Daily Archives: April 6, 2022

For me, casino gaming is all about timing. If I walk up to the craps table and everyone looks sad and dejected, I just saunter away full of false self-confidence, pretending my hair is blowing in the casino oxygen. If the people at the table look like theyre in a Saracen Casino commercial, laughing and high-fiving, I boldly enter. Unfortunately, most of the time, theres no way of knowing when the timing is going to be right until it is.

In 2018, voters approved a constitutional amendment authorizing four casinos to operate in Crittenden, Garland, Jefferson and Pope counties, forever changing the gaming landscape in Arkansas. That made the timing right for the states two racing/game of skill racinos, Oaklawn and Southland, to make huge bets on themselves. They announced multimillion dollar expansions, including live table games (to add to existing digital equivalents) and sports books, new restaurants, hotels and event centers. In 2019, the Oklahoma-based Quapaw Nation opened the Saracen Casino Annex, then followed with Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff in October 2020.

Pandemic numbers are looking less gloomy at the moment, and the time feels right to strap on a mask and take a little in-state casino road trip. Lets face it, after the past two years the odds still arent in my favor, but the timing has to be right. Right?

Rooms with a trackside view

Formerly known as Oaklawn Park Racetrack, Oaklawn is locally famous as the historic thoroughbred racetrack in Hot Springs with opening day 50-cent corned beef sandwiches bigger than your face. And that it remains. But in early 2019, Oaklawn embarked on a $100 million expansion that includes a 200-room luxury hotel, a spa, an event center, two new restaurants and a food court.

My first impression pulling up on Central Avenue is that Oaklawns parking lot is bigger than it once was, and the hotel neatly blends into the facility. If I didnt know any better I would assume its always been there.

Taking a break from winning.

I check into my room on the seventh floor, equipped with its own iPad for room service/guest information. Behind a 65-ish-inch flatscreen is a large panoramic painting of racehorse legs spraying dirt toward the viewer, a crowd of blurry onlookers in the background watching the race from the infield.

The room is modern and luxurious by my journalist-salaried standards, but what sets it apart from any other hotel room Ive ever stayed in awaits just beyond the curtains. Opening them reveals an incredible view of the fabled, meticulously groomed thoroughbred racetrack. The windows do not open, but if they did I probably could fly a paper airplane made from Oaklawn stationery right onto the track.

Night views from the room.

Less than a year old, Oaklawns fine dining establishment The Bugler is located just outside the casino and the new food court. Headed up by James Beard Award-winning executive chef Ken Bredeson, the restaurant announces itself with the statue of a bugle player blowing imaginary musical notes from the hallway right into the restaurant entrance. A row of tables runs parallel to the racetrack inside and on a patio. Pro tip: Reserve a table at sunset. Adorned with chic modern lighting and sleek restaurant booths, The Bugler feels both upscale and casual and doesnt take itself too seriously. A large cartoon-style painting of a horse jockey thinking about a massive Thanksgiving spread is visible from about anywhere in the restaurant.

The Bugler offers fine dining with trackside viewing.

Highlights from the meal include crab cakes served on top of a sweet corn relish and my girlfriends steak being preceded by a knife case presentation in a sort of choose-your-own-steak-knife adventure. The baked hot chocolate dessert was outrageously decadent: Ouachita chocolate cake in the bottom of a coffee cup, topped with piping hot marshmallow fluff thats bruleed. The texture is surreal as the fluff molds back into its previous shape after a spoonful is taken, making your bite disappear like it never happened.

Shrimp and grits from The Bugler.

The most brilliant thing about Oaklawns casino is that its nonsmoking, which sets it apart from every casino Ive ever been to, giving it a much cleaner feel. Standing amongst other players at the craps table, I feel too full of marshmallow fluff to gamble. I shouldve known my timing was all wrong. I play the safest bet in the house, the pass line with odds, but everyone craps out almost instantly. Down $100 after just 20 minutes, I retreat to the room.

The nighttime view of the track from the room might be what I remember most. A large horseshoe planter on the lawn lights up with LEDs, as does an adjacent floating fountain spraying water highlighted with neon colors. I turn off every light in the room, device screens included, and quietly take in the view with a $14 room service cocktail. Highly recommend it.

Morning comes suddenly. Slightly hung over and confused about my location on earth, I open the curtains and am practically blown backward by the combination of sunlight and the herd of majestic horses galloping down the track! A $14 carafe of coffee delivered to the room as I watch the superlative creatures run warm-up laps on expertly manicured dirt? When youre at Oaklawn, of course.

A horse runs warm-up laps on a Thursday morning at Oaklawn.

Tally: $100 lost on the craps table. $80 won on the Super Bowl from a Saracen bet just before mobile gaming was legalized: depleted at the craps table. Down $20.

A new era of gambling in West Memphis

Just west of the Mississippi River from Memphis, Southland began as a greyhound racetrack in the 1950s. In 2019 it announced both a $250 million expansion and the end of greyhound racing, a victory for animal rights advocates and dog lovers who find the practice to be cruel and inhumane. The last greyhound race at Southland is scheduled for Dec. 31. According to greyhound protection organization GREY2KUSA, after the years end, West Virginia will have the last two active racetracks in the country.

