The Say No to the Casino Civic Association held a meeting this Monday in an effort to convince Nassau County officials to scrap plans for a multi-billion-dollar casino and entertainment venue on Long Island.

Casino opponents claim that such a gambling establishment would only increase crime rates, traffic, and the number of people affected by gambling problems. However, many people supported the casino proposal, explaining that the Sands Casino would attract more potential customers to the county and create more jobs.

Casino Proponents Focus on the Economic Benefits

The casino proposal came from the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which has signed a deal to purchase the lease for the Nassau Coliseum and its surrounding area and establish a multi-billion-dollar casino if approved. The property would include a casino area, outdoor community space, four- and five-star hotel rooms, a performance venue, and convention spaces. But opinions on the casino proposal are polarized.

Many residents of Long Island as well as business owners support the casino proposal. According to Frank Borrelli of Borrelli’s Restaurant, a casino would bring more customers to his eatery in East Meadow. He added that the gambling establishment would support the small business in the area.

Elizabeth Wellington of the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce said that many young people are leaving the area due to the lack of job opportunities and the casino would solve this problem.

Why Some People Oppose the Casino Project?

Corinne Zarou and Annette Cella live close to the Coliseum. The two women expressed their concerns that a gambling establishment would increase traffic and noise. Ms. Cella also pointed out that a casino in the county would be a catalyst for increased drunk driving on Hempstead Turnpike and Meadowbrook.

In February this year, the Garden City Village Board announced that it is against the casino project. The developers explained that the casino would not only create more jobs but also boost the local economy by attracting fresh money flow.

Pearl Jacobs of the Nostrand Gardens Civic Association said that money is not more important than young people’s future. Pastor Arthur Mackey of Mount Sinai Baptist Church did not support the casino project, too. He said that the gambling venue would have a negative effect on the Black and brown community.

Hofstra University is located just across the street from the Nassau Hub. Dr. Susan Poser, the current President of the University, explained that the gambling establishment could encourage many students to gamble. She also pointed out that many college students are already facing gambling problems. Earlier this year, a petition against the proposed casino at the Nassau Coliseum site was signed by over 1,500 residents.

News 12 reported that Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman will approve the casino project only if the locals support the idea. At the end of the month, the county Legislature is to vote on the casino project.

On March 30, the New Hampshire online casino legislation passed through the Senate, and now it heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. Rep. Tim Lang’s legislative effort failed on the second reading by a vote of 11-12, but Senate President Jeb Bradley supported Lang and called a recess. The Senate agreed to reconsider its decision and passed the online casino bill by a narrow 12-11 vote.

Key Provisions of the New Hampshire Online Casino Bill

SB104 became the first online casino bill for 2023 that has received approval from a legislative body after Sen. Kevin Avard switched his vote from no to yes. Last Thursday, Rep. Tim Lang’s legislative effort failed to pass the Senate on second reading by a vote of 11-12. But Senate President Jeb Bradley called a recess. After several minutes, the Senate returned to reconsider the legislation. On a second vote, the bill passed by a 12-11 vote.

Under the bill, the New Hampshire Lottery Commission would be the authority responsible for overseeing the online casino industry. The regulator would be allowed to choose which operators it will license through a competitive bidding process.

The piece of legislation also stipulates that individuals must be at least 18 years of age to participate in online gambling activities. The online games that would be allowed include poker, blackjack, roulette, craps, and baccarat. Besides, online casino revenue would be directed to a community college scholarship fund.

Online Casino Gambling May Affect Charitable Gaming Revenues

But not all legislators approved Lang’s legislative effort. Some explained that online gambling could have a negative effect on charitable casinos in New Hampshire that provide a portion of their revenue to support good causes.

Lang explained that online sports betting is a form of online gambling, which has been legal in New Hampshire since 2019. However, it did not affect charitable brick-and-mortar casinos because they offer other types of games such as historical horse racing and Lucky 7.

Lang added that SB120 is the bill that would appease concerns that online casinos will hit charitable gaming revenues. Under this legislation, the betting limit would be increased from $10 to $50. Besides, buy-in and re-buy limits on tournament games would be raised from $150 and $250 to $2,500, while table stake limits would surge from $150 to $2,500.

