Monthly Archives: June 2020

Casinos are working feverishly towards making guests feel they are not at risk when they travel back to properties with newly implemented safety measures. Among all these new features, there is one important change blatantly missing: prohibiting smoking.

Smoking could easily spread the COVID-19 virus, not only because of the need to remove your mask but because of an individual's pattern of fingers to mouth while in constant contact with each game they decide to participate in.

Many doctors and experts have gone on record expressing that smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to coughing which in turn can aid in the spread of the infection. Unfortunately, casino operators dont appear to have all the health interests of both their guests and employees at the heart of their newly implemented changes. Should that change, now is the time to play the hand being dealt and push all the collective chips into the middle.

Patrons either turning on the news or coming across signs in local establishments are told to avoid touching surfaces others have touched, and then touching your face, mouth, or eyes. In casinos, gamblers continuously touch cards, chips, dice, slot machine buttons, and above all, money. Even those of us who are not medical experts can rationalize that the act of smoking could likely lead to a higher risk of transmission during uncertain times

Also, what about the risks to non-smokers resulting from secondhand smoke? Part of the outline in the current Nevada Gaming Control Boards reopening plan only requires properties to provide face masks or cloth face coverings upon request. Rather than make it a requirement, they only encourage guests to wear them.

The rationale behind the decision is not about safety, but money. Management running the properties are worried people would stop coming to play, leading to money lost from international tourism where many gamblers do not face such restrictions.

Dating to the days of Frank Sinatra to Sammy Davis Jr, many iconic images depict Sin City as a gambling destination where smoking has been synonymous with the lifestyle and imagery of the citys bustling nightlife. But times have changed, and the goal should be to not only attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19, but to help others avoid the fate of Davis, an avid smoker who eventually passed away from throat cancer.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas gambling expert and author David Schwartz recently told USA Today that the current state of the world presents an ideal time for Nevada gaming operators to consider implementing the change:

"Coming back from COVID-19, both casino patrons and employees may have increased concerns about the presence of cigarette smoke. Given that the customer experience will be very different when casinos reopen, this may be an ideal time for Nevada gaming operators to consider changing where they allow smoking on their properties."

Additionally, Ashley Herbert, Director of Government Relations with the American Heart Association, recently told the Shreveport Times:

No one should have to choose between their health and a paycheck...there should not be one class of worker that is unprotected from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, Herbert told The Times.

If the focus of state officials is truly on the health and safety of the public, then directives should be made demanding casinos in every state become smoke-free. If considered, the greatest gambling destination in the world can implement a change that validates the health and safety of guests and workers at the forefront of the new reality.

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Gambling Today: Time to Ban Smoking in Casinos - Sports Illustrated

People always connote sports betting in a negative light, as it is part of gambling. Throughout the years, the sports betting industry has continuously battled the state to make the activity legal and valid. And although most parts of the United States were able to get a go signal, few still remain in rage.

Its a fact that sports betting takes place in every sporting event, and some do not agree with this idea. However, if you look at the bigger picture of sports betting, it is the sole reason why a sport has become more popular. Aside from that, it attracts more fans, making sports events more thrilling and exciting.

As the debate for legalizing sports betting continues to be in hot water today, it is undeniably practiced in some states where sports betting is legal. Hence, to understand better why sports betting needs attention in all aspects, lets get to know both the pros and cons it provides not only to bettors but to all esteemed sports fans all over the world.

Here are the advantages sports betting can bring both for the fans and the sporting event.

Regardless of legality, sports betting has existed since long ago and served as the backbone of many sporting events on earth. This kind of industry offers a win-win situation for both the games and the bettors. The profits that they can both earn comes in huge numbers and can ameliorate immediate financial needs.

Also, the U.S. Supreme Court is still in the process of fully approving this kind of activity. While staying on that matter, they are still allowing sports betting in some states, but in a fairer environment.

One convincing reason why sports betting must be legalized is for tax purposes. The massive availability of sports betting can create enormous taxes for the state and the nation as a whole. It can help the state earn money that can help them fund on-going and upcoming projects, making them more progressive.

Apart from that, it can also open many job opportunities for those who want to earn money. In that sense, the opportunity to make money through sports betting is limitless. Thus, providing a positive impact both for the bettors, the sporting events, and the state.

When sports betting is not legal, there is a high possibility that oddsmakers can lure the public in all wagering games they can play. There are no laws that can govern the whole betting guidelines, and they can tame the gamblers by all means. Also, they can make odds always come in their favor, which may not benefit the sports fans at all.

When you think that sports betting is good in most aspects, here are some disadvantages that prevent other people from believing that it is a good practice.

As stated above, bookies dont make a generous credit to help their bettors earn a lot. Although some gamblers can outsmart bookies by making smart bets, most of the time, these bookies prevent that from happening. They usually build their odds value wonderfully to entice every bettor, who ends up losing instead of winning.

The purpose of sports is for fans to get entertained when boredom strikes. Aside from that, it will help them how to play the game and learn the guidelines set in every sporting event. When sports betting becomes legal, the fans might end up focusing more on studying each odds value for betting purposes, not for the nature of the game.

