Daily Archives: March 28, 2020

Will the Minnesota Vikings take a wide receiver with one of their two first round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft? Photo by Staff Sgt. Kyle Richardson (Wikimedia).

The Minnesota Vikings traded away disgruntled wideout Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills this offseason in a package that included a first round pick. Many people have surmised that the Vikings will use that pick to draft a wideout and now online sportsbooks have posted betting props asking that very question. Is there value betting on them to do it?

Odds taken March 27.

It feels like its been three or four times now that the Diggs has had issues with the Vikings. Although hes never been direct as to what or who the problem is, it became clear that he wanted out. When the Vikings had the opportunity to move him for a variety of draft picks, they pulled the trigger to try and move on.

The issue is that Minnesota had already been lacking depth at wide receiver. While Diggs and Adam Thielen were a great one-two punch, they lacked a third option. Bisi Johnson was the only other receiver who was productive behind Thielen and Diggs last year, and he had just 31 catches for 294 yards.

The team needed a wide receiver anyways maybe someone in the slot to work the middle of the field. Now that Diggs has been moved, the need for a wide receiver is even greater. With two first round picks one at No. 22 and one at No. 25 its likely they address it.

The 2020 NFL Draft is loaded with high-end talent at the wide receiver position, which means its probably very likely that the Vikings end up addressing the position. Players like CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III are all but assured of going in the first round. Theyll all be gone by the time the Vikings are selecting in the 20s.

The good news for the Vikings is they have two picks in the 20s and there are a lot of wide receivers that theyll have the opportunity to pick from. There are going to be guys like Denzel Mims, Justin Jefferson, Tee Higgins, Laviska Shenault Jr., Brandon Aiyuk and Jalen Reagor available. Theyll have plenty of options to choose from.

The Vikings suddenly have a lot of holes to fill as they need help at cornerback and on the edge too, but wide receiver is a big priority. The Vikings could wait until the No. 58 pick (their second-round selection) to nab someone like Michael Pittman Jr. but the general grade on him is lower than the aforementioned players.

Given the price on Yes here at +350, given the Vikings need and given that there are a lot of good options for them that fit the range players who will be available in the 20s and are graded in that range a bet on Yes makes plenty of sense to me.

Yes, the Vikings signed Tajae Sharpe, but he has a total of 51 catches over the last two seasons. Hes not the Diggs replacement. Look for Minnesota to draft a guy to fill his shoes with either one of their two first rounders at the 2020 NFL Draft.

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For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.

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For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.

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Odds Say Vikings Won't Draft a Wide Receiver in First Round of 2020 NFL Draft - Sports Betting Dime

Since most major professional sports organizations have halted or suspended their seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, online gambling companies have struggled to find new things to bet on.

Some have decided to bet on the COVID-19 pandemic itself.

Two Russian online gambling sites, Betcity and PariMatch, have opened new sections dedicated to COVID-19, which treat the pandemic as if it were a sports competition in itself.

Now that major sporting events and leagues around the world have closed, online gambling sites have started betting on the spread of COVID-19 to try to make up for the lost revenue.

Some of the bets on offer relate to the likelihood of a vaccine being developed and the date on which Moscow can be closed due to the spread of the virus.

They also offer opportunities for whether there is a shortage of toilet paper or buckwheat, a Russian staple, according to one report in the Moscow Times.

There are no competitions, so bookmakers had to come up with something, journalist Pyotr Kondakov sadly gambled in an interview. We had to adjust because this cannot be circumvented.

A number of online gambling stores in the US had to be equally creative to withhold income during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to American Gaming Association estimates, online gambling sites could lose as much as $ 43.5 billion in sports loss earnings.

Russian gambling sites dont take bets on whether Moscow will be formally shut down, whether the toilet paper shortage will become widespread, and more

David Strauss of gambling site Mybookie.ag estimates that about 95 percent of the companys income comes from professional sports betting.

