An honest Las Vegas cabbie made a find that is surprising the rear of his cab this week (Image: Hendrik Holler / Getty Images)
UPDATE: December 27, 2013: Although they often say that no good deed goes unpunished, for when, somebody whom did the proper thing has actually gotten rewarded for it: cab driver Gerardo Gamboa had a little merrier Christmas time after getting a $10,000 reward through the mystery poker player to who the $300,000 in cash belonged, as well as another $1,000 from his manager Yellow Star cab and a $250 dining certificate.
Evidently like ransom money the money, still bundled in those $5,000 wads, was fallen off at undisclosed location by Mystery Poker Person for Gamboa’s good deed.
When you’re a nevada cab driver, you won’t ever know who or what will end up in your taxi on any provided day. So driver that is veteran Gamboa was unfazed when a Bellagio resort doorman, opening the cab’s rear home to assist a new customer in, noticed a brown paper bag left regarding the chair by the cab’s previous occupant, apparently. He didn’t also bother to look inside as soon as the doorman use it his passenger chair until he got to a light and fascination got the very best of him. Guessing that chocolates lay in hold off, he took a peek inside, with illicit thoughts in mind should his conjecture be correct.
’What types of chocolates are they?’ Gamboa pondered. 'Are they ones that are good I really could buy some for my wife as a present?’
Sweet, Not Candy
But there were no chocolates inside when Gamboa started that little brown bag; instead, there had been cash. And by cash, we mean…cash. All nicely bundled to be exact: $300,000 worth in $100 bills. Which probably weighs much more than chocolates, Mr. Gamboa; and perhaps after 13 years in town, a brown paper case should set some alarms off, but hey, maybe that’s just us.
After notifying his dispatcher of the cache, Gamboa took it to his employer’s Yellow Checker Star Transportation head office but not we assume was unaware of the celebrity package riding shotgun in the passenger seat up front before he dropped off his current passenger, who.
Now again, call us cynical, but we might have assumed this type of large sum of cash in a innocuous brown paper bag was destined for payoff of some dubious product. But Mr. Gamboa is apparently more trusting than we are, and after turning the cash over to Yellow Checker Star, cops had been called in and somehow, the owner had been discovered, via some good ol’ fashioned gumshoe techniques.
Retracking His Route
It appears Gamboa recalled dropping off a passenger he had picked up at Cosmopolitan, because of the destination that is final a Palms Place tower; he additionally remembered that this passenger had left him a $5 tip for the ride. Soon after, he headed to your Bellagio cab line, in which the resort’s doorman had noticed the cash that is backseat bag only a few mins before noon.
Adding drama to the situation, some body mysteriously arrived at the Yellow Star offices to claim the bag, but had no ID, nor had been he the individual to who Cosmopolitan had apparently tracked a outbound payment regarding the precise $300,000. Naturally, it was when Metro had been called in to assist and sort it all out.
In the long run, it was determined that what could have appeared to be drug money was actually the property of a poker that is famous whom Metro refused to publicly identify. Yes, we’re dying of curiosity too.
’ This is the amount that is largest we have discovered in my own 32 years in e-commerce,’ said Yellow Checker Star chief operating officer Bill Shranko. 'Recently, we found $9,000, but that’s no longer a big deal.’
Although Gamboa had apparently considered scuba diving into some chocolate, he states he never considered stealing some of the bagged cash.
’Even I don’t need money that doesn’t belong to me,’ said Gamboa, who’s been a Sin City resident for 27 years though I am a poor guy. 'Tomorrow, I return working.’
We hope the unnamed poker celeb will release a little bankroll and show some appreciation to 1 of Las Vegas’ honest citizens.
Even though this find was the biggest, a year ago, a motorist for the next cab company additionally returned $222,000 that was kept in his cab by way of a passenger.
Foxwoods Eyes Fall River Massachusetts for Casino Do Over
Up until now, Fall River, Massachusetts has been most famous for ax-murderer Lizzie Borden; but Foxwoods hopes to build a casino there.
Foxwoods may have been refused once in Massachusetts, but you know what they say: if in the beginning you do not succeed, try, take to again. That is the tactic being considered by Foxwoods, while they’re bouncing right back from their very first defeat in Milford in a referendum by considering moving to a community that is new trying their fortune once more.
In the end, it’s doing work for Suffolk Downs and the populous city of Revere.
’ We might like to take Massachusetts,’ stated Foxwoods CEO Scott Butera. ’ We’re looking at a true number of opportunities.’
Looking for the New Residence
While Butera would not name any certain communities in a recent interview, reports state that the town of Fall River is in mind by Foxwoods. The city located in the Southeastern Massachusetts region (one of three regions that are distinct happen granted one casino license each) is right above the Connecticut border and may be best referred to as your home of Lizzie Borden the woman fabled for being acquitted of the axe murders of her father and stepmother, means back in 1892.
While Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan wouldn’t verify that the city has received talks with Foxwoods, he seemingly gave a nod and a wink to reporters who asked questions about the subject.
’ Given the sensitivity of the, I can neither verify nor deny whenever we are in discussions at this time,’ Flanagan said. However, he then went on to note that the city would be an excellent location for a major resort casino, and predicted that the best proposal could win a referendum in the town.
More Time Granted
The Southeast region is the one area of Massachusetts that could yet see increased activity into 2014. Even though the Western Massachusetts and better Boston areas both have December 31 deadlines for finished applications, those deadlines were forced right back in Southeastern Massachusetts. This was a planned delay, as the state desired to give the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe an opportunity to build a tribal casino in the region. Finally, last April, hawaii allowed casino that is commercial to start the application process in earnest.
Still, interest was tepid in the area, in no part that is small the Mashpee may be able to overcome the legal issues that have so far stymied their casino plans. Up to this point, only KG Urban had filed the $400,000 fee for candidates pursuing the Southeast license. That firm had hoped to build a casino in New Bedford, but hasn’t received enough support from city officials here to accomplish so.
Foxwoods, having said that, would be exempt from that cost due date, as they have already paid the cost when throughout their failed attempt to build a casino in Milford. That would leave them with time for you to complete the other necessary steps including Fall that is having River a referendum before the state gambling commission awards a license in that region, which is anticipated to occur by November 2014. In the other two Massachusetts regions, licenses could be play lightning link slot online granted by May of the following year, while the 'slot parlor’ license should be directed at one of three contenders by March.
It is also possible that other contenders could nevertheless emerge to fight for the Southeastern casino permit. Reports have linked Hard Rock International and Rush Street Gaming towards the area, though no firm plans have actually yet been established.
PokerStars Turns to Brand New York State for Online Gambling
Can PokerStars win over New York State regarding online that is legalizing gambling? The jury’s still out.
Individuals who work in the top echelons associated with gambling industry do perhaps not moxie that is lack that’s why bad child and former Golden Nugget owner Tim Poster has no problem asking the Nevada Gaming Commission to reinstate him as suitable in the Silver State, and that is why PokerStars parent company Rational Group doesn’t have problem thumbing its nose at New Jersey after being rejected as unsuitable for licensing for at least the next two years.
New York Mind-set
That pronouncement that is latter scarcely aired in the media ahead of the on-line poker giant decided to fight fire with fire. You don’t want us? they said. Fine, we will go keep in touch with your friendlier neighbors in brand New York State. And that’s what Rational has now done.
And they’re doing it the antique method: with lobbyists. That’s right, Rational is throwing its fat around in the Empire State now, figuring since they’re benched for two years in New Jersey anyway, they may as well find another united team to relax and play on. And since nyc seems become enjoying some pro-gambling fervor after a state vote by residents approved a seven-casino referendum for land projects, why not just piggyback online gambling in to the mix at the same time?
One New York media source reports this one of PokerStars top lobbyists has currently held meetings that are private New York Governor Andrew Cuomo regarding this possibility. And all things considered, it creates sense; Cuomo pressed to legalize land gaming in his state for years, and certainly understands the possibilities that are financial his state’s coffers via gaming taxes, so no reason he wouldn’t feel warm and fuzzy towards online casinos because well.
But can PokerStars overcome its casino industry scarlet letter, the designation of 'bad actor’ so it’s been labeled with in both Nevada and New Jersey now? That is the $64,000 question at play.
It looks like at cuomo that is least’s legal team is on Rational’s part; New York law firm Cozen O’Connor’s rep Stuart Shorenstein had the ear of Bennet Liebman, whom is acting because the Governor’s main advisor on all things gambling these days. According to Shorenstein, it’s now 'a good time for an open architecture’; in other words, since you’re opening every one of these brick-and-mortar casinos, why don’t you add the net to your pot? In accordance with a Cuomo spokesman, the governor has taken no stance that is official this proposition at the moment.
Working the System
Of program, even in the event Cuomo likes and backs this concept, there’s no guarantee that PokerStars will be allowed in the mix. After all, it had been New York’s Southern District offices that originally filed the indictments that brought down PokerStars and its founder Isai Scheinberg in April 2011 throughout the Black that is infamous Friday shutdown by the U.S. Department of Justice.
But hey, at one time the U.S. ended up being at war with Germany and Japan, and look at us now, so all things are possible, right? And PokerStars isn’t any dummy when it comes to working the power system; the company recently brought in former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey to calm the waters with any leftover bad impressions in brand New York State.