett, praising BetMGM as a trusted operator in sports betting. Reed said that his team is committed to delivering BetMGM’s reliable sports betting information to its audience of over 44 million sports aficionados.

We believe BetMGM complements our existing portfolio of partners and will enable us to drive further audience growth and engagement. We anticipate this collaboration will immediately lead to an increase in the overall monetization of our content platform.

Michael Reed, chair & CEO, Gannett

Adam Greenblatt, BetMGM’s CEO, was likewise happy about the tie-up, saying that his team was proud to join forces with Gannett and the USA TODAY Network. He praised the network’s expansive reach at local and national levels, saying that it would allow BetMGM to connect with a massive audience.

By integrating odds and insights seamlessly into Gannett’s content, we’re empowering fans to stay informed and engaged with their favorite teams and games. We look forward to a successful partnership that fuels the excitement of sports betting throughout football season and beyond.

Adam Greenblatt, CEO, BetMGM

In other news, BetMGM just unveiled multiple “game-changing features” ahead of the 2024 football season.

Las Vegas Sands’ plans for a downstate New York casino resort continue to attract animosity from locals amid a variety of concerns. Some have gone as far as accusing the casino and hospitality company of what they called “environmental racism.”

LVS Wants to Develop the Nassau Coliseum Site

LVS, for context, plans to develop the famous Nassau Coliseum into a multi-billion-dollar flagship hospitality, entertainment and casino project if the company secures one of the three downstate NY licenses. The resort is expected to offer cutting-edge gaming, a 5-star hotel, premium dining and relaxing entertainment options.

However, not everyone has been on board with the company’s casino project. Some were skeptical of the casino from the start and accused LVS and the local government of making agreements behind the scenes and not maintaining sufficient transparency. The New York State Supreme Court eventually agreed that the county and the operator had committed open meeting laws violations.

Say No To The Casino: Erecting the Property Would Be “Environmental Racism”

Since the beginning, Say No To The Casino, a civic group, has also spared no effort opposing the casino project. The organization is, among other things, concerned about the potentially disastrous effect the Nassau County casino project could have on the environment.

One of the primary concerns is the ongoing drinking water supply shortage, which could be dramatically worsened by the construction of a huge hotel.

In addition to that, Say No To The Casino is also concerned about the property’s location, implying that it could hurt local minority groups. The organization implied that a new casino would have not only environmental but also economic and social consequences that would be shouldered by the vulnerable minority communities.

According to Say No To The Casino, proceeding with the new property would be nothing less than “environmental racism.”

An Environmental Review Would Gauge the Casino’s Impact

The casino project is currently undergoing a review that would determine whether the resort would violate the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). The ongoing review will temporarily block LVS from finalizing its acquisition of the Nassau Coliseum.

 This temporary block could potentially jeopardize LVS’s bid for a casino license, adding to the pressure faced by the company.

To top it all off, the results of the review could potentially expose issues that LVS would be forced to address if it hopes to be chosen for one of the licenses.

Luckily for LVS, the awarding of the licenses continues to be delayed, providing the casino company with ample time to address the issues.