Without those reliable sources of income, theyve moved on to more unusual cheats, including Ukrainian table tennis, running simulated games in video games like NBA 2K and Madden NFL, and even what the weather will look like the next day.

We have weather bets, Strauss told CNY Central.

We bet well just go city by city and place over-under bets on what the weather will be that day.

COVID-19 shutdowns have devastated the entire gambling industry, with widespread casino closings in Las Vegas and waves of layoffs

Personal gambling has been hit even harder by COVD-19 shutdowns than online gambling.

In mid-March, many of the largest casinos in Las Vegas announced they would be temporarily closed to the public, including the MGM Grand, Caesars Palace, Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, Bellagio and The Mirage.

The closings have been accompanied by massive layoffs at many properties.

Ive been working for the company for (many) years, and Im gone as a light switch, an employee of Caesars Palace told the Las Vegas Review Journal.

I dont know how Im going to pay my bills now. I need that job and the benefits.

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Online gambling sites are starting to place bets on how the corona virus will spread - Lifesly.com

In the wake of the COVID 19 outbreak, many industries are facing tough times ahead. Weve already witnessed the devastating effect this virus has had on the travel and tourism industry. Restaurants, bars, clubs, cinemas, hotels, cruise liners and airlines have all been hit hard, and as the work dries up many people are being laid off and sent home. One of the only industries largely unaffected is the online gambling industry in fact, casino sites are currently experiencing a boom in trade thanks to the number of people now stuck behind closed doors. As more and more people are being urged to self-isolate, the demand for digital entertainment is rising. And the need for excitement is at least somewhat fulfilled by risking a few pennies on a slot game. Luckily for UK players, there are plenty of excellent casino sites available to them that are fully licenced and regulated.

However, we cant help but wonder what the future holds for gambling enterprises, both online and offline. COVID 19 is already having a significant effect on the betting landscape and while casino websites may be thriving for now, theres no telling how long this will last. Land-based casinos around the world have already experienced a huge drop in revenue due to the effect of travel bans and social distancing. The mega resort casinos in Las Vegas have seen a drop in the number of visitors and those numbers look set to drop even further as the virus continues to spread. Measures are in place to try and thwart the threat of contagion, such as checking for fever before allowing guests to enter, increased cleaning schedules, and most recently, according to CNN, a ban on food buffets. However, as fear of the virus grows, more Americans will embrace the idea of the staycation. Bad news for resorts, good news for casino sites.

Casinos in Macau were forced to shut down for 3 weeks in February but have since opened their doors, albeit with strict limits on how many people can enter a casino at any one time and a limit of how many gamblers can sit at a gaming table. Wynn Resorts, MGM Resorts and Las Vegas Sands reportedly lost up to 2 million dollars per day during the shutdown, amounting to an 88% drop in profits compared to the same period of time last year. And their revenue since reopening has dropped significantly. Many industry insiders are predicting that these huge, land-based casino enterprises will now be pushing to get a piece of the online pie.

Laws throughout Asia currently restrict citizens from gambling online. A change in attitude towards online gambling in China, for example, would mean that Chinese citizens would no longer need to travel in order to enjoy casino games. If Macaus land-based casinos launched their own casino sites with government approval, Chinese gamblers could have access to licenced and regulated casino sites and the government would gain through an increase in Tax revenue. The UK Government was quick to see the potential of a regulated and taxable gambling industry had thanks to this foresight the UK economy has reaped huge rewards. Canada has made allowances for online gambling and the USA is currently in the process of opening up more and more avenues for gambling from home.

In these tumultuous times, staying indoors and away from people is fast becoming the only hope of stemming the flow of contagion. Gambling online is, of course, the far safer course of action than gambling in a crowded casino. And as countries throughout Europe implement total lock-down procedures, gamblers will no longer even have the choice. As previously mentioned, luckily there are plenty of excellent online UK casino sites. However, as weve also mentioned, the landscape of betting is changing. You can still go online and find youre your favourite slot games and RNG table games, you can still participate in online tournaments and compete in leaderboard challenges, but how long you will be able to play live games will depend on whether or not NetEnt and Evolution Gaming studios will be able to continue production. One of the biggest changes that is already happening is in the world of sports betting. Sporting events throughout the world are being postponed or cancelled at an alarming rate. With no sporting events to bet on, sports fans are looking elsewhere for betting opportunities.

