Monthly Archives: February 2021

Why England Sucks, According to People from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – VICE

Posted: February 2, 2021 at 7:13 pm

In January, the Sunday Times reported a looming constitutional crisis for the UK: New polls revealed that 51 percent of voters in Northern Ireland, 50 percent of voters in Scotland and 31 percent of voters in Wales want a border poll in the next five years. Though the Sunday Times report is framed around the disintegration of British identity with voters in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland all identifying more closely with their national identity as opposed to Britain what the reports omit is how much this rejection of the union is to do with just how shit England is.

Self-determination for the Scots and Welsh, and 32 counties for Ireland, is a call for liberation from the alienating forces of Westminster, inflamed further by just how much these countries are screwed by the wills of reactionary Englanders who command an imbalanced influence in political decision-making purely on the basis of having greater numbers.

But beyond and including Westminster and the Tories what makes England suck so much? Or do Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland actually share more in common with England than theyd like to admit? VICE sat down with James Greig, Gina Tonic and Rachel Connolly, respectively Scottish, Welsh, and Irish journalists based in London and Manchester, to find out their views on liberation from the perfidious Albion.

VICE: As non-English people who live in major English cities, what do you feel have been the worst parts of English culture and political ideology as compared to living back home?James Greig, Scotland: When I talk about hating England, Im not really talking about the population, or at least not entirely. All of the people who are oppressed by the English state, whether thats trans people, migrants, whoever, also make up England (I cant be Anglophobic: some of my best friends are English!)

However, I am happy to say full-throated that English public life, particularly the politics and the media, is possibly the worst in the world. Its dominated by people who are unpleasant, spiteful, stupid, unimaginative and deeply mediocre. Scotland is no utopia, but our political and cultural life is less defined by the private school >>> Oxbridge pipeline and our political instincts are a bit more egalitarian and less deferential as a result.

Whenever I express an annoyance for English people, Im really talking about upper-middle class types from the south who I have often found prim, snide and passive-aggressive. These are the kind of people who, when you make a mistake on your first day at a new job, wont just explain what you did wrong but will smile and say, Ummm, why have you done it like this? Obviously, there are people like that in Scotland too but, in my experience, this kind of smug condescension is particularly endemic in London.

Gina Tonic, Wales: The worst parts of English political ideologies are, when looking through a Welsh lens anyway, how often Britain is used when speaking about specific English policies and decisions. This is especially used against Wales and most political talk refers to England and Wales without accounting for Waless often different take on political ideologies. Wales has never had a Tory majority, yet weve been suffering from Tory policies the worst every time they have been in power.

As for the culture, I feel a similar imposed superiority reigns true too. The undertones and overtones, to be frank of racism and colonialism in English pride are uncomfortable. Seeing being English as the best thing to be isnt just for the uneducated or the Brexit Party or nationalists, either. There are so many liberals and leftists who contribute to the idea that tea and cottages and big fucking fields make English pride normalised and correct.

Rachel Connolly, Northern Ireland: To caveat all of this: this does not refer to every single English person but more to the general national flavour.

English nationalism, or some of it at least, has a component of kind of entitlement and superiority that I would say is an England-specific thing within the UK. Other countries in the world definitely have this, but I wouldnt say Scotland, NI or Wales do. This was a key narrative during Brexit it was framed as Britain returning to its rightful splendor, but I think that really referred to England in most peoples minds. I agree with Gina and think it stems from colonial history, which is remembered a bit too fondly by some!

I also agree with James in that southern English people love to be passive-aggressive! And to make weird comments in working environments. They simply love it. I have no explanation for why.

Does England have any redeeming qualities at all?Greig: To continue from what I said before, if your baseline opinion is English is irredeemably trash then why even bother working towards a better society? Im not arguing for progressive patriotism, but you have to think that theres something worth saving. There are lots of good people in England and there are lots of people there who are suffering as a result of English state.