Southland is building a blue glass, 300-room high-rise hotel. Its still under construction, but the frame is up and you cant miss it from Interstate 40. A new casino complex, which looks near completion, is scheduled to open this spring. Combined with the current gaming floor, it will total 113,000 square feet, with about 2,400 slot machines and 60 table games.

PLACE YOUR BETS: Southlands new casino addition is expected this spring, with the hotel to be completed later this year.

I arrive on a Wednesday around noon and am thrilled that Southland has also gone nonsmoking. I walk the floor, which is dark and like most casinos feels like a gaming tomb devoid of time. It feels pretty lively for a Wednesday afternoon. I imagine weekend nights are slammed. A big crowd is eating lunch in the sports bar. A dated cartoon painting of happy dogs that look like theyre racing in their sleep hints that youre close to the track with the caption, Any closer and youd need a muzzle.

I check out the new Roll to Win craps table, a millennial spin on the classic game, now played on an interactive surface that feels like plastic and illuminates the craps graphics with flames skirting the edges. Between rolls, the table takes on a Tron appearance, turning all black with cyan grid lines. Bets are made on iPad stations, so there are no chips. The stick person who slides the dice to the roller is the lone dealer. The tables minimum bet is $5, perfect for a fledgling journalist. This Gen-Z version of the game likely cuts down on labor costs for the casino while adding another table and maybe enticing a new era of bettors. Also, there is no chance of dealer error. I put $50 in the machine and after a few short rolls around the table, Im down to $10. The dice slide over to me and I go on a long roll, winning several points. No one at the table can believe it. Hes rolling! I hear a guy say. Ive never felt cooler in West Memphis. I get up to $73, cash out, and eat an excellent Reuben from the sports bar.

High roller.

Driving home I consider making a bet on the Razorbacks first-round NCAA Tournament game versus Vermont. Mobile sports betting was legalized in Arkansas in early March, meaning sports bets can be made from anywhere inside the state lines. But none of the three casinos had apps running yet (that may have changed at the point youre reading this, as all were working furiously to get them live).

Tally: After the Super Bowl bet and putting $150 down on craps tables at Oaklawn and Southland, Im up $3. I drive home feeling rich.

Steaks are higher in Pine Bluff

Saracens $300 million casino opened in October of 2020. The hotel is still in development, but you can see the framing of the first couple of floors of the future 13-story hotel tower housing about 320 rooms, an additional restaurant and a coffee shop.

The drive to Saracen is an easy, smooth 45 minutes from Little Rock. My friend and I arrive for a 6 p.m. reservation at Saracens flagship restaurant, Red Oak Steakhouse, tucked away at the back of the casino. The last row of slot machines offers views into the kitchen, their neon reflections shimmering among chefs cooking over high flames.

A look inside the Red Oak Steakhouse kitchen from the casino floor.

My voice cracks like a teenager asking someone to prom when I order the A5 Kobe strip steak ($150). Red Oak is one of the few restaurants in America offering certified Kobe beef, an elusive breed of pure-blood Tajima Wagyu cattle born, raised, slaughtered and processed in Japans Hyogo Prefecture. What makes the steak special is its marbling, which Saracens food and beverage director, Todd Gold, attributes to genetics. With Kobe, there are no big chunks of fat like on traditional steaks. Rather, the fat is evenly dispersed throughout the muscle in a type of spider web of ultra-thin veins, Gold said. Carlton Saffa, Saracens chief marketing officer, tells me Saracen sought the certification to reinforce its commitment to raising the bar in Arkansas, making Saracen as much of a food destination as it is for gaming.

The fried oysters app our waiter recommends might be worth the trip alone a layer of delicious pork belly-smoked grits topped with creamed spinach and the delicately fried oyster, covered with a flavorful pickled-corn tartar sauce that I would happily eat out of a jar with a spoon. Its the best dish Ive eaten this year.

The fried oysters at Red Oak Steakhouse.

The 8-ounce Kobe strip arrives on a wooden cutting board with three crisped rice rounds resembling scallops and topped with microgreens. Each rice round has a dollop of a sweet and tangy orange sauce beside it, almost resembling cherry tomatoes. Cutting through the Kobe strip proves to be effortless; a dull butter knife would probably work just fine. As far as steak goes, Ive never had one more tender; it almost dissolves in your mouth. A wow is certainly in order. Its also thinner than my friend and I both imagined, nicely seared, but couldve done with one less pinch of salt. Its unlike any steak Ive ever eaten and, to drive the point home, comes with a letter of authenticity. Our waiter drops off a complimentary side of Brussels sprouts, which are fantastic and enough to feed a family of four ($9 value).

AUTHENTIC KOBE: Red Oaks Kobe A5 strip came with a certificate of authenticity.

If wed been blindfolded and taken to Red Oak Steakhouse, Id be shocked to exit the restaurant and find myself in the back of a casino in Pine Bluff. It could definitely exist among the elite restaurants in Little Rock or Bentonville.

The casino is slammed without feeling crowded and has a nice vibe. Casinos can feel sad, but Saracen feels like a place where people might go to hang out and drink and maybe get a bite to eat without even gambling. My only complaint: It would be a nicer experience without the secondhand wafts of cigarette smoke.

