Everything has closed up for the time being for the first time in decades. One of the largest sudden shifts in culture has easily been sports, where teams that once played for international audiences are now stuck with the rest of humanity. Baseball stadiums that would already be hosting rowdy crowds buying watery beer instead stay unlit and eerily silent, soccer pitches are featuring unkempt grass, and a lack of football means that concussions, and traumatic brain injuries, for this year are surprisingly low.

So you have a massive population of gambling fans, with nothing to gamble on; whats a bloke to do?

As ProdegeMR and 2CV have found out in a recent study, it looks like theyre shifting to esport gambling, set to the tune of an estimated $14 billion gambled in 2020 alone. This is up double from 2019, and is likely an outlier as physical sports are temporarily canceled. 2CV estimates long-term growth for esports as a whole though, roughly around 644 million viewers worldwide in 2020, although the sudden short-term growth is likely to break those numbers.

The Global Consumer Research Agency @2CV and the Market Researcher @ProdegeMR estimated Esports 2020 gambling revenue to grow to a massive $14 billion; double 2019s figure of $7 billion.https://t.co/M2vamIbJW5#Malta #Manila #SiGMA2020 #Gambling #iGaming #onlinecasino

iGamingSummit (@iGamingSummit) April 20, 2020

This is all well and good, lots of chin-stroking while muttering how this will be good for this and that, exponential growth and all of that jazz. Yet it also brings about a few questions that those from the outside have begun to ask of esports, mirroring commonly-held concerns for physical sports that have been relatively muted in the electronic realm.

First and foremost is doping, which can be readily found in very many sports, and allegations havent been too far from esports either. Typically some form of amphetamine, such as Ritalin or Adderal, can be used to bring a competitors focus far beyond their natural ability. Cloud9 was centered in a doping scandal in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive that brought anti-doping measures into the ESL.

Rob Slasher Breslau has alleged that Taimou states that roughly 20 players in theOverwatch League are, or were, doping in the first season, to which he was replied by a user that over half of theGears of War community was doping.

Dude the GoW community has easily over half the players using it.

HighDistortion (@HighDistortion) November 12, 2018

Yet despite these open allegations, nothing ever came of it for two out of three reports. It would be a bad face for the league, whichever league is caught, and rampant cheating within a league facing sudden crackdowns could find a surprising number of vacant benches. Which obviously isnt good for any league looking to keep the proverbial (or literal) lights on during the pandemic. While smaller organizations have cropped up facing the doping issues in sports as a whole, with esports getting a smaller look than traditional ones, little progress has been made with professional leagues taking a harder stance on amphetamines that result in progress.

The second issue is admittedly much harder to control, although traditional sports already have been combatting it for decades: match-fixing. Match-fixing, in the event that you need a refresher, is ensuring an outcome that can result in quick money for everyone involved in the scheme. While in football, for example, its pretty clear if a quarterback is intentionally throwing a game.

In competitive games, however, it becomes much murkier. Could they have hit that shot from 100 meters out, or was it an intentional miss to skew the results?

With the sheer numbers that esports will begin to see, as users tune in ever more now than they used to, multiple gaming commissions are going to need to answer difficult questions without undermining the integrity of the league. No number of random coalitions and alphabet agencies participating in the matches however minutely will bring the response that many are saying theyll need before investing into esports. Whether leagues want to rock their boat, or not, is apparently up to the owners.

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Esport Gambling Is Estimated To Reach $14 Billion In 2020, Bringing New Questions To The Burgeoning Medium - Happy Gamer

Penn National Gaming issued its first quarter financial results, painting a clear picture of how the health crisis that started in mid-March, due to the wide implementation of the social distancing measures across the states, had taken the wind out of its sails revenue-wise.

The Pennsylvania-based gaming operator with strong presence across all gambling verticals reported a decrease of $166.5 million year-on-year, to $1.12 billion, and a net loss of $608.6 million for the first three months ending March 31.

Seeing the first two months of 2020 off to a flying start, mainly driven by the introduction of retail sports betting at several of its properties, which in turn served as a catalyst for growth in revenue from gaming and non-gaming activities, Penn National saw its momentum halted in March, as all of its 41 land-based gaming properties were forced to close doors for customers.

In April, the company issued a stakeholder letter to investors, informing them what measures had been undertaken to significantly cut the cash burn rate during the casinos closure, as well as to expand on available cash, without having to compromise on its long-term objectives to become the best-in-class omni-channel provider of retail and online gaming and sports betting entertainment.

Following the temporary closures of its brick-and-mortar venues, Penn National undertook a series of aggressive cost-cutting measures to strengthen its balance sheet and boost liquidity.

Through the sale of its Tropicana Las Vegas property, credit amendments with its principal lenders, as well as company-wide furloughs of employees and decrease in the compensation for the Board of Directors and executive members, the casino operator managed to finish March with $730.7 million of cash on its balance sheet, and achieve a cash burn rate of $83 million per month.

Penn National is the only operator in the U.S. with a large, geographically diversified land-based gaming footprint, a well-known sports brand, a fully aligned marketing partner and a wholly-owned sports betting and iCasino subsidiary While the last several weeks have been challenging for the Company, our team members and the entire industry, we remain firmly convinced of the long-term potential of our highly differentiated omni-channel approach.

Despite that its casinos are still closed and there is no clear timetable as to when and how each one of them will re-open, only that it will happen on a sequential base, Penns management is convinced the company is well positioned to weather the storm.

Its Penn Interactive division posted strong first quarter results, beating budget projections in terms of revenue and EBITDA, despite the almost non-existent during March sports book revenue. Penns momentum in the vertical was carried into the second quarter, witnessing significant growth in both social and real money gaming, and especially in its Pennsylvania iCasino product.

Despite the limited marketing approach, iCasino reached 40,000 registered users, almost two-thirds of them being younger than the traditional land-based casino player, assuring Penn there was no cannibalization between its retail and online gaming products.

The company is convinced that its casino operating prowess and database would be a significant competitive advantage over the coming years as more states start authorizing online gambling.

Excerpt from:

Penn National Q1 Revenue Impacted by Closures, iGaming Gathering Pace - GamblingNews.com

As states across the country shut down non-essential businesses in March and April, debates started about what should count as essential. Some obvious ones quickly emerged, like grocery stores and pharmacies. But states adopted different rules for places like hair salons and gun shops though Im not sure how you cut someones hair from six feet away and I also worry people think they can shoot a virus.

Brian Kaylor

But one unessential business apparently remained open as essential across the country: state lotteries.

Weve seen some crazy responses to the virus. But near the top of the list must be continuing to sell lottery tickets that are handed off from one person to another, sometimes while people congregate nearby to buy their own lucky numbers that havent paid off for 20 years. While the odds of winning the jackpot is about 1 in 300 million, the odds of getting coronavirus in the U.S. by the end of April was about 1 in 300!

Some retailers complained in local reports about the foot traffic just for the lotto, and multiple lottery employees tested positive for coronavirus.

So, whats the deal? That old god Mammon.

States target the poorest in our communities with lotteries. And apparently greed doesnt take a break even during a pandemic.

This means efforts to help our struggling economy will be undermined by the very governments promising to help. Les Bernal, national director of the advocacy group Stop Predatory Gambling, wrote to each of the 45 governors of states with lotteries to urge a 30-day shutdown of the lotteries. He argued the action was needed since historical trends show poorer people are more likely to risk their money during economic recessions.

