A woman who pleaded guilty to robbing people playing a poker game in Putnam County will spend 25 years in prison. A judge sentenced Jacqueline Dennis Friday morning.
Deputies say last November, Dennis and another woman wore camouflage and carried guns when they busted into the poker game. They got away with $18,000 in cash. Dennis pleaded guilty to the charges earlier this month.
During Friday’s hearing, Dennis cried when she apologized for the crime. She also told the judge she accepts responsibility for what happened. I wonder which one of the players they were working with? And maybe next time she will rob a sports betting joint and pick up a better return.
A GAMBLING addict who lost £20,000 his parents had given him then robbed a bookies to try to recover it has been jailed for three years. Nayden Zhelyazkov hid in the toilet of a Ladbrokes until closing time before bursting out wearing a mask and brandishing a toy gun.
Zhelyazkov, 27, from a respectable family in Bulgaria, threatened staff at the shop in Glenrothes, Fife, and fled with £6000, including specially marked notes. At the High Court in Glasgow yesterday, judge Lord Turnbull told him his case was “tragic” and very serious”.
He added: “This crime had a terrible impact on the members of staff.” First offender Zhelyazkov admitted the robbery, which took place on about 6pm on April 20.
Police found almost £3000 in his home in Glenrothes. Advocate Stephen O’Rourke, defending, said his client was a “desperate and foolish young man”.
His parents sent him the £20,000 to start a business which was supposed to be in the ‘money lending’ industry.
J. Packer is reported to be considering the acquisition of a $US2.4 billion chain of US casinos that spreads across six states, a move that would instantly triple his presence in the American market. According to a note to clients of broker UBS, which cites a US gambling industry journal, Crown is a likely bidder for takeover target Ameristar Casino as its eight casinos are considered a perfect fit with Crown’s growing collection.
Mr Packer is executive chairman of Crown, the gambling company that emerged from Publishing and Broadcasting (PBL) as part of the company split-up late last year. He has rapidly created a global casino empire since he freed up cash in the demerger. Ameristar shares have been trading at record lows but have risen in recent days on strong speculation of an imminent bid. With low share prices plaguing the entire industry I think it is a safe bet that we will be seeing a lot of these types of mergers in 2008-2009.
With a tight economy many casino goers in South Florida are finding it hard to scrape together the money to fund their favourite hobbies. “Mortgages are going up, interest is going up, gas food, you know everything is going up,” said Annie, a local casino patron. “So by the time you take care of your household needs, you don’t have anything left.”
The lack of disposable income for many across the area creates a problem for some casinos, which have to lay off employees when less money is being taken in. And for casinos in more remote areas, the price of gas compounds the issue. “People gotta fill up their tank and drive here. I think they’re going to go where it’s more convenient to gamble,” said Dan Adkins of Mardi Gras Gaming.
But, one casino seems to be bucking the trend, the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. Blackjack tables opened up for the first time over the weekend, and even with the $100 million due to the state of Florida in the first year of card games allowed, the Casino believes it can still push the profits in the weakened economy. I guess it depends on how desperate the economic situation gets, if it really tanks then most casinos can probably expect a sharp upturn as folks look for a way to feel better in tough-times.