Iowa Lottery Worker Arrested for Holding $16.5 Million Lottery Ticket

After an investigation that is four-year Iowa Lottery officials believe a member of staff fraudulently won the $16.5 million Hot Lotto jackpot. (This winning ticket was from a previous Lotto draw for the same amount).
Iowa Lottery officials say they’ve finally solved a mystical four-year investigation regarding the unidentified owner of a $16.5 million Hot Lotto winning ticket.
The path led authorities to an unlikely source: a lottery worker who himself just isn’t permitted to get a ticket, as a matter of conflict of interest.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation claims Eddie that is 51-year-old Raymond purchased the ticket in 2010, despite being prohibited from playing because of his employment due to the fact director of data securities aided by the Multi-State Lottery Association.
Investigators determined that Tipton went along to great lengths to conceal his identity and accumulate on the winning solution with the assistance of others.
After digging through among the most complex scandals within the state’s 26-year lottery history, detectives hit paydirt when they gave immunity to A canadian guy, Philip Johnston, who was simply hired by Tipton. The knowledge received generated Tipton’s arrest this and he is currently being held on $10,000 bail at the Polk County Jail on two felony counts of fraud week.
Hot Lotto, Cold Case
Tipton is charged with purchasing A lotto that is hot ticket December 29, 2010, at A diverses Moines Quick Trip gas station.
The jackpot was valued at $16.5 million, with a cash option of $10,750,000 at the time. The Iowa Lottery revealed a winning ticket had been sold, nonetheless no winner had come forward.
In the problem, county prosecutors assert that Tipton contacted a Texas lawyer who arranged to hire Johnston to claim the jackpot, but lottery officials refused to payout following the Canadian’s tale didn’t mount up.
The case went unsolved until just hours prior to the one-year deadline that is claiming.
A trust set up to protect the identity of the winner in December of 2011, New York attorney Crawford Shaw presented the winning ticket on behalf of Hexam Investments Ltd. When Shaw declined to answer questions about the ticket purchaser’s identity and those included with its handling, payment was denied.
Authorities weren’t certain whether the owner that is original of admission had been the victim of a bad crime or had committed a criminal activity, but they did understand something smelled fishy.
Whenever surveillance video clip was made public of a tipton that is disguised the ticket, a former co-worker came forward. Authorities additionally gathered evidence after granting Johnston resistance in return for information on the ticket owner that is original.
Ironic Twist
Headquartered in Iowa, the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) is a non-profit group consisting of 31 member states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Virgin isles.
In addition to the Hot Lotto, MUSL offshore Powerball and coordinates with Mega Millions. Tipton’s work performance in information safety may have ironically led to his downfall.
Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich told reporters, ‘ We have strong protection procedures in place to protect and ensure the integrity of our games and we absolutely believe this instance indicated those processes worked to safeguard lottery players, lottery games, and lottery awards.’
Since Tipton was privy to private security information and protocol, he was banned from playing the lottery, but nevertheless felt his scheme wouldn’t be detected. ‘We all know there can be people who will try and beat the device. We have and certainly will continue to update our security procedures to identify weaknesses to protect against them,’ Rich explained.
Hot Lotto is not a televised drawing. Instead, the lottery uses number that is random. Detectives continues to examine the situation, because they hope to ascertain whether Tipton somehow influenced the computer’s generated numbers.
Caesars Bankruptcy Plans Get Destroyed In Court
Caesars’ plans to restructure its astronomical debt has met a hurdle that is big the shape folks District Judge Shira Scheindlin, whom says that its plans are a violation of federal law. (Image: finechinagirl.com)
Caesars Entertainment’s (CZR) plans to put its main operating arm, Caesars Entertainment working business (CEOC), into Chapter 11 bankruptcy hit a major setback this week when a
New York judge ruled that its reorganization efforts have violated federal legislation.
Caesars is involved in months of negotiation and litigation having its bondholders as it tries to restructure some $18 billion of its debt.
But the group’s lower level creditors argue that its restructuring plan, worked out with its major creditors, unjustly protects the company’s interests at the expense of the own.
When Caesars filed for voluntary bankruptcy court in Chicago week that is last these creditors had already filed a suit of their against Caesars, for involuntary bankruptcy, three times earlier in a court in Delaware.
The hearing this in Manhattan was an attempt by Caesars to have the Delaware filing dismissed, a move that ultimately caused the company more harm than good week.
Render Unto Caesars…
US District Judge Shira Scheindlin ended up being critical of CZR, ruling that creditors’ accusations concerning the transfer of valuable properties away from CEOC over the summer time, as well as the CZR’s removal of guarantees for creditors, were a violation of the federal Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
It absolutely was exactly this type or kind of ‘impermissible out-of-court restructuring’ that the Act was designed to avoid, she said.