One avenue is eSports. eSports are played online and therefore do not require participants to come in to contact with one another. These games are big money events, the best payers have become stars in their own right and the tournaments attract huge audiences. With more punters betting on the outcomes of these games, eSports is sure to get even bigger. Were also seeing increased betting on more random events, such as awards shows, elections and whether or not China will beat America in the race for a COVID 19 vaccine.

For now, it seems the casino websites are withstanding the COVID 19 storm and actually benefiting from it, but will it last? In all likelihood, the online gambling industry will soon start to experience a drop in revenue because punters will simply no longer be able to afford to spend money on frivolous pursuits, especially ones that could see them lose money. The sheer number of people employed by the travel and tourism industry that will soon be out of a job and reliant on government aid is frightening. This will, of course, have a knock-on effect throughout the UK economy. If people arent making money in one sector, then theyre not spending money in other sectors, which means that eventually people are going to have to tighten their belts across the board. How long this will go on for is anyones guess.

Image(s): Shutterstock.com

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The COVID 19 Effect on Gambling and Casino Sites - The Merkle Hash

Earlier this month, half a dozen amicus briefs were filed in the Wire Act case pitting the New Hampshire Lottery Commission and gaming company Neopollard against the US Department of Justice.

The litigation arose in response to a November 2018 memo issued by Assistant Attorney General Steven Engel. The DOJs Office of Legal Counsel via that memo rescinded its own 2011 guidance, which posited that the Wire Act applies only to interstate sports betting.

Under that interpretation, states were free to engage in non-sports interstate gambling. A number of them have legalized online gambling in various forms in the time since be it iLottery, multi-state poker, or casino games like slots and blackjack.

The 2018 memo, if enforced, would put all regulated US online gambling operations in jeopardy.

Shortly before the 2018 memorandum was to take effect, the NH Lottery and Neopollard filed suit in federal court. Together, they sought declaratory judgment that the Wire Act does not apply beyond sports wagering.

District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro did just that.

His decision in June 2019 held that the Wire Act applies only to sporting events. The lottery could therefore continue to sell tickets online without fear of implicating the statute.

The judge, however, also acknowledged early on that the case was rife with issues that seemed to make it destined for the Supreme Court.

The DOJ promptly took the case one step closer to fulfilling that prophecy, lodging an appeal with the First Circuit Court of Appeals. After both sides filed their initial briefs, a handful of amicus curiae (friends of the court) briefs came rolling in.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania filed in support, as did the states of Michigan and New Jersey. Two of the three have full-fledged online gambling industries up and running, with Michigan hoping to launch its own within the next year. An adverse decision could mean millions of tax dollars delayed or even lost in each.

Also bringing support for the state and Neopollard were International Game Technology (IGT), theiDevelopment and Economic Association (iDEA), and the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM).

The Pennsylvania brief makes two substantive arguments regarding the impact on PA online gambling.

From the filing:

Here, although the USDOJ paid lip service to reliance interests in the 2018 Opinion, it failed to recognize the extent to which its change in policy would affect not only state governments but also the vendors and retailers that contract with those governments and the citizens who benefit from governmental programs that are supported by lottery revenues.

New Jersey followed its neighbors lead. It similarly argued that the Justice Departments about-face threatens the livelihood of gaming companies that operate in the state.

The brief contends that the DOJ did not weigh the its reliance on revenue from NJ online gambling both in terms of the employment that the industry provides and for the tax dollars it generates for state and local development.

The brief from the Michigan Attorney General took a somewhat different tone.

