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An anonymous man suffered from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he drove into a New York area casino on Monday. While an autopsy will confirm the death, it was said that he allegedly had a domestic dispute.

A tragic and unsettling incident unfolded at the Cuba Casino in New York State on Monday when an unnamed man drove his truck through the entrance of the small gaming property before taking his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The local news outlet, The Wellsville Sun, reported that the man, described as a resident of Allegany County, passed away at the scene. Authorities believe the incident may have stemmed from a domestic dispute.

Police confirm the apparent suicide, details to follow

The driver, operating a blue pickup truck, crashed into the front entrance of the Seneca Gaming & Entertainment Oil Spring, a casino situated on West Shore Road in Cuba, approximately 66 miles from Buffalo. Upon arriving at the scene, employees quickly alerted Allegany County emergency responders and informed them that the man was armed with a shotgun.

Police confirmed that the fatal injuries were caused by the self-inflicted gunshot wound, though they have yet to release further details on the events leading up to the shooting. An autopsy is expected to be performed to confirm that the man's death was a suicide. According to reports, the man had no prior criminal background.

While the casino's employees and patrons were left shaken by the incident, how much physical damage the truck crash caused to the gaming facility remains unclear. There has been no official estimate on the repair costs or how long the casino will remain closed for renovations, if necessary.

The small gaming property where the tragedy occurred, known officially as the Seneca Gaming & Entertainment Oil Spring, is owned and operated by the Seneca Nation of Indians. The casino is a popular destination for local residents, and the shock of the event has reverberated through the surrounding community.

Kansas Star Casino evacuated after bomb threat

In a separate incident, the Kansas Star Casino, located in Mulvane, Kansas, was evacuated for several hours on Friday after a bomb threat was called in. The scare prompted immediate action from local law enforcement, who conducted a thorough search of the casino complex and the attached Hampton Inn & Suites hotel. No explosive device was discovered during the search.

The bomb threat, which was phoned in at approximately 5:30 pm, led to alarms going off in the building, prompting an immediate evacuation. Visitors were asked to leave the casino and hotel via a public intercom announcement. Frank Belton, a casino visitor, shared his experience with Kansas TV station KWCH, saying, "I didn't get excited or anything... Like I said, it was (about) like high school when they had a fire alarm, or like grade school; grab your stuff and walk on out."

A team of law enforcement officers, including a bomb-sniffing dog handler, conducted a detailed search of the entire property. Entrances to the casino and hotel were shut down during the investigation. Fortunately, no threat was ultimately found, and patrons were allowed to return to the complex later that evening.

At the time of the bomb scare, no arrests were made, and authorities continued to investigate the source of the threat over the weekend. The Kansas Star Casino, located 17 miles south of Wichita, is owned by Boyd Gaming and attracts a steady stream of visitors throughout the year.

The evacuation and bomb scare disrupted the day for many patrons, but the quick response from authorities ensured that no one was harmed during the incident. It remains unclear whether the bomb threat was a deliberate attempt to cause panic or a prank, but local authorities are treating the matter seriously and continuing their investigation.

September can now be seen as a landmark month for Massachusetts’ sports betting scene as it was really at another level with the commonwealth setting state records in both total handle and tax revenue, which says a lot about the promising sports betting scene that is present in the state at this point in time.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has confirmed that it has amassed a total of $678.74 million for its sports betting handle and a whopping $14.63 million in tax revenues for September. Both are seen as monthly highs since the state launched its sports betting scene in 2023. As of the time of writing, Massachusetts has now tallied a total of  $187.88 million in taxes and fees since then.

So far, this just spells a promising note for the state as it is now being seen as one of the biggest sports betting communities in the United States. While it may not be at the same level as Las Vegas or any other major sports betting state, it is worth noting that these all-time highs set by Massachusetts are a huge progress in sports betting’s growth in the country overall.

A Record-Setting Month to Remember.

The total of $678,747,446 in sports betting handle is a massive promise that many critics see as a huge boost to the overall industry. Around $667.65 million of that said amount came from online sports betting as well. On the other hand, the taxable gaming revenue for the month totals $75,354,989, which marks an 11% hold and a total of $14,632,218 in tax revenue.

These numbers are quite impressive compared to the last five months, which was deemed to be a shaky presence for Massachusetts’ sports betting scene. These are the highest numbers since retail sports betting was launched in January 2023 and online sports betting in March 2023. Retail sports betting accounted for $11,094,741 in handle for the month.

If you are not impressed, the comparison puts September 2023 totals to just $500,020,161 in total sports betting handle and $9,723,283 in tax revenue. This just shows how the online scene has become quite a massive addition to the state’s overall handle and tax revenue.

Online Sports Betting’s Impact in Massachusetts

Massachusetts’ sports betting handle was significantly boosted by the presence of online sports betting platforms. For starters, DraftKings led the way in its home state with $355.19 million in online sports betting and tallying more than $7.75 million in taxes. This was followed by FanDuel, who also had $182.4 million in online sports betting handle and $4.4 million in tax revenue.

Other significant sportsbooks that have managed to tally impressive numbers are the likes of BetMGM ($45,587,058 in online sports betting handle), ESPN BET ($22,372,529 in online sports betting handle), and Fanatics Betting and Gaming ($37,908,603 in online sports betting handle).

So far, this month has been generated by the return of various sporting events in the country, meaning that Boston-based teams are now playing again. With the NFL (New England Patriots), NBA (Boston Celtics), and the NHL (Boston Bruins) leading the charge on that end, it is expected that the closing months of 2024 will yield the Massachusetts Gaming Commission bigger tallies in the long run.