Moreover, sports will become more commercialized as it involves more money. When this happens consistently, games in the coming years will be offered for sports betting purposes, not for entertainment.

Sports betting involves a considerable amount of money, and addiction is inevitable. For a beginner, they may find this intimidating, but if they get hooked, they might not notice that they are already using the money allotted for personal expenses.

Sports betting doesnt have any formula that helps you win consistently. Its a winning or losing kind of game, and the chances of losing are higher than winning.

By conducting thorough research on its long-term effects and benefits, the decision to legalize sports betting is left in the hands of the Government. If this will become legal, the sports industry and its market must make sure that they are properly guided with its rules, so the game becomes fair. Whether your personal choice is to legalize sports betting or not, the option is for you to weigh and see how this platform will affect the economys nation in the long run.

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Legalizing Gambling: The Pros And Cons Of Licensing American Sports Betting - MarylandReporter.com

Playing the lottery or scratch cards may not be harmless, research suggests.

Although often considered good fun, these mild forms of gambling could be a gateway to troublesome behaviour.

Read more: Gambling loophole must be shut down

Scientists from Curtin University in Perth looked at the gambling habits of more than 2,000 people.

Of the 540 who regularly bought lottery tickets, almost a third reported gambling-related issues like financial difficulties, psychological problems or relationship red flags.

Scratch cards were found to be particularly harmful, possibly due to the instant result and impression players came close to winning.

Playing the lottery may not be 'harmless'. (Getty Images)

A survey of 8,000 adults found more than half (56%) of people in England gambled in 2016, but just 0.7% thought they had a problem.

In the US, almost 10 million (2.6%) are said to be addicted to gambling.

Lottery tickets and scratch cards are often considered harmless, despite little research into their impact.

To learn more, the Australian scientists focused on the 540 participants who bought lottery tickets.

Read more: Philippine police arrest 90 Chinese for illegal gambling

Results, published in the journal Addictive Behaviors, suggest almost a third of the players had some level of gambling-related risk due to their use of lotteries products.

This was more common among the young, male participants. Smokers, vapers and scratch card users were also more at risk.

Lottery tickets aside, other milder forms of gambling may also be more dangerous than they seem.

The data revealed scratchies were particularly harmful, said lead author Leon Booth.

We believe this is because some features of scratchies make them more appealing to problem gamblers, such as instantly letting the user know if they have won a prize and giving users the impression they were close to winning.

We also found people who are generally vulnerable to developing gambling issues, such as younger adults and males, were most likely to experience problems with lottery gambling.

Read more: Vegas casinos reopen after long coronavirus closure

The scientists want people to be more aware of the risks of lottery tickets and scratch cards.

The public needs to understand lottery products such as scratchies and lotto tickets are a true form of gambling and are therefore inappropriate gifts for children and youth, said study author Professor Simone Pettigrew.

Lottery products need to be acknowledged as more than harmless fun and a genuine type ofgambling, andpolicymakersshould act accordingly to reduce harms that result from these products.

Our new findings add to an increasing body of evidence showinglotteryproducts are associated with harm in a substantial minority of users.

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Lottery and scratch cards not harmless forms of gambling - Yahoo Sports

By: James Colgan June 5, 2020

In a Miami Scramble, a team is rewarded for the performance of its weakest players.

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Which spots are on your list of must-see golf destinations? St. Andrews is an easy one, same with Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Bandon and Cabot. What about Florida? South Beach, anyone?

Sure, Miami doesnt have the same cache as some of the aforementioned spots. But the namesake behind this weeks golf gambling game, the Miami Scramble, deserves at least a tip of the cap for birthing a unique twist on a timeless golf format. Heres how you and your buddies can play.

The traditional scramble is a format used by golfers around the world, often in the case of large outings and events. In a scramble, all four golfers play the best ball of their foursome on each successive shot until the ball is in the hole.

As a result of each golfer playing the foursomes best shot, a scramble generally sees improved scoring and pace of play. However, the nature of the format also lends itself to getting dominated by groups featuring one highly-skilled golfer.

In a Miami Scramble, the rules of a traditional scramble are flipped on their head. As opposed to a single low-handicap golfer carrying his or her team, a Miami Scramble requires a teams weakest players to perform well in order to be successful.

A Miami Scramble requires a combination of ability and strategy from all four players. Teams who use their best players tee shot are forced to rely on their other three golfers to carry the remainder of the hole, while those who opt to rely on a tee shot from their lesser players risk losing birdie opportunities off the tee box.

In either case, teams who wish to score well in a Miami Scramble are only as good as their weakest link. If youre ready to raise the stakes (and the temperature) in your next round, its time to try the Miami Scramble.

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In this golf gambling game, your weakest link will make or break you - Golf.com

Banned since March, the gambling industry in Latvia is allowed to resume operations as of next week.

The gambling industry in Latvia is planned to return as of June 9. The legal gaming operators in the country can reinstate business following a parliament bill. The Saeima, which is Latvias parliament, has passed a bill yesterday, June 5, that effectively allows the return of gaming. Under the bill, both online and land-based gaming operations can return to business. With the return of business, the country marks the end of Latvias state of emergency.

