News-media keep describing the shooter as a millionaire therefore ruling out gambling debt. However, I still believe there's more to the story (even if it's not too reassuring to Las Vegas where everything revolves around gambling & gun culture thrives).
For example, there's this report from NBC describing Paddock's recent gambling transactions:
"Las Vegas Shooter Stephen Paddock Had Recent Large Gambling Transactions"
https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/las-vegas-shooting/stephen-paddock-las-vegas-shooting-suspect-identified-n806471
"The suspected gunman behind the Las Vegas massacre made several large gambling transactions in recent weeks, according to multiple senior law enforcement officials and a casino executive.
On several occasions, Stephen Paddock gambled more than $10,000 per day — and in some cases more than than $20,000 and $30,000 a day — at Las Vegas casinos, according to an NBC News source who read the suspect's Multiple Currency Transaction Reports (CTR) and a casino gaming executive.
According to a U.S. statute, a CTR is a Treasury- and IRS-mandated report that casinos have to file when "each transaction in currency involving cash-in and cash-out of more than $10,000 in a gaming day."
It was not immediately clear whether those transactions were losses or wins."
There's also this NYTimes article indicating Paddock's gambling history is part of the active police investigation:
"Las Vegas Gunman Chased Gambling’s Payouts and Perks"
"According to a person who has reviewed Mr. Paddock’s gambling history, and who requested anonymity because the information was part of an active police investigation, dozens of “currency transaction reports,” which casinos must send the federal government for transactions greater than $10,000, were filed in Mr. Paddock’s name. Mr. Paddock had six-figure credit lines at casinos that afforded him the chance to make big sums in long sit-down sessions, and he was known as someone who always paid his accounts. His rooms were often comped, meaning given to him free, including this past weekend at Mandalay Bay, according to the person familiar with his history."
But the police investigation will probably take some time, because Paddock was a very private individual who paid a lot of money for his privacy:
"Sources: Vegas killer paid cash for property and privacy"
http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/04/us/paddock-profile-house-cash-fence-invs/index.html
"Other houses might offer bigger floor plans, but the one on Babbling Brook Court had two big selling points: a commanding hilltop view and, perhaps most importantly, privacy. Neighbors lived to the left and right, but none behind the home. Paddock quickly said he'd take it."
"Sources: Vegas killer paid cash for property and privacy"
http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/04/us/paddock-profile-house-cash-fence-invs/index.html
"Other houses might offer bigger floor plans, but the one on Babbling Brook Court had two big selling points: a commanding hilltop view and, perhaps most importantly, privacy. Neighbors lived to the left and right, but none behind the home. Paddock quickly said he'd take it."
Interestingly though, it was only recently that Paddock started buying guns according to Pete Williams from NBC news.
A fact confirmed by CBSNews:
"Why Stephen Paddock's gun purchases didn't raise red flags"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/las-vegas-shooting-why-stephen-paddock-gun-purchases-didnt-raise-red-flags/
'"From October 2016 to September 28, 2017, he purchased 33 firearms, majority of them rifles," Snyder said. "We wouldn't get notified of the purchases of the rifles, we would only get notified if there was a multiple sale, which would be two or more handguns in an individual purchase," Snyder said.
"Why is there no notification if someone is buying multiple rifles?" O'Donnell asked.
"There's no federal law requiring that," Snyder said.'
CBSNews also speculates Paddock's motive "may lie in his gambling habits": "Stephen Paddock: Motive of Las Vegas gunman may lie in his gambling habits"
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stephen-paddock-motive-las-vegas-gunman-gambling-habits/
"Michael Shackleford, who runs a gambling strategy website called The Wizard of Odds, said based on what is known of Paddock's life, the gunman seems to have been what the casinos refer to as a "premium mass" player - one who bets in higher amounts, with a better understanding of the game than the typical player.
Premium mass players pay close attention to the odds in the game they're playing and the payout, and they typically need access to a lot of money because they may have long dry spells where they lose exorbitant amounts.
Eventually, Shackleford said, if players stay true to a perfect strategy - one designed to maximize their performance over the long haul, such as by getting rid of potentially decent cards like low pairs to increase chances of a big-payout royal flush - their luck will turn, based on statistics, and they'll break even or come close to it. When you add in the freebies from the casino, the player can come out ahead."
Regardless of speculation, the investigation is ongoing.But in the meantime, the gun debate keeps helping weapon manufacturers as stock prices for firearms rose this week:
"Stock prices for firearm companies rose this week after a gunman killed dozens of people in Las Vegas, an apparent continuation of a morbid trend linked to mass shootings."
No comments:
Post a Comment