Monthly Archives: March 2020

TAMPA A New York City man who made more than $1 million last year betting on sports is accused of sending hundreds of threatening messages to professional and college athletes, including members of the Tampa Bay Rays.

In some of the messages, Benjamin Tucker Patz used racial slurs and threatened to break into the athletes homes and behead them and their families, according to a criminal complaint.

Patz, 23, who goes by the name Parlay Patz, now faces federal charges of transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce.

The FBI investigated the threats, which were sent throughout 2019 in direct messages over Facebook and Instagram. The complaint says he used anonymous accounts.

Four Tampa Bay Rays players received Instagram messages on July 20, the day the team lost a home game to the Chicago White Sox. The four are identified in the complaint only by the initials E.P., A.K., T.P. and C.R.

I will sever your neck open you pathetic (expletive)," read one message directed to E.P.

Unfortunately 0-5 against the Chicago White Sox isnt going to cut it, read a message to T.P. Because of your sins, I will have to behead you and your family.

Chaz Roe confirmed Thursday that he was one of the players, but declined to comment because the case is ongoing. Adam Kolarek and Emilio Pagan, who are no longer with the team, were two of the others. Tommy Pham, as the only player with the initials TP on the team last year, told the Tampa Bay Times via text Wednesday night that he didnt recall any specific threats and wasnt involved in an ongoing investigation.

"I dont know who this guy is ... I dont remember anyone threatening me,'' Pham said. "Not me. Crazy.''

A White Sox player, identified in the complaint as A.C., also received a message, which threatened beheading and referred to him with an ethnic slur.

FBI agents traced the Instagram account that sent the messages to an internet protocol address in Sacramento, Calif. They further linked the address to an email account belonging to Patz, who previously lived in Napa, Calif., according to the complaint.

The days that followed saw similar threats directed to players on the Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals and Kansas City Royals. Other threats targeted players for the Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, New England Patriots and numerous other professional and college athletes.

A review of Patz email and Instagram accounts showed more than 300 other accounts had been targeted with threatening and explicit messages, according to the complaint. Nearly all of those messages went to professional athletes or their family members.

The threats often corresponded with Patz gambling activity, according to the complaint. The complaint includes references to various news articles which describe Patz as a gambler who made more than $1 million betting on sports. Some of the articles state that he attended Columbia University Business School and American University in Paris.

The Tampa Bay Rays issued this statement in regards to the threats made against its players:

The safety of our players and staff is paramount and all threats are taken seriously. During the 2019 season, a Rays player notified club officials of threats he received on social media. The Rays brought the issue to the Clearwater resident office of the FBI, and their agents initiated an investigation that subsequently identified three additional Rays players who had been threatened. The Rays and the players involved are cooperating with the FBI as the legal process continues.

Times staff writer Marc Topkin contributed to this report.

Read this article:

I will sever your neck. Gambler who made $1 million threatened Rays, feds say - Tampa Bay Times

The Gambling Commission is outpaced and outgunned by betting companies, according to a government report warning that the watchdog is struggling to protect people from gambling-related harm.

The National Audit Office, which monitors the effectiveness of public bodies, said the regulator had not adjusted to technological change such as the rise of online and mobile gaming. It said funding constraints had hampered the commission, which has an annual budget of 19m but regulates an industry that took 11.3bn from punters last year.

The commission is constrained by factors outside its control, including inflexible funding and a lack of evidence on how developments in the industry affect consumers, the NAO said.

It concluded that the regulator was unlikely to be fully effective in addressing risks and harms to consumers within the current arrangements.

Its verdict comes after the government promised to review the 2005 Gambling Act, following successive scandals that have cast doubt on the industrys commitment to rein in disordered gambling.

High-profile cases include revelations about the industrys use of so-called VIP schemes, as well as concern about the impact on young and vulnerable people of gambling advertising and its links to football.

While the commission has ramped up the level of fines it issues, from 1.4m in 2014-15 to nearly 20m last year, it has struggled to keep pace with changing trends, the NAO said. These include a 56% rise in advertising spending between 2014 and 2017, most of it via online and social media channels rather than television.

