Nation IN BRIEF : NATIONWIDE : Casinos Said at Risk to Money Laundering

The rapid expansion of legalized gambling across the nation, combined with limited resources for enforcement, has opened opportunities for laundering ill-gotten cash, the government says. A report Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) requested from Congress’ investigative arm, the General Accounting Office, said casinos are most at risk to money laundering because they handle more than 80% of the money bet legally nationwide. Cash betting in casinos grew from $117 billion in 1984 to $407 billion in 1994, reports an industry trade publication, “International Gaming and Wagering Business.”