The gambling world can sometimes produce really off-the-wall stories. Every month there are plenty of cases of individuals going to extreme lengths to pay back debts, or of simply bizarre behavior at casino properties around the globe. It can be entertaining and sometimes sad.
October was no exception, as there was plenty that happened in the casino world.
Here’s a look at some of the most colorful and noteworthy from the month that was.
Man Left Blind After Attack By Gambling Buddies
A jobless man beat up his gambling friend so badly for not paying him HK$8,000 in winnings within three days that the friend lost the sight of one eye and was left virtually blind in the other. Lo Chi-wai, 36, also robbed Leung Ying-ming, 38, of HK$4,200 cash and two mobile phones, the Court of First Instance heard. Lo pleaded guilty.
Chinese Deadbeat Gambler Tossed From Eleventh Story Window Survives
Despite being regarded as a good player in his home village in the central Henan province, he was no match for the city players, and instead of realizing his dreams of winning big, he rather quickly racked up a gambling debt of £6,000 which he simply couldn’t pay back.
As a result, the disgruntled gamblers grabbed Guo Xu and tossed the gambler from an eleventh story window, where he plummeted the distance of eight floors until reaching an air vent and chimney on the third floor. Obviously picking up some speed on his way down, he hit the obstacles with a bone-shattering force.
Massachusetts Pastor Accused Of Stealing $230,000 To Fund Gambling Habit
Another religious figure has fallen into hot water thanks to a gambling addiction, and this time the betting allegedly involved stealing more than $200,000.
Stephen Gemme, pastor of the 800-family strong Saint Bernadette Parish in the state of Massachusetts, recently resigned over allegations that he siphoned off a massive sum, which included both parish and school funds, in order to pursue his second life as a degenerate gambler.
Woman Stiffed On $1-Million Casino Jackpot
A woman who won a $1-million prize in a promotion at an Oregon tribal casino is suing the firm who insured it for stiffing her on her seven-figure payout, according to KGW.
In 2012, Beverly Mackey, who currently lives off of disability and social security payments and a small pension, hit the grand prize in the Chinook Winds Casino’s “Swipe, Play & Win" promotion.
To her devastation, the insurer of the contest, Nevada-based Odds On Promotions, reportedly refused to pay, claiming that it had made a terrible blunder. It said a company technician put the odds of a $1-million prize far too low. In other words, that the hit was illegitimate.
Mother And Daughter Caught Gambling At Casino While 5 Children Wait In Car
A mother and daughter were arrested after Hallandale Beach Police found five unsupervised children in a parked car at the Gulfstream Casino.
Angela Pond, 37, and Esharia Pond, 21, were each charged with five counts of child neglect after a Gulfstream security guard found the children, ranging from 1 to 11 years of age, inside a car parked in the south lot, according to Hallandale Beach Police.
Cops Tie 16 Gamblers With Rope, Make Them Walk In Public
Police in India made 16 petty gamblers walk through Sadar Bazaar area after tying them up with a rope to one another. The persons identified as Jagdish, Kamlesh, Mukesh , Rahul, Vijay, Nilesh, Hemendra, Harjit, Afzal, Devkaran, Rajesh, Ajay, Zaqir, Gaurav, Balkishan and Appu were arrested when they were playing cards and placing bets at a house in Secundarabad Colony.
Blackjack High Roller Stiffs Casino DJ On $200K
A DJ who was offered $200,000 to play one Bon Jovi song at a Las Vegas nightclub a couple of years ago was reportedly stiffed on his money, and the whole mess is now playing out in Nevada federal court, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The DJ, Deadmau5, had his agent go to collect the six-figure sum, but the high-stakes gambler refused to pay. The latter reportedly was in the middle of a losing blackjack session.
Ex-Hospital Exec Sentenced In $713K Gambling Theft
A fired executive of western Pennsylvania’s second-largest hospital network will spend one to two years on a work-release sentence for stealing $713,000 to feed his gambling habit.
Fifty-three-year-old Ira Johnson, of Penn Hills, was sentenced after pleading guilty in July to stealing the money when he was the manager of patient financial services for the West Penn Allegheny Health System from 2006 until he was fired in November 2011.
Video Shows Man Being Attacked By Police After Leaving Atlantic City Casino
A New Jersey man who was the victim of horrifying police brutality after getting kicked out of an Atlantic City casino is suing the cops, according to reports.
Despite the vicious attack, 20-year-old David Connor Castellani faces charges for attempted assault on an officer, resisting arrest and attempting to harm a police dog.
Transit Supervisor Arrested For Stealing $172K In Bus Fares To Fund Gambling Habit
Mark Gordon, maintenance supervisor for the Decatur Mass Transit System, was arrested for allegedly stealing more than $100,000 in bus fares during the past three years.
Gordon, 56, who was in the supervisory position since March 15, 2010, was arrested after Decatur police detectives conducted an investigation in which they captured him on surveillance video entering the bus garage repeatedly on nighttime visits and leaving with bags of loot.