The NAO also pointed to the increase in the proportion of online gambling that happens via mobile phone, up from 23% in 2015 to 44% in 2018.

Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: The risks to gamblers are changing as technologies develop. Yet the Gambling Commission is a small regulator in a huge and fast-evolving industry. While the commission has made improvements, gambling regulation lags behind the industry.

The NAO called on the commission and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to do more to encourage companies to surpass minimum standards on problem gambling protection, including financial and reputational incentives.

It also called for a review of the commissions funding model, via fees paid by operators for licences.

Labour MP Carolyn Harris said: The Gambling Commission is not fit for purpose and Neil McArthur [its chief executive] should resign in the light of this report. The commission is simply not up to the job of regulating the gambling industry, particularly the online sector, parts of which seem to operate like the wild west.

There are an estimated 395,000 problem gamblers, 55,000 of them children, with a further 1.8 million deemed at risk. Six further people are affected by each addict, according to a study cited in the report.

The report lamented a lack of long-term research to measure the impact of the problem gambling. Research has suggested that the economic cost could be as much as 1.2bn a year, nearly half the industrys 3bn annual tax contribution.

The Gambling Commission said the NAOs report underlines the constraints that our current funding arrangements presents, and we are developing proposals to discuss this with DCMS.

The regulator pointed to measures it had taken such as imposing stricter age verification and banning gambling on credit cards, but admitted that more needs to be done. We must see a reduction in the number of people experiencing harm and we are currently pushing the industry to focus on poor VIP practices, advertising technology and game design, the DCMS said.

We have already announced we will review the Gambling Act to ensure it is fit for the digital age.

We have also worked closely with the Gambling Commission over the last year to introduce a wave of tough measures cutting the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals, introducing tighter age and identity checks for online gambling and banning gambling using credit cards from this April.

The threat of increased regulation has proved a drag on the share prices of UK gambling companies, prompting an industry-wide effort to display improved attitudes to problem gambling.

Sign up to the daily Business Today email here or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk

Here is the original post:

Gambling Commission 'is being outgunned' by betting companies - The Guardian

Despite being home to Las Vegas the global hub of gambling the United States of America has a complicated relationship with gambling. Laws surrounding the practice differon a state-by-state basis and here in Long Island, the laws have been subject to change throughout the last decade.

Traditionally gambling in New York State was strictly limited to casino venues which could only be opened in Indian reservations. Horse racing, some forms of lotteries and a few other negligible gambling games were allowed.

But, in 2013 voters approved an amendment to the New York gambling laws which would allow Vegas style casinos to be built in the state. Despite that amendment, online casinos, sports betting sites and online poker still remain illegal.

In this article we will look at the gambling options for Long Island residents and speculate as to whether the state could benefit from following the lead of a European country.

Where to gamble in New York State?

A look behind the curtain at New Yorks largest gambling venue, Resorts World Casino.

RWC is by far the largest and most impressive casino within a short commute of Long Island. The casino is operated by the Genting group, one of the biggest names in the global casino business with dozens of resorts around the globe.

RWC is home to three distinct casinos, Times Square Casino, Fifth Avenue Casino and Central Park Casino. Across the three there are over 6,000 slot machines and hundreds upon hundreds of table games. If youre in to high stakes games ask a member of staff about the venues several high-limit rooms which often play host to private, high stakes games.

If youre opening a casino in New York City it is the law that you have to name it after one of the Big Apples most famous landmarksokay maybe not, but it seems to be the route that a lot of casino developers have gone down, including the Rooney family who owned this 97-acre property from 1972 to 2019.

Last year the casino was bought by MGM the casino owning super group with interests in Las Vegas and Macao. The 150,000 square foot venue is home to over 5,000 slot machines and boasts a large selection of gaming tables on top of that.

For refreshments, guests can enjoy Dan Rooneys on-site sports pub as well as three extremely tasty restaurants including Nonnos Trattoria. With funding from MGM filtering through on almost a monthly basis, keep your eyes peeled for more improvements at Empire City Casino.

Belmont park

Highlights from 2019s epic Belmont Stakes race.