We nestle up to a craps table with a $15 minimum. The table is hot. A lot of people know each other. The dealers are friendly with the regulars and sometimes know their bets before they make them. We play for a couple of hours without ever buying back in. My friend cashes out up well over $100. I lose $17. Given how hot the table was, I shouldve bet more aggressively.

Tally: I visited four casinos, risked $370 and walked away down $14. I feel good about it, but now I feel like I need to win back that $14. Thats the problem with gambling.

If you have a gambling problem the National Council on Problem Gambling Helpline offers a confidential, 24-hour helpline for problem gamblers or their family members at 1-800-522-4700.

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Arkansas dice are out: I went gambling at the state's three operating casinos and didn't lose. Much. - Arkansas Times

This is an excerpt from The Buzzer, which is CBC Sports' daily email newsletter.Stay up to speed on what's happening in sports by subscribing here.

Think this is the year the Toronto Maple Leafs finally end their Stanley Cup drought? Have an inkling that North Carolina will upset Kansas in tonight's men's March Madness final? Got your eye on Canada's Corey Conners to win The Masters?

If you live in Ontario, then congratulations starting today, you can legally put your money where your mouth is.

As Ontario becomes the first province to expand its sports betting market, here's what you should know:

Wait, wasn't sports betting already legal?

Prior to the passing of Bill C-218 last June, the only legal type of sports betting in Canada was through parlays (bets where you pick multiple results which all must hit in order to win)and horse racing.

Bill C-218 changed that, removing the federal ban on sports betting and paving the path for more types of gambling to be allowed, like futures (e.g. a Stanley Cup bet placed at the beginning of the season) and single-game betting (e.g. the Leafs to beat the Lightning tonight).

Ontario is the first province to launch its regulated sports betting program, with multiple sportsbooks officially opening for business today. With a population of around 14.57 million people, Ontario is expected to generate $800 million in gross revenue from sports betting this year hardly a gamble for the provincial government.

The U.S. passed a similar bill in 2018, and 30 states now host legal sports betting.

This doesn't seem like it changes much for me.

Then you were probably already betting in what's known as the grey market, with an online sportsbook based offshore.You may also be placing bets in person with a bookie, in which case your gambling may not be affected at all.

In the first case, the transition seems like it will be pretty simple. If your current sportsbook has an agreement with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, it's likely asking for some verification of your age (you must be 19 to bet) before you can continue. For your troubles, it may offer some sort of promotion through bet credits but don't mistake credits for real dollars. There are often many strings attached before credits can turn into withdrawable money.

How will this affect my sports viewing experience?

Besides the endless sportsbook ads after seemingly every whistle, betting should make your sleepy late-season NHL game a little more exciting and hey, maybe you'll even win some money while you're at it. (Here's where we note that the bookalwaysknows best, and you will probably lose. Fair warning).

One way to gamble in-game is through prop bets, which you may be familiar with from the Super Bowl. Props can be anything from the length of the national anthem (typically only offered for the NFL championship) to specific player stats (Auston Matthews to score in any given game seems like the safest bet there is these days). Some people's vision for the future of sports betting is to have fans in the arena placing these types of wagers, and pro leagues are slowly warming to that idea with every additional dollar of revenue.

What are the downsides?

Gambling addiction is one. The government is providing online supports to curb that problem, including an online self-assessment quiz. Meanwhile, self controls where you can set deposit limits and a maximum loss must be included on all sportsbooks.

The other downside involves the athletes themselves. The NFL recently suspended Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley an entire season for betting on his team's games, even though he reportedly bet on Atlanta to win as part of multiple parlays. But the whole thing falls apart if the players are rigging games part of the reason some think single-game betting was banned in the first place, and the entire reason why names like Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose are held in infamy.

So how can I get started?

Some basics: if you see -110 next to a wager, that means you need to bet $110 to win $100. Conversely, something like +220 means that a $100 bet would pay off at $220.

A moneyline bet is when you choose a game winner, with odds skewed toward the favourite. Betting with the point spread evens those odds. For example, Kansas is favoured by 4.5 points in tonight's title game against UNC. If you bet on the Jayhawks with the spread, they need to win by at least five points. Meanwhile, a UNC bet would be successful if the Tar Heels either lose by fewer than five points, or win.

Canadian swimmers are back in the pool.Fresh off a six-medal performance at Tokyo 2020, Canada's swim team is back in the starting blocks for a new season, beginning with national trials in Victoria. The whole event will be streamed live on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem, with action starting tomorrow at 12:27 p.m. ET and running through Sunday. The trials help determine Canada's team for the world championships, which will be held in June in Budapest. For the first time in a decade, the event will take place without former head coach Ben Titley, who split with Swimming Canada in March despite his success overseeing the likes of Penny Oleksiak, Kylie Masse and Summer McIntosh. McIntosh, 15, is the name to watch this season. The Toronto native just missed a medal at her debut Olympics in Tokyo, placing fourth in the women's 400-metre individual medley. But after posting the third-fastest timeeverin the event last month, McIntosh seems destined for many podiums to come.