SB104 and SB120 aim to consolidate charitable gaming contributions and legalize online casino gambling in New Hampshire. Last Thursday, the two bills passed on the third reading by voice vote. However, there is no guarantee that the legislative effort will pass the House. The New Hampshire legislative session is to commence on June 30.

A group of investors shared that they eye the opportunity to establish a new harness racetrack and casino (racino) in south suburban Richton Park that would boost Illinois’ horse racing industry. To realize their plans, state legislators should remove Hawthorne Race Course’s power to veto any racino proposals within 35 miles of its track in west suburban Stickney. The proposal to build a racino on an 80-acre plot of land comes from the recently-established Greenway Entertainment Group.

Lawmakers May Remove Hawthorne’s Veto Power

Wealthy developers have already announced their intention to invest up to $350 million in a racino project in Richton Park. The Greenway Entertainment Group, headed by Lake Bluff developer Drew Daniels, has met state officials several times to discuss the project after Hawthorne Race Course stalled its expansion plans several times that resulted in a revenue loss. In a letter to the Illinois Gaming Board, Mr. Daniels urged the authority to consider the significant revenue loss caused by “endless delays”. He added that many Richton Park village officials support the proposal.

Richton Park Village President Rick Reinbold embraced Greenway Entertainment’s proposal, saying that the community would welcome this type of investment. Mike Campbell, the former president of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, explained that the state should allow them to realize the project as Hawthorne’s racino plan has remained in limbo for long enough.

But lawmakers must amend the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975 that grants racetracks the power to veto any racino proposals within 35 miles. In 2019, state legislators included Hawthorne in the gambling expansion law that allowed for six new casinos to be established in the state. Last month, Sen. Patrick Joyce introduced a bill that would remove Hawthorne’s veto power and allow the Greenway Entertainment Group to move forward with its plans.

What Happened with Hawthorne’s Racino Plans?

In 2019, Hawthorne announced its plans to build a racino in an effort to support the struggling horse racing industry in Illinois. But the state refused to sell the land for the project because one of the company’s partners, Heidner, had its license revoked for allegedly offering a $5 million “illegal inducement”.

Hawthorne President Tim Carey explained that the company had to postpone its plans to establish a racino at its existing track due to high-interest rates and other challenges that arose from the Covid-19 pandemic. He said that Hawthorne could easily install 1,200 slot machines, but they wanted to build a racino entertainment complex that would attract fresh revenue money and benefit the horse racing industry.

According to the latest news, Hawthorne’splans still need financing to proceed, but the racino project is now shovel-ready for the renovation after much of the inside and the front glass face of Hawthorne’s grandstand has already been demolished.

Fast data collection has become an integral part of the worldwide sports betting industry, with the number of companies offering such services growing exponentially, further increasing the competition in the global online gambling market.

Last week, IMG Arena, which is the gambling data division of Endeavor, filed a lawsuit against the US-based data collecting company Stats Perform, alleging that the latter was unlawfully collecting data during soccer matches in Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, and Switzerland. IMG Arena holds the exclusive rights for collecting sports data across said European markets, which was the reason for the accusations against Stats Perform.

Stats Perform Unauthorized Data Collectors Spotted at European League Matches

According to IMG Arena, Stats Perform was relying on information obtained by unauthorized data collectors and scouts who were obtaining data in real-time from matches, which are covered by IMG Arena under its exclusive data collecting license. In its claim, the company alleges that these unauthorized scouts and data collectors would then provide the information they have gathered to Stats Perform in real-time.

The exclusive soccer data collecting rights were given to IMG Arena in February 2022. Under the contract awarded to the company, IMG Arena was authorized to provide Fast Data for Betting Purposes, covering a total of 44 competitions in 19 European soccer leagues, which include lower and higher-tier domestic leagues, super cups, domestic cups as well as women’s soccer competitions.

IMG Arena claims their exclusive data collection rights were breached by Stats Perform scouts at a number of matches in five European countries. These include events like Laftnitz vs. Sturm Graz Ⅱ in Austria and FK Teplice vs FC Zbrojovka Brno in the Czech league. The unauthorized scouts were also spotted at soccer events from the men’s tier 3 and women’s tier 1 matches in Germany. The face-off between PAS Lamia 1964 and OFI Crete in the Super League in Greece and the men’s tier 2 match between Neuchatel Xamax and FC Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland were also among the soccer games where unauthorized data collectors were present.

