*?* Concern as the gambling industry embraces AI

"I remember setting alarms for 4am on payday, anxiously waiting to gamble as soon as my salary hit my account. By 8am, I found myself seeking loans to survive the month."

Danny Cheetham started visiting local bookies aged 18, gambling on the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs). It wasn't long before he transitioned to online games. "The ease of access and the solitary nature of online gambling exacerbated my habits," says Mr Cheetham, now 34.

The latest wave of artificial intelligence (AI) has given gambling firms a new tool to work with. Companies say it enhances the customer experience.

But Mr Cheetham, and others, are not so sure: "While this technology undeniably enhances user engagement, it also has the potential to deepen addiction. The ethical dilemma here is whether the pursuit of profit is being prioritised over the welfare of individuals prone to addiction," he says.**

? A California grandfather whose lotto syndicate won $1.57 billion has been pictured for the first time, with neighbors saying it 'couldn't have happened to a better guy'.

Theodorus Struyck, 65, was identified in a news release by the California lottery as the representative of the group of winners who bought the ticket in Frazier Park.

The group walked away with $1.765 billion after the draw last October, making it the second-largest lottery jackpot in US history.

Struyck, who is also known as Theo, is originally from Hawaii and is retired having worked for UPS.

He lives in the town of 3,000 people inside a 1,176-square-foot single family home with his wife Laura, having stayed there for at least a decade.

*?* Top female billionaires in casinos business

Denise Coates, a pioneering entrepreneur aged 56 from the United Kingdom, is a leading figure in the online gambling sector. With an impressive net worth of $7.8 billion, she co-owns and serves as the co-CEO of Bet365, a global giant in online gambling, alongside her billionaire brother, John.

Coates, who acquired the domain Bet365 com in 2000 and launched the website in 2001, holds approximately half of the privately held company. Facilitating over $65 billion in bets annually, her innovative approach and business acumen have positioned her at the forefront of the industry.**#femalebillionaires

? The 6 Most Popular Forms of Money Laundering in Casinos

Collusion between players

This strategy requires one player to ‘lose’ all their dirty money to another player, who they’re in collusion with. Under this strategy, proceeds of crime are brought into either physical or online casinos and deliberately lost – in a poker game for example – in a way that benefits an accomplice who acts as another player in the same game. An unfortunate ‘advantage’ of this method is that it allows launderers to dodge any AML detection policies that are only triggered by successful bets against the casino itself, not other players.
#launderingscheme

*? Wynn Resorts Discloses Further Details on $12bn Casino Plan*

The Nevada-based, publicly traded corporation that develops and operates high-end hotels and casinos, Wynn Resorts, has offered additional details of its bold plans for a $12 billion casino development project.

Wynn Resorts’ chief executive officer, Craig Billings, explained that Wynn New York City would “attract luxury and aspirational travelers” to their destination resort in Hudson Yards.

He argued that Wynn guests usually spend more while traveling, thus generating higher tax revenue for the city and state and more spending in the local community while lowering the foot traffic compared to other resorts.

Additionally, the new resort could create as many as 40,000 open employment positions, roughly 35,000 in construction, and 5,000 permanent positions within the facility.

If it would have been awarded a license, the resort would need to cover a license fee of $500 million.

? Gambling TV Shows: Top 7 Series & Documentaries to Watch OnlineLas Vegas Starring James Caan and Josh Duhamel, Las Vegas is a crime drama with a sprinkle of comedy that follows the surveillance team of the Montecito Resort and Casino in the city from the title. The team is there to catch any cheaters as they stay on top of everything that happens on the premises while you will also get insight into their private lives. The show often featured celebrities as guests and musical acts, so don’t be surprised when you recognize someone famous. It aired from 2003 to 2008 and there are 106 episodes for you to enjoy.#gamblingseries

?‍? **Bruno Mars' shocking $50 million gambling debt report sparks wild fan jokes: 'He is high on…'

Bruno Mars is renowned for lighting up the stage, but recent reports alleging a staggering $50 million gambling debt at the MGM Grand have fans buzzing for a different reason. In 2016, the singer-songwriter announced a 'multi-year residency deal' with MGM Grand in Las Vegas. However, the recent report suggests that the collaboration between Mars and the hospitality brand has soured due to mounting debt.

On March 16th, it was reported that Bruno Mars now owes millions of dollars to the MGM casino after reportedly accumulating hefty poker debts. The Talking to the Moon singer had a multi-year residency agreement with Park MGM in Las Vegas, where he performed on a regular basis.

Citing that MGM “basically owns him,” they continued, “He earns $90 million a year from the casino deal, but then he has to pay back his debt... after taxes (Mars earns $1.5 million per night).”**

? Mega Millions lottery jackpot soars to $875m as Powerball reaches whopping $600 million

Americans have the chance to pick up the sixth-ever biggest prize in the Mega Millions lottery's history as the jackpot soars to $875m while the Powerball's top prize sits at $600m.

Lottery players are in with a chance of bagging some staggering prizes as both the Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots have soared following weeks of rollovers.

The Mega Millions jackpot has now reached an estimated $875million while the Powerball jackpot sits at $600 million. It comes after no tickets were matched during Friday's big Mega Millions draw and the prize fund rose by another $83 million.

While no one bagged the life-changing funds one player in New York was able to match all five white balls to win the game's lower prize of $1 million.

The next Mega Millions draw will be taking place on Tuesday and the monumental $875 million grand prize also carries a cash option of $413.5 million.