Brad Gushue is off to a strong start at curling worlds.After earning bronze at the Olympics, Gushue and his rink won the Brier just weeks later to book a ticket to the world championships in Las Vegas. The Newfoundland b'ys have won each of their first four matches in Nevada to surge into first place of the 13-team round robin. Gushue is back on the ice today at 5 p.m. ET against Italy. The biggest surprise so far is Sweden's Nik Edin, who won Olympic gold but is just 1-2 so far at worlds. Gushue said the ice conditions in steamy Vegas may be to blame.Watch highlights and read more about Canada's latest two victories here.

Kyle Lowry finally returned home.Until Sunday, the last time Lowry played a game in Toronto was Feb. 28, 2020. In between, the Greatest Raptor Of All-Time essentially relocated to Florida, playing home games for Toronto in Orlando (in the bubble) and Tampa (last season) before signing with the Miami Heat. And so Lowry's homecoming last night became a long-awaited celebration of his nine seasons with the club, full of reunions and ovations. Lowry's Heat went on to win the near-afterthought of a game. The Raptors, despite the loss, still seem assured of a top-six playoff seed to avoid the precarious play-in tournament. But four games remain, and they'll go a long way toward determining the final standings and playoff matchups.Watch the Raptors' tribute to Lowry and read more about the game here.

#TigerWatch is officially on.Tiger Woods hasn't played a PGA Tour event since a car crash 13 months ago so badly damaged his right leg that doctors considered amputation. In fact, the last time Tiger played on tour was at the pandemic-delayed Masters in November 2020. Yesterday, with the 2022 edition of the tradition unlike any other just days away, Tiger tweeted that he would be a "game-time decision" to play in the tournament, which begins Thursday. His practice round soon after has already been deeply dissected, right down to his shoe brand (notably not Nike). Check out scenes from the roundhere, and read more about the potential storybook returnhere.

The Ryerson Rams hoisted the Bronze Baby.That's the trophy given to the U Sports women's basketball national champions, and it seemed destined for Ryerson all season as head coach Carly Clarke and her team went undefeated. The Rams left no doubt in the title game either,beating Winnipeg by 22 points. Meanwhile, men's powerhouse Carletonwon its third straight titleafter taking down surprising Saskatchewan in the final. South of the border, U.S. women's national-team coach Dawn Staley led South Carolina, featuring Canadian role player Laeticia Amihere, to itssecond championship everby upending traditional power UConn. The men's final between eighth-seeded UNC, whobeat archrival Dukein the semis, and first-seeded Kansas goes tonight.

A 93-year-old broke three Canadian running records.Canio Polosa is a retired doctor in London, Ont., who finished a 10K on Sunday in just over one hour 14 minutes. That was good enough to break the mark for Canadians in the 90-95 age bracket. For good measure, he also took down records in the 8K and 5-mile distances along the way. And in case you're not feeling bad enough for skipping that weekend run you'd planned, 18-month-old Luke Bellalsocompeted in part of the race.See a picture of Polosa and Bell together and read more about Polosa's achievements here.

You're up to speed. Talk to you tomorrow.

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How sports gambling changes now that it's fully legal in Ontario - CBC Sports

Posted on: April 5, 2022, 05:30h.

Last updated on: April 5, 2022, 10:36h.

The UK is closer to revealing its first major gambling overhaul in years. As the day approaches, the topic is receiving a lot of attention. But it isnt all good news.

Changes to gambling laws in the UK are on their way, but no one yet knows exactly whats in store. Everyone is waiting to see what an updated white paper provides, although most expect new and possibly contentious restrictions.

Only weeks before the updates arrive, it appears as though more efforts are appearing that hope to reinforce the anti-gambling establishments motives. From parliamentarians being given passes by gambling regulators to escape investigations, to new bans on gambling-related advertising, the UK is sending a message.

MP Craig Whittaker says he opposes the new rules because it could create a nanny state in the UK to protect a small percentage of individuals.

Whittaker also highlighted that an overly restrictive gambling market would lead to a rise in the use of offshore sites with more lucrative benefits. This is not a foreign concept, as several European countries, including Norway and Germany, have seen indications that their strict rules lead to greater black market activity.

Whittaker did not reveal the 3,457 (US$4,538) gift publicly, a requirement of the Code of Conduct for MPs. This has caused ire among some politicians who are calling for an investigation.

However, the Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards decided not to pursue the case.

The relationship between sports and sports betting is tenuous, at best, and continues to suffer. A breakup between the two is underway, even receiving support from within the sports world. One of the most contentious subjects is advertising. The UK has already begun to crack down on gambling advertising in sports, but will take its initiatives a step further.

Starting this October, gambling companies will no longer be able to include athletes, popular social media individuals, or reality TV stars as their pitchmen.

In addition, Ads will not allow the use of famous players, and will not be able to show specific sports teams uniform ensembles or stadiums. Gambling operators also wont be able to use video game content as promotional material. The ban covers any possible advertising medium TV, radio, online, newspapers, and billboards.

The Grand National is this Saturday. The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) expects 13 million people to place a bet on the event, which would result in 250 million ($274.4 million) in handle.

The BGC reiterated yesterday its assertion that too many regulations are counterintuitive. One of their biggest concerns is affordability checks. The BGC asserts that should authorities require gamblers to submit to these checks to dissect their financial status, more people will refuse and turn to black-market alternatives.