IMG Arena Calls for Companies to Protect Their Exclusive Rights

In a statement for SBC News, the IMG Arena president, Freddie Longe, confirmed there is evidence of the unlawful data collection from Stats Perform, with unauthorized scouts collecting data from several European Leagues. The competitor was fully aware they were breaking IMG Arena’s exclusive data collection rights, which was damaging the value of data rights holders, added Long.

According to IMG Arena, even though the complete damage assessment has not been done yet, Stats Perform’s infringement of exclusive data collection rights has brought significant losses to the company holding the exclusive rights. IMG Arena claims that the breach of the data collection rights brought the company damages of at least $1.6 million.

In his statement, Longe underlined that this is an issue that needs to be widely addressed as it affects the whole gambling data collection industry. IMG Arena believes rights holders should take action to protect the value of said rights and should stop working with companies that undermine the value of such rights, said Longe.

Stats Perform will be given the opportunity to rebut IMG Arena’s claims and provide their counter argument on the issue. The suit IMG Arena filed against Start Perform falls under English law. Since First Amendment protections for data are stated in the public domain in the US, such arguments would face more obstacles if that case were to be resolved under US law.

Ever since gambling was launched in the state of Colorado in 1991, authorities have never seen such a major casino heist in the Centennial State. A mountain town casino heist of $500,000 in cash is investigated by state authorities.

On March 12, Monarch Casino Resort and Spa, which is located 34 miles away from Denver in Black Hawk, was robbed. The main suspect in the crime is Sabrina Eddy, 44, who worked as a cashier at the casino. She was arrested and was still in jail by Tuesday afternoon.

Casino Cashier Claim She Did Nothing Wrong and Was Following Casino Orders

In a Gilpin County District Court affidavit issued to support the warrantless arrest of Eddy, it was a few minutes after midnight when the cashier received text messages from people who claimed to be her casino bosses. They gave her the instruction to take out the money required to pay a lawyer, said the affidavit.

Thanks to CCTV shots, Eddy was captured using a box to take $50,000 bricks of money, which was then loaded into a gold-colored minivan. Eddy then left the casino, only to return later to take more money from the vault. Following the instructions she was given, she then drove to St. Anthony’s Hospital in Denver and gave the money to a man who was standing near the emergency room, said the affidavit. The cashier then called the casino, informing them she had taken the money and adding she believed she might be arrested. Eddy kept explaining she had done nothing wrong but simply followed the instructions she was given by the casino, said the affidavit.

The Colorado Division of Gaming, which is the body responsible for regulating the gambling industry in the state, refused to discuss any further details but did confirm there is an investigation of the case.

In an email commenting on the heist, Suzanne Karrer, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Revenue, confirmed that the Division of Gaming was investigating this case with the help of local authorities and law enforcement agencies. She also added that the incident would not be discussed further until the investigation is not complete.

This incident marks the biggest casino theft in Colorado ever since gambling was legalized in the mountain towns of Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek in 1990. In 2003, there was a $300,000 casino theft from JP McGills, with a casino security guard being the suspect in the robbery. Other cases include an armed robber who stole $28,000 from Central City’s Famous Bonanza in 2010, and another armed robbery of $8,000 from the Gold Rush Casino and Hotel in Cripple Creek in 1993.

According to Karrer, small thefts and fraudulent acts are common, with the regulatory body dealing with such cases almost every week. The latest case of $500,000 being taken from the Monarch Casino in Black Hawk, however, marks the biggest theft in Colorado since gambling was legalized in the Centennial State.

North Carolina moves one step closer to legal sports betting as the House of Representatives okayed House Bill 347 (HB 347) which seeks to allow wagering on professional, amateur, and collegiate sports events via smartphones and other electronic devices. The topic of introducing legal sports betting has been hotly debated by lawmakers in the state for over two years. A similar bill (SB 38) failed to gain legislative approval in 2022 by a ludicrously narrow margin of one vote against. Now it appears lawmakers in the Tar Heel State have started to warm up to the idea of legal sports wagering.