As mentioned in the introduction of the article, horse racing is legal in New York State and it is an activity enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of punters. The Belmont Triple Crown Championship is an annual race that attracts fans from all over the globe and is an event that deserves a place in your calendar.

Away from that championship, races are held throughout the spring and summer months. These events are made even more enjoyable by the availability of in-depth stats on horses, riders and trainers available to visitors.

Whether youre an experienced horse better or a complete novice, Belmont Park is the ideal place to visit.

Using your phone

All forms of online gambling are illegal in NYC, other than Fantasy Football.

Want to whip your phone out of your pocket in Long Island and win some cash at an online poker table? No can do buddy. Fancy spinning the roulette wheel? Think again. How about backing the Yankees? Absolutely not, although if you do fancy wagering some money on fantasy football, fill your boots.

Welcome to the crazy world of online gambling legislation in New York State. All forms of online gambling apart from fantasy sports are strictly prohibited, in a state with more than a few super casinos.

New York States prohibition on online gambling doesnt make much sense, but fortunately it might be about to change its stance in the near future.

Legalising online gambling

There is a tide of change in the USA at the moment where online gambling is concerned. In recent times the legislation surrounding online sports betting has been decentralized, leaving individual states to decide for themselves whether or not to legalize the act.

Movements to legalise online sports betting in some states have led to further legalisation for online casinos. Although it is unclear what New York State will decide to do with both sports betting and online casinos.

Should online gambling be legalised?

The argument for legalising online gambling lies in Northern Europe, just north of France and slightly east of Ireland.

The United Kingdom is perhaps the most successful online gambling nation on the planet, with annual revenues of over 5 billion from the remote sector. It is for that, and a number of other reasons that the country is often held up as an example for other countries to follow. There are many hugely popular and reputable gambling sites, featuring a range of engaging casino games with lucrative prizes to be won. A good example to get a feel for the the industry and try your luck at is the one-of-a-kind Las Vegas inspired retro style site 777 online casino.

One of the reasons the gambling industry is doing so well in the UK is because the government is very involved in the day-to-day running of online gambling companies, thanks to heavy regulation. Every gambling company in the country is not only obliged to pay a percentage of their profits to gambling charities, but they are also required to take the necessary precautions to detect and help problem gamblers.

Scientific studies have labelled British gamblers as mature, meaning they are less likely to encounter problems with gambling. The governments action on regulating the online industry has been seen as key to this.

Conclusion

If the New York State is to go down the route of legalising online gambling, sports betting and poker, administrators could do far worse than copying the approach of the British gambling industry.

See original here:

Long Island gambling rules - Blog - The Island Now

Gambling is an extremely lucrative industry in the UK, with an estimated Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) worth 14.4bn according to the latest figures supplied by its regulator, the Gambling Commission (GC). Most peoples first encounter with gambling is via their local high street, a prime location for the big players in the industry, such as Ladbrokes Coral, William Hill and Betfred. With 10,761 gambling premises used by licensed operators across the country, you are roughly ten times more likely to stumble across a bookies then a McDonalds! Yet it is the online sector that has rapidly grown to become the industrys largest with a market share of 37.1%.

Much of the success of online gambling can be attributed to the industrys use of television and social media platforms that offer a never-ending stream of incentives to potential customers in the form of free bets and bonuses. There is no doubt that this tactic works and a 2019 GC report titled Gambling participation in 2018: behaviour, awareness and attitudes revealed that 45% of online gamblers were prompted to spend money on a gambling activity due to the adverts that they saw. This was compared to 49% of online gamblers (with a social media account) who saw similar adverts on a social media platform.

The gambling industry is highly competitive, so it is no wonder that the companys operating within it invest heavily in marketing and advertising in an attempt to differentiate themselves from each other. The tactic seems to be working as the GC recently reported that 24 million people gambled in the UK between 2018/2019, an increase of 2% since December 2017.

