New Year's Day Gambling Binge Lands Tampa Parents In Jail

With every new year comes a story of neglect, and in 2010 it did not take long for that neglect to turn into an arrest. A couple that was gambling at the Tampa Hard Rock Casino was arrested on New Year's for child neglect.

The couple left their daughter in their room at the La Quinta Inn from approximately 10PM until around 4AM the next morning while they went on a gambling bender. The child eventually woke up and headed into the lobby of the hotel looking for her parents.

When the child arrived in the lobby, the Seminole Police Department was notified. After doing some investigative work, officers learned that Donovan Jewell had a Player's Club casino card that was currently being used. Jewell was found by authorities with his wife, Nancy Ellen, and the pair was taken to jail.

The couple was charged with child abuse by neglect and are being held in Hillsborough County jail on $2,000 bond. The child is said to be eight years old, and police have found no reason to believe the child was being cared for while the parents were gambling.

These types of crimes have become more prevalent over the past couple of years across the US. With casino expansion at an all-time high, there is more potential for gambling related crimes. Many states, however, have taken the necessary precautions to ensure that gambling problems do not get out of hand during the expansion.

January 2, 2010
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
Submit News!

Patterson Vows To Bring Casino Gambling To Aqueduct In 2010
Kansas Hoping 2010 Will Bring Casino Gambling To Sumner County
Casino Security Truck Stolen By Off-Duty Firefighter In Pittsburgh
Penn National Gaming Willing To Change Site Of New Columbus Casino
Icahn Increases Bid For Trump's Atlantic City Casinos