Its fun to be like I hate England! but individually there are lots of places that I like. Newcastle and Liverpool are both achingly beautiful cities; Manchester is a really fun and dynamic place and I always have a great time there. People often talk about Englands toxic drinking culture as a serious problem and Im sure it is by a public health metric but its also quite a good laugh! The fact that England is so dreary and miserable has led to a lot of good culture thats specifically about dreary misery (British new wave cinema, Patrick Keiller, The Smiths etc) and Ive always found that aesthetic appealing. But I think English culture is in a state of decline, for sure, because the idea that culture flourishes in adversity isnt entirely true it needs good art funding and affordable rents etc, none of which we have.

Tonic: Heres my deal: England has little to redeem itself after the past ten years. After the past thousand even. That doesnt mean I havent enjoyed almost every minute of being here. As much as there is so much to say for the rotten people in England who arent ruining the country it was already shite there are those trying to atone for the mistakes of their state and their history and its commendable. It really is! There is a lot of space in England for people to be themselves, express themselves and ideas in a way that is harder to find in other countries and I feel, to find in Wales.

This is, of course, due to lack of funding and education given to Wales. I definitely felt I had to escape Wales when I was younger to pursue my dreams. While the ideal solution is to have opportunities and community in my hometown, it doesnt stop the fact that I have found a home for myself, a career for myself and a community for myself in England that doesnt exist in Wales. That is due not just to Manchester having more funding, but a certified effort to create inclusive spaces in England where those on the margins can thrive.

I also feel its incredibly important to celebrate the north of England as separate to the south. The north has suffered at the hands of the southern elite, too. The north has been underfunded, underrepresented and ignored to benefit the bottom of the country. I dont feel fair lumping in these people, their culture and their struggle with my hatred of Englands culture and politics.

Connolly: Historically, NI has been very white I think because of the Troubles, meaning there isnt the same history of immigration. Although this is starting to change now, parts of England are certainly a lot more multicultural than Northern Ireland. Thats beneficial to peoples mindset, in terms of being more open-minded, and improves the culture and makes cities and towns more interesting places.

People from Liverpool and Manchester are usually very cool and good-looking, too. I also agree with James that the drinking culture here is good craic (and maybe uniform across theUK?).

Are you supporters of independence/unification? Do you think a successful independence referendum is on the cards for Scotland and Wales, or that we could see Irish unification by the end of this decade? Is the 2020s the UKs last stand?

Greig: I voted Yes in 2014 but was lured away from the cause by Jeremy Corbyn. During his leadership, I was very hopeful about what the UK could look like, which is sadly no longer the case. Keir Starmer is doing a terrible job and I cant see Labour getting to power any time soon. I also think that, if they ever did, it would be such a compromised, watered-down version that its hard to get too invested in the possibility. To be clear, the SNP are also not great policy-wise, theyre maybe not a million miles away from what a Starmer-led Labour would look like but it would be easier to oppose the SNP from the left within an independent Scotland.

I like the concept of solidarity across the borders and have struggled with the idea that Scottish independence would mean abandoning England to perpetual Tory rule clearly, a working-class person in Glasgow has a lot of shared interests with a working-class person in Liverpool. But we kind of have perpetual Tory rule anyway! Im not sure that Scotland being in the Union is helping anyone at the moment. Plus, most English people I know have a kind of go on, save yourselves! mentality and would love nothing more than to see the break-up of the Union, even if only to spite the Tories.

As for whether itll happen? According to the polls, its looking quite likely at this stage but I also have the lingering suspicion that Scotland is a nation of shitebags and we will bottle it again when the time comes.

Tonic: Without independence, Wales isnt going to survive as a nation for much longer, but with one in three people supporting independence in Wales now, it seems more of a possibility than just a concept like it was even two or three years ago. I guess it all hinges on whether we will be given a referendum to vote on or not, or rather when one can finally be put to the Welsh people.

Not only are things like the COVID response informing Welsh people of what they lose under England e.g. the furlough scheme only being extended when England went into further lockdown, but when Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales did before them, we were told it wasnt possible? but the Welsh lib movement is working well to teach Welsh people about everything weve already lost under Englands rule.

Tryweryn (Cofiwch Dryweryn) for example, where a Welsh village was evacuated and flooded to become a water reservoir for Liverpool, only happened in the 1960s. Another example of English oppression is the loss of our language; kids were still wearing Welsh Nots all the way up to the 1940s.

By not just seeing our losses now, but our losses as a whole over the centuries to England, it feels like independence is an inevitability.

