Freaky Fortnight – Amusing Gambling Stories from January 2023

Though the world of online poker sites, live cardrooms, casinos, sports betting, and other gambling is full of routine, everyday happenings, there are times when we encounter a piece of news that leaves us scratching our heads and muttering, “WTF?” For your amusement, we have presented below some of the weirdest and most bizarre gambling news stories from the last two weeks of January 2023 in this installment of Freaky Fortnight.

Mike Postle Escapes Court-Ordered Debt After Finishing 7th in Tournament

We return to the scandal that surrounds poker player Mike Postle first. As many people know, Postle has been at the center of one of the biggest cheating scandals in the game over the past couple of years. It was in 2019 that Veronica Brill posted a series of tweets, claiming that he had been cheating. Brill and a set of other plaintiffs sought out redress for losing hands to him when he was supposedly cheating.

Brill and Postle filed lawsuits against one another although Postle’s $300 million case was a monumental failure. Rather than receive a payout, he was left with a collection of legal fees and a damaged reputation. Brill and others countersued for their legal expenses, and they ended up winning. Postle now owes Brill more than $27,000, but he has yet to pay it. She took it upon herself to find a way of confiscating Postle’s winnings from a poker tournament he competed in.

Rumors initially came up that Postle’s winnings had indeed been seized from a tourney he cashed in on Jan. 16 at the MGM-owned Beautiful shoreline Casino in Biloxi, MS. Postle took seventh place in the $1,200 buy-in Million Dollar Heater Main Event, receiving a $32,703 prize.

However, Brill’s lawyer confirmed that an attempt at garnishing his winnings failed mostly due to the delays inherent in the court filing process. Should Postle attempt to play poker in Mississippi again in the future, though, much of the necessary paperwork has already been completed, and it would be much easier to seize his winnings.

Minnesota Brothers Run TikTok Gambling Ploy

According to sources, two brothers in Minnesota set up and ran a TikTok gambling scheme involving play at the casinos in the state. This has led to the Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division leading an investigation on the two Edina residents. The scheme allegedly sees them collecting fees to play slot machines on behalf of others who watch on TikTok.

First reported by the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Jan. 20, a search warrant affidavit made the allegations against one of the Edina men. It stated that he utilized cash apps to collect the initial $5.99 subscription fee. Then, for every $100 deposited that he could wager with, he claimed $25. Afterwards, he streamed live via TikTok, showing himself and his brother playing the slot games.

The man has 165,000 followers on the social media app who are based around the world. In the archive of his video highlights, wads of cash and slot machines rolling up jackpot payouts can be seen. At one point, a $15,000 win is witnessed taking place in December 2022. Court filings suggested that the brothers were enacting the gameplay at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake and the Treasure Island Resort & Casino outside Red Wing.

The Minnesota Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division confirmed the investigation with a spokesperson stating they have never encountered such a situation before. It is stated that the scheme violates the anti-money laundering protocols of casinos, and in addition, placing bets on behalf of others is illegal under Minnesota law. Nevertheless, neither man under investigation has been charged yet.

Poker Dealer Avoids Jail Despite Being Inside Man for a €50K Robbery

A professional poker dealer in Dublin, Ireland operated as an inside man for a robbery at the casino he was employed at. David Wright, 36, of Tallaght, South Dublin, pleaded guilty to stealing €50,000 from the casino as well as €700-worth of cigarettes in 2018. Wright himself was not involved in the actual robbery; yet, Judge Pauline Codd said that he had betrayed his employer to those individuals wishing to commit the crime.

She announced that it was reasonable for him to have foreseen certain threats of violence being made. She reluctantly imposed a suspended prison sentence given that an extended period of time has passed since the robbery took place. Wright has also taken specific efforts to rehabilitate himself within that timeframe. The four-year suspended sentence comes with strict conditions that he keep the peace and demonstrate good behavior, and Wright will also have to pay a fine of €3,000.

An investigation by garda, Ireland’s national police service, identified two vehicles involved in the robbery, one of which belonged to Wright. His banking history also displayed cash deposits of €2,500 and €1,100 made in the weeks after the casino robbery occurred. When the police arrested Wright, he was “forthcoming and extremely remorseful,” they said. He then pled guilty to the theft at Fitzwilliam Card Club at a very early court date.

Betting Odds on Kanye West Running for U.S. President in 2024

The run-up to the 2024 U.S. election has already started. And it seems like there is already a well-known celebrity included in the mix. Controversial musician Kanye West is once again in some people’s minds as being a figure who will run for President. He did try to gain the position in 2020; yet, he secured only 60,000 votes from an estimated 160 million placed.

Despite that disappointment, odds are once again available for sports bettors to back Kanye for 2024 although the odds on his becoming the next president of the USA imply that a victory would be highly unlikely. The BetOnline platform currently has him at odds of +20,000. Competitor Everygamehowever, likes Kanye’s chances a lot better, listing him at “only” +10,000 to win. Bovada’s linesmakers evidently think the same as the more conservative folks at BOL, also presenting odds of +20,000 for a Kanye win.

Unless he makes some pretty bold moves in the course of the next year, his underdog status is not likely to alter much. A few other sites may offer odds that are a little more favorable, but he’s almost certain to be a longshot no matter where you look.

If you’re not intending to back Kanye West to win, you can always place a wager on whether he will run for the presidency or not. At BetOnline, +125 are the odds for him to run while +40,000 are the odds for him to stand as the Republican nominee.

Vegas Authorities Seek Identity of Man in Connection with Casino Robberies

In an appeal to the public issued Jan. 18, police in Las Vegas are seeking out a man believed to be responsible for several thefts of casino cashiers. The crimes took place at casinos based in neighborhoods off the Vegas Strip. Through an investigation by the city’s police, a series of heists were discovered dating back to November of 2022.

The authorities posted a video to the internetdisplaying surveillance camera footage featuring two vehicles. A person wearing a hooded sweatshirt, gloves, mask, and sneakers was also present in the clip.

Details about the location of the recordings were not released. No further info about how much was stolen has been released, either. The incidents under investigation took place at the following locations:

• Nov. 16, 2022 – Gold Coast Casino a few blocks west of The Strip
• Dec. 12, 2022 – Green Valley Ranch in Henderson
• Dec. 20, 2022 – Silverton, south of The Strip
• Dec. 24, 2022 – Rampart Casino, northwest Las Vegas

The man detectives are searching for is described as being between 25- and 35-years-old, and his height was given as between 6 foot 1 and 6 foot 3 tall. He was driving two different vehicles reported as stolen: a dark grey Chevrolet Cruze and a silver Mazda 6.

Despite the fact that casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada often utilize a plethora of cameras and employ a barrage of security officers, the robberies still managed to take place. Employees are often told to comply with criminals during a robbery to avoid injuries.

This isn’t the first time that money has been stolen in high-profile gambling cases though. Numerous reports of thefts relating to poker players, casino gamers, and so on have been reported throughout recent history, like the time from 2015 to 2019 that a man embezzled $22 million from his employer to fund his gambling habits. One of the more recent stories involved an internet crook who managed to steal up to $10,000 at a time from unsuspecting online gamblers. This occurred through the BetMGM casino and even affected WSOP bracelet winner Joseph Cheong.