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Philip Pietras, 52, admitted to stealing from more than 170 people, many of whom are senior citizens who sought to limit the emotional and financial burdens placed on their loved ones by prepaying for their funerals. But instead of placing those funds, meant for caskets and burial services, in escrow accounts, Pietras pocketed the money to gamble.
Pietras accepted a plea deal from the state, and prosecutors expect him to enter a guilty plea on Oct. 23 and be formally sentenced on Jan. 22, 2027.
Under the terms of the state’s offer, Pietras will admit to stealing his clients’ money for his personal use. In exchange for his admission, the state has recommended a prison sentence of 7.5 years instead of 15 years, followed by five years of probation.
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New financial disclosures from the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office show that VGW gave the campaign another $100,000, bringing the firm’s total contributions to $130,000. The latest check, dated Aug. 31, came from the Chumba Casino, Global Poker, and LuckyLand Casino operator.
Tuberville, the famed former football coach of the Auburn Tigers, has served in the US Senate since 2021. Tuberville has expressed a willingness to consider gambling expansion in the Cotton State, one of the most restricted gambling states in the union.
VGW’s $100,000 contribution to Tuberville brings its total campaign contributions in Alabama this year to more than $351,000. The bulk of the funds—$170,000—went to North Alabama PAC, a political action committee managed by operative Steve Ruby.
About Shootin Hoops
Retention has provided another encouraging signal. Depending on the market, Yashin says day-one, day-seven and day-30 retention can range from around the crash-game benchmark to between five and 10 times higher. The number of rounds played during a session can also be significantly greater.
The explanation, he believes, comes back to the behaviour that inspired Swipe Games in the first place. Crash players may experience a different outcome each time, but visually they repeatedly encounter much the same thing. Social media has conditioned its users to expect something new with every swipe.
“People are not playing it just as a quick crash game,” Yashin says. “They play it more like they are betting. It is a different pattern.”