Connolly: I can see there being a referendum for reunification within a decade, but I have no idea what the result of that would be. It comes down to demographics, really the number of those from a unionist or nationalist background who vote. If Brexit makes things noticeably difficult for the average person in NI like if its very expensive to get your shopping or its hard for small businesses to operate which seems likely, then it would be more likely to happen.

Im pro-reunification generally Im from a nationalist background so that is partly why; I wouldnt presume to speak for an NI unionist but there are certain aspects that give me pause. Ireland has no NHS, for example, and that would make a big difference to working-class people. The Irish government has been very good to NI during the Brexit negotiations even small things like offering to pay for Erasmus for NI students, which I do think is an indication that it may be a possibility within the decade.

How much of a role do you feel Brexit and the Conservatives handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened nationalism and the resolve to break up the union?Greig: Brexit, for sure. It was always a stupid reason but quite a lot of middle-class Scottish people voted no partly because they were worried about having to leave the EU. Obviously, thats no longer a factor! Lots of Scottish people are invested in being European and resent having to leave. On the other hand, Brexit has proven such a drawn-out, boring constitutional nightmare that people might just be tempted to stick with the status quo to avoid the hassle.

As for COVID-19, Im not sure, but Nicola Sturgeon remains a popular figure a poll last November found that 74 percent of people in Scotland think shes handled the pandemic well. There definitely seems to be the widespread impression that shes handled it better than Boris Johnson. I dont know whether coronavirus will prove to be a decisive factor, but I definitely cant see it dampening anyones enthusiasm for independence.

Tonic: This one is tricky for me because Wales as a whole voted for Brexit, but I voted against it. Still, I guess theres an argument that if Wales voted to leave the EU, they would vote to leave the UK too! Like I said above, the way that so much of the COVID response has been England-centric has really riled Welsh people up into wanting independence.

Connolly: Brexit has definitely made this question of reunification more urgent, if nothing else. The Tories cavalier attitude to things like the Good Friday Agreement during Brexit negotiations demonstrated a kind of callousness and cluelessness to what NI even is as a concept, and the history of the peace process, which irked lots of people.

Brexit also makes staying part of the UK seem much more like something you should actively be choosing, whereas before it was just passive continuation. Maybe some people are asking themselves the question now [when] they would have put it down as an impossibility before, instead of thinking seriously about it.

In terms of COVID, Im not sure. Theres the perception that it has been handled chaotically but I dont know if this would, say, make a hardcore unionist hate the Conservative Party. It has probably just reinforced the views of people who already didnt like the idea of Boris. I imagine the impact has more been preaching to the converted than actually changing minds.

Do you think theres a problem of nationalism and unification being used to disguise political evils and social problems that persist in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland? Are there any ways in which these countries have been, or are, just as reactionary as England?

Greig: Im glad that you asked this because, this week in particular, I would feel uncomfortable waxing lyrical about how great Scotland is in comparison to England. For all that Scotland likes to portray itself is a forward-thinking and progressive place, Scottish politics have a huge transphobia problem. While there are a lot of pro-trans rights politicians in the SNP, and campaign groups like Out for Independence are doing good work, the party still seems more institutionally transphobic than any other in the UK. The Tories are terrible, of course, but to quote a trans friend of mine, they basically dont give a shit, whereas many SNP supporters and members are committed, enthusiastic transphobes. This isnt limited to the one party, either you can see the same tendency within Scottish Labour and the Conservatives.

At the end of January, Nicola Sturgeon issued a video stating her solidarity with trans people and saying that "transphobia is wrong and we must treat it with the zero tolerance we treat racism or homophobia. I like Sturgeon well enough and can believe that she is not transphobic herself, but the party she leads is absolutely rancid with it, and this is ultimately her responsibility. Publishing a vlog is better than nothing but she needs to take more decisive action.

I also think its funny when Scottish nationalists sometimes talk about being colonised by England when Scotland went cap-in-hand to join the Union after being almost bankrupted by a failed colonial venture of its own. If the British empire is a historical villain (and it is), then Scotland is an accomplice rather than a victim a fact which is often obscured by its self-conception as a plucky underdog. People often say that England has failed to reckon with the crimes of its colonial past but this is, if anything, even more true of Scotland, although there is admittedly far less imperial nostalgia.

