Serial

What is Serial?

A Chicago suburb city mayor says he will return $2,000 in campaign contributions connected to a local restaurateur who has been indicted in a federal gambling case in Indiana.

Mayor Gary Grasso confirmed the donations from Filippo “Gigi” Rovito after local outlet Patch contacted him to ask about contributions from two Burr Ridge businesses owned by Rovito, Capri Ristorante and the Are We Live nightclub. 

The mayor said he was not aware of the contributions before the publication actually got in touch with him.

About Serial

Madsen knows from experience how difficult it can be to escape gambling when access remains readily available.

“I’m trying to address every stage: prevention, support for people who are already struggling, and then action against the illegal sites.”

He does not believe illegal gambling can simply be eliminated. But he believes it can be made harder to operate. That may be the more realistic role for companies such as Trace2Trace as the illegal market evolves: not replacing regulators or enforcement agencies, but providing the intelligence needed to see beyond the individual URL. For Madsen, the motivation remains deeply personal: “I know very well what gambling addiction can do to people.”

What is Serial?

As the annual US Sports Equinox nears in the coming weeks, a contingent of professional sports leagues made waves on Tuesday with the release of a groundbreaking collaboration aimed at curbing harassment of athletes from frustrated bettors.

At a time when sports betting and predictions have reached a fever pitch, the majority of the country’s most prominent sports leagues, along with their player unions, sent a memo dated 15 September to a contingent of 35 state gaming authorities. Among proposed regulatory actions, the leagues recommend mandatory lifetime bans for individuals deemed to have “abusively harassed or issued threats of violence” against any professional athlete.

The leagues, including the National Basketball Association and the National Football League, submitted the memo as Texas Senator Ted Cruz works assiduously to pass a landmark federal framework for college athletics. While the NCAA is not a signatory to Tuesday’s letter, the advisory also urges states to pass mandatory bans for individuals who threaten “amateur athletes” along with coaches, officials and team personnel.