Federal tax dollars are being sent to American families in order to put food on the table, make rent or mortgage payments, or provide for other daily necessities not to subsidize state lotteries, Bernal wrote. There is a mountain of facts showing many citizens gamble on the lottery to change their financial condition, and even more so when they are feeling a sense of desperation.

A billboard for the Powerball and Mega Millions lottery game prizes in Missouri. (Wikipedia, photograph by Tony Webster)

State lotteries are one of the root causes why more than 60% of Americans had less than $1,000 in savings before the financial distress caused by the coronavirus pandemic, he added. State governments have turned a nation of small earners, who could be small savers, into a nation of habitual gamblers.

But this is precisely why state lotteries exist. Not merely to raise money that can be done through taxes. Rather, lotteries exist as a regressive tax that targets the poorest and most economically-depressed individuals, which then reduces the tax burden on the wealthy.

Research by the personal finance company Bankrate demonstrates that people who make less than $30,000 a year are nearly 50 percent more likely to pay the state through the lottery than other Americans and those at that bottom income level spend nearly four times as much on lottery tickets.

And it makes sense. If you work fulltime and still cannot pay off your student debt, save up to buy a home, or provide basic needs for your children, you might be more willing to risk it for your only shot to get out of poverty.

But the lotteries dont make billions of dollars for the states by paying out lots of winning tickets. The very governments that fail to ensure a living wage and equitable opportunities for their citizens then turn around and cash in on the desperate dreams of those who most need assistance. This isnt just a robbing Peter to pay Paul situation. Its robbing Peter so that Paul doesnt have to pay back what he also already stole from Peter.

So, the lotteries continue since greed doesnt practice social distancing. Instead, the greed of our state leaders continues to scratch-off the lives of the least of these among our neighbors. By declaring lotteries essential, our politicians say lives are not.

When we finally get through this pandemic, lets not just return to our earlier, broken normal. Lets find ways to make our communities better and healthier for all. A good place to start would be shutting down the lotteries.

Brian Kaylor is editor and president of Word&Way.

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Gambling with Our Lives - Word&Way - Word and Way

The title card for Dr. Mabuse the Gambler, the German director Fritz Langs 4-hour silent so-called super-film, promises a portrait of our time. That time was 1922. Yet Langs tale of financial panic, profiteering and doomsday revelry speaks to our own.

Mabuse, which was originally shown in two parts but may be streamed as one uncut film online, was greeted by its initial German audiences as akin to a news bulletin. One Berlin paper speculated that a century hence, the movie will show people a time that they could perhaps scarcely comprehend, a time that saw the extravagance of the newly rich, the rapid gambling on the stock exchange, the clubs, the addiction to pleasure, the speculation, the vast amount of smuggling, counterfeiting and more.

Stream Dr. Mabuse the Gambler on the Criterion Channel or Kanopy.

Adapted from a popular novel by the journalist Norbert Jacques, Mabuse was a lightning bolt that crackled across the stormy sky of Weimar Germany a newly established, shellshocked democracy where two abortive revolutions followed the loss of World War I, hyperinflation was mounting and social unrest was ubiquitous.

In his later years, Lang would maintain that Mabuse originally started with a rapid-fire montage (since lost) that juxtaposed scenes from the left-wing Spartacist uprising led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, the right-wing Kapp Putsch that enlisted nationalist military leaders and the assassination of the German foreign minister, Walther Rathenau. This seems unlikely since Rathenau was shot two months after Mabuse opened, but the intro was unnecessary. Mabuse merged with its moment and even prophesied what was to come.

Paranoia rules. A habitu of decadent Art Deco nightclubs, Mabuse (Rudolf Klein-Rogge, who would play the mad scientist Rotwang in Langs Metropolis) preys upon his wealthy victims. Not just a criminal mastermind but a psychoanalyst to boot, Mabuse has multiple ways to cloud the mind. In one newly relevant sequence, he tricks an unfortunate fall guy into self-quarantine and, having destroyed his tenuous grasp on reality, induces him to commit suicide.

Mabuse is introduced shuffling a deck of cards showing his various disguises. A more accurate translation of the title would be Dr. Mabuse the Player, for this protean villain is also an actor. Who is Behind All This? an intertitle demands. Mabuse is both ubiquitous and unknown. In his classic film history, From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film, the German critic Siegfried Kracauer characterized Mabuse as everywhere present but nowhere recognizable. (Or, as President Trump described Covid-19, an invisible enemy that came out of nowhere.)

The movies first chapter concerns an elaborate scheme, directed by Mabuse from his study, whereby a secret trade pact is stolen from the suitcase of a diplomat traveling by train. News of the theft, as well as the document itself, is used to crash the commodity exchange, much to Mabuses profit.

While economic chaos is inherent in Mabuses intrigues (he also operates a counterfeit money ring, staffed with blind slaves who cannot identify him), looting the rich seems to be his preferred pastime while, thanks to his hypnotic gaze and mental powers, world domination is his ultimate goal. A behind-the-scenes manipulator whose many disguises include that of a stage mesmerist, a proletarian rabble-rouser, and a Jewish peddler, he is aided by a gang of accomplices that include his cocaine-addled manservant and a saucy dancer, Cara Carozza (the Norwegian actress Aud Egede-Nissen), a star of the Folies Bergre.

These minions are in Mabuses thrall, despite the abuse they suffer at his hands. The movie is steeped in individual as well as social pathology. In addition to practicing hypnotic mind control, Mabuse inspires the sort of unquestioning, zombielike obedience (known in German as kadavergehorsam) that, a decade later, Hitler would demand from his SS and indeed all Germans. Carozza, whom Mabuse uses as a honey-trap, insists that he is the greatest man alive even after his erotic interest has been piqued by a sultry thrill-seeking countess (Gertrude Welcker).

At once wanton and repressed, the countess is a terrific character, haunting the same casinos as Mabuse but never gambling because, as she explains, she prefers to watch. Her luckless husband (Alfred Abel, who plays Joh Frederson in Metropolis) is another sort of aesthete a collector whose mansion is overstocked with mock Cubist canvases and faux African sculptures. (The cluttered parlor offers a preview of the infamous Nazi exhibition of so-called degenerate art.) The countess also casts her indolent spell on the resolute state prosecutor Norbert von Wenk (Bernhard Goetzke), who doggedly pursues Mabuse until he is hypnotized by the master to drive a speeding death car.

It has been suggested that as a conjurer of mental images, Mabuse was a sort of alter ego for the domineering director. Lang spared no expense. Mabuse was shot in a studio vast enough to accommodate city streets and even neighborhoods. The swanky nightclubs are set pieces in themselves. One sequence juxtaposes a spiritualist soiree in a luxurious apartment with the opening of the Petit Casino, a cabaret promising all that pleases is allowed. Mabuse operates in both places simultaneously.

The Petit Casino features a shimmy by the notorious naked dancer Anita Berber, here wearing a tuxedo. (According to some accounts, she arrived late on the set and out-divad Lang.) The Petit Casino also provides the arena for Cara Carozza to lead on the most hapless of Mabuses victims, while he himself infiltrates the sance to hypnotize the countess into inviting him for dinner.

With a dozen chapters, Mabuse lends itself to both incremental and binge watching. Exerting its own form of mind control, it starts slowly and, abetted by an edgy modernist score, builds in intensity to a mad climax. The violent denouement anticipates by a decade the grand finale of Howard Hawkss Scarface. We have long since become inured to onscreen mayhem, but original reviews suggest that early audiences were stunned by the movies pace. Speed, horrifying speed characterizes the film, one critic wrote. Applause broke out during a scene of cars racing through the nocturnal streets of a studio-built Berlin.