As a final point, although there might be some differences in national character, there are plenty of Tories in Scotland and they are just as obnoxious as their southern counterparts.

Tonic: Definitely! The idea that Wales is better than England on fronts like racism, transphobia, homophobia, etc always feels like an echo of how England doesnt see itself as bad as America on those fronts. The concept of that doesnt happen here just isnt true, at all. Two weeks ago Mohamud Hassan was murdered by the Cardiff police force for absolutely no reason actually, the reason was institutional racism and xenophobia and outside of great groups like The Privilege Cafe, BLM Cardiff and POC4Indy Wales, Ive barely seen it discussed in the media. Even though there were ongoing daily BLM protests outside of the police station for almost a week!

Independence groups pretending Wales is some idyllic, warm, cozy and inclusive country only stands to damage those who need reform the most. Wales is just as institutionally corrupt as England. Just because we have been oppressed by England doesnt make our oppressions and our place in colonialism null and void.

Connolly: Yeah, tribalism in NI has always been used as a kind of distraction for incompetence, corruption, cronyism and even crime among the political class. I would go as far as to say thats the defining feature of politics in NI. Problems of poverty and community cohesion all end up hidden behind, or overshadowed by, constant sectarian arguments. Everyone knows this, its not a secret, but its hard to see a solution to it.

@jasebyjason / @kimcowie

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Signs Of Gambling Addiction In Robinhood App – Addiction Center

Posted: at 7:12 pm

Last week Robinhood made headlines when a surge of stay-at-home traders manipulated the stock market. A forum called Reddits WallStreetBets coordinated a massive spike in a few struggling stocks. It caused a buying frenzy on Robinhood that raised $1 billion in new funds. Yet, while people focused on the money made, experts noticed monolithic signs of gambling addiction.

One of the earmarks of gambling is volatility. Some days you win a jackpot, and the next, you could lose $7,000. It is essentially what makes gambling so attractive. Unfortunately, it is a huge problem in the United States. Roughly 1% of adults are battling a gambling disorder, which is why researchers and competing companies are sounding the alarm on Robinhood. According to whistleblowers, the app is using exploitative practices to induce gambling in its users.

Much like gambling apps, experts claim Robinhood uses cues that promote addiction. The behaviors are similar to a gambling disorder. For example, when a new member joins the platform, an image of a digital scratch-off lottery ticket pops up on their screen. The picture is a welcome stub, a gift for joining Robinhoods community. The apps stub promises a free share of stock worth anywhere from $2.50 to $200. If the new trader wants the prize, they have to play by scratching off the image like a lotto ticket.

At first, the interaction seems harmless, even fun. Yet, Keith Whyte, the National Council on Problem Gambling executive director, warns that Robinhoods styling has features like common betting apps. He claims it encourages immediacy and frequent engagement. Through its design, Robinhood induces dopamine rushes (pleasure neurotransmitter).

By promising a free yet unknown gift, the company immediately triggers dopamine responses among their new users. The trigger is what keeps them coming back.

Some of Robinhoods many alleged dopamine inducing features include:

Research indicates that a flow of uncertainty and rewards hooks users. Much like drugs or alcohol, incertitude stimulates the brains reward system. Over time this repeated exposure can lead to addiction. Other studies show that volatility can even enhance cravings or the desire for drugs. The markets waves and Robinhoods fun interface are keeping users too loyal.

Through its charming elements like one-click trading and playful phone notifications, Robinhood has lured over 13 million customers. The apps simplicity and graphic design make trading feel like gaming. The platform has drawn in young investors by presenting complex financial instruments like a fun game. Unfortunately, financial experts believe that instead of helping users, the app is purposely downplaying trading risks. They suspect it to be a method to get users hooked to their platform.

Inexperienced investors are not actively warned about financial dangers. Instead, the apps design is drawing them to the riskiest forms of trading like options. The app also highlights more risky investments with dazzling neons like cryptocurrencies. Suppose the apps founders truly wanted to promote intelligent investing. In that case, theyd encourage safe opportunities like an exchange-traded fund (ETF) instead. Instead, Titan co-CEO Joe Percoco believes investors are being given a, fast new car, without driving instructions.