The greed of the gambling industry to snare their prey via free bets and other promotions has seen the rise of an extremely savvy community of so-called matched bettors who wish to take advantage of these offers to make a small profit for themselves legitimately and with minimal effort. By covering one side of a wage with a free bet, a matched bettor will then make an opposite bet at a betting exchange. Effectively with both sides of a bet covered, they cannot lose. The result is small amount of profit, with minimal risk, which would not be possible without the use of the free bet offered by a gambling company in the first instance.

Matched betting was relatively unknown until the development of the first peer to peer betting exchangecalled flutter.com which was launched in 2000.As the online gambling industry arose, matched betting came into its own. Matched betting companies arose and quickly became intertwined with active matched betting communities. In exchange of a small fee, the latter utilise the cutting-edge software and technology these companies offer in order to quickly take advantage of the huge number of free bets being offered by the gambling industry

Officially the betting companies claim that matched betting industry does not affect their businesses or is a minor irritant. In response to a Daily Telegraph enquiry last August, a spokesman for William Hill said it tried to discourage customers exploiting offers designed to benefit regular customers, as it limits the firms commercial ability to reward genuine customers and enhance their experience with us. While James Midmer, Head of Communications at Paddy Power, said the profits were not high enough to compensate for the time and research needed to win.

In reality, the gambling industry likes it when the odds are in its favour and cannot abide being taken advantage off. That is why matched bettors are finding that the gambling industry is increasing employing a whole host of nefarious tactics to prevent them from making a legitimate profit. For example, in December last year a Sportsmail investigation revealed what many matched bettors had long thought. That online gambling firms were ranking customers using sophisticated software, allowing them to limit amounts bet by successful gamblers or even close their accounts if they are being too successful. The most despicable were and even using stalling tactics to stop customers withdrawing money, demanding financial details such as employment history and National Insurance numbers, with the result that the winnings can be lost during the delay.

It is no wonder then that the number of complaints to the Gambling Commission about bookies behaviour has rose to a record 8,266 complaints in 2018, compared with just 169 in 2013. Despite the behaviour of many companies with the gambling industry, its success seems to show no signs of slowing, and there appears to be no shortage of punters who fail to understand that the house always wins. What is certain though, is that canny Matched Bettors will continue to rebalance the odds in their favour, and legitimately enjoy their fair share of the gambling industries wealth. Our industry cannot be stopped. Its simply a question of staying two steps ahead of the competition!

Sam Stoffel is the Founder and CEO of the UKs most popular Matched Betting platform, Profit Accumulator. Authoritative and Influential within the Matched Betting sector, Profit Accumulator is now a multi-million-pound turnover empire, built on sophisticated technology and driven by Stoffels clear trajectory for growth.

Read more:

Why the gambling industry has a problem with matched betting | London Business News - London Loves Business

Oklahoma woman claims slot machine shut off after she hit the jackpot and the casino won't pay her the nearly $8.5 million she says she won.

Casinos in Macao, the worlds largest gambling enclave, reported a record plunge in gaming revenue in February after a 15-day closure that was brought on by the coronavirus outbreak. Shares of casino operators doing business in the country were trading higher after falling early in the session.

Gross gaming revenue in Macao fell 87.8 percent year-over-year in February to 3.1 billion patacas ($386.5 million), according to the Gaming Inspection & Coordination Bureau. The sharp drop came after the government on Feb. 4 ordered casino operators to shut down for 15 days to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

February marked the second consecutive month that Macao was affected by the outbreak. Gross gaming revenue fell 11.3 percent year-over-year in January to 22.1 billion patacas after Macao was forced to close its borders to mainland China during the Jan. 24-30 Lunar New Year holiday, a particularly busy time for traveling in China.

CORONAVIRUS HOARDING TO BOOST THESE FOOD COMPANIES

The coronavirus outbreak has sickened 87,137 people worldwide and killed 2,977, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organization.

Macao, the only place where gambling is legal in China, receives about 76 percent of its revenue from the industry. Gross gaming revenue for 2019 was 292.5 billion patacas ($36.6 billion), more than three times the size of Clark County, Nevada, home of Las Vegas ($10.36 billion).

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

Shares of MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts were both down about 29 percent from Jan. 20, the day the coronavirus was first reported to have spread outside of China, through Friday.