Mabuse entered German popular culture and, over the course of his career, Lang was inspired to make several sequels. His second sound film, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (available to stream on the Criterion Channel and Kanopy) was in postproduction when Hitler became chancellor in 1933. Now confined to a mental hospital, the spectral Mabuse (again Klein-Rogge) uses mental telepathy and a form of radio to incite a crime wave. Lang left Nazi Germany before the film was banned. Life under a terror regime could not be rendered more impressively, Kracauer wrote. It was not shown publicly in Germany until 1951.

In the late 1950s, Lang returned to Germany to make several films including his swan song, The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (rentable from Amazon Prime). No less than its predecessors, this Cold War Mabuse is a trove of prophetic paranoia with intimations of James Bond and Dr. Strangelove. It was sufficiently popular in Germany to inspire six sequels. You can imagine an internet version made today.

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Fritz Lang's 'Dr. Mabuse the Gambler' Still Casts a Spell - The New York Times

FOR years it seemed as if running online betting was akin to printing money but then along came the coronavirus, Covid-19 pandemic and things changed quickly.

Whilst many might expect the lockdown to encourage gambling, the slowdown of economies and loss of income for many means that the online casinos are also not making the money they used to.

British companies were in the forefront of promoting online gaming but at least one company, Codere was quick in following and runs its business in Spain, Italy, Mexico and South America.

With betting shops closed and money tight, it has now received a blow as US giant Moodys has downgraded its credit rating by two points as it has delayed payment of interest on bonds worth 27 million.

According to the ratings agency, the company faces the reality of the maturity of bonds worth 800 million in the latter part of next year and it fears that the betting company could end up in default as it already has liquidity problems.

Codere has called in a specialist firm of advisers to try to help it renegotiate its debts, but even if its betting shops open within the next few weeks, if there are no significant sporting events for customers to bet on, then cash flow will be more of a trickle.

It is quoted on the Spanish stock exchange, is said to be currently worth 130 million but is now looking for a further 100 million in loans to keep going.

Coupled with the fact that lenders may well be more interested in backing larger enterprises with greater assets means Codere which employs some 12,000 staff could be in trouble.

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Spanish Gambling Company may be Cleaned out by the Lockdown - Euro Weekly News

Overview

Compulsive gambling, also called gambling disorder, is the uncontrollable urge to keep gambling despite the toll it takes on your life. Gambling means that you're willing to risk something you value in the hope of getting something of even greater value.

Gambling can stimulate the brain's reward system much like drugs or alcohol can, leading to addiction. If you have a problem with compulsive gambling, you may continually chase bets that lead to losses, hide your behavior, deplete savings, accumulate debt, or even resort to theft or fraud to support your addiction.

Compulsive gambling is a serious condition that can destroy lives. Although treating compulsive gambling can be challenging, many people who struggle with compulsive gambling have found help through professional treatment.

Signs and symptoms of compulsive gambling (gambling disorder) include:

Unlike most casual gamblers who stop when losing or set a loss limit, people with a compulsive gambling problem are compelled to keep playing to recover their money a pattern that becomes increasingly destructive over time.

Some people with a compulsive gambling problem may have remission where they gamble less or not at all for a period of time. However, without treatment, the remission usually isn't permanent.

Have family members, friends or co-workers expressed concern about your gambling? If so, listen to their worries. Because denial is almost always a feature of compulsive or addictive behavior, it may be difficult for you to realize that you have a problem.

If you recognize your own behavior from the list of signs and symptoms for compulsive gambling, seek professional help.

Exactly what causes someone to gamble compulsively isn't well-understood. Like many problems, compulsive gambling may result from a combination of biological, genetic and environmental factors.

Although most people who play cards or wager never develop a gambling problem, certain factors are more often associated with compulsive gambling:

Compulsive gambling can have profound and long-lasting consequences for your life, such as:

Although there's no proven way to prevent a gambling problem, educational programs that target individuals and groups at increased risk may be helpful.

If you have risk factors for compulsive gambling, consider avoiding gambling in any form, people who gamble and places where gambling occurs. Get treatment at the earliest sign of a problem to help prevent gambling from becoming worse.

Oct. 22, 2016

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Compulsive gambling - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

Rebecca Liggero, Ayre Medias lead journalist, interviewed several gambling experts who shared their opinions on how the industry can adopt crypto payments as a viable mainstream method.

Several gambling and sports betting professionals spoke at the SBC Summit to Ayre Media head editor Rebecca Liggero, discussing new opportunities for cryptocurrencies to go mainstream in the industry.

Liggero reached out to several established professionals in the field, asking them how cryptocurrencies could be maximized to the point that consumers adopt them more readily.

The ensuing discussions touched on the onboarding process as well as the correct approach, whether through an organic growth or more aggressive marketing that allows an established company to push for a wider adoption.

Discussing the Blockchain Payments as a Driver in Crisis, Funfair Technologies COO Lloyd Purser emphasized on education. Apart from continually improving a product and adding new features, Purser said that consumers should be aware of those benefits in the first place.

There is no magic silver bullet, he said. Funfair Technologies focuses on both improving the existing product as well as facilitate the onboarding journey. One of the essentials in converting users, Purser said, was to let them have access to simple and intuitive technologies. He cited Funfairs own crypto wallets as a key part of the process.

Next spoke CryptoProcessing.com CEO Max Krupyshev. According to Krupyshev, disruption was the way to go. Instead of trying to coddle consumers into trying a new cryptocurrency payment method, brands with proven track record should be pushing harder for consumers to adopt alternative payment methods, he said.

He acknowledged, though, that educating consumers still played an important role. Krupyshev also touched on the exchange rate and explained that while the potential to turn a profit is there, consumers should be offered a fair rate of exchange so they have an incentive to try a dedicated gaming token or cryptocurrency.

Even to date, bitcoin remains the preferred gaming token, with $FUN bravely making forays into a segment that is very competitive. Unlike other tokens, though, $FUN does have credibility.

Cryptopays Tom Bloor chimed in and broached another aspect of helping more consumers make the journey from FIAT to cryptocurrencies. He explained that it all came down to having familiarity with your customers and what they need and expect.

If you know what your customer behavior is and you know if they prefer convenience or transparency this should inform how you plug in and accept how you are going to work with cryptocurrency, Bloor said cited by CasinoBeats.

Pinnacles Isabelle Delisle touched on public perception and awareness. She suggested that until cryptocurrency payments are mainstream, people will most likely look at them as dodgy. Delisle specifically drew attention to established financial institution and the lack of trust that came from them.

She was convinced that companies in the space should draw attention to the fact that cryptocurrencies can be a legitimate payment method.

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Disruption Could Be the Best Way to Adopt Crypto in Gambling - GamblingNews.com

Online gambling has increased during the Covid-19 lockdowns, but this has raised ethical questions regarding addiction.

The effect of Covid-19 on the industry has thus far been catastrophic and will continue to be for the short-medium term. In North America, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding Las Vegas. Its mayor has volunteered the city as a control group for social distancing measures in order to quicken the process of reopening the city. Casinos are the cornerstone of the citys economy and is entirely reliant upon the success of the sector.

Online casinos in states in the US where online gambling is legal have seen soaring levels of custom. New Jerseys Department of Gaming Enforcement reports online Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) up 64.4%.

However, increases to the online sector wont make up for the losses in brick-and-mortar stores, with losses of overall GGR dropping by 54.74%. Similarly, in Pennsylvania GGR from February to March dropped from $304m to $153m, a fall of 49.67%.

Online betting company 888 Holdings saw its shares increase by almost 32%. This after it announced its Casino and Poker games had increased as a result of more customers heading online amid the pandemic.