The zero-commission brokerage allows you to trade instantly with no minimum deposit. At first glance, the innovative app sounds like its helping democratize investing by not charging fees. But many believe its a strategy to induce more addictive trading (a source of income for the app). According to filings, Robinhood received $18,955 from trading firms for every dollar in the average customer account. Schwab only received $195 for the same deal.

The problem with zero commission trading is that it allows users to trade as often as they want. So users can sell or buy the minute their stocks go down or up. This form of trading is correlated with gambling behaviors. Dave Guarino, a product lead at the California Office of Digital Innovation, believes that Robinhoods goal is not to shift capital gains to everyday peoples hands. He thinks they are monetizing on gambling impulses.

This past week, people caught their first glimpse of the potential gambling issue within Robinhood. For years experts have warned the public about the brokerages questionable practices. Like the Titan, co-CEO Percoco noted, Robinhood is designed and makes money based on clients trading addictively. This is horrific. Robinhood is drawing millions of users to their platform through a gamification style. By downplaying trading risks, their methods are allegedly encouraging more trades. Overtime, users get hooked and the app makes more money. This dilemma is a severe problem that can lead to a rise in gambling disorders. Hopefully, researchers can get more information on Robinhoods alleged suspicious practices soon.

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Legalizing sports gambling the focus of state legislation – Columbia Missourian

Posted: at 7:12 pm

JEFFERSON CITY Two bills that would legalize sports gambling in Missouri, including on online platforms, were debated by state senators Tuesday.

In my view, theres really not much of a reason not to do it at this point, said Sen. Caleb Rowden, sponsor of Senate Bill 256. Its already happening. We might as well legalize whats already happening and make a little money off of it.

Twenty-six states have legalized sports gambling. Of those states, the 6.75% tax on revenue in SB 256 would tie Iowa for the lowest in the country.

At casinos in Missouri, there is currently a 21% gaming tax.

Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, the sponsor of SB 18, a different sports gambling bill with a 9% tax on revenue, was critical of SB 256s low tax rate.

I just believe that were leaving a little bit too much money on the table for education, Hoskins said.

Mike Winter, executive director of the Missouri Gaming Association,testified in support of SB 256 and said it would establish the proper framework to move forward with sports betting in Missouri.

All this is taking place illegally, Winter said. Were trying to drive it out of the illegal market and bring it into a legal, regulated environment where we can be assured that bets are handled properly, consumers are treated fairly and those who have issues with gambling cannot participate.

Controlling compulsive gambling and preventing youth betting were concerns in the hearing. Hoskins said it will be important to have safeguards in place.

There are 3.4 million cell phones in the state, plus any computer, plus any iPad, so basically, this would be the biggest expansion of gambling in the history of the state of Missouri, Hoskins said.

Winter assured the committee that identity verification would be in place to prevent anyone who is underage from creating an account or gambling.

The other bill that would legalize sports gambling and mobile wagering is SB 217, sponsored by Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville. A major difference in SB 217 is that it requires the use of official sports league data.

Consumers deserve to know that their bets are being settled using reliable, verified information... directly from the leagues and distributed real-time to mitigate the risk of incorrect results for consumers, Luetkemeyer said. In the absence of this, consumers would have to rely on data that is pirated, web scraping or collected covertly in stadiums.

Winter testified against SB 217. He said the bill was good for sports leagues but bad for regulation because the governing bodies of the sports leagues would hold a lot of power.

SB 217 has a 6.25% tax on revenue, which would be the lowest gaming tax rate in the country.

Bob Priddy is a Jefferson City resident concerned about the bills. With the low tax rates, he said funding for education, among other areas, will suffer. This bleeding of money away from state programs and services that are funded by our admission fees (at casinos) needs to stop, and right now. These proposals for sports wagering are just cutting into another artery.

The Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues had representatives testify in support of both Rowdens and Luektemeyers bills.

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Father and Son Team Form Legal Sports Gambling Business – WFMZ Allentown

Posted: at 7:12 pm

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 2,2021 /PRNewswire/ --In years gone by a son would frequently graduate college and enter the family business - but the new era of legal sports betting changed that for 23-year-old Troy Paul.