Read more here:

Coronavirus wipes out business in gambling capital of the world - Fox Business

As public hearings opened Friday ahead of sending an emergency sports gambling bill for the states Native American tribal casinos to a final Senate vote, opponents vowed to launch a fight that stretches far beyond legislative discussions.

Right before giving public testimony at the Senate Ways and Means Committee hearing, Eric Persson, CEO of Nevada-based Maverick Gaming LLC, pledged to spend millions of dollars this election cycle to prevent the bill from becoming law. Perssons company wants sports gambling expanded to the 19 in-state card-room casinos it bought over the past year and said EHB 2638 is a pure power grab that thwarts the public will in order to grant a monopoly to tribes.

Were prepared to spend $20-$30 million this election cycle to protect our 2,200 employees in the state and bring this matter to the attention of all Washingtonians to educate them about whats gone on, Persson told The Seattle Times.

Nothings off the table. Well do everything we can. Litigation, lobbying, TV ads, whatever it takes to get the message out there.

Maverick in recent weeks pumped $1 million into a political action committee it controls that is now funded to the tune of $1.5 million. He said the committee will focus on House and Senate campaigns involving lawmakers that supported a controversial emergency clause attached to SHB 2638 earlier this month.

That emergency designation prevents the bill from being subjected to a statewide referendum requiring 60% support to pass. Persson said Washingtonians want sports gaming beyond tribal casinos and wont support the state forgoing up to $50 million in annual tax revenue by limiting it to those venues.

We all know theres no path to 60% if the consumers voice is heard, Persson said. Thats why theyve invoked this clause now. It wasnt an emergency before. Last year, when they talked about this, it wasnt an emergency. It only became an emergency when Maverick Gaming arrived on the scene.

The fight for the right to operate sports gaming platforms in this state has long been a high-powered, mostly behind-the-scenes fight. The states 29 tribes and Maverick have both spent six-figure amounts on lobbyists and campaign contributions the past year trying to lure state lawmakers to their side.

For decades, tribal casinos have operated most of the legalized gambling in Washington a state with some of the nations toughest anti-gambling laws. Sports gambling remains illegal statewide, but the pressure to allow it has grown since the U.S. Supreme Court in May 2018 struck down a federal law that had banned it everywhere but Las Vegas and a handful of other jurisdictions.

Individual states can now determine their own course and dozens have either legalized some sports gambling, or like Washington are considering legislation on it. Those who want sports gambling limited to tribal casinos here argue that its the safest way to introduce a limited form of such gambling while preventing potential abuses, including addiction by minors.

The bill has already passed the House, and voting it out of the Senate committee is the final step before a full floor vote in that chamber. If passed there, it would be forwarded to Gov. Jay Inslee.

The emergency clause was tacked on right before the House voted the bill through earlier this month. Supporters say the emergency is that illegal sports gambling is growing within the state and the tribal-only allowances are needed to protect citizens from black-market dangers.

A legal opinion to that effect was obtained this week by the Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA) a group that promotes tribal gambling from former Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna. In it, McKenna concludes the emergency clause use would withstand a court challenge.

Rebecca Kaldor, WIGA executive director, testified at Fridays public hearing: Its important that the legislature take action now so that we can eliminate the illegal market and ensure that sports betting is safe and reliable in our state.

But a legal opinion issued this month for Maverick by former state senator and Washington Supreme Court Judge Phillip A. Talmadge found nothing to justify the emergency clause because tribal gaming wont bring new tax revenues or other urgent business to the state.

Hoquiam native Persson, testifying Friday along with several operators of his companys card-room casinos which allow limited card-game betting only said the tribal legislation is one more nail in the coffin for such venues and the employees within them.

If the constituents were to vote, there would be no path and I think everyone knows that here, he told the committee. So, now whats happening is were being excluded, were getting run over. And its really disappointing.

View post:

Opponents of tribal-only sports gambling legislation vow to spend millions to block it from becoming law - Seattle Times

Should teenagers gamble? Should senior citizens? What about someone with an income beneath the poverty line? By definition, teenagers shouldnt gamble. They dont have the mental faculties or maturity necessary to gamble responsibly.

