“In terms of the list of Australian companies that have gone offshore and have come back to Australia with their tail between their legs, I think we are at the top of the list in terms of we actually made a couple of billion dollars.”
—James Packer, who says Crown Resorts continues to prosper despite the 2016 China arrests that prompted a class action lawsuit among shareholders
“Gambling in Australia is the equivalent of guns in America. The gambling industry has captured politics really in the way the National Rifle Association does in America, so we aim to reform that.”
—Tim Costello, Australia’s Alliance for Gambling Reform, on a report that punters Down Under lost almost A$24 billion in a year
“I like to gamble and spend my money. Financially it has been really straining because you obviously lose more than you win.”
—19-year-old member of Gamblers Anonymous, speaking about her habit at a meeting near Sydney, Australia
“We had a ‘big bang’ deregulation in the early ’90s. Gambling really took off and it hasn’t really looked back.”
—Charles Livingstone, gambling researcher, Monash University in Melbourne, Australia
“A wholesome family destination and gambling will never be a good combination.”
—Father Jose Tudd Belandres, who says he and his fellow Catholic priests will oppose a casino on the Philippines island of Boracay
“We no longer have to rely on Massachusetts for this form of fun and funding, and we no longer will forfeit our potential school funding by forking over an estimated $25 million annually to our neighbors to the south.”
—Ray Duckler, a write for the Concord Monitor, hailing the arrival of Keno in New Hampshire
“They’re actually not charged with anything as I understand it,” she said. “Everybody needs to follow the rules, whether you’re an individual or whether a gambling conglomerate.”
—Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, defending the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation award of the Toronto bundle of casinos to Great Canadian, despite an investigation of money laundering at one of its casinos
“The Department should be working closely and cooperatively with tribes like ours, not stonewalling us for political reasons.”
—A letter written by Connecticut tribal leaders Rodney Butler and Kevin Brown to National Congress of American Indians seeking assistance in dealing with the Department of the Interior
“New Jersey compacting with Delaware and Nevada only benefits the 888poker network because in Delaware it is a lottery-run program and 888 is the only supplier. And in Nevada, Caesars and the 888 platform are the only poker offerings that has any liquidity. However, Pennsylvania is going to be interesting because it is a meaningful market. If New Jersey and Pennsylvania compact, it is phenomenal news for poker liquidity in both states. New York state has been toying with poker-only legislation for some time, so if you could have New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York compacting, you have a very decent opportunity.”
—Jim Ryan, head of Pala Casino’s online operations in New Jersey to PlayNJ.com on the Garden State increasing online poker liquidity through compacts with other states
“What their true value is may be anyone’s guess. Perhaps the most one can say is that buying these things means buying risk, which makes it closer to gambling than investing. All I will say to people intending to buy a so-called cryptocurrency is that you should read the fine print and make sure you know what you are getting into.”
—Stephen Poloz, Bank of Canada Governor at an annual address in Toronto