A 2020 business graduate from N.Y.U., Troy told his Dad "Legal sports betting isgoing to be huge!"Eleven states have embraced legalizing sports betting, and many others, including New York, about to join the multi-billion-dollar party, with the NBA, NFL also getting on board.

Troy's father, Mark Paul, is perhaps an unusual Dadas he is the #1 selling gambling author in the United States with his book The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told soaring to #1 on Amazon Best Sellers. "At first I was skeptical we could compete with billion-dollar gambling companies, but Troy found a great niche opportunity in the 'Affiliate' business marketing model, and we launched Sports Gambling Guides, LLC."

The firm provides avid sports fans with up to the minute articles and stats on players and teams that may lead to profitable betting situations, along with the real time odds from multiple online sports bookmakers, ensuring their clients get the best available odds. Having obtained eight sports gaming licenses/permits, they now receive fees for connecting sports bettors to legal on-line sports betting operators such as Draft Kings and Rush Street.

Troy utilizes all forms of social media marketing, with their Instagram quickly acquiring over 15,000 followers "What do men do in their time off? They watch sports, bet on sports, they live for sports," says Troy, "and soon they will be legally betting on game day action via their cell phones. It's an exciting time!"

Troy Paul may be the youngest licensed gambling executive in the United States.

Learn more about Sports Gambling Guides at sportsgamblingguides.com.

Twitter: @SGamblingGuides Instagram: @SportsGamblingGuides

PR and Inquires:

JW Robison

(310) 795-8985

290550@email4pr.com

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Gambling? In the Stock Market? Im Shocked. – The Wall Street Journal

Posted: at 7:12 pm

Has Reddit broken the stock market?

Fundamentals have never mattered less, yet the wild moves of a bunch of struggling stocks with dated business models could have real-world consequences. The companies can raise capital more easily by issuing new shares at elevated prices to help them survive or restructure, while executives with bonuses tied to the stock price are closer to cashing in fortunes.

The question isnt so much whether this spectacle makes a mockery of the idea that markets provide an efficient form of capital allocation in the economyit obviously does, at least for these stocks. The real question is whether something should be done about it, not to save investors from themselves or to prevent knock-on problems in the financial system (both worth exploring), but to improve the way the economy works.

The basic theory of markets is that they provide a way for capital to flow to the parts of the economy that can best put it to use, with the test being the ability to earn a profit. The prospect of an eventual profit should attract investors, making a stock rise. That makes it easier for the company to raise new money and for new companies in the same line of business to float, while also sending a signal to executives elsewhere that this is the right place to invest.

The theory has been turned on its head in the past couple of weeks. Reddit group WallStreetBets has delighted in buying flaky companies, because hedge funds were betting on their stocks falling. As rising prices forced hedge funds to retreat, stock-price jumps have sent the wrong signal for where capital should go.

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Sports gambling industry continues growing in Iowa – Radio Iowa

Posted: at 7:12 pm

The Iowa sports gambling market is rapidly expanding as the biggest game in sports is set for this coming weekend.

Iowa Racing and Gaming Administrator, Brian Ohorilko, says all of the states casinos now have sports gambling operations and many are adding on. A number of the casinos that got into the game early with online sports wagering are starting to shop their second individually branded website, Ohorilko explains.

He says it is a natural progression of the 18-month old industry. Each casino can have three individually branded websitesthey all have one and many of them are now entering into their second agreements, he says.

Ohorilko says other sports gambling businesses are now looking at Iowa as the requirement that you go to a casino to sign upended on January 1st. This market has been inundated with new applications companies that are wanting to enter the market, Ohorilko says.

Ohorilko says sports gambling is a bright spot for the industry hit hard by the pandemic. Were seeing really good numbers right now and I think well continue to see market growth in the next few months. We are not seeing obviously as related to the pandemic we are not seeing any Superbowl parties. Thats something we are missing this year, according to Ohorilko.

He says the loss of those parties is part of an overall impact of the pandemic that has hit the general casino business this year. Attendance is still off significantly from what it was last year at this time. Revenue is starting to fall a little bit, Ohorilko says. Ohorilko says attendance will not improve until people feel better about getting out and doing things in public.