However, sports betting made up 16% of the companys revenue in 2019. This will be impacted massively through 2020. Even with increases to its online games, revenues for 888 and bookmakers across the industry will struggle to recoup the missed profits from 2020s major sporting events.

MPs are concerned people will flock to online gambling ahead of the closures to betting shops in the UK. With the cancellation of major sporting events not just in the UK, but around the world, regular gamblers who would usually spend hundreds on gambling each month have moved to betting on virtual sports, or online casinos and games.

This could spark worrying times ahead for the industry as policymakers in government look to set restrictions. These could be not just for the short term, but with effects that could linger long after the pandemic.

It is clear that the lines will be blurred during this pandemic as to what is and isnt ethical in the casino and gaming industry.

UK Labour MP Carolyn Harris has said that companies pointing customers towards computer-generated events, or obscure sporting events, in which the gamblers have no knowledge of the sport, point to the fact that the person in question has a gambling problem.

A survey carried out by Clean Up Gambling Campaign found that 39% of regular gamblers had gambled more than they did before the Covid-19 outbreak. Some 25% said their levels were the same, with 34% saying they had gambled less.

Significantly, 40% of these also believe the government should do more to make it difficult to gamble online. Around 34% of respondents also believed they were spending too much money on gambling or were developing an addiction.

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Gambling industry battling against the odds during Covid-19 lockdown - Verdict

Michael Jordan is worth more than $2 billion, so the following statement may not shock you.

The former Chicago Bulls star turned down a $100 million offer for a two-hour appearance, according to his long-time agent David Falk.

The agent appeared on WFANs Boomer and Gio to share Jordan stories as the nation is consumed by The Last Dance, the 10-part documentary on the championship run of the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls.

The documentary will air on ESPN, while ESPN2 will broadcast a censored version. The documentary can be live streamed on Hulu + Live and Sling.

I brought him a deal three years ago for $100 million, Falk said Wednesday morning. All he had to do was, other than giving his name and likeness, make one two-hour appearance to announce the deal and he turned it down.

Falk said Jordans been so successful, he can "do whatever the hell he wants or not to do."

Jordan also once turned down $7 million to play in a one-day golf tournament in Asia, he said.

The agent, on the other hand, did confirm the documentary, which debuts episodes 5 and 6 on Sunday, will discuss Jordan and his gambling habits. There has been a conspiracy theory for years that Jordans 18-month retirement from basketball in 1993 was actually a suspension for gambling.

(Former NBA commissioner David) Stern comes on and basically says its complete hogwash that he suspended Michael for 18 months when he retired, Falk said. At the end of the day, Michael was almost Teflon. Theres very few things people criticized him for. The gambling thing was it. He loves to gamble. Hes an extremely competitive guy. If he loses $150,000 playing golf, big freaking deal. If I told him tomorrow, Hey, Ive got an appearance for you for five minutes for $150,000, hed laugh at me. If it was $1,500,000, he wouldnt do it.

So yes, he lost money in gambling and it sort of had a little bit of a black eye for five minutes. He apologized and the thing went away. But any of these Oliver Stone conspiracy theories that somehow it pushed him out of basketball were ridiculous.

You can use the channel finder on your providers website to locate it: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish.

If you missed an episode of The Last Dance documentary, you can do so on Hulu or Sling.

Michael Jordan merchandise is still in demand, even after all these years. You can own a Michael Jordan jersey. Fanatics is offering free shipping on Jordans jerseys, which come in red, white, and, yes, black, for $299.99

Fanatics also has Dennis Rodmans No. 91 jersey, which qualifies for free shipping, listed for $129.99. Scottie Pippens jersey is selling for $129.99 as well.

Sunday, April 19

Sunday, April 26

Sunday, May 3

Sunday, May 10

Sunday, May 17

Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.

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Agent: Michael Jordan once turned down $100 million, says gambling will be The Last Dance topic - AL.com

CryptoSlots released their newest slot, Micro Monsters, a game filled with bonus extras to beat the reels viral critters. The biggest bonus, though, is that every bet made on the slot will be donated by the crypto casino to Direct Relief, a charity supporting health workers and patients during this pandemic.

Direct Relief focuses on providing personal protective equipment to those most at risk around the world. In the U.S., they are coordinating with health organizations and businesses to deliver essential medical items and critical care medications. Follow CryptoSlots onFacebook to track the amount raised by players.

Micro Monsters is one of the Mega Matrix slots, a group of games made notable by being wackier and more unusual than conventional slots games. Wins can start anywhere on a payline in this circular game. There is also an expanded Double Wild on the middle reel and Mystery Multipliers. Bet from $0.60 $4.80 to spin and your bets (minus wins) will be donated to charity.

Hopefully this contribution will make a difference to those on the front line, said casino manager Michael Hilary, as well as providing entertainment to those doing their part by staying at home.

Launched in 2018, CryptoSlots quickly found success as a prime destination for online crypto players. Slots make up the majority of the games at thisbitcoin casino, along with video poker and keno. All games are provably fair and mobile friendly. Bitcoin, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash & Monero are all accepted payment methods.

*Valid for deposits of $25 $250. General terms & conditions apply.

Published May 3, 2020May 3, 2020

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Gambling for a good cause CryptoSlots donates all proceeds from new slot to the fight against coronavirus - Toshi Times

BGC members are also introducing a number of new measures to restrict advertising online, writes Michael Dugher, CEO | PA Images

Prohibitionists may be using Covid-19 to kick the gambling industry, but thanks to the action weve taken, fears are unfounded and standards are on the up.

From the very start of the current lockdown, I knew that understandably there would be genuine concerns that isolation, boredom and financial anxiety might lead to an increase in gambling. Last weeks announcement from the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) that we were introducing a voluntary ban on advertising gaming products on TV and radio was just the latest in a series of measures taken to reassure the public and further improve safer gambling at this time.

As DCMS Minister Nigel Huddleston put it well a few days ago: We must work together to protect the most vulnerable from gambling harm. I appreciate the moves by the gambling sector to recognise the heightened risks of problem gambling during the coronavirus lockdown.

From day one, members of the BGC substantially increased safer gambling messages across all our platforms and introduced a 10-pledge action plan back in March. This sets out a series of measures such as heightened monitoring of accounts, identifying changes to patterns of play and spend, as well as increasing interventions to restrict or block accounts where the customer might be at risk.

Last week the Government asked for safer gambling messages to be given more prominence in all adverts. I was pleased to announce that BGC members would go further and remove gaming product advertising on TV and radio and replace it with safer gambling messaging, donate adverts to charity or totally remove them where contracts permit. The BGCs regulated members may only account for 50 per cent of all gambling advertising on TV and radio - we dont represent other big gambling operators like the National Lottery and some other online bingo - but this voluntary change will apply 24 hours per day, seven days per week and our members are working to implement these changes as quickly as possible and to keep them in force until 5th June at a minimum.

At the same time, BGC members are also introducing a number of new measures to restrict advertising online. Following work with the Regulator, the Gambling Commission, our members will adopt a 25+ age filter for all advertising, trial de-targeting technology and create an industry-wide list for suppressing advertising around certain subjects. And BGC members have also stepped up safer gambling messages to customers via social media and with direct communications only where the customer has already given permission to contact them via text and email.

This month also saw the implementation of a ban on the use of credit cards with our members, which I strongly welcomed as a further safeguard to protect vulnerable customers. And I am pleased that the safer gambling charity GambleAware reported a record 10.05 million in funding from UK gambling operators and our members are committing a further 3.8 million for the BetRegret awareness campaign.