As BonusInsider previously reported, the House Commerce Committee approved HB 347 last Tuesday with a 17-10 vote. HB 347, whose chief sponsor is Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln), went through four committee stops before it ended up at the House of Representatives where it was eventually approved on second reading with a 66-45 majority vote after almost two hours of discussion. The third and final reading is scheduled for today and will ultimately decide whether the bill progresses to the Senate.

HB 347 underwent minor changes as the potential launch date of legal online sports betting was moved from January 1 to January 8 next year. Wagering on greyhound and horse races was also removed from the bill, which now contains provisions for the additional funding of ten University of North Carolina schools that do not participate in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

During the two-hour discussions, the House legislature weighed up the social, economic, and moral implications of bringing legal sports betting to North Carolina. The bill’s chief sponsor Rep. Saine said that regulating the market is the smart and moral thing to do since it would provide problem gamblers with more adequate assistance and resources. Legal sports betting would also give a much-needed revenue boost to the state, he insisted. Saine is confident that this young market could bring anywhere between $60 and $80 million in state revenue, although some of his fellow Representatives questioned his assessment.

Few House Representatives Oppose Sports Betting Legalization

Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford) pointed out that other states with legal sports wagering have not been coming close to their original revenue estimates and warned that the same thing could happen in North Carolina. Rep. Abe Jones (D-Wake) also opposed the move, stressing that sports betting could potentially lead to commercial casinos spreading throughout the state like wildfire. For clarification, North Carolina is presently home to three tribal casinos only, located in Cherokee, Murphy, and Kings Mountain. Commercial gaming is prohibited in the state for the time being.

HB 347 also ran into opposition on behalf of Rep. John Autry (D-Mecklenburg), who argued that the sports wagering industry preys on minors who will also suffer the negative effects of excessive advertising. Gambling adverts could groom underage North Carolinians to become gamblers, Rep. Autry warned.

Should the bill prevail in the Senate, it will pave the way for the launch of 10 to 12 regulated mobile sportsbooks in the Tar Heel State. Licensed operators will be taxed at a rate o 14% of their adjusted gross betting revenue. An amendment proposing to increase the tax rate to 51% was defeated during the discussions. Licensees will also have the option to deduct free bets and bonuses from their taxable income without any restrictions throughout their first year of operation, i.e. 2024. However, these tax deduction rates will drop significantly in 2026 and will be altogether abandoned at the beginning of 2027.

If approved by the Senate, HB 347 would mandate the North Carolina Lottery Commission with the oversight and licensing of authorized sports betting operators. Each license will cost $1 million and will have a validity of five years. Only North Carolinians aged 21 or older will be allowed to legally participate in sports wagering.

Following the promises he made during his 2022 campaign, president William Ruto introduced Kenya’s Financial Inclusion Fund also known as Hustler Fund. The purpose of this fund is to provide Kenyans with instant loans upon request, which will ultimately ensure more cost-effective access to credit. This will help Kenya to combat the increasing issues with credit scores among poorer Kenyans who cannot access cash.

The latest bill that was introduced by Ruto’s administration predicts a portion of the money generated through gambling every year to go to the Hustler Fund. With a part of the billions Kenyans stake every year, the Hustler Fund can help the country introduce a better savings system among locals.

According to the new rules that were introduced by the Presidential Task Force for the launch of the National Lottery, there will also be a mandatory stake minimum of Sh20 (~$0.15) punters will be required to make during online gambling sessions.

New Law to Introduce Significant Changes to Online Gambling and Betting Sector in Kenya

The new Gambling Control Bill introduced a mandatory deduction of a portion of every punter’s stakes online, which will then go to the Hustler Fund. The amount, which will be taken from every wager will be determined by the newly established Gambling Regulatory Authority in Kenya. The new regulator will also work closely with the Interior Cabinet Secretary to determine the mandatory portion deducted from gamblers’ wagers.

The new Bill, which is yet to be approved as a law, focuses on the millions of punters in Kenya who gamble every year. Through this new law, the Ruto administration is looking for a new way to bring more money into the Hustler Fund, which has generated over Sh1 billion (~$7,500) up until now.

