Daily Archives: June 27, 2021

Jirkov issues ban on gambling to reduce crime

It is hoped that the new decree will make the Czech city a safer place

On 25 June, the Czech City of Jirkov announced that a majority of city officials have agreed to make gambling illegal. The only exceptions to this new decree are small card games with a limit of CZK 500 (EUR 20). With this reform, Jirkov hopes to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in the city.

Mayor of Jirkov Darina Kovov expressed her satisfaction with this new law which restricts the operation of gambling establishments, noting: We are glad that the coalition and the opposition have found common ground in such a crucial matter.

In a press release, the City of Jirkov reported that several establishments halted their activities during the state of emergency brought about by COVID. Now, these centres will not be permitted to resume operating. In addition to the closure of these businesses, the number of pawnshops in the city is also expected to decrease.

The reason behind this is the fact that pawnshops are often located next to casinos and other such establishments which are frequented by individuals with gambling addictions. Unsurprisingly, the presence of these shops only further fuels dependence.

Admittedly, the new decree will initially have a negative impact on the citys economy. Nevertheless, it will reduce the number of indebted citizens and the negative repercussions of gambling addictions. On its website, the City of Jirkov further explained that one of the main reasons why it has issued this ban is to reduce crime.

It is important to note that the decree will further improve public health by ensuring that individuals do not suffer the negative psychological, physical, and social consequences of addiction. In this way, the Czech city seeks to become safer and more secure for all citizens.

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Jirkov imposes ban on gambling to improve quality of life - TheMayor.EU

by Kerry Dougherty

For more than 30 years Virginias been breathlessly legalizing vices.

It began when voters approved a state-run numbers racket the lottery in 1987. Since then, all manner of wagering has been approved for our gambling pleasure.

Virginia now has horse racing, off-track betting, sports betting and soon, casinos.

But in their wisdom, members of the General Assembly the same ones who battled tirelessly to bring slot machines and blackjack to the Old Dominion decided to 86 electronic skill games that reside mostly in truck stops, convenience stores and restaurants.

Make no mistake, theyre doing the bidding of the greedy big boys of gambling by cracking down on the little guys.

The casinos dont want competition for those Virginia betting dollars.

Never mind that these skill games kept numerous small businesses afloat during the pandemic when there were precious few outlets open for entertainment.

Take the case of Hermie Sadler of Emporia, for instance.

Throughout the Covid-19 shutdowns, this former NASCAR driver and Fox Sports pit reporter was able to keep employees at his convenience stores, restaurants and truck stops on the payroll, despite business being down 30 to 35 percent.

Sadler was even able to provide free lunches to first responders during the month of April 2020.

How did he do it? Two words: Skill games.

Youve seen them, those electronic gambling machines in the corners of convenience stores. They cost anywhere from a nickel to five bucks to play and pay out $25, $50 or the occasional $100 or $500 jackpot.

Revenue from those machines kept Sadler profitable when few people were traveling and patronizing his businesses.

But pressure from the newly legalized casino industry plus whining from the lottery folks that skill games cut into ticket sales convinced the General Assembly to outlaw the games that have been legal for decades.

Yep, on July 1, the same day pot is legalized the harmless little arcade games are gone.

Earlier this week Sadler and his attorney, State Sen. Bill Stanley, filed a two-count civil suit in Greenville County Circuit Court against Gov. Ralph Northam, Attorney General Mark Herring and the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, alleging that the new law is unconstitutional.

Theyre seeking an injunction to allow the machines to stay operational after July 1 until the case can be heard.

What we did in the General Assembly was wrong,Stanley said at a press conferenceoutside the courthouse. We decided that skill games are unseemly and theyre not.

If youre going to legalize gambling in the commonwealth of Virginia youve got to rip the Band-Aid off and legalize all gambling.

Picking and choosing winners and losers is un-American and un-Virginian.

He added that Sadler was standing up for the little guy.

Asimilar suit was filed this week in Norfolkby five business owners in Tidewater.

Running small businesses in rural areas of Virginia is difficult, Sadler said. Its been way more challenging this past year with Covid-19.

Skill games were a lifeline he said.

Weve been legally operating skill games for more than 20 years, Sadler told me yesterday. Truck drivers have to be down for 12 to 24 hours. Not only do they play the skill games for entertainment, they eat in our restaurants, they buy things. They bring in a lot of revenue for us and the state.