All gaming operations in Latvia were banned after a bill introduced on March 22. This was a direct result of the countrys government aiming at reducing the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Back in April, the Latvian government updated the bill, effectively banning online gaming with instant effect. The emergency bill however is not the first hit on the gaming market in the country. Last year, the Latvian parliament made changes in the industrys taxation and fees. According to the government, this move was solely to add fresh funds towards the state budget.

With the Latvian bill being passed, operators can resume operations as of June 9. Despite the gaming industry losses, some Latvian deputies disagree. New Conservative Party members Krijnis Feldmans, Gatis Egltis and Linda Ozola submitted an updated bill which aims at continuing the land-based gambling ban in Latvia. Their bill however was rejected.

The deputies bill quickly caught the eye of the Latvian Gaming Association (LGA). According to them, proper actions were taken by the retail gambling prior to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. LGA also pointed out that land-based also took measures towards problem gambling. The association also said: Even before the ban on gambling, industry operators implemented both the virus prevention measures set out in the recommendations of the authorities and measures promoting safe and responsible gambling.

In addition, the association outlined their specialized action plan towards reducing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The measures would include enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols, frequent airing of the rooms but also limited customers per venue. LGA pointed out that as per the action plan, there must be one person per every four square meters. In conclusion the association noted that enhanced social distancing will be applied as well as monitoring of visitors to ensure all rules are followed.

Elsewhere in Europe, the UK announced that the betting venues will reopen as of July 4. Measures in the UK venues will be similar to the Latvian ones. Punters will have access to hand sanitizer, social distancing is also going to be monitored.

Turning our eyes to the United States, many states already restarted their gaming industry. The latest reports show some 25 states that have already opened their gaming venues for visitors. More states are also planning to reopen for visitors in the upcoming weeks. Overall the gaming industry around the globe will need more than a few months to recover from the COVID-19 impact. Keeping in mind the shutdown applied worldwide, most governments have already felt the need for fresh funds which can come from gambling taxation. One can only hope that once the travelling is resumed to normal, the industry will find a way to quickly recover from the devastating COVID-19 hit.

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Latvia to Restart the Gambling Industry on June 9 - GamblingNews.com

It is difficult to keep ones mind in the clear and the sanity intact, given the kind of times we are peddling through. Everywhere we look around, we can only see darkness and uncertainties. 2020 has been looking bleak in every way, and it has pushed us to reconsider our actions and second-guess the kind of lives we have been living all this while. Was it the desired normal? And once this is all over, is it a great idea to go back to that kind of normal, or do we need to stitch a new normal? Well, only times can tell us about this. But, the kind of uncertainty that has loomed large in every sector, it is pretty scary to think of them. People hardly know what to do with their lives, and the economy looks terrible. Months of lockdown have put industries out of business, and it is not very clear when things shall start looking promising again. People have turned to activities that they had not previously thought about, to kill boredom and if possible, make some money out of them.

One such activity is gambling. The gambling industry, just like any other industry, has been severely impacted by COVID-19. Land-based casinos have gone out of business and endangered the livelihood of many. But the only welcome relief amidst the entire crisis is the online casinos. Online casinos have seen a significant increase in their revenue ever since COVID-19 ventured out on a death rampage. People have found a new hobby and a new way to make money. In this article, we shall try to gauge the exact reasons why online casinos have become a hotspot for gambling activities in times as such.

Online Gambling Does Not Require You to Step Out:

People all over the world have been in a lockdown situation for months. And even if the lockdown laws are easing up and people have started going out, everyone is following the social distancing norms. Therefore, online gambling is quite an amazing option to indulge in some fun gambling activities without having to stress much about catching the infection if one goes out. One can just stay home, snug under their blanket while trying their hands in making some fun money.

Online Gambling Makes for an Easy Option to Make Money:

The economy is in a crisis, and people are looking for ways to earn some additional income. Online gambling is one such way to handle the crisis. You can sit home and try making money, without having to try hard to find another job that pays you well. Of course, you have to be careful while gambling online. But,online gambling in NYand several other places have stepped in like a knight in shining armour. There are numerous games that you can play, and if you are careful and lucky enough, you might just end up winning a big amount.

Online Gambling Makes for A Great Way to Kill Boredom:

There is hardly anything new left to try out in these times. People have perhaps read all their books, binge-watched TV shows and tried learning new skills. Online gambling can make for a new thing to do in times as such. You only need to be careful about signing up on these sites, and once you do that, you shall open up the door to a myriad of games to try out. You can never really get bored of these games. Plus, it comes with the added benefit of earning some extra cash. This is something that makes online gambling a much sought after domain during these difficult times.

Final Words:

Online gambling can be an amazing way to beat the quarantine blues and make some money out of the same. And it is specifically the same reason why people all over the world are turning to more and more forms of online entertainment. The gambling sector might be crumbling under the pressure of COVID-19. But, online gambling has come in as a saving grace. Therefore, on one hand, where the land-based casinos have no revenues to turn in, online gambling has been wonderfully saving the day for the gambling industry.

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Gambling in the Times of Coronavirus - The Union Journal