So what is the actual evidence in terms of the impact of covid-19 on gambling? The fact is overall gambling has fallen with betting shops, casinos and bingo halls all being closed. Online gambling revenue has also dropped by 30 per cent and total gambling revenue has dropped by some 60 per cent, based on recent trading announcements from major operators. To put this all into context, this is the equivalent to a drop in gambling by UK adults of 100 million per week.

Advertising spending by our members is also down and the volume of TV sport and casino advertisements had already dropped by up to 10 per cent.

I appreciate that working from home is driving us all a little stir crazy at the moment, but one prominent anti-gambling MP recently even said it was right to ban all advertising of gambling because you wouldnt advertise heroin on TV. Im all for engaging with the industrys critics, but in all seriousness comparing things like the National Lottery or online bingo, that still advertise on the telly, with heroin is just plain daft.

The BGC and its members take their responsibilities seriously. Millions of people like the occasional flutter - 46 per cent of the adult population place a bet or gamble each month. The overwhelming majority enjoy a bet safely. Together our members directly employ over 70,000 people throughout the whole of the UK and contribute over 3 billon in tax each year.

Of course, I recognise that not all gambling operators are the same. It is why the BGC have called for a crackdown on the offshore black-market illegal gambling operators. Over 1.4bn is staked each year on the unregulated black market where there are no age and ID verification measures as in the regulated industry or any of the high safer gambling measures such as monitoring play and intervening with those at risk.

TheBGC want all customers to enjoy our products safely and responsibly, with help available for those who need it, when they need it. The work we are doing to help the tiny minority of gamblers who, as with alcohol or many other things, get into trouble is being improved all the time.

At the start of the covid-19 crisis, anti-gambling hardliners warned that there would be a huge increase in gambling, that operators would cash in on covid and that marketing and advertising would be stepped up to groom new customers to online betting. None of this is true. Of course I expect prohibitionists to keep shifting the goalposts and to keep using covid as their opportunity to kick the industry. But thanks to the action we have taken, standards are actually on the up and fears have proven unfounded.

Michael Dugher is the Chief Executive of the BGC and a former MP and Shadow Secretary of State for DCMS

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During the coronavirus crisis, BGC is working hard to make gambling safer - PoliticsHome.com

On August 24th, 1989, Major League Baseball banned Pete Rose after an investigation concluded the former Cincinnati Reds manager bet on baseball.Sports Illustrated is opening up the SI Vault and examining its most consequential work about moments like this one that defined the most legendary athletes in sports through its new podcast, The Record.

In the third episode, Priya Desai talks to former SI senior writer Craig Neff, who was part of a team of reporters that uncovered one of the biggest scandals in the history of sports. It all began in the spring of 1984, with a call to the tip line of Sports Illustrated. Jon Wertheim discusses Roses career and the time he spent the day with a young reporter named Al Michaels.

Listenor subscribeto SI's The Record:

The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Priya Desai:Do you remember who the first big break was as far as your main sources?

Craig Neff: Thevery first piece that we wrote, a guy named Alan Statmanwho was the lawyer for Ron Peters who ran a cafe and was supposedly Pete's main bookiehis lawyer wanted to sell us his account of what happened, and we don't pay for journalism. That's not what we do. So we turned him down, but he had said to us that he had spoken to Major League Baseball and made them aware that he had information about Pete betting on baseball. And so that gave us the entree to approach baseball about what it knew and what it was doing, and we were simultaneously investigating every aspect of who Ron Peters was and other associates of Pete's. So what ended up happening is that we were supposed to do our very first piece in mid march of 1989 and at this point, there was nothing in the public about Pete Rose and gambling.

This was totally out of the the blue. Of course, had to talk to Major League Baseball about it, to get a response, as to what it was doing on having supposedly received this information. We closed the magazine on Sunday and Monday in those days, and by my recollection on Monday, Major League Baseball suddenly announced that it was investigating Pete Rose for baseball. They knew that we were doing a story. Then they scooped our story by announcing it publicly. So we had to kind of retool quickly.

PD:How many moving parts were there? Can you talk about how you went from the initial tip, to the investigation and then trying to figure out how quickly you can go into print.

CN:Initially we didn't know how many arms would be reaching into this, but before long, we realized that besides Pete Rose's confidant, his sort of inner circle of friends and associates, there were federal investigations involving either him or those associates, and it had the IRS, it had the customs department. It had federal drug authorities. There's also a baseball investigation that started fairly early on with John Dowd. So there was a parallel track that baseball was now investigating it. We had the locations, a Gold's gym that was near Cincinnati, a restaurant that was North of Cincinnati, that was called Jonathan's cafe, and then there were the circle of people. So there was Pete, and then people very close to him who had indicated they might have some involvement in or knowledge of his gambling. Then there were people close to those people. Because we had to, it's not only a matter of finding the sources in this kind of story, you have to find out that the sources are credible, and so you have to double check stories and you have to find other people who might have witnessed something.

We always tried to get multiple confirmations on everything because that's sound journalistic practice. So, throughout it, I talk about the complexity of the story. There were a number of people on our team. There were a lot of people we had to find and talk to and to piece all of their accounts together.

PD:So its all hands on deck at this point?

CN:Yes. It was a very much a team effort throughout and, a lot of reporters were involved at different points, but the two most significant ones, one was Jill Lieber, who was a staff writer at the time, and she was a tremendous reporter and in-person interviewer, able to draw information out of people as well as being super smart and actually, I mean a pioneer of sorts in women's journalism, in sports. I will say the other was Marty Dardis, who was almost 70 at the time, was not a journalist per se. He was an investigator and he was legendary really. He had made his name in Florida when he had connected the Watergate break in to president Nixon's reelection committee because he had taken the time to trace serial numbers on hundred dollar bills that were in the Watergate burglars possession. He was a former cop and a real, you know, hard-nose investigator who would help us on projects. He wasn't a staff writer or anything. So those two spearheaded our field reporting on the case. And there were some others who worked on little parts of it cause there were so many parts and pieces to this story.

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Inside the SI Investigation that Exposed Pete Rose's Gambling - Sports Illustrated

Police have arrested 19 Chinese nationals for being allegedly involved in online gambling activities. Picture by Hari Anggara

KUALA LUMPUR, May 2Police have arrested 19 Chinese nationals including a woman for being allegedly involved in online gambling activitiesduring separate raids at two luxury premises in Jalan Raja Chulan, here,onTuesday.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim said all the suspects,aged between 20 and 45 years, were detained by a team from the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division (D7).

Police also seized laptops and mobile phones of various brands worth RM200,000.

Mazlan said investigations revealed that the syndicate was promotingcrypto-currency stock gambling activitiestargeting victims in China using the WeChat application.

The syndicate canrake inup to RM150,000 a day, reaching RM4.5 million in a month, he said.

They had beencarrying out their operation from the rentedluxury premisesfor almost two months, he said in a statement here today.

Mazlan said all suspects had entered Malaysia as tourists using social visit passes and wereremanded for 14 days under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Common Gaming Houses Act 1953. Bernama

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Police nab 19 Chinese nationals involved in online gambling - Malay Mail

Increased interest in bingo activities in Denmark and the Netherlands has prompted regulators to issue a warning to parties hosting such activities.

Amid Denmarks lockdown, enforced as a measure against COVID-19, Spillemyndigheden, the Danish Gambling regulator, detected an increase in unlicensed bingo games.