Historically, the event is the biggest betting day in the country, and with live attendance returning after two years, the numbers should increase. Its a traditional event in the UK. However, it could be the last major event before the country forever climbs into the rabbit hole of regulations.

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UK Gambling Reform Eyes More Restrictions, Sports... - Casino.Org News

A London man has described how visiting the local arcades as a child triggered a 30-year gambling habit which lead him down a path of debt, destruction and loneliness. Kevan Miley, 46, from Beckenham, said his gambling addiction consumed his life such that he his only options were "homelessness, prison or suicide".

Kevan has now spoken out about the dangers of gambling addiction after his habit "consumed every waking thought ", damaging his relationships and ability to hold down a full-time job. Kevan told MyLondon: "It all started at age 6 or 7. I would pop into the local arcades son a Sunday with my grandad. It was the lights and music that just caught my attention very early and I couldn't wait to go back.

"A few years later, I got a job doing a paper round. I ended up spending all my wages from customers down the pub. By age 14, I would spend my money on horse race betting, football, any bets I could get my hands on. I started stealing money from my family which was causing friction in the house. My mum believed my lies and sob stories by my stepdad was concerned about where all the money was going. "

READ MORE:Rogue kitchen fitter charged London family 60k and left home in ruins

When he entered his 20s, even when Kevan got fired from supermarket jobs for stealing money from the tills, he still didn't believe he had a problem. He said: "I couldn't hold down a job for more than six months because I was committing fraud. I would disappear and go to the bookies. I would do anything to get a bet on. My friends drifted away and every girlfriend I had broke down as I was more obsessed with gambling than anything else. I would bet every single day, day or night.

"It consumed my whole life. I didn't even make any money because I would I would just spend it again. But it didn't seem to be a great issue at the time because I thought I'm young and I'll get plenty of opportunities in my life. I just didn't know how to stop. I just thought that was how my life was. The compulsion to gamble was stronger than anything else. "

Kevan said he had a very strong relationship with his Mum who "always stuck by and forgave" him. Her tragic death in December 2017 was an event that promoted Kevan to finally seek help after 30 years of battling the gambling addiction. He said: "It was only after my Mum died that I sought help. It got to the point where it was homelessness, prison, or suicide, Any none of these are very appealing. My head couldn't take it much longer."

Gamblers are six times more likely to have suicidal thoughts or try to take their own life, according to research commissioned by GambleAware. No one knows exactly how many deaths are related to gambling each year; but research indicates that there are between 250 and 650 gambling related suicides every year in the UK- equivalent to one every working day.

But when Kevan took the first step and Googled 'rehab for gambling addicts in the UK', he claims the first search result was actually a gambling organisation, which he said exemplifies how prolific the industry can be. Nonetheless, Kevan persisted and sought help from gambling addiction charity Gordon Moody - who supported him through a 14-week Cognitive Behavioural Therapy treatment - in an attempt to change his thought processes. Kevan has now been gambling free for four years and works as a residential support worker at the organisation that supported him.

He said: "Gambling isn't an financial illness, it's an emotional one. It was like a switch, realising that gambling is not the solution to my problems. Where it started, at the arcades, it was about the money. I wanted an easier life. But it became worse. I just buried my head in the sand. As soon as I realised I can have a decent life the right way rather than expecting things to fall into my lap, I could rebuild my life."

Looking back on the last 30 years and on the struggle of other gambling addicts he sees at Gordon Moody, he says gambling has become too normalised and there is a slippery slope from casual punts to problem gambling.

He added: "Everywhere you look there's gambling advertisements. There are free bets and it's dangerous for people susceptible to addiction. There has to be look at the sponsorship in football and the normalisation of it for children. The young people who see it every time they go to or watch football. there has to be an awareness about the damage it cause cause. You can gamble, but just be aware".

It comes as the government pledged to review gambling laws in its 2019 general election manifesto and a white paper was initially expected before the end of 2020, but, due, in part, to a ministerial reshuffle, it has been repeatedly delayed and is now expected in May 2022.

Ministers have been urged to ignore powerful forces trying to thwart gambling reforms, pegged as being "similar to when changes were made to the tobacco industry".

Kevan Mailey supports GambleAwares National Gambling Treatment Service campaign. Is gambling always on your mind? Experts are there to help you. For free and confidential advice: Begambleaware.org/ngts or Call 0808 8020 133.

Want more news from MyLondon? Sign up to our free newsletters here.

Want to get in touch? Email lucy.williamson@reachplc.com

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'I stole from my family and my job to fund my gambling addiction which started at the arcades when I was 6' - My London

A specialist task and finish group to investigate gambling related harm in Barnsley, made up of seven councillors, met with gambling charities, council licensing officers, a counselling service and Leeds City Council, to see what measures could be taken to tackle problem gambling in the borough.

The group found that gambling in the borough is linked to health inequalities and is more prevalent in the most deprived areas, and has recommended a number of schemes to address the issue.

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This includes an investigation into the placement of Category D machines classed as low-stake fruit machines , coin pushers or crane grabbers so that they are not placed in pairs.