If the Gaming Control Bill passes as a law, it will replace the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act, which currently regulates the gambling sector in Kenya. If the bill is approved and the rule for the mandatory deduction of a portion of gambling stakes is enforced, this will further add to the taxes imposed on the gambling sector in Kenya. Currently, there is a tax of 7.5% on bets, while winnings incur a tax of 20%.

Under the newly proposed bill, the betting tax is expected to be 15% of the revenue of gambling and betting entities operating in Kenya. In addition, these companies will have to pay a monthly gambling fee of no more than 1% of their gross gambling revenue per month. The said levy is paid directly to the Gambling Regulatory Authority.

As for the penalties under the new law, operators may face a fine of up to Sh5 million (~$38,000) or imprisonment of up to six years if they violate the rule of accepting bets of at least Sh20 (~$0.15). Operators will also be required to impose measures that would prevent underage individuals from registering with betting and gambling companies.

Under the new law, operators will also have to implement a gambling control system into their operations, with online security, players/bettors protection, payment solutions, preventing underage gambling, and spreading awareness of gambling harm being just a few of the key points Kenyan operators must focus on.

As for the Gambling Regulatory Authority, under the new law, it is required to provide real-time monitoring of the gambling sector and make the same technology available to the Communication Authority (CA) and any other government agency involved in the regulation of the gambling industry.

Starting next Monday, the public will be able to participate in the discussions of the proposed piece of legislation, including the introduction of a National Gambling Policy and a draft version of a National Lottery Bill.

On Friday, for the first time ever, the Vermont House of Representatives passed bill HB 127. The said piece of legislation would legalize sports betting in the Green Mountain State. While the bill still needs to be approved by the Senate, during the Friday session, the bill went straight to voting, with no discussion being held on the floor.

The event that took place on Friday marked the very first time a sports betting bill has been passed by either chamber in Vermont. The bill that is yet to be passed as a law is supposed to help the state generate enough revenue to combat the increase of problem gambling that officials believe will be one of the results following the legalization of sports betting in Vermont.

Late Thursday evening, Vermont lawmakers reached an agreement on several amendments to bill HB 127, which was then approved without any discussions on Friday. The bill received almost unanimous approval, meaning sports betting is to be legalized in the Green Mountain State very soon.

Legal Sports Betting Expected to Generate Modest Amounts, Sports Betting Revenue to be Used to Minimize Problem Gambling Harm

According to the recently passed bill, the state of Vermont would benefit from at least 20% of the adjusted sports betting gross revenue, which would be generated through the operations of brands like FanFuel and DraftKings.

Depending on the number of brands operating in the Green Mountain State, betting companies that operate in Vermont will be charged a varying annual operating fee. The said surcharge is estimated to be $500,000 if the state market opens only for a single operator. However, the annual fee per operator could also be $120,000, with the proviso that the maximum allowed number of six companies are operating in Vermont.

Under the bill, obtaining an online sports betting license in Vermont would cost operators a fee of $275,000. The money, which will be earned through sports betting in the state, would go to Vermont’s General Fund, with at least $250,000 of that money is predicted to go to the Responsible Gaming Special Fund.

Another important amendment to the bill states that punters in Vermont will be able to place wagers on both professional and college sports, but betting on in-state college teams would not be allowed. The only exception to this restriction will be when Vermont college teams are participating in tournaments.

Based on data collected from states that have already legalized online sports betting, Vermont lawmakers are well aware of the modest revenue that the newly legalized market would generate in the first few years. While early estimates showed a possible state revenue of $2.6 million for fiscal year 2024, following the latest amendments to the bill, it was predicted that the state could bring in only $2 million for that fiscal year.

To further increase protection for vulnerable individuals, the House approved an amendment to the bill that will introduce harsh penalties on individuals and entities violating online sports betting rules in the Green Mountain State. First-time offenders could face a financial penalty of $25,000 but if sports betting operators are not compliant with the new rules for a second and third time, they will be punished with a fine of $75,000 and $150,000 respectively. Additionally, operators who violate the online sports betting rules introduced in the state of Vermont could potentially lose their licenses.

Belgian football has joined forces with the rest of the country’s sports sectors in an effort to defeat the proposed ban on gambling advertising that is to take effect from July 1, 2023. According to estimates, Belgian football clubs receive at least 12% of the sponsorship revenues from betting operators. Sports stakeholders have confirmed that such a ban would have a negative effect on football’s revenue and will not yield the desired result of protecting people from gambling problems.