Similar to Denmark, the Netherlands has observed increased traffic for online bingo games. The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), which is the countrys gambling regulator, announced on Friday, May 1, that it had received many more reports about online bingos than before the corona crisis.

The Spillemyndigheden director Morten Niels Jakobsen commented on the subject cited by iGamingBusiness:

We certainly understand that at this particular time, there is a great desire to unite people through enjoyable entertainment such as bingo games, which is a game that can easily be adapted to the current requirements to keep distance.

Although the regulator was aware that private games between friends were happening, the regulator discussed cases where people play for money or run bingo rooms for personal gain.

Jakobsen explained that if a game involved profit or a financial prize, and a deposit was required to participate, the host of the game must have a license from the regulator to run the activity.

This is not a restrictive measure, Jakobsen explained, but rather a matter of compliance with the Danish Act on Gambling.

When gambling was legalized in Denmark in 2012, the countrys regulator began hunting for unapproved gambling websites. In light of the lockdown, Spillemyndigheden has stepped its efforts in clamping down on unregulated operators targeting Danish players. In March, the regulator sought to block 17 illegal gambling websites, 16 of which were suspended last week.The 17th operated had opted out of the country voluntarily.

This is not the first time the Danish Gaming Authority has won a case against illegal gambling operators. Back in 2018, Danish telecoms were ordered to block 24 gaming websites following a court case won by Spillemyndigheden. Among the banned sites were seven skin betting sites, two online sportsbooks and seven online casinos.

With the latest move, the number of gambling websites that have been suspended in Denmark has reached 90.

Given recent events and increased interest in online bingo, the Danish Gambling Authority has issued a warning to avoid running games where a prize or deposit involved. For such games to take place, each organizer will have to go through the process of obtaining a license from the regulator.

Linda Lomborg, Head of Responsible Gambling and Charity Lotteries at the Danish Gambling Authority commented, cited by iGamingBusiness: If organizers are in any doubt about whether a bingo event is legal, they are always welcome to contact us.

She continued that the regulators employees can guide bingo event organizers in order to make sure that they comply with the rules and regulations.

Meanwhile in the Netherlands, KSA acknowledged an increase in bingo activities. The regulator noted that many games were organized by people with good hearts, granting those parties temporary leniency with regards to obtaining a license. However, any activities organized with the specific purpose of personal gain or scamming people would prompt KSA to act swiftly, the regulator concluded.

Read more:

Denmark and the Netherland Rattle Regulatory Sabers - GamblingNews.com

The Problem Gambling Foundation is concerned by a rise in people using online lotto and gambling sites during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The Lotto app. Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller

Physical premises have been shut to customers, but gamblers can still access services from computers, mobile phones and tablets.

Lotto sales have been reduced to about 60 percent of normal sales, because of the store closures, Lotto New Zealand said.

"We expected to see a significant drop in sales during the lockdown, as we would normally see around 75 percent of our sales come from retail stores, and 25 percent online," it said.

However, about 125,000 customers had registered with MyLotto online, which had resulted in a more than twice the normal online sales.

Casino operator SkyCity said its online offering has been trading strongly over the past two months. It now has more than 15,000 registered users on the site.

Problem Gambling Foundation chairman Richard Northey said online gambling was dangerously accessible.

"If they're at home they can access [it] straight away, particularly among younger people, who in the lockdown are looking for other recreational opportunities."

Northey said international gambling sites were particularly bad as they did not show any responsibility.

The foundation has had to close all clinics during the lockdown, but counselling was still being offered by phone and video calls.

New Zealanders spent about $2402 million on gambling carried out within the country in the 2018/19 financial year, including $530m on Lotto and $616m at casinos, Department of Internal Affairs data shows.

Data from the Health Promotion Agency showed most people are gambling less, or about the same.

The report revealed:

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Punters move online as Lotto, SkyCity report increased activity in lockdown - RNZ

The lockdown has become a rehab of sorts for some of the countrys worst gambling addicts and is giving many a real chance to kick the habit for good.

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With pokies venues closed, gambling addicts have been forced to take a break. Source: 1 NEWS

Experts say the prolonged closure of all gambling venues has broken the usual pattern of addiction for hundreds of people, who would usually spend hours every week at the pokies.

One recovering gambling addict, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told 1 NEWS the sudden closure had changed her life by removing the temptation.

It sort of gave me a wake up call that I don't want to be this person anymore, I don't want to have to rely on something that is so draining, she says.

The woman had battled with gambling for 20 years, and had at times gone without food to feed her habit, but is now engaging with support services and proud to say she was two months clean.

It's almost like, as if, like you've gone into your own rehab really, the only difference is you've got your home comforts, you've got people who love you, who support you.

The Problem Gambling Foundation says the lockdown has helped around half of its clients and believes the break is a real chance for many to beat their habit.

Communications director Andree Froude says many had experienced an enormous sense of relief.

People who normally gamble on pokies at a physical venue, they don't find the same experience online gambling, and what we've heard from some of our clients is there's just not that attraction there to gamble online, she says.

So with pokie venues closed, they've got more money in their pockets, they're not gambling at all.

The Salvation Army had also seen a similar pattern at its Oasis support programme, saying the break was helping many of its clients to realise they could live without gambling.

But their national director of services, Lynette Hutson, was concerned it could create a false sense of security as restrictions lift and venues reopen.

That return to normality, so to speak, does become a trigger for people to engage more in gambling and those who might be on the cusp of having a problem, being drawn into it, she says.

We're worried that we're going to see people almost binging on going to the pokies, going to venues and gambling way more than they intended to, and falling into behaviours.

Theyre now urging all gambling providers to take extreme care to monitor harmful gambling when premises to reopen, saying that responsibility is part of their obligation under New Zealand law.

It is reasonably obvious to spot, so we would want staff at venues and sites to think about how they could intervene.

Reopening is a terrifying prospect for the recovering gambler who spoke to 1 NEWS anonymously.

It's actually really scary, just you saying that makes my lips dry, it makes me think, am I strong enough to not do it? So then your mind will think, just do it once, just do it once, you can do it once, what's once going to do.

However, she praised the help of the support services, and encouraged others facing the same problem to get help.

In six months time, where am I going to be? Am I going to be the same person? If I keep doing what I did before the lockdown, then sure, I'm going to be the same person.

Now may just be the best chance many get to beat the addiction once and for all.

Read more here:

Lockdown could be the enforced rehab gambling addicts need, say experts - 1News

Sir, We are writing to ask that the chief executives of Paddy Power/Betfair, Boyle Sports, Ladbrokes and other gambling operators immediately implement mandatory deposit and spending limits on their online gambling platforms in Ireland for the duration of the Covid-19 lockdown. A system of mandatory deposit limits already exists for the National Lotterys online platform.

Several European countries, including Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Finland and Portugal, have already implemented restrictions on online gambling and advertising on the basis that people are more vulnerable to gambling problematically during the lockdown. On April 21st, the UKs culture minister wrote to the chief executives of the five largest gambling operators to ask them to take extra steps to protect players at this time of heightened risk.

Live sport is extremely limited at the moment, so vulnerable people are turning to virtual sports, online slots and casino gambling. According to the Gambling Commission, 9.2 per cent who bet on casino games online had an addiction, in contrast with 2.5 per cent of online sports gamblers.

The UKs gambling self-exclusion service, Gamstop, has experienced a large increase in people seeking to break their self-exclusion, since the lockdown began. In Australia, consumer spending on online gambling has increased by 67 per cent in recent weeks.