The group has also recommended the continuation of a scheme to ensure that gambling advertisements are not permitted on council owned advertising space.

Presenting the report to Barnsley Councils cabinet today (April 6), councillor Jo Newing, who led the group, said: Work needs to be done to raise awareness of the public, and young people in particular to recognise harmful gambling behaviours.

We focused more on it online, really, because thats whats hooking young people in.

Theyre gaming and theyre buying tokens, and that kind of behaviour is then leading to them to think about gambling as they get older.

Councillor Chris Lamb added: its obvious that gambling is a problem in our communities. I think its a growing problem.

Particularly where we have deprivation, and people use gambling as a means of trying to escape from that.

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Online gaming hooking young people in as gambling report heard by Barnsley's cabinet - The Star

Grand National office sweepstakes could be illegal for people working from home, solicitors have warned.

The nations largest horse race, taking place at Aintree this Saturday, is a popular event for office sweepstakes.

The increase in remote working means that many employees will no longer be able to partake in a work lottery, where shares of a bet are divided among the winners.

The exemption was conceived so that the general public could have a bit of fun by taking part in what is officially called a work lottery, according to Richard Bradley, associate solicitor and gambling regulation expert at Poppleston Allen.

Mr Bradley said: But what many people may not realise is that the rules are very clear in that you can only sell physical tickets and all players must work in the same office contests running across different office locations of the same company are not allowed.

Therefore, if the pandemic has led to staff working from other offices or largely working from home, extra care needs to be taken when running a Grand National sweepstake.

Organisers, whether employers or employees, must make sure they do not sell any tickets via email or over the phone. Any staff member who wants to play must visit the office and buy a physical ticket. If these rules arent followed, organisers and players would technically be involved in illegal gambling.

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Remote workers who enter Grand National office sweepstake are gambling with breaking the law - The Telegraph

High quality internet connections and top-notch data encryption technology is used to bring the best casinos to their users and to those newly interested to start gambling in no time. Just like any other business sector influenced by current technological trends, the gambling industry has found its new technologies for boosting the potential.

Over time, the network of locations has improved from gambling in physical casinos (back in the days) to the comfort of ones home. Moreover, the time and efforts used for gambling have been optimised and the availability to get deeper into the how-to knowledge is within fingertips reach.

Certainly, the Las Vegas type of experience is one of a kind and has its place saved in the life experiences of anyone ever travelling to the desert or anywhere in the world where the oldest casinos are located. However, the modern technology facilitated gambling experience can be just as involving, but with less travel packing.

The newest developments in technology have been fully implemented to support modern gambling from the communications and accessibility point of view, but also with its functionalities. Never before has it been more accessible for users to gamble as it is today.

Firstly, online casinos benefit from a correct selection of target groups and can reach their right audience through a wide range of advertising channels available on the most commonly used platforms and devices. Each user is just one click away from their favourite gambling environment at any given moment of the daily routine. Furthermore, gambling is not seen any more as the interest of a selected few, but a way to get accustomed to an activity that can engage you at any desired time.

Secondly, gambling online is secure and trustworthy when it comes to personal and financial data transfers. Blockchain technology, modern payment methods and online registration procedures are now designed to protect the users. Each experienced or new user is guided step-by-step in an intuitive ride through the platforms.

If a new user doesnt know where to start his/her best modern gambling tour from, there are loads of articles with recommendations and lists with the most used casinos. Just have a look at the website eestionlinekasiinod.com, for example, to experience a selection of the most known online casinos for 2022 and decide which suits you best. Reviews from other users or short guidelines on how they work are always useful information to have beforehand.

In todays fast moving world, the gambling industry has reached values worth billions of dollars. An estimation for 2023 sounds like almost 100 billion dollars. For these amounts, the supporting tools and technologies must be, by all means, a super intelligent infrastructure support.

Using online gaming and gambling on mobile portable devices revolutionised the industry. Just like any other mobile application, mobile gambling offers flexibility in time and location and convenience for each user, the must-have conditions for the modern person. Millions of users are doing gambling online from their mobile phones or tablets every day.

More and more people are aware of the new cryptocurrencies market and some even trade it. For gambling, all modern payment methods are accepted, even with cryptocurrencies. The blockchain technology allows the users to make the transfers immediately without much banking contact information revealed.

A very interesting technology tool behind the online gambling industry is something quite revolutionary: data modelling and predictive analytics. These intelligent features not only establish the profile of the users in order to evaluate their risks and behaviours in gambling, but also allow the casinos to interact and keep their customers loyal, even when they are not gambling. Wouldnt you feel valued to receive a complimentary dinner delivered to your doorsteps from the casino you are most frequently using online?

Despite all the technological developments involved in the gambling industry, something that the administrators can guarantee is the fairness of the games. All the sophisticated software of the online casinos and the operating rules are regulated by national and international bodies to ensure that all the users have equal chances of participation and randomness of numbers is respected.

In conclusion, even if it is harder and harder for gambling shops and physical casinos to keep us with the dynamics of modern life, they still have their element of authenticity. However, the high-tech nature of online gambling is the engine that keeps pushing the development of the gambling industry, in general, and it pleasantly surprises its users almost every day with new tools and applications. More growth is expected to happen in the following years.