He does say that the casinos should have the benefit of operating this year in months where they were shut down last year by the pandemic restrictions.

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Bally Sports: Changes, gambling coming to regional sports TV – The Athletic

Posted: at 7:12 pm

Love or loathe it, legal sports betting is here with a vengeance.

There has been a flood of news about teams, leagues and sports wagering businesses announcing relationships. Last week, it was gambling company Ballys and TV station giant Sinclair formally rolling out their deal to rebrand the Sinclair-owned Fox Sports regional sports networks (RSNs) under the Ballys name.

To help make sense of the name change, the sports betting aspects, and what Sinclair ownership of the channels means, heres what we know so far.

An easy one: Whats happening?

Under a naming rights deal, the Fox Sports regional channels become Bally Sports later this year. For example, Fox Sports Detroit will become Bally Sports Detroit for Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons fans who watch those channels through their local cable or digital providers. This was long expected because Sinclair bought the channels in 2019. Ballys sports wagering technology...

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Bally Sports: Changes, gambling coming to regional sports TV - The Athletic

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Super Bowl 2021: The gambling trends you need to know – New York Post

Posted: at 7:12 pm

Sundays Super Bowl 2021 will be the 55th in history. With a sample size of 54 previous games, youll want to consider those results as you contemplate how this years game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers might play out, checking for similarities between this years matchup and past games. How can you know where youre going if you dont understand where youve been?

Super Bowl favorites are 34-19 SU and own an ATS mark of 25-25-3, with the 1982 game having been a pick em point spread. However, over the last 18 years, underdogs own a 13-6 ATS (68.4 percent) edge, including 9-4 ATS in the last 13. Kansas City won as the slimmest of favorites in 2020.

The straight-up winner is 45-6-3 ATS (88.2 percent) in the 54 previous Super Bowls, and the dog has never covered a point spread without winning on a Super Bowl line of fewer than six points. This figure is now the highest of the four playoff rounds. Champions typically leave no doubt.

Remarkably, the AFC and NFC have split 27-27 outright in the first 54 Super Bowls, but the NFC holds a 27-24-3 (52.9 percent) ATS edge. However, AFC teams have turned the tide recently with a 5-2 SU and ATS surge in the last seven.

The team that is the higher playoff seed is just 2-14-2 ATS (12.5 percent) in the last 24 Super Bowls. Equal seeds matched up six times.

The team with the better record going into the Super Bowl is 29-18 SU all time but has lost 10 of the last 11, including the 49ers (13-3) against the Chiefs (12-4) a year ago.

Teams that scored more points per game during the regular season are only 5-13 ATS in the last 18 Super Bowls. The Buccaneers averaged 30.8 ppg to the Chiefs 29.6.

The ability to run the football has been much overrated for Super Bowl success. Teams that averaged more rushing yards per game are just 4-12 ATS since 05. The Chiefs rushed for 112.4 yards per game this season, the Buccaneers 94.9.

Passing yardage has also meant little in terms of Super Bowl success, with teams owning an edge in total offensive passing yardage going only 8-11 ATS in the last 19 games. These were the top two passing teams in the NFL in 2020 with the Chiefs throwing for 4,854 yards and the Buccaneers 4,626.

In the 53 Super Bowl games that have had totals, the Over is 27-25-1 (51.9 percent). The last two have gone Under, the first time for back-to-back Under results since four straight from 2005-08. The 2019 game between the Patriots and Rams went Under in record fashion, falling short of the posted number by more than 40 points.

On average, 46.3 points have been scored per Super Bowl, with posted totals averaging 44.7. However, the early years totals were often in the 30s, dragging down that number significantly. The last 16 years have featured an average posted total of 49.7, with 46.9 scored. Nine of the 16 games in that era went Under.

In the last 11 Super Bowls with totals in the 50s, the Under is 8-3 (72.7 percent).

The 2020 Super Bowl was one of only 17 in which both teams reached the 20-point mark. Fourteen of those went Over. Consider that with the quality of offenses expected in this years game.

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Super Bowl 2021: The gambling trends you need to know - New York Post

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Gambling Industry Announcement and Partnership Roundup February 2, 2021 – CalvinAyre.com

Posted: at 7:12 pm

Australian lottery and betting operator Tabcorp Holdings has confirmed that multiple parties are interested in buying its wagering division, with UK gambling giant Entain plc confirming its among the suitors.