The last thing the gambling industry would want to be accused of is taking advantage during a time of unprecedented crisis. Yours, etc,

Prof COLIN OGARA,

Consultant Psychiatrist,

St John of God Hospital,

Stillorgan, Co Dublin;

OISN McCONVILLE,

Addiction Counsellor,

Newry, Co Down;

BARRY GRANT,

Addiction Counsellor,

Problem Gambling Ireland,

Waterford.

View original post here:

Online gambling in a time of crisis - The Irish Times

With brick-and-mortar casinos across the United States shut down to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, public health advocates are concerned that a shift to online wagering may lead to an increase in problematic behaviors.

Gov. Phil Murphy ordered the indefinite closing of Atlantic Citys nine casinos March 16 but permitted online gaming to continue. Industry experts expect an escalation in online gaming activity because of the retail casino closings, and the anticipated growth in internet play has gambling addiction professionals worried.

We believe every risk factor for gambling problems is increasing right now, said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling.

ATLANTIC CITY More than $700,000 a day in casino-related taxes and fees has been lost sinc

The social distancing measures recommended by government health officials exacerbate conditions such as loneliness, isolation and depression that lead to problem behaviors, Whyte said.

Its kind of a perfect storm, he said. (Casino) closures and quarantine can increase risk factors, theres a shift to online gambling which may have some higher risk factors and then the impact on state budgets (for gambling addiction resources and programs) may disproportionately impact available behavioral health services.

Academic studies show a majority of people who gamble are able to do so responsibly. The NCPG estimates 2% to 3% of Americans display some form of problem gambling behavior.

But, according to a report published by the Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers University, the rate of problem gambling disorders and behaviors increases for online players.

Some gamblers, such as Devy Goodrich, of North Philadelphia, are aware of the potential pitfalls of online gaming. Goodrich, a member of the Everything AC Casinos Facebook group, said he would rather wait for Atlantic Citys casinos to reopen than try his luck online.

I believe that online gambling is more addicting than in-house due to the fact that there is more leeway to pull out of your account than when you can exercise better caution when you are in possession of your ATM card, he said.

ATLANTIC CITY A two-month shutdown of the states casino industry will lead to $1.1 billio

Internet gaming in New Jersey has been steadily growing since it was legalized and regulated more than six years ago. In 2014, the first full year of online gaming, revenue from internet wagering was less than 5% of the industrys annual total. In 2019, revenue from online gaming (not including online sports wagering) accounted for nearly 15% of the industrys total. The $482.7 million in internet gaming revenue last year was nearly 62% higher than the total in 2018.

Neva Pryor, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, said she was very concerned about problem gamblers during the pandemic. She said that, as is common with other addictive behaviors, some might use gambling as an escape.

A lot of people are going to reach out to gambling, theyre going to reach out to substances and other activities that might prove to be harmful, and then come out of it with a problem, Pryor said.

Online gaming provides users with tools to mitigate those problems, Pryor said. New Jersey regulations include provisions for self-exclusion lists, and most internet sites that operate in the state allow players to limit how much and how often they gamble.

The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey has also found new ways to connect with those who are vulnerable to problem gambling behaviors, including tele-therapy, webinars, social media and hosting Gamblers Anonymous meetings over the phone.

We have to reinvent ourselves, Pryor said. I would suggest that theres probably more help out there now than before, because were constantly putting the message out there.

The COVID-19 outbreak will not entirely change player behavior, even if the retail casinos are closed. Some gamblers are confident they can continue playing online, and it may even benefit their bankroll in the long run.

ATLANTIC CITY Gov. Phil Murphy ordered the closure of the citys nine casinos, effective M

I gamble online almost every weekend if I dont go to Atlantic City, said Andrea Marano Mercer, of Brick Township, Ocean County. I find I spend less actually. If Im there, Im more tempted to take out more money. At home, I can just shut the computer off and walk away.

Lone cyclist on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

The casino floor is closed at Caesars Atlantic City, off the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Pleasant weather brought out a few strollers on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

The beach was quite with the exception of a few lone strollers off the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Pleasant weather brought out a few strollers on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Sign announces the closing of Caesars Atlantic City as a result of the Covid-19 virus off the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Wet Willies sits idle, closed as a result of the Covid-19 virus, inside Resorts, off the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Margaritaville sits empty, closed a result of the Covid-19 virus, inside Resorts off the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Resorts Casino Hotel is closed a result of the Covid-19 virus, off the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Council Oak Fish sits empty, closed a result of the Covid-19 virus, inside Hard Rock, off the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is closed, off the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is closed, off the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

The buds on trees were out, but shoppers were not along Michigan Avenue at Tangers Outlet the Walk in Atlantic City on Thursday.

Sign on the Reebok store was similar to many along Michigan Avenue at Tangers Outlet Atlantic City, announcing that they are closed as a result of the Covid-19 virus, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

With stores closed as a result of Covid-19 precautions, it was a ghost town along Michigan Avenue at Tangers Outlet Atlantic City,, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Some ventured to the beach for a walk, at Albany Avenue, off the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Some ventured to the beach for a walk, at Albany Avenue, off the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Even though the weather was pleasant Thursday, there were few people on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.

Noontime traffic was light along Pacific Avenue, in Atlantic City, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Noontime traffic was light along Pacific Avenue, in Atlantic City, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Even though the weather was pleasant, there were few people on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Joanne Imperatore, of Egg Harbor City, was wearing her mask but was still happy to be on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. She said there would have been many more people on the Boardwalk on a pleasant day like today. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Joanne Imperatore, of Egg Harbor City, was wearing her mask but was still happy to be on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. She said there would have been many more people on the Boardwalk on a pleasant day like today. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Kylie Kertz, of Egg Harbor City, was still feeding the cats that live under the Atlantic City Boardwalk Thursday for Alley Cat Allies, an organization that tends to the wild cats. The Bethesda, Maryland-based organization will continue to feed and care of community cats, according to founder and president Becky Robinson. We have read nothing in any of the orders issued by various jurisdictions that prohibit on-going care and feeding of community cats, Robinson said. To discontinue care and feeding to which the cats have grown accustomed would be to put them in grave danger. Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

The porte cochere at Resorts was empty with the casino hotel closed as a Covid-19 precaution, off North Carolina Avenue, off Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Even though the weather was pleasant, there were few people on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Even though the weather was pleasant, there were few people on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Some people wore masks as a Covid-19 precaution strolling along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Some people wore masks as a Covid-19 precaution strolling along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

A group of men walk on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Some people wore masks as a Covid-19 precaution strolling along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Some people wore masks as a Covid-19 precaution strolling along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Some people wore masks as a Covid-19 precaution strolling along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Some people wore masks as a Covid-19 precaution strolling along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Some people wore masks as a Covid-19 precaution strolling along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Some people wore masks as a Covid-19 precaution strolling along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Stores are closed as a result of the coronavirus and there are no strollers along Michigan Avenue at Tangers Outlet Atlantic City, Thursday,March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Stores are closed as a result of the coronavirus and there are no strollers along Michigan Avenue at Tangers Outlet Atlantic City, Thursday,March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

Stores are closed as a result of the coronavirus and there are no strollers along Michigan Avenue at Tangers Outlet Atlantic City, Thursday,March 26, 2020. (VERNON OGRODNEK / For The Press)

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Pandemic isolation, shift to online gambling set up 'perfect storm,' experts say - Press of Atlantic City

MIAMI, April 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Miami residents, neighborhood and homeowners' associations, and businessesincluding some founded by Norman Bramanhave brought a legal action to stop a back door deal between City officials and a local development group paving the way for casino gambling throughout the City of Miami. According to Norman Braman, "The latest filing is a motion to intervene in the federal case in which a bogus lawsuit was 'settled' through a sweetheart deal and as an end around the zoning code. The City and West Flagler were on the same side," Mr. Braman said, "leaving Miami citizens on the outside whose interests were otherwise trampled on by City officials."