Truck drivers are not going to head to casinos if the skill games are banned, Sadler added.

I believe in the free markets. Let people decide where they want to spend their money.

In a state hellbent on legalizing all manner of gambling, the ban on skill games is punitive and unfair.

The General Assembly needs to fix its mistake when they meet in August.

This column is republished with permission from Kerry: Unemployed & Unedited.

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Same Politicians Who Legalized Weed and Casino Gambling Killed Skill Games - Bacon's Rebellion

Weve officially hit the doldrums, a time when any coachspeak quote or offseason beach workout is repeatedly dissected. With all teams on siesta until training camps commence, its the perfect time to start diving into futures markets, especially player props. Brad Evans from FTN Bets offers up two of his favorites before the line values evaporate under the sizzling summer sun. Fade or follow? That, of course, is up to you.

Trevor Lawrence OVER 22.5 passing touchdowns (-130, BetMGM) Possibly as or more exquisite than his brothers rather eccentric wardrobe taste, the proposed line is an extraordinary value. Compared to other books, BetMGMs line is a full two TDs lower. Advantage, bettor. This is a gift from the gambling gods. Lawerences entrance into the league should be quite memorable. As displayed during his storied days at Clemson, he possesses the all-fields arm strength and accuracy to pay an instant dividend. Evidenced by the hardware collected, the man soared. Last season with the Tigers, he notched a 111.0 passer rating or higher on every possible throw and finished top-12 nationally in adjusted completion percentage. His pro arsenal isnt too shabby. D.J. Chark, Marvin Jones, Travis Etienne and CU product Laviska Shenault are a formidable bunch. The Jags projected bendable defense, too, will only assist. In the end, 25-plus passing TDs are likely for the new Blonde Bomber.

Travis Etienne OVER 44.5 receptions (-105, PointsBet) Sticking with the Duval County theme, the rushers reteaming with Lawrence should bang the box score. At the collegiate level, the pair connected 48 times last season. Etiennes explosivity and elusiveness combination is top-flight. With Clemson in 2020, he forced the 12th-most missed tackles (43) among all Division I running backs and tallied a laudable 3.84 yards after contact per attempt. His bubbling chemistry with Lawrence cannot be overstated. Under OC Darrell Bevell, whos passing offenses between Seattle and Detroit ranked inside the top-10 in four of the last five years, the youngster will carve out a sizable pass-catching role, similar to what DAndre Swift did with the Lions last year (46 catches in 13 games). Yes, James Robinsons presence muddies the Saint Johns already murky waters, but with multiple scoreboard-chasing scenarios likely to unfold, 55-65 receptions are achievable for Etienne in Year 1. No doubt, this is one of the best early player props available.

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Gambling: Clemson products set to shine in NFL during first year with Jags - Colorado Springs Gazette

In a nutshell, gambling can be very mesmerizing to watch. Not only is there the thrill of the moment; the roll of a dice, the spin of a roulette wheel, but theres also the pageantry of lights and sounds. Put it all together and you get an experience that is a huge joy to watch.

Of course, the truth is that there arent that pieces of gambling entertainment out there. In fact, most gambling takes place in films, including some famous ones like the Oceans franchise which is a part-gambling, part-robbery flick.

Fortunately, though, there are some great TV shows in the genre. Since the world has largely moved from physical casinos to online casinos due to the pandemic, that means well have to get our fill of old-school gambling through our screen.

If youre a big fan of Poker, then Poker After Dark is definitely your show, especially if you like No-Limit Texas Hold em. Hour-long episodes show the progress of a specific table over the course of a week, with blinds starting at $100/$200. The top prize was $120k, with a $20k buy-in, so the stakes are pretty high, and it can certainly get pretty dicey (pun intended).

In between each round, thered be commentary from the hosts, as well as the players themselves. The show also started trying to introduce some new elements in the fourth season in the form of different types of games.

Interestingly enough, the show had a bit of a sordid history: it was canceled in its 7th season due to a criminal case, colloquially called the Black Friday Case, which involved one of the shows sponsors. Thankfully, after a 6-year hiatus, the show was rebooted and is now streamed on PokerGo.