First, it pushed back on the DOJs argument that the government already indicated it would not seek to punish lotteries under the new Wire Act interpretation. It has made no such unambiguous disclaimer, according to the brief, and the case is thus ripe for a court to decide.

Michigans second substantive argument echoed others points that a DOJ reading of the Wire Act that extends its scope beyond sports betting is incorrect.

Finally, Michigan repeats the NH Lottery argument that the 2018 memo constitutes final agency action under the Administrative Procedures Act.

This is perhaps one of the most important points of the case, with implications far beyond the Wire Act memorandum. If the Office of Legal Counsels memorandums are not final agency actions, they are generally not subject to a court review.

The IGT brief makes an interesting argument, though it is important not to read too much into it: Even If the Wire Act Applied to Some Non-Sports Betting, It Would Not Reach State Lotteries.

The merits of that assertion hinge on the legal definition of the word whoever and its application to states as business operators.

IGT concludes its brief by arguing once again that the Engel memorandum constituted final agency action.

The iDEA brief raises two novel arguments.

The first is that the rule of lenity should be applied. If a court finds that a law is ambiguous, lenity requires it to apply an interpretation that is less punitive (or more permissible).

That would necessitate a narrow reading of the Wire Acts scope that the statute applies only to wagering on sporting events.

The brief also argues that the Act, if interpreted as the government wants, would raise constitutional concerns under the Tenth Amendment. The court would seek to avoid such issues where possible.

The final amicus brief in support of New Hampshire and Neopollard comes from another trade group.

AGEM argued, like the others, that states have strong reliance interests based around existing gaming operations.

It points out that the 2018 opinion upsets long-standing federal deference to state policy choices surrounding the gaming industry.

The next step in the Wire Act case is for the government defendants to file their reply brief.

That might take a little longer than anticipated, however. US Attorney General William Barr already filed for an extension, which the court will grant in all likelihood.

Following that, there is a good chance that the First Circuit will schedule oral arguments in the case.

If Judge Barbadoro is correct, however, the inevitable appellate decision will only set the stage for a subsequent petition to the Supreme Court.

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Catching Up On The Wire Act Case Part 2: New Hampshire Lottery Has Friends In Court - OnlinePokerReport.com

If youre not really rooted in the sports betting world, you might want to assume that both the virtual and real sports betting are one and the same, with just a slight difference here and there. Well, logically speaking, youre not too far from being right, but technically, they are two different betting markets entirely.

Although virtually all the bets you make on real sports betting can be replicated within the virtual space, the two betting markets are still unique in a number of ways.

But that is not to say that they arent alike in so many ways too. In fact, theyre so much alike, so much so that they attract the same kind of audience. And one of the biggest questions on the lips of their audiences is How to decide between the two types of sports betting.

If youve also been wondering which is best to wager your money on, then you might want to check out the following facts about real and virtual sports betting.

Real sports betting

The Pros

Punters have the chance to decide their fate to a certain degree

Due to the fact that real sports betting is based on the actions and activities of real-life sporting events, punters have the ability to conduct a little research and decide their own fate. While this research doesnt automatically guarantee a winning, it does place a punter in a position where they can at least decide their own fate. With an extensive research, punters can know more about the competing teams, players, history, likelihood of either of the teams winning, form guide, amongst other things. With this sort of information, a punter can make a guided bet.

For instance, if youre a regular sports bettor, then you should know that it is important to first research a team before placing your bet on them. Because you never can tell, the team tagged the favorite might have a bad history playing that particular opponent or a lingering injury crisis, all of which might hamper its performance level.

Additionally, real-life sports betting also offers players a multiplicity of options when it comes to markets to bet on. In fact, many sites now, like the agen bola sbobet, offer punters the ability to build their own bets up using selections from a number of markets so that they can bet on exactly they want.