The Sports Sector Asks for Consultation on the Upcoming Gambling Advertising Ban

Today, the Pro League, the BNXT Basketball League, three cycling teams, and the organizer of the European Tennis Open, have signed a statement that the Belgian professional sport is suggesting a consultation on the proposed gambling advertising ban.

Lorin Parys, the Chief Executive Officer of the Belgian Pro League, is among the sports officials who believe that the ban will only cause a loss of “financial power”. According to a recent report, the gambling industry contributed 12.7% of the total €79.3 million in sponsorship revenue for the 2020/2021 season.

Sports stakeholders expressed their readiness to teach sports fans how to keep their betting sessions in check. They added that such a ban on gambling advertising would shake the sports sector. Sports stakeholders even suggested that the gambling advertising ban may even encourage sports fans to use the services of unauthorized operators. But neither the Minister of Justice nor the Prime Minister has answered the request for consultation thus far. As a result, sports officials took the decision to challenge the ban in court.

The Scope of the Gambling Advertising Ban

Earlier in March this year, the Belgian government announced that it is to implement a complete ban on gambling advertisements, effective from July 1, 2023. A further ban on advertising in stadiums and on sponsorship deals with gambling companies will be introduced from January 1, 2028. The move is aimed at reducing the negative impact of gambling among Belgians.

Television, radio, and cinemas will be prohibited from broadcasting gambling advertisements. The ban also extends to magazines and newspapers, which will be no longer allowed to publish gambling-related commercials. Promoting gambling services on websites and social media will be prohibited, too.

Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne stated that the government is deeply concerned about the number of gambling advertisements and that they can result in additional problems for those struggling with a gambling addiction. The move follows other European countries like Italy and Spain, which have already introduced restrictions on gambling advertising.

The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) issued notices to at least 32 businesses, warning them that the gaming machines they host are illegal as they offer a monetary return. Lieutenant Mark Chacon with the Colorado Springs Police Department said that most of these businesses were not aware of the fact that these gaming devices are illegal in Colorado, and that is why the agency only issued warnings instead of strictly enforcing the law.

Arcade Games with a Monetary Prize are Illegal in Colorado?

Earlier this week, the police cracked down on machines that are very similar to the games offered at Dave and Busters – a 68,000-square-foot dining and entertainment facility. But unlike the gaming devices at Dave and Busters that provide players with the opportunity to win tickets, the illegal gambling machines feature a monetary prize.

Lieutenant Mark Chacon with the Colorado Springs Police Department explained that players put real money into these video arcade games and hope to win a monetary prize. And in the eyes of the law, such gaming machines are illegal.

These games are widely known as fish table games. According to the police, locations that host illegal gambling devices are often associated with more serious crimes such as drug trafficking and violence. Officers even revealed that they detained armed fugitives at some of the locations.

On Wednesday and Thursday, detectives from the police Metro Division visited the affected locations to inform business owners of the current laws on illegal gambling machines and what penalties they could face for non-compliance.

CSPD warned that if the business owners continue operating illegal gambling devices even after the educational campaign, they will face hefty fines of up to $100,000 and potential prison time. The charges for wrongdoers range from a class two misdemeanor to a class six felony.

The Police Launches an Educational Campaign

Business owners thought that these machines were in compliance with the law due to a loophole that was closed in 2018. Such gaming machines have been illegal since 2016. But the law was amended in 2018, explicitly banning all kinds of gambling machines outside Cripple Creek and Black Hawk. The law stipulates that everyone who “knowingly” operates gambling premises is committing a crime.

Charlie Chedda’s, one of the arcade businesses that received a notice, explained that it does not violate the law because it hosts arcade contests and tournaments that feature a monetary prize and not individual monetary gambling machines.

Peggi O’Keefe, the Executive Director of the Colorado Gaming Association, explained that there are many illegal gambling machines throughout the state their prevalence is a public safety concern. She added that such games are not taxed and have a negative effect on Colorado’s gaming revenue.

After the educational campaign ends, the police will start investigating these locations, penalizing business owners who violate the law.