Just keep in mind that this isnt a fictionalized gambling show like some of the others on the list (or a gambling movie like 21). Even so, its great fun if you want to see how real-world poker works.

If youre looking for something a bit more fictionalized and a little bit wider, then Las Vegas will do it for you. Its a comedy-drama covering a group of employees working in a fictionalized casino and hotel. As you can imagine, it covers everything from security to sleazy hotel guests, and things of that nature.

The show also has a pretty big star lineup, with celebrities like Tom Selleck and James Caan, and focuses on the character played by the latter: An ex-CIA officer who is president of operations at the fictional casino, before being replaced by another character played by Josh Duhamel.

Unfortunately, while the first two seasons did pretty well, the show started seeing lower and lower ratings starting from the third season, finally being canceled after the fifth. Even so, the show was received pretty well and its a great gambling-related TV show.

Looking at the slightly seedier side of gambling, Breaking Vegas focuses on some of the well-known illegal acts that have happened in vegas. In the same vein as some of the best movie heists, this show covers the cheaters, the liars, and the tricksters who tried to get one over on casinos.

The 14 episodes mostly cover things like the story of Ken Uston, who was one of the first people to perfect blackjack card-counting techniques and even sued several casinos over being blacklisted and won. There are also a few episodes that cover legal gambling strategies, such as throwing dice at a certain angle or with certain numbers on top.

Overall, its an interesting TV docu-series to check out if youve ever wondered how some of the most notorious cheating at gambling was done.

Centered around the world of race-track gambling, and horse racing in general, Luck tells the story of a man driven to gain revenge on those who wronged them. It very much lives up to the reputation HBO has for telling dark and gritty stories such as Game of Thrones and is captivating in its methodical purpose.

Interestingly enough, the main character is played by Dusting Hoffman, who if youll remember played Raymond Babbit in Rainman, one of the best film gamblers of all time.

Unfortunately, though, the show was canceled in its second season. It wasnt due to reception either (which was really good), but instead because there were a couple of horse deaths during the production. Since the show primarily revolves around that, and there was already bad press around their deaths (even though an investigation cleared HBO), they ultimately decided to cancel it.

Another show that revolves around real-life gambling, King of Vegas is a bit different in that it doesnt only focus on one game, such as blackjack or poker, but instead has a variety of them in each episode. The games played, along with the ones mentioned above, including Red Dog, Craps, Mini-Baccarat, and Horse Racing, to name a few.

Something else that makes King of Vegas stand out is that it has a mix of sex professional gamblers, and six amateur gamblers, all vying for the ultimate title of King of Vegas, and a $1mill prize. Each week there would be a set of four new games and one person would be kicked out.

If youve done the math so far, that means there are 12 players in total and 12 episodes to go on, with the final episode crowning the King of Vegas.

Its a shame the show only had one season since it has an interesting premise and a ton of potential.

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5 Gambling Related TV Shows You Need To Watch in 2021 - Film Threat

YOUTH workers and teachers are being shown how to help young people who have become drawn in to harmful gambling habits or who are gaming too much with behaviours exacerbated during the pandemic.

The Island Youth Mental Health Census 2019 suggested young people on the Island may be particularly vulnerable to anxiety and depression, which is often associated with harmful gambling or gaming behaviours.

This is believed to have worsened due to Covid pandemic lockdowns, when young people didn't have the structure of school or any social events or clubs to attend leaving them with more time on their mobile phones and other devices.

Experts at YGAM, a gambling charity, believe gaming has started to overlap because both habits involve devices and being drawn in to making micro-transactions.

Both are easily accessible and involve the 'excitement' of lootboxes (or virtual treasure boxes).

Gaming age ratings are lower than for gambling, which means children are getting used to the mechanisms of playing and winning at a younger age.

Another popular activity is e-sports, where you can bet on your team.

Kyle Riding, of YGAM, explained: "Children now get a strange perception of winning. During the pandemic, sport was cancelled but e-sport continued, and e-sport betting has gone through the roof.

"Young people may have been gaming and on e-sports before but usage increased during the pandemic. There are some incredible games out there, but there are lots of crossovers with real gambling, and there are blurred lines between the two."

YGAM is extending its reach to the Island, as previously reported by the County Press.

