Monthly Archives: July 2022

Europe, the War in Ukraine and Shaping a Way Ahead: The Perspective of General (Retired) Petr Pavel – Second Line of Defense – Second Line of Defense

Posted: July 9, 2022 at 8:00 am

By Robbin Laird

On July 3, 2022, General (Retired) Petr Pavel, the former head of NATOs Military Committee, and now candidate for President of the Czech Republic, agreed to be interviewed by a team led Jol-Franois Dumont. Joining the interview team were Franoise Thom, the noted French Russian expert, Colonel (Retired) Joel Bros, former French Special Forces and former military attach to Czech Republic and by myself.

In this article, a number of takeaways from the discussion are highlighted (with the biography of the General to be found at the end of the article), but for the complete discussion readers need to go to the European Security website.

Pavel underscored that what is unfolding in Ukraine today is a product of the long-range perspectives and policies of President Putin. He noted: Russia still believes that the very possession of nuclear arsenal makes it a superpower, and enables it to dictate to other countries how to live and how to arrange their international relations.

The Russians take no blame for their actions, but argue that the West is the trigger of their actions. He underscored that They believe that theyre perfectly right. All the moves they do are well justified and the vast majority of Russian population stands behind President Putin in this belief. For all of us, it means that the situation international and security situation has fundamentally changed.

Russia is no longer just a strategic competitor. Its a direct threat to our security. President Putin, went so far by declaring a possible use of nuclear weapons against United Kingdom, France and other countries, threatening sovereign countries, including nuclear powers. Its not an issue for us to think if Russia is bluffing or if they are just posing threats, they are determined to use these weapons and they expressed their determination several times pointing to existential threats, but without being very specific.

When we look at the breadth of Russian strategic thinking, we have to understand that anything that would harm Russian perception of being a global power could be taken as existential threat to Russia and as a justification for using nuclear weapons, tactical or any other level.

But I believe that any use of nuclear weapons, even smallest tactical nuclear weapon would be breaching the threshold and would fundamentally change the whole paradigm of our security thinking.

We dont have to necessarily defeat Russia but we face the challenge of dealing with Russian thinking that whatever we do in terms of coming closer to them would be understood as our weakness and sooner or later, we would see them attack another country.

He argued that the war in Ukraine was having a significant impact on a reshuffling in Europe whereby the states most directly familiar with Russia and closest to Russia have views different from key states like France and Germany.

He argued that we see a new, I wouldnt call it fraction line, but potential division within Europe where countries bordering Russia such as Bulgaria, Romania, Baltic countries, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic are almost of the same opinion on how to handle the crisis. That means being very tough within the framework of sanctions against Russia, being extremely helpful to Ukraine in terms of humanitarian assistance including military assistance.

The exceptions to this are the states of Hungary and Turkey, as he noted, which form special cases as he noted.

He added that one outcome of the war in Ukraine could well be Ukraine becoming part of the European Union, which if this was to happen would enhance the weight of the Russian threat focused countries within the European Union.

He very clearly underscored the importance of working relationships in Europe so that new fault lines do not open up on the continent when facing the Russian challenge, as this would only aid the Russians in the long-term competition.

Thats why I believe that one of the most important tasks of our current presidency, which Czech Republic took over the 1st of July, would be to keep Europe together and find ways to handle the crisis in Ukraine and relationships with Russia. Because if we let ourselves become divided then Russia would prevail and that was their primary objective from the very beginning. We need to bring our understanding of situation to the same foundation so that we dont take different conclusions and potentially wrong decisions.

He was asked about the impact of Finland coming into NATO and triggering a broader European rethink on the direct defense of Europe. He felt that Finland and Sweden coming into NATO could very much aide the kind of rethinking necessary both in NATO and in Europe.

NATO over the years has become probably too politically correct in our own way that we were circling around the problems without being able to identify true nature. I was facing that situation even in a military committee when I asked my colleagues to come back to the basics and speak as soldiers, not as politicians or diplomats. At least around the table so that we understand each other.

I believe that Fins and Swedes will bring a lot of direct language, not necessarily politically incorrect, but very direct language. And especially with regard to Russia, the Fins are very well respected. Because even though Russians won the Finnish War in three months war, it cost them such huge losses that they, remember the war with Fins up to present days.

So even though Finland is a small country by geography, its a big country by their heart and approach and I believe that it may change the atmosphere in NATO for better because we would probably come back to calling problems by their proper names and finding straight and direct solutions to current problems.

Europe certainly could strengthen conventional defense capabilities and shape enhanced horizontal conventional defense escalation options, notably with the possibility of an integrated Nordic defense.

But the nuclear challenge remains significant, and an open question of how NATOs nuclear countries would address this challenge in more than a declaratory sense, such as was done at the recent NATO summit, where we learned yet again that NATO is a nuclear alliance.

That is good, but what modernization and training efforts will be generated to convey to the Russians that their strategy of escalate to de-escalate will not work?

This is how General (Retired) Pavel handled this challenge:

Russians have developed the principle escalate to deescalate. We know it. They are very skillful in using it. I believe that we havent done good job facing Russian deterrents by using nuclear weapons because when President Putin and Minister Lavrov are starting talking on increasing level of readiness of Russian strategic nuclear forces and so on and potential strategic strikes to Western cities or even blowing the whole countries out of the surface, our reaction was a little bit scared.