The Cons

On the downside, real-life sports betting is just too difficult to win every time. No matter how good you are or how extended your research goes, the fact remains that youre always going to lose more than youll win in real-life sports betting. Due to the inherently unpredictable nature of most major sports, youre never going to completely right every time you pick a team to win or back an event to happen.

Another straw that breaks the camels back in the case of real-life sports betting is the pain of waiting for certain events. Since real-life sporting events are played by real humans, it means that there wouldnt be games to bet in every day. For example, say you place an accumulator bet on the NBA this week, you might need to wait a few more days or even till the next weekend before you can place other bets.

Of course, some people might argue that there are other sports you can bet on even if your favorite sport is on break or not holding any event on the day. But sports betting isnt just like other forms of gambling. You can and should only bet on sports that you fancy and understand because each sport requires its own level of expertise.

Virtual sports betting

The Pros

Oh, virtuals! One of the biggest advantages of gambling on virtual sports betting is the availability of games to bet on 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365-days a year.

But thats not the only thing that makes virtuals such an exciting betting ground. Punters can also enjoy betting for micro-stakes or much higher value bets on virtual sports too. And just like its real-life counterpart, virtual sports betting also has a lot of markets for players to bet on, so options arent a problem.

Furthermore, virtual sports betting frees you of the task of researching. With all the teams and individuals competing randomly generated, there is no previous history to look at, no statistics to peruse, and no form guide to bank on. All you have to do is pick which selection interests you the most, back it, and hope that Lady Luck smiles at you.

A much better gambling comparison for virtuals would be Slots. The two gambling options have a lot of similar features.

Virtually sports betting

The Cons

Unfortunately, the absence of research means that youre completely at the mercy of the virtual sports bookmaker. So if youre looking to gamble on a game with a lower house or bookies edge, then virtual sports betting might be a wrong option for you. Also, the odds available on virtual sports betting tend to be more varied than some real-life sports events. Theres also the fact that virtual sports betting doesnt belong to any league, competition, or context, other than the games being played. Now, the impact of this is that punters cannot tell the strengths or weaknesses or teams before wagering on them, meaning that they cannot control their own fate.

Conclusion

It is clearly evident that both types of sports betting have so much going for them. However, if youre really looking to win more often, then you might want to stick with gambling on real-life sports betting, at least there you can research and make a guided decision. Once you decide to stake on real-life sports bets, you can check out the sbobet.org website; there youll find your online gambling agent to register and play with.

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Virtual sports betting vs. Real sports betting what are your chances - The Boca Raton Tribune

As citizens of a proud nation, Italians love staying true to their traditions. And this is no different when it comes to routines around betting and gaming, according to Leadstar Media CEO and Founder Eskil Kvarnstrm.

Despite the explosion of online gambling in so many countries around the world, data first collected by Statista (presented here by Eurispes) found that offline was still comfortably the preferred way for Italians to play for money whatever their chosen vertical might be.

According to the data, almost three in 10 Italians surveyed play for cash prizes (28%), but 18.3% of that group were offline only. Conversely, only 2% of gamblers claimed to bet exclusively online across the year, while 7.9% were active across both.

New trend for Italian punters

However, the tide does seem to be shifting, with many Italians now opening online betting accounts and therefore also becoming eligible to claim a welcome offer.

To highlight this point, data from national media agency Agimeg revealed that online spend across gambling verticals in Italy increased by 29% in January 2020 against the corresponding month of 2019 (153m to 197.5m).

This is a trend of real interest to Kvarnstrm, whose affiliate network includes Italian betting affiliate site BookmakerBonus.it.

He also expressed his confidence in the prospects of the Italian online market, by saying: We have always known that Italy is a large market with huge potential, despite having a large number of players who still prefer to undertake their betting offline. Were confident that eventually we will see an even bigger curve in the trends towards online betting.

Online betting yes, but mainly on mobile phones

Players well acquainted with online betting have often cited the simplicity and speed in which you can find and place bets from your mobile device in real-time as a major advantage.