Katherine Sawyer, YGAMs education manager for the South West, said: "I recognise that the Island faces many unique challenges around this topic both geographically in terms of rural isolation and socio-economically."

What are the Island's statistics on gambling?

There is very little local data showing how many young people are gambling.

However the Isle of Wight Council said national data suggests that increasing exposure to online adverts for gambling and increased use of various platforms for learning and social interchange has contributed to an increase in gambling among young people.

Research indicates that gambling using mobile phones is the most popular way especially for younger people and that in-play and eSports betting is highest among young people especially males.

Gambling Commission data from 2019 indicates that 11 per cent of 11 to 16 year olds had spent money on gambling in the last seven days. It is recognised that increasing trends are seen in exposure to online gambling adverts as well as problem gambling.

The Children and Young Peoples Survey (from 2019) showed that 97 per cent of secondary respondents stated they have received information on how to stay safe online with 70 per cent responding that they always follow that advice.

This was pre-pandemic, with YGAM saying trends are showing an increase in gambling since then.

The County Press has found that on the Island, there are no specialist local gambling support services for young people.

YGAM is a help and advice service which offers resources and training to the childrens workforce, not direct intervention with young people themselves.

Scroll down for various helplines on this issue.

What are the signs to look out for in someone excessive gambling or gaming?

There is a big impact on mental health and although gaming disorder was classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2018 it is still a very new recognition.

WHO defines it as a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour so severe that it takes precedence over other life interests.

Look out for someone spending too much time or money online, building up or hiding debt issues, having arguments with family, and neglect of personal hygiene.

Other signs are lying and hiding behaviours, and people expressing excitement and adrenaline then a crash in their mood.

What are the solutions?

What are the problems?

The following national resources focused on gambling may be of help:

BigDeal is part of GamCare, the organisation that runs the National Gambling Helpline, and provides information, advice and support to young people aged 11 to 18 who have a gambling problem or who are affected by someone elses gambling. On the website bigdeal.org.uk there is a free live chat function which provides 1:1 advice, 24/7 and there is also a young persons helpline (0203 092 6964). Out of hours, a young person can talk to someone at the general National Gambling Helpline, which is staffed 24/7, on 0808 8020 133.

Young people on the Island can access the following resources in relation to their general emotional wellbeing and mental health:

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Concerns over gambling and gaming habits of Isle of Wight youth - Isle of Wight County Press

The Gambling Commission has released the results of a survey into cashless payments in land-based gambling, revealing that participants think cashless payments make it easier to overspend and feel less in control when using cashless options.

However, the regulator also suggested, following the results, that an app to record cashless payments and allow operators to intervene if necessary could reduce any potential risk of harm from cashless gambling.

The online survey, which was conducted by 2CV, was taken by 314 land-based gamblers who had gambled in the last 12 months as part of the Gambling Commissions ongoing research campaign, Consumer Voice.

It found that 85% of participants thought that making a cashless payment, such as debit card or a mobile contactless payment, made it easier to spend more money than was first intended. Some 77% of those surveyed reported that cashless payments made it easier to spend more time on gambling.

Further, 68% reported difficulty in taking stock of their total spend after using cashless payments, while only 47% said they found it easy to keep track of spending. 70% reported that paying for gambling activities with cash makes it easier to set personal limits on spending.

In addition, 37% of respondents said they would spend a little more than intended when using a contactless card payment, and 13% reported that they would spend a lot more than intended. However, with cash payments, only 9% of participants said they would spend a little more than intended while 1% said they would spend a lot more.

The survey also revealed that cash is the most common method of payment land-based gambling activities, such as slots, with 77% of respondents using cash over card payments.

In response to the findings, the Gambling Commission suggested that it could be beneficial to create an app that would track gambling activity in customers and intervene when necessary, while facilitating cashless payments. 22% of participants said they would be happy to pay for gambling through an app that allowed gambling companies to access and track their information, while 33% said they would not, with concerns around privacy.

Use of cashless payments which are currently not allowed for land-based gambling in the UK is one area that the UK government is currently examining in its Gambling Act Review.

Earlier this week, the Gambling Commission released a survey revealing that 34% of players were influenced to gamble through marketing in the last year.

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Gambling Commission survey warns of overspending risk in cashless payments - iGaming Business