Balloon

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UPDATE: Carrot Top (real name: Scott Thompson) remains hospitalized in Las Vegas following what is now widely being reported as a suicide attempt on Friday (Sept. 18). On Sunday afternoon (Sept. 20), a rep for the beloved longtime Strip comedian told TMZ he “is now awake, breathing on his own and continuing to improve, surrounded by his family and those closest to him.”

All Carrot Top shows at the Luxor have been canceled at least through Saturday (Sept. 26).

In other Carrot Top news, Brian Evans—the man accused in a lawsuit filed by the comic of extorting him over a sex tape—told TMZ he denies ever threatening to release the tape. He claims it was erased from a USB drive “in accordance with the prior settlement”—a statement that TMZ did not elaborate on—and that he’s “sorry that Scott apparently did something to hurt himself.”

EARLIER: Carrot Top, the comic with the longest-running current Strip residency at more than 20 years, was rushed to a hospital on Friday (Sept. 18) after what TMZ reported as a suicide attempt. 

His publicist, Jami Schlicher, confirmed only that he is recovering and receiving care. She asked for privacy on behalf of his family and close friends and did not address the reported cause.

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On Monday, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced that Ruth Evans has succeeded Charles Counsell to take on the full time role of Gambling Commission chair.

Counsell took the helm in February 2025 following Marcus Boyle’s departure in January last year.

Evans, who chairs Stop Scams UK, an initiative she founded in 2019 to unite banks, technology companies and telecom providers to combat payment fraud, will assume the position on 30 September, commencing a five-year term.

About Balloon

During a livestream on Sunday, he said he had met with “eight victims of online betting”. To reinforce his criticism of the sector and in an attempt to win over conservative voters, he pointed out that one gambler had made 1,400 instant fund transfers (Pix) to a betting site. Lula criticised the Central Bank for failing to detect such a high volume of transactions to a single company.

However, that responsibility does not lie with the Central Bank. It is the role of the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets to monitor and regulate the sector. Betting companies submit detailed daily reports on bettors’ financial transactions with the sites. A specific module within Brazil’s betting management system detects recurring transfers.

“Today I met a young man who made 1,400 Pix transfers in three months, and the Central Bank didn’t detect that this was an excessive number of transfers to the same company?” Lula said.