Tag Archive: Gambling


The Police No Longer Work For You

 

 

 

 

 

 

” To the casual observer it appears that Virginia is run by violent psychopaths. That’s the takeaway from the recent report of an anti-poker SWAT team raid in Fairfax County, in which eight assault rifle-sporting police officers moved against ten card-playing civilians. The police possibly seized more than $200,000 from the game, of which 40 percent they eventually kept.

  There was no indication that any of the players was armed. As a matter of fact, it appears that a gambler is more likely to be shot without provocation by the Fairfax Police than the other way around. The heavy firepower at the Fairfax raid was apparently motivated by the fact that “at times, illegal weapons are present” at such poker games, and that “Asian gangs” have allegedly targeted such events in the past. This is, then, a novel approach to law enforcement: as a matter of policy, Fairfax police now attempt to rob and steal from people before street gangs get around to doing it.

  It is a mystery why we put up with this obscene police behavior. Gambling itself is not illegal in Virginia; it is simply controlled by the state. So the Fairfax police department did not bust these hapless poker players with guns drawn for doing something truly immoral and fully outlawed, merely for doing something in a way not approved by the state legislature. Were gambling actually forbidden in Virginia, then a crackdown could at least be understood, if not condoned in so paramilitary a fashion. Yet Virginia’s stance on the matter is not to treat gambling as malum in se, but rather as an instrumentum regni: our government prefers to funnel gambling money into its own coffers for its own ends, outlaw the same thing when it’s done outside of the state’s jurisdiction, and then steal the money of the poor fellows who happen to get caught. “

 

 

    Civil asset forfeiture , or policing for profit , is one of the defining issues of our day and along with No-Knock raids have eroded our liberties in ways the Founders never dreamed possible .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key Way To Win Powerball’s $317M Jackpot

 

 

 

” Is the Powerball Lottery all chance? Just pick five numbers between 1 and 59, plus a Powerball number from 1 to 35. Still, there are things you can do to improve your take-home odds. For example, avoid entering into a deal to split winnings with friends or relatives.

Federal income taxes apply to all winnings, so you can also forget passing entirely under the IRS radar. See How Much Tax Will You Owe On A $600 Million Jackpot? Most states also tax lottery winnings, although some states exempt their ownstate lottery winnings but tax Powerball or otherstates’ lotteries.

The IRS will collect the top 39.6% federal rate. Paying tax isn’t optional either, as an IRS Form W-2G will report your winnings. In fact, you can be taxed even if you split the money with family, friends or even charity unless you are very, very careful. A run for the state border with your cash isn’t likely to work either, however tempting it may be.

In fact, it’s best to plan before you win, although given the low odds of winning, it’s unrealistic. Still, form and timing are key and lottery winners frequently make mistakes. If you win, see a tax adviser right away. Plan any transfers to charity, family or friends carefully. See 10 Things To Do When You Win The Lottery. “

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

High-Tech Crime Drama In Poker World

 

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” If you follow the link you’ll find an incredible story that seems to expose an attempt at an incredible scam.

The scam goes like this:

Use hotel employees near high stakes tournaments to gain access to the laptops of top poker professionals. Install some kind of computer virus to gain access to the hole cards of players who play high stakes online poker.”