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The importance of technology in online gambling - TechRound

Single-game sports betting has technically been legal in Canada ever since Bill C-218, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sports betting), was passed in the House of Commons in the summer of 2021.

The first week of April marked Ontarios foray into legalized single-game sports betting as we continue to enter a new era in how fans can enjoy, consume and participate during live sports.

Youve already likely begun hearing some gambling terms more frequently on broadcasts, podcasts and when youre reading previews or recaps.

If youre new to sports betting terminology, here are some common sports gambling words and phrases to help you better understand the vernacular:

Bet/Wager: When a person risks a sum of money against a sportsbook and that person either loses the money they risked, or they are returned a sum of money larger than what they initially put at stake based off the result of a sporting event.

Bettor: A person who places a bet/wager on a sports competition.

Sportsbook: An establishment/website where people can legally place bets on sporting events, and sometimes non-sporting events, that pays out money as winnings.

Oddsmaker(s): A person or group of people that sets and adjusts betting lines/odds.

Lines/odds: The numbers used to distinguish the difference between a favourite and an underdog.

Favourite: The team or athlete oddsmakers expect to win the game/match/competition or finish in first place.

Underdog: The team or athlete oddsmakers anticipate will lose the game/match/competition etc.

Pick em: A game/competition where the two competing sides have equal betting odds to win, therefore there is no favourite and no underdog.

Moneyline: A straightforward type of bet where the bettor simply picks one side to win a game/competition. If that side is victorious then the bettor can cash a winning ticket.

If youre betting on a moneyline favourite, you will notice a (-) before a number; if you are betting on a moneyline underdog, you will see a (+) before a number. These odds are also called American odds. The only relevant factor to a successful bet is which team wins. The final score is irrelevant to a moneyline bet.

Editors Note: Gambling problems arent only about losing money. They occur on a continuum, and can affect a persons whole life. To learn more about developing a healthy relationship to gambling, and to find resources for support, click here.

American odds and moneyline betting are essentially odds expressed in monetary terms with $100 being the standard betting unit of reference since it is a nice, round number.

Example: If the home team is a -200 moneyline favourite, anyone betting on the home team would need to risk losing $200 in order to profit $100 (or $20 to win $10, etc.). On the other, someone betting on a +200 underdog would need to risk $100 in order to profit $200 (or risk $10 to win $20, etc.).

Point spread: Unlike moneyline bets, point spreads attempt to handicap a game/competition in order to, in theory, level the playing field from a betting perspective.

ATS: An acronym for Against the Spread used when a bettor places a point-spread wager.

Cover/Cover the spread: A winning outcome on a point spread bet.

Example: If a bettor places a bet on a -3.5 favourite and that team wins by four or more points, they cover their bet. If a bettor places a bet on a -3.5 favourite and that team wins by three points or less, or loses the game outright, they lose their bet.

Total: Also referred to as the Over/Under, a total is the combined number of anything in a sporting event. The total commonly refers to the combined final score of a game, but can also refer to individual or team points, goals, rebounds, wins, saves, hits, rounds, birdies, aces or many other statistical categories depending on the sport. A bettor can choose to bet whether a given category will finish over or under a predetermined total.

Over: When the combined total ends up higher than a sportsbooks listed total.

Under: When the combined total ends up lower than a sportsbooks listed total.

Push: A wager that ends as neither a winning nor losing bet. It occurs when the winning margin or total score ends up being the exact number as the listed point spread or total. A push can also occur when there is a tie/draw on a moneyline bet.

Example 1: Orange (-4.0) was favoured to beat Blue (+4.0) by an even four points. Orange won the match by exactly four points, 27-23, which resulted in a push for anyone that placed a wager on either side. In that same game, the total was set at an even 50.0. Since the final score ended up totalling exactly 50 points, anyone who bet the Over/Under would also receive a push and their original wager would be returned.

Example 2: Boxer A and Boxer B fight to a unanimous draw on the scorecards. Anyone who placed a moneyline bet will have their original amount risked returned to them. However, if a bettor picked either boxer to win via a specific method (KO or decision), a draw would not result in a push. It would be a losing bet because a tie/draw is an option when picking a method of victory.

Even money/Even odds: Any bet with +100/-100 odds where you stand to win the exact amount you risk losing. A good old-fashioned 50-50 bet.

Puckline/Runline: A point spread of -1.5 or +1.5 in a hockey or baseball game. There are varying moneyline odds attached to puckline/runline bets, depending on whether you bet on the favourite or on the underdog.

Hook: The half-point you see on a point spread. Hooks eliminate the possibility of a push. Point spreads of 2.5 or 3.5, for example, are common in football games since three-point wins are relatively common. When theres a hook it forces a bettor into a more difficult choice as opposed to giving them a potential out via a push. A point spread of an even 3.0 would mean there is no hook.

Unit(s): The standard amount of money a bettor typically places on a game/competition. Units vary from bettor to bettor. For one bettor, a unit could be $10,000, for another bettor one unit could be $10. There is no correct or incorrect unit amount, however, gamblers are advised to not bet beyond their means.

Alternate line: Sportsbooks sometimes offer different point spreads within the same game that pay out at varying odds.

