Boston’s FBI Issues Warning on Corruption in the Casino Industry
The gambling industry in the United States is one of the most lucrative industries which brings in billions of dollars of revenue from live casino and online casino games. Brick and Mortar casinos bring in the majority of revenue as online gambling is still prohibited in most states.
The gambling industry is regulated and monitored by state authorities who are given the responsibility of ensuring that gambling establishments conform to all state laws.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston has been monitoring the casino industry and has been concerned with the expansion of casino establishments. The head of Boston’s FBI stated that casino industry is an ideal breeding ground for the underworld and public corruption.
Gambling establishments all have to go through a rigorous and lengthy process of submitting applications, obtaining approvals before receiving their licenses. All of these processes are managed by public officials and the FBI is concerned that these public officials could be targeted and bribed.
FBI Special Agent Vincent Lisi is responsible for looking after New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine and Massachusetts. In a statement, Lisi said
When you look at legalized gaming, you have a heavy amount of regulation, along with a lucrative business. Those two factors combined make for pretty fertile grounds for corruption of public officials. Speaking about the casino industry and the arrests made in the past, Lisi went on to say that “If you look at some of the cases we’ve had in the past, you’d think they’d be deterrents and that there would be a decline in the numbers that we’ve had. That’s not been the case.
FBI’s Boston office had decided to treat this possible threat seriously and has decided to open up a toll-free tip line that the public can use to dial in tips on public corruption. The FBI want to provide the public with alternate ways in which it can send in tips regarding public corruption.
There will be a 1-844-NOBRIBE (662-7423) number along, a Facebook page and a form for tips to be sent in direct via the FBI website at tips.fbi.gov. The FBI will also use a billboard advertising campaign to educate the public on what they should do if they come across any form of public corruption.
However, the American Gaming Association which is a casino industry trade group said that these concerns raised by the FBI were unfounded and stated that research has successfully proven that the opening of new casinos in no way contributed to the rise of crime in the concerned locality.
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