The New York State Gaming Commission has a slightly different model of dealing with problematic patrons such as mobsters and cheaters in comparison to other jurisdictions from the country. While other states’ regulatory bodies compile of list of excluded individuals, the New York State’s regulator has left the responsibility to the casinos themselves.
The commission has such a list of exclusions, however, as of right now the list is empty, as the regulator is entrusting casinos with the task of compiling their own list of banned individuals. The fact that the commission has not found a single problematic individual is rather concerning as the state has five organized crime families in NYC alone.
Why Is That?
Recently a spokesperson for the New York Gaming Commission, Brad Maione, told in an interview that the commission is willing to add such individuals to the list if they are reported. Mr. Maione explained that the regulator has not taken the initiative to add people to the exclusion list as each gaming property from the state has the power to ban them.
Former assistant U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, James Walden, said that the commission’s way of dealing with the exclusion list is appalling. Mr. Walden stated that he could not believe that the commission has not yet banned notorious organized crime members and politicians convicted of racketeering and corruption. He says that this is a sign that the commission is not interested in dealing with the issue.
According to the law, the commission can prohibit entry to individuals such as cheaters and ones whose licensure or registration have been revoked in other jurisdictions. For example, Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano from the Gravano crime family would fit the bill perfectly, as he has been banned from New Jersey casinos ever since 1993. When asked about Mr. Gravano, Mr. Maione explained that he has not been known to patronize NYS casinos.
Patrick McKenna from the New York Racing Association said that the institution can remove customers and permanently ban them for bad behavior, existing criminal records, or actions that violate their policies. Mr. McKenna said that the association keeps a set of active records to monitor who can enter their Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack, or Saratoga Race Course.
Prior News from the Commission
Previous set of news coming from the NYSGC saw a decline in sports betting handle for the month of July. According to the commission, the four commercial gaming properties have accumulated over US$1.3 million in sports betting revenue. This result is 31.6% less than in June. July, is the second-lowest month for revenue for this year, after the commission reported US$1.2 million in February.
Selecting Online Providers
New York State is also looking to expand its gaming offerings as the legislature previously announced the official introduction of mobile sports betting. Now the commission has two find two-platform providers along with four gaming operators who will put the foundations of the new product in the state. The commission started the application process in July and it will reveal its choice in December.
Source: Gavin, Robert “No ‘black book’ to keep scammers out of New York casinos”, Times Union, September 20, 2021
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