Opening line/odds: The initial odds listed for a sporting event.

Closing line/odds: The finals odds posted before the start of a sporting event.

Juice: The tax or commission a book takes when accepting bets.

Example: When betting on a coin toss, a bettor is typically offered -110 odds or even -120 odds for both heads and tails, despite it being a 50-50 endeavour. Juice increases the probability that the sportsbook will profit off its customers over time.

Public money: The side of a bet on which the majority of bettors have placed their wager.

Handle: The accumulated sum of money wagered on a given sporting event.

Steam: When one side of a betting line has growing momentum, causing the odds to change.

Ticket: A literal betting ticket or term for a receipt or digital confirmation that a wager has been placed.

Action: Another way to say bet/wager.

Example: If you have action on the game, it means you have already placed a wager.

Chalk: A slang term for the listed favourite for a given sporting event. A chalky pick is predicting a listed favourite will emerge victorious. The more money you need to risk in order to make a profit, the chalkier the pick is.

Lock: A figurative term given to teams/individuals expected to win easily.

Longshot: A team/individual considered highly unlikely to win a game/competition; a large underdog according to the betting odds.

Off the board: When a sportsbook temporarily stops accepting wagers on a given game or sporting event, often after an injury or something newsworthy happens.

Example: A teams starting quarterback sustains an injury in practice four days ahead of a game. A sportsbook may take that game off the board until more is known about the QBs injury and status.

Parlay(s): A wager where multiple selections are made. The potential payout is higher than it would be if you bet each selection individually because there is a multiplier involved but each of leg of the parlay must win for the bet to be successful.

Teaser(s): A multifaceted type of bet that allows a bettor to alter point spreads or totals (or both) when betting on multiple games or betting both side and total within the same game. A bettor can move the line a set number of points. Teaser bets are similar to parlays in that all legs of the bet must win in order for a bettors ticket to cash.

Example: Before an NFL Sunday, you are considering taking two underdogs both listed at +2.5 (-120). You are hesitant to predict both teams can either win or keep their games to within two points but you do feel confident both underdogs can stay within one score, so you move the line of both games six points to +8.5. Now, both teams just need to lose by eight or fewer points (instead of two points or fewer) or win outright for the ticket to cash at the same -120 price.

Futures: A futures bet is a wager on a sporting event, even though the outcome wont be determined until a later date, such as placing a bet on a team to win a league championship but placing it before or during the season opposed to right before the championship series/game.

Hedging: Betting placed against an active bet youve made as a way to minimize losses or ensure a small profit depending on whether or not the lines changed since the bettor first placed the original wager.

Prop bet/Exotic wager: Any action besides choosing a side or betting the total. There are a wide array of prop bets that vary from sportsbook to sportsbook.

Follow/Ride: Going along with someone elses picks because you trust them.

Fade/Tail: Betting the opposite side of a person because you think they are likely to be wrong.

Example: Cabbie thinks Purple will beat Red so he tweets out hes taking Purple on the moneyline. Caroline trusts Cabbie when it comes to predicting Purple games, so she follows Cabbies lead and places a bet on Purple. Tim doesnt trust Cabbie when it comes to predicting Purple games, though, so Tim decides to fade him and bet on Red. Caroline is riding with Cabbie; Tim is tailing Cabbie.

Square(s): An inexperienced bettor, often one who frequently or exclusively bets on favourites and/or sides with the majority of the public without putting much thought into their wagers. Squares are typically low-stakes, casual gamblers who tend to lose money over time.

Example: Siblings Joe Public and John Q. Public are both well-known squares in the gambling community.

Sharp(s): Successful, often high-stakes, sports gambler(s) who can at times impact line movement or sharpen a line set by a sportsbook.

Example: Silver opens as a small favourite over Gold but a group of sharp bettors project Silver will win in a blowout, so they bet that game early and often once the line is posted in order to capitalize on the perceived error in judgment by the oddsmakers. This can often result a sportsbook adjusting its lines ahead of an event.

If you ever hear phrases like the sharp money is on that usually refers to the side of a bet receiving more action from high-stakes or professional gamblers.

Taking the points: A term used when a bettor has placed a point-spread wager on an underdog. The team being bet on can lose the game outright but still win you your bet.

Laying the points: A term used when a bettor has placed a point-spread wager on a favourite. Not only does that team need to win the game outright, they must do so by a certain number of points.

Example: Green beats Yellow by three points, however, Green was -4 favourites. A Green supporter laying the points will be happy their team won the game but sad they lost their bet lost; a Yellow supporter taking the points will be sad their team lost the game but happy they won their bet.

Bad beat: A bet that looks like its going to be a winner until a late shift in momentum or last-minute/last-second score change.

Example: You have UNDER 224 in the Grey-Pink game. The score is 120-102 Team Grey (meaning the total sits at 222), with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game. The game is out of reach but instead of dribbling the ball until the remaining seconds tick off the clock, a Pink player heaves up a three-pointer and it goes in as the buzzer sounds. The final score ends up 120-105, the total ends up being 225 and UNDER bettors suffer a bad beat.

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Sports gambling glossary: How to talk the talk when betting - Sportsnet.ca