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The pair established Sanum Investments and partnered with Laotian conglomerate ST Group. Baldwin later testified that the investors initially committed around $7.5 million to the venture, which envisaged two casino resorts and several slot clubs.
Their biggest success was Savan Vegas, strategically located near the Friendship Bridge linking Laos with neighboring Thailand across the Mekong River. A planned second resort, Paksong Vegas, was never built.
Within several years, however, the partnership had soured.
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During the livestream, the president stated that he had spoken with a woman who said her 26-year-old son had taken his own life because of online betting. He also mentioned hearing from a bettor who had racked up BRL2 million ($388,410) in debt in just three months of wagering.
Lula said he intends to discuss the matter with his team and analyse potential measures to consider the social impact of online betting.
What the president does not acknowledge is that the government relies on revenue from the sector. In just the first seven months of 2026, BRL8.747 billion generated by sports betting has already flowed into public coffers. The Federal Revenue Service estimates the total could reach BRL16 billion by the end of the year. In 2025, nearly BRL9 billion was collected from sportsbooks.
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According to the FBI, which raided his Las Vegas house on human trafficking warrants in 2014, Rashid “persuaded, induced, enticed and caused hundreds of victims to prostitute themselves for his benefit” beginning in 2002.
“Rashid operated a high-end prostitution business that transported victims across the United States, using various paid websites … to advertise the victims for prostitution purposes,” read a press release from the US attorney’s office, District of Nevada.
Prosecutors said Rashid imposed strict rules, manipulated the women, and used threats to maintain control. Some victims were encouraged to tattoo his name or image as a sign of loyalty, and many were led to believe he could advance their entertainment careers.