On Tuesday, Tabcorp issued a statement in response to local media reports which claimed the company had been approached about a possible acquisition of its Wagering & Media unit, which controls nearly 44% of the local sports and racing market. Tabcorp confirmed receiving a number of unsolicited approaches and proposals in relation to a potential transaction.

Tabcorp noted that said pitches were expressed to be confidential, indicative, non-binding and subject to numerous conditions. Tabcorps board is assessing these proposals and will update the market as needed, while adding the usual caveat that there was no certainty that there would prove to be any fire behind this smoke.

Entain subsequently issued its own statement confirming that the company had made a non-binding indicative offer for Tabcorps betting division. Entain already has a small down under presence via its Ladbrokes Australia and Ned brands and noted that adding Tabcorps betting unit would create a leading, integrated multi-channel and multi-brand wagering company.

Tabcorp shareholders appeared to welcome the news, pushing the companys stock price up nearly 9% by Tuesdays close. Entains shareholder reaction was more muted, as the stock closed relatively unchanged from its Tuesday opening price.

It was only last November that Tabcorp was denying media reports that it was an acquisition target by a couple different private equity-supported groups, including one led by Sportsbet/Beteasy founder Matthew Tripp.

Tabcorps Wagering & Media unit generated revenue of AU$2.1b (-10%) and earnings of AU$371m (-20%) in its most recent fiscal year, with the declines partly blamed on the complexity of merging its TAB betting brand with the UBET brand of rival Tatts Group, which Tabcorp acquired in 2017. These challenges werent helped by the pandemic shutdown of major sports, although Australian racing was largely unaffected by COVID-19.

As for Entain, the company appears quite unable to stop coveting rivals operations, particularly when they offer geographical expansion opportunities. But Tabcorps betting unit has been valued at AU$2.8b (1.55b), which, along with the 252m earmarked for Entains pending acquisition of Enlabs, would nearly double the companys existing debt load.

The identity of Tabcorps other suitors remains unknown at present, but should Entains overtures prove irresistible to Tabcorp, it will complicate future attempts by US casino operator MGM Resorts to acquire Entain, its partner in the ROAR Digital US-facing sports betting and online gambling joint venture.

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Gambling Industry Announcement and Partnership Roundup February 2, 2021 - CalvinAyre.com

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Google will soon allow gambling apps on the Play Store in the US – Engadget

Posted: at 7:12 pm

Android users in regions other than the UK, Ireland, France and Brazil will soon be able to find and download real-money gambling apps from the Play Store. Google has updated its program policy allowing apps that enable or facilitate online gambling in 15 more countries, including the US, starting on March 1st. In addition to making gambling applications available on the Play Store, the change in policy will also allow ads promoting real-money gambling to be served to users in those regions.

The new countries covered by the change are: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the United States. Of course, Google has a strict set of requirements developers must meet to be able to publish gambling products. To start with, they must be an approved governmental operator and must have a valid operating license in the specified country for the type of online gambling product they want to offer.

Their applications must fall under one of these categories, as well: online casino games, lotteries, sports betting and daily fantasy sports. The developers must also implement safeguards to keep underage users out of their apps and must prevent access from countries/regions not covered by their license. In addition, the apps must be free to download and must not use the Google Plays in-app billing system.

The rules and the types of applications that Google can approve vary per region due to differing laws for each. In the US, rules vary per state, so some will be able to access casino games, for instance, while others wont.

Here are the types of games allowed in the US and the states where theyll be available:

Online casino games (permitted in Delaware, Nevada (poker only), New Jersey, and Pennsylvania)

Sports betting (permitted in Colorado, District of Columbia (governmental operators only), Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Montana (governmental operators only), Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon (governmental operators only), Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and West Virginia)

Lotteries (state-run operators or affiliated contracted operators only in Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia)

Depending on the state, daily fantasy sports may be regulated as gambling in the U.S, and all daily fantasy sports apps published in the United States are subject to the Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) Apps requirements below.

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Google will soon allow gambling apps on the Play Store in the US - Engadget

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