Some senior citizens shouldnt gamble, but most find a way regardless. It really depends on their mental and emotional wellbeing.

Most people really ought to consider their individual circumstances and answer this question for themselves, but I do have some advice and suggestions about what to think about when making that decision. Not everyone should gamble, but everyone who does should gamble responsibly.

This post compares and contrasts several types of responsible and irresponsible gambling behaviors. The goal is to provide you with the proper tools to judge how well your gambling behavior measures up.

If you find yourself struggling to take a break from gambling, consider reaching out to gambling addiction resources. Its okay to ask for help.

Ill propose that the most important criterion for judging responsible gambling concerns money. If you cant afford to lose it, you shouldnt bet it.

?

What does this mean in real life? What behaviors exemplify gambling with money you can afford to lose versus gambling with money you need for something else?

An example of a responsible gambler might look like this:

Joe saves 10% of his pay every week through the end of the year to build a bankroll. Since he earns $30,000 a year, he has a bankroll of $3000 to start his poker career with.

He uses that money to play poker, and he sets aside any money he wins from playing poker to increase the size of his bankroll. After another year, he saved $3000 more from his job, AND hes won another $6000 playing cards.

He now has a bankroll of $12,000, which means he can play poker for higher stakes than he used to. This increases his earn rate, too. Eventually, Joe earns $30,000 a year from his poker career, and his bankroll grows to $50,000. He quits his job to play poker professionally.

This not only exemplifies responsible gambling, it demonstrates the kind of time and discipline required to gamble as an advantage gambler.

But Joes brother, Bobby, makes the same amount of money, but instead of waiting to build his bankroll, he starts playing blackjack (a negative expectation game) with $120 per week. At the end of the year, he tallies up his losses to find that hes down $120 for the year.

Bobby gambles less responsibly than his brother Joe, but as long as the bills get paid, you cant really fault him or claim a lack of responsibility on his part.

Sure, he loses money, but his bills get paid. He handles his and his familys needs in a timely manner.

Finally, it might help to look at the youngest brother, Billy. He gambles on slot machines once a month, but the amount he gambles changes based on his mood and how much he drinks.

Some weeks, he wins a little money, but he always loses those winnings and then some. He even once hit a $1000 jackpot, but only after losing $2000 total in the six months prior to that win.

And he pays his rent late almost every month. He could live in a nicer apartment if hed bite the bullet long enough to start paying his rent on time. Eventually, he loses so much money that he has to take in a roommate.

Those three examples show a descending order of responsibility. Joe demonstrates the most responsible behavior, although Bobby doesnt behave terribly. Billy borders on irresponsible, but some gamblers demonstrate even worse behavior.

Responsible gamblers have fun and recognize gambling as an entertainment expense. They recognize the risks involved. They also understand that most gamblers lose most of the time, regardless of whether they buy lottery tickets, playing slot machines, or betting on boxing matches.

Responsible gamblers also take pains to protect themselves and their families from the ravages from problem gambling.

Problem gamblers THINK about gambling differently from their responsible cousins. They usually think that if they play long enough, they will surely hit a jackpot. Problem gamblers hide their gambling from their friends and relatives, and they jeopardize relationships without much thought.

They also let their gambling activities start to take a toll on their health, both physically and financially.

Whatever you do, dont fall into the trap of thinking gambling will make you money. Bingo halls, bookmakers, casinos, the lottery, and poker rooms build their businesses on winning more money in the long run than they pay out.

Over any significant length of time, the vast majority of gamblers lose more money than they win. Sure, a tiny percentage of gamblers win big money. But they can do that because of all the other gamblers who lose money.

The idea that you will eventually win a big jackpot and catch up on all your previous losses poisons your mind and devastates your financial health. With that being said, remember to always manage your bankroll properly.

Dont conclude from this that I oppose gambling. I support gambling, but I only support responsible gambling. And as luck would have it, responsible gamblers have several behaviors in common.

You might find this glaringly obvious, but problem gamblers never seem to prevent themselves from betting money they need for something else.

What does it mean to use money you can afford to lose? If I found burning money satisfying and entertaining, could I afford to burn that amount of money for sheer entertainment purposes?