Caesars’s astronomical, industry-high debt stems from 2008 when it had been bought out by Apollo Global Management and TPG Capital in a $30.1 billion takeover.
This had been just as the recession began to ravage the casino industry in the us, and Caesars, then with 50 casinos across the United States, bore the brunt of that recession.
Caesars has lost money every year since 2009, and recently posted Q3 losses of $908.1 million.
It has regularly struggled to pay the interest on its debt, last month defaulting on a $225 million payment.
Based on Judge Scheindlin, the dissident bondholders’ issue alleges that Caesars’ ‘ultimate plan’ is to place CEOC ‘into bankruptcy while protecting Apollo Management LP and TPG Inc. from CEOC’s creditors.’
The band of creditors has additionally accused the company of wanting to develop a ‘good Caesars’ and a ‘bad Caesars,’ anyone to own the valuable and properties that are iconic someone to contain the debt.
Bankruptcies Frozen
Caesars has countered that the group is trying ‘to wreak havoc on the orderly procedure the debtors, their professionals, and the many consenting stakeholders have been finding your way through months.’
‘We think this restructuring is in the most readily useful interests of CEOC’s stakeholders and can lead to a sustainable capital structure for CEOC and value creation for all stakeholders,’ said Gary Loveman, CEO of Caesars Entertainment and chairman of CEOC, recently. ‘The restructuring of CEOC could be the culmination of a years-long effort to enhance the wellness of CEOC’s balance sheet, which has included substantial investment in brand new and upgraded assets, specially in Las Vegas.’
Meanwhile, the two bankruptcy cases are effectively frozen until the judge in Delaware decides which court shall preside over the bankruptcy proceedings.
This week in a statement, Caesars spokesman Stephen Cohen said the company was unfazed by the court ruling. ‘Given how big the claims at problem and our defenses that are strong we do not expect the ruling to impact the planned reorganization,’ he stated.
NCLGS Adopts Policy Framework for Online Gambling Regulation
NCLGS president Helene Keeley says that the organization’s framework will provide states guidance on crafting on the web gambling legislature. (Image: mainstreet.com)
The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) has voted to adopt a policy framework which was first published last November.
The NCLGS, that is comprised of legislators from numerous states that have active gambling companies, has been focusing on the policy framework since 2013.
Known as the insurance Policy Framework for the legislation of Internet Gaming, the NCLGS policy statement was designed to give states some guidance in how to enact Web gambling legislation when they decide to achieve this.
Following the newest amendments to your framework, it was made clear that the NCLGS was not creating a statement for or against online gambling, but instead providing a framework that is basic legislators could work from when developing their own Internet gambling legislation.
‘ Thanks to the input of a myriad of interested parties, the Framework is informed and balanced and, I’m proud to say, is really a hallmark of NCLGS efforts to date,’ stated State Representative Helene Keeley, (D-Delaware), president associated with the NCLGS. ‘It’s time for states that tend to welcome Internet gambling to take a look that is in-depth just what the Framework provides.’
Framework Highlights Ten Areas of Focus
The primary focus of the framework had been to handle the main areas that governments should manage when legalizing online gambling.
In particular, ten issues were highlighted, which range from taxation and licensing to payment processing, confirming player identities (including age and location), exactly how to create multi-jurisdictional agreements, and what games could be offered.
While the framework isn’t legislation by itself, it can be properly used as being a structure that is bare-bones which a legislation may be built.
The existence of the framework could fundamentally show valuable in future efforts to regulate on line gambling, and never just because it includes a point that is starting.
Simply having an NCLGS framework working from should provide legislators with curiosity about the issue some credibility, as it implies that serious thought and input moved into the problem from the variety of parties.
It may additionally assist ensure that states will work through the same playbook that is basic the issue, increasing the chances that state laws and regulations will be compatible with one another in the future.
While the framework is very similar to the one released in November after a round that is second of (albeit with a few amendments, including stronger protection for player funds), it could not be considered an official NCLGS policy framework until this month’s vote.
Commentators that has influence regarding the framework include the Alderney Gambling Control Commission plus the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries.
More States Considering On The Web Gambling in 2015
The NCLGS framework comes at a time when an ever-increasing quantity of states are considering online gambling legislation.
In California, legislators are yet again offering Internet poker a look, with Assemblyman Mike Gatto having already introduced a bill in today’s session, albeit one with some controversial clauses.
In other states, online gambling efforts are facing longer odds.
In Washington, efforts are underway to decriminalize on the web gambling as well as perhaps even control poker that is online although the bill leaves nearly all of the actual regulations to the state gaming commission.
Meanwhile, Representative Bobby Moak (D-53rd District) has introduced still another online gambling bill in Mississippi, though the prospects for regulations seem little better compared to previous years.