This is something that Leadstar Media has identified as a key factor to success in Italy and optimised its site for mobile use accordingly. As of today, 80% of users on BookmakerBonus.it are visiting the site using their mobile phone.

The hope, for Kvarnstrm at least, is that those players that have been converted to betting with online platforms in the last weeks will continue to do so after everything has settled down and the country returns to business as usual.

Benefits of online betting

Online betting has in fact a number of distinct advantages when compared to betting offline in the local shops, says Kvarnstrm. Obviously we dont expect online betting to replace the social factors of congregating and discussing the potential outcomes of games that so many Italian players have become accustomed to over the years.

However, were hoping many will begin to appreciate the distinct advantages that online betting can offer such as cashout, which are simply not available in brick-and-mortar shops.

Cashout remains an unknown feature for most Italian punters. Just over a year ago, we learned from Agimeg that the countrys ban on the concept would be lifted on a trial basis. However, this period was soon closed, alongside Asian handicap multiples, after Giovanni Tria was forced out of government last September.

Despite this regulatory U-turn, Kvarnstrm explained that bookmakers offering an exchange platform, some of which you can find referrals for through BookmakerBonus.it, are allowed to provide the cashout feature to their customers.

Kvarnstrm concluded: So besides being an established betting market for many years, Italy is still in the transitional stages when it comes to making the switch towards online betting and we want to help our customers to understand the numerous benefits by providing them with informative content on our site.

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Leadstar Media: Adapting to new betting trends in Italy - SBC News

Innovations in online gambling also raise questions about privacy concerns. The more digital options players have, the more personal data they may be required to give.

Attitudes towards gambling legislation seem to be relaxing more and more. For example, in the U.S., many states have recently taken steps to legalize online gambling. Other states now look set to follow the likes of Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey. Meanwhile, countries like Japan and Morocco are looking at how gambling can become more accessible and are hoping to legalize gambling across all platforms. Countries in South America are looking to relax their gambling laws soon as well. But the more innovations occur, the more new-regulations will become required.

Types of Gambling Innovations

The digital age has opened up new possibilities for the gambling industry. For instance, online casinos, where you can play table, slot, and jackpot games, have become hugely popular in recent years, and some countries have already amended their gambling laws and regulations to accommodate online users. A wide range of gambling innovations are happening right now, such as concierge apps for real-life casinos, advanced mobile platforms, face recognition, and virtual reality games.

There are currently a few select online casinos that enable you to play slots and table games with wearable technology. Yes, VR games are no longer a thing of science fiction. And, with prices starting to fall, coupled with the development of technology, more people will be playing VR games sooner than you may think.

How Regulations Affect Innovations in the Gambling Industry

As VR gambling games continue to spread, laws and regulations need to keep up. And, VR technology raises some interesting questions about breaking the law. Take the example of the woman who, a few years ago, attempted to file a lawsuit after she was groped by a player in a virtual reality game. Because the VR headset replicates reality, the attempted groping caused the woman as much stress and anxiety as it would have in the real world. But, because there was no physical touching involved in the incident, the offender was unable to be prosecuted. As VR gambling games continue to develop, you can expect to see more nuanced laws coming into effect.

Players of VR and online gambling games may also become subject to many more terms and conditions in the future. So, just like social media platforms, online casino users could unknowingly give their rights away because they have not reviewed and understood what they are signing.

Innovations in online gambling also raise questions about privacy concerns. The more digital options players have, the more personal data they may be required to give. Countries around the world are currently considering implementing new laws and regulations concerning personal data. Many countries look set to follow the UKs new General Data Protection Regulation, which strictly determines how and when personal data can be used.

Gambling regulations have already been positively used in many ways. For example, in 2016, regulators in Nevada adopted amendments that enabled companies to place beta-mode games on casino floors for months at a time. That has enabled game manufacturers to test their products on the Las Vegas Strip before rolling out the product.

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Does Regulation Affect Innovations in the Gambling Industry? - Legal Reader