No matter how you gamble, in the long run, youll lose more money than you win. The companies taking or facilitating your bets set the system up that way.

For a gambler to win $1000 on a slot machine, other gamblers need to lose $1100 on that slot machine. For a poker player to win $1000 at poker, the other players must lose that money, along with an additional amount that the house takes from each pot, the rake. (Most cardrooms take 5% of every pot to pay for hosting the table. This replaces the house edge in real money casino gambling.)

For a sports bettor to win $1000 on a sports bet, someone somewhere must be losing $1100 to pay for it. Most gamblers, because of the nature of the business, fall on the losing side of that equation.

What do I mean by chase losses?

You chase losses when you keep gambling after losing. You play with the intention of winning back what youve lost. Many gamblers fall for something called the gamblers fallacythe belief that eventually, the luck must even out over time. If youve lost several times in a row, winning must become more likely, right? Wrong.

The odds dont change based on previous events. If the ball lands on red in roulette 99 times in a row, the probability that it will land on red the 100th time remains 47.37%. Every spin of the roulette wheel happens independently of the previous spins.

Casinos do their best to make this a chore. The lack of clocks in a casino makes it hard to know how long youve been gambling. Without predefined limits, youll lose more money than you can afford to even than you expect.

Responsible gamblers also avoid gambling in a depressed or angry state of mind.

Responsible gamblers set a goal of making intelligent, prudent decisions. Doing that requires a clear head and a reasonable state of mind. They also avoid alcohol while playing because overconsumption of alcohol can lead to bad decisions.

Finally, a responsible gambler understands the importance of balancing gambling with other activities. They eat out at restaurants, see shows, and have an entire life outside of gambling. They pursue other hobbies besides just gambling.

I hope to encourage my readers to gamble responsibly. Knowing what responsible gambling looks like might pose a conundrum to some folks, which is why Ive listed so many examples of good and bad gambling behavior.

Dont let anyone tell you whether or not you should gamble. That decision belongs to you. But do gamble as responsibly as you can.

See original here:

Tips on How to Gamble Responsibly - Responsible Gambling - BestUSCasinos.org

New research examining the full impact of gambling-related harm on loved ones has just been released by The Australian National University (ANU).

The 2019 ACT Gambling Survey found 17,000 adults in the ACT, or five per cent of the adult population, had been personally affected by a loved ones gambling.

Co-author Dr Marisa Paterson says the toll on family members, friends and colleagues can include financial, emotional, mental and physical impacts.

Gambling-related harm is not restricted to the gambler, and there are many deep and wide-ranging effects felt by those people close to gamblers, Dr Paterson said.

For example relationship conflict, emotional distress and reduced performance at work or study are all common.

The study found women affected by someone elses gambling rarely seek formal help.

We know women are disproportionately represented when it comes to experiencing the negative effects of a family members gambling, co-author Dr Megan Whitty said.

There is still a lot of shame and fear around it. Counsellors told us partners often have a belief the gambling is their fault or theyre contributing to it in some way.

However, there is limited research into motivators or barriers for these women when it comes to seeking help.

So its really vital that we take a long hard look at what is stopping women, and other people from seeking help, and what we can do to change that.

In total, the researchers spoke to 45 people across NSW and the ACT in 2019, including gambling counsellors and people with lived experience of gambling-related harm.

What we learnt from these interviews is things like emotional distress, financial distress and erosion of trust are interwoven with additional gambling-related harm, Dr Whitty said.

One respondent said it was probably the most frightening situation Id ever been in in my life, just financially and emotionally.

Another said, it was very unsettling and you felt thattheres this monster living in the cupboard and at any moment it could just come out and grab you.

Dr Paterson says the current system could be improved to better empower loved-ones, particularly women.

It is important that men and women who are effected by a partners gambling know that they are not alone and there is help available, she said.

This report was funded by the NSW Office of Responsible Gamblings 2019 Responsible Gambling Grants Program.

The Centre for Gambling Research is also funded by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission.

Read the original:

Partners pay a high toll when it comes to gambling - Mirage News