The motion filed by Mr. Braman and other Miami residents property owners seeking to make certain that the federal court does not enforce any "settlement" while the residents' state court lawsuit proceeds to invalidate the underlying interpretation of City code on which the federal "settlement" explicitly relies.

"We regret to be forced to file this motion to protect the right of all Miami residents to have a say as to whether Miami should allow gambling," said Norman Braman, who has opposed gambling and championed voter participation in Miami for over 30 years. "But we have an obligation to preserve our rights," he continued. "West Flagler's claimed right to have a jai alai fronton in Edgewater is a 2012 letter issued in secret and obtained without any notice or process. If the City of Miami is going to allow gamblingand I've long said it should notthen notice must be given to Miami's residents so that they can have a meaningful say and hold elected officials responsible."

"It's unfortunate that the City Attorney and West Flagler entered into this settlement approving a gambling facility in the midst of the ongoing health crisis. But the pandemic will not prevent Miami's citizens from protecting their quality of life or from ensuring the City's long-term prosperity. We will take those actions necessary to protect our rights, and we hope the City Attorney and West Flagler refrain from further action towards advancing a gambling facility while the public is focused on more important issues."

The proposed Intervenors, including businesses founded by Mr. Braman, are represented by Stearns Weaver Miller.

Contact: Gene Stearns(305) 789-3400estearns@stearnsweaver.com

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/miami-businesses-and-residents-oppose-measure-by-city-attorney-allowing-gambling-in-edgewater-as-residents-and-mayor-struggle-with-covid-19-301033836.html

SOURCE Stearns Weaver Miller

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Miami Businesses and Residents Oppose Measure by City Attorney Allowing Gambling in Edgewater as Residents and Mayor Struggle with COVID-19 - Yahoo...

The cancellation of the NCAA mens basketball tournaments opening weekend (March 19-22)typically one of the biggest betting events of the yearhas left what some bookies estimate is a $140-million wound in the betting industry. All that disposable income hasnt gone unwagered, however. Some savvy gamblers are finding that they can chase shifting odds on the 2020 U.S. presidential election or turn a quick buck wagering on incidental proposition bets like how many times President Donald Trump tweets Chinese Virus from March 21 to 22 (if you guessed more than once, you lost) and whether Joe Biden will pick Elizabeth Warren as his running mate (bettors think shes fading; shes gone from 8-1 on March 5 to 12-1 as of Thursday), not to mention a host of politics-adjacent bets on the price of oil, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the value of Netflix stock.

Interestingly, the surge in political betting has exposed an uncomfortable gray area in the law.

In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, a federal ban on sports gambling in every state except Oregon, Montana, Delaware and, of course, Nevada. Since then, 40 states have at least introduced legislation to legalize sports betting, with 16 states already in some phase of implementation. But while some Vegas bookmakers post odds on an election or, say, the Academy Awards, its solely for entertainment purposes. They dont take actual bets. As of now, no state does, though a couple, such as Indiana and New Jersey, approved wagering on the most recent Oscars, possibly leaving the door open for politics in the future.

PredictIt, a political-betting website, operates openly out of Washington, D.C., taking prop bets on everything from whether Trump will be reelected to how many times hell tweet in a week, under the exemption that the site is a nonprofit collecting data for academic research. The site pays out more like the stock marketyou buy a share in, say, Kamala Harris for $0.50. If she wins, you get $1. If she loses, you get nothing. The even foggier realm of online and offshore betting sites, unleashed by the Supreme Court decision, has opened the virtual cages for betting by anyone on just about anything.

Meanwhile in the U.K., where gambling on politics has been legal for decades, elections are big business for bookies.

According to Matthew Shaddick, head of politics betting at Ladbrokes Coral Group, a betting group based in London, the past 10 years have seen steady growth on wagering on the outcomes of votes like the Scottish independence referendum and Brexit. But he says when it comes to action, nothing really compares with American politics, with its direct elections and outsize personalities.

The Trump election was huge, he says. In general, presidential elections are a nice binary optionin European elections, youve got complicated parliamentary processes. But Trump is such a well-known and controversial figure. The 2020 U.S. general election will no doubt be the next big thing. Its clear to me from all the money were taking in that it will break all the records.

Trumps surprise win in 2016 brought U.K. bookmakers around 100 million pounds of action ($123 million), Shaddick estimates, equivalent to a huge soccer match and much bigger than the Wimbledon final or any major golf tournament. He believes that Trumps bid for reelection this November could be two or three times as big. As of late this week, Ladbrokes listed Trump as even money to win over Biden, the odds-on favorite to emerge from the Democratic primaries as the partys nominee. Until recently, most oddsmakers had Trump as a heavy favorite to win reelection, but that has changed since the outbreak of Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and the stock markets tumble.

Its going to continue growing, Shaddick says. The fact that sports are shut down, the fact that theyre not going to have the Olympics, theres no doubt the U.S. election will be the biggest market we trade here.

Whether Americans are actually betting their bankrolls on the political horse racewhether legally, illegally or somewhere in betweenits clear that there is growing public interest in following the odds.

During the last Democratic debate, FanDuel, an online fantasy sports website, posted a free-to-enter $10,000 online contest where contestants had to provide the most correct answers to a series of proplike questions: Which candidate is first to mention washing your hands? And whether Joe Biden would utter his trademark term malarkey.

More akin to fantasy league football than straight-up betting, the FanDuel event was a way for sports fans to scratch their itch in the absence of a televised game. And USA Today reported that there were 60,000 unique entries.

American gambling media is also starting to follow the odds more closely. Action Network, the new one-stop site for all things sports gambling, launched by Chad Millman, a former ESPN editor who started that companys gambling news page called Chalk, has made politics a full-time beat. Other outlets, from the New York Daily News to the Baltimore Sun to Forbes have published recent updates on the presidential odds.

We serve hardcore bettors with day-to-day coverage, but this definitely matters to more than our typical base, says Katie Richcreek, a senior editor who writes about politics at Action Network. Most of our traffic on this coverage is coming through organic Google searches.

The line between bookmaking and good old political analysis is hard to detect at timesat least up to the point where money changes hands.

Being on top of your market and your assessment and being well informed is the most important thing in betting, says Angus Ham, political betting analyst and head political trader with BookMaker, who has been setting odds and betting politics since before the 1992 Clinton/Bush/Perot presidential election. You read the press wires, Real Clear Politics for a collection of articles. You watch CNN and listen to the news quite a lot. In the U.S., you look at the polls that are relevant. The three most important things are research, research and research.

Richcreek says interest started spiking before Covid-19 set in, back in the weeks leading up to Super Tuesday, but that she believes as long as sports remain on hiatus, she expects readers to follow the presidential oddswhether theyre actually putting money on the race or not.

I dont know if its because theyre interested in betting on it or if theyre looking for ways to gauge the race, Richcreek says.

There is debate about whether betting odds more accurately predict political outcomes than many models and polls, though not much evidence that one is better than the other. But Richcreek says odds might be simpler for people to understand.

As long as there are races, there will be interest in how sports books are portraying them in their odds, she says. We try to translate odds in terms that readers will understand. I think thats easier for people to understand than models.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article misstated the dollar equivalent of British pounds sterling wagered on the 2016 presidential election. The correct figure is about $123 million.

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Frustrated Gamblers Turn to Politics as the Only Game in Town - Politico