I believe that we should remind Russia that we have a nuclear weapons too and we are also determined to use them if we have to and that Russian cities are on our target list as well. But we are reasonable enough not to do it and not to threaten any country by using our nuclear weapons, but we only remind Russia that they are not the only country with nuclear weapons and with target lists.

The Russians only understand our strength. And Im always trying to explain in our debates with the Czech public, when I speak on deterrence, that the deterrence is not about frightening anyone, its not threatening. Its simply reminding that we have the capacity and making our adversaries of our proficiency and willingness to use our capabilities. Thats the very substance of deterrence and we havent used it in such a way to answer Russian threats.

We discussed the recent decisions made at the NATO Summit in Madrid to increase both force size and shift force deployments forward. Pavel welcomed these developments but cautioned that they will take time but must also actually be done and not just remaining as a summit declaration.

He was very clear that whatever the outcome of the war in Ukraine after that outcome is sorted out, the task of rebuilding Ukraine including its defense capabilities would remain as a priority for Europe and NATO. Once this war is over Ukraine military will have to be consolidated and provided with the equipment that will be interoperable, that would be manageable in logistic terms, but also in training terms.

As we aid Ukraine now, we will have to think of for future, how to equip and how to handle Ukraine and their capabilities in future. Its clear that their accession to NATO will not be in question for time, but at the same time itll be in our interest that Ukraine has a strong enough military, capable to deal with their security issues on their own but itll also in our interest that Ukraine remains our partner now that it is interoperable with our own forces.

He was then asked about his own country, the Czech Republic, and shaping their way ahead in light of the current defense and security situation in Europe. He commented that the Czech Republic went too far in reducing our defense expenditures after the end of the Soviet Union. At one point, and it was in times when I was Chief of Defense, we went even below 1% of GDP and the deficiencies in our capabilities were so serious that I confronted that time President Vaclav Klaus, because I saw that the capacity of military was so insufficient that we wouldnt be able to meet even basic tasks.

Since then, number of problems have been dealt with, but still the pace of modernization is not fast enough to meet the challenge. Now with new government, it seems that we will be able to finalize some modernization projects but given the pressure of state finances because of COVID crisis and now the war, I have some concerns that this government will be able to meet these commitments.

Our primary goal must be to meet our capability target from NATO defense planning. And thats heavy brigade equipped with tracked APCs ready by the end of 2025. Because this is our main contribution to NATO collective defense and also our contribution to increasing the capacity of NATO forces.

Czech Republic contributes beyond its weight to the battle groups formed in our Eastern border, both in the Baltic countries and we are also taking command and significant contribution to Slovakian battle group.

We also have contributed to air policing to multi countries and a number of other activities. And from what I hear from our government, it remains a priority, they are determined to keep the pace of our contributions and to meet also commitments made within NATO defense planning. However, I see that itll be a great challenge to succeed fully.

The photos show General (Retired) Petr Pavels time in service as Chief of Staff of the Czech Republic armed forces or his time as Chairman of the NATO military committee. We credit the provision of these photos to @Anna olcov.

General Pavel was appointed Chairman of the NATO Military Committee on 26 June 2015.

From July 2012 to May 2015 General Petr Pavel served as Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic, the highest ranking officer in the Czech Army and the principal military adviser to the Czech Government. In September 2014, General Pavel was elected Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.

General Pavel graduated from theArmy Collegein Vykov, Czech Republic in 1983 and since then has spent a large part of his military career holding positions in Special Forces, Operations and Intelligence divisions. Throughout his career, General Pavel has held a range of positions from Deputy Military and Air Attach of the Czech Republic in Belgium to Commander Special Forces to Deputy Director Operations Division at the Ministry of Defence,

In addition, General Pavel has also held his share of positions in International and National joint staffs representing the Czech Armed Forces as the National Military Representative to the US Central Command, as well as National Military Representative of the Czech Republic to SHAPE in Mons, Belgium.

Furthering his education in the United Kingdom, General Pavel has studied at the Staff College, Camberley, theRoyal College of Defence Studies, London andobtained an M.A. in International Relations from Kings College, London.

And here was an article in CZ Defence published July 20, 2019 which described his career from the standpoint of his memoirs:

The book brings a subheading In the front line. The Czechs loved General Pavel when he was the Chief of the General Staff. The world has known him as the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee. He found a way to soldiers hearts a long time ago thanks to his heroic action in former Yugoslavia. But nobody could suspect that he, as a kid, was suffered from ADHD. So primary school teachers cursed him. And much more

This all has been written in a compact form not only by Petr Pavel, but also by his farther, sister, wife, sons and comrade-in-arms. His father, also an army officer, brought up his son in military style he continually entrusted him with the tasks, which exceeded the boys age by demandingness. And sent him to play hockey and to train gymnastics. On the threshold of adolescence, Petr went to a Military gymnasium and ensured a parental consent to jump with parachute.

He got here the best preparation so that he was able to assert himself in prestige reconnaissance units. At that time Czechoslovakia was part of the Warsaw Pact, but the ice was starting to melt. Young Petr Pavel did the right think when apart of obligatory study of Russian studied English as well.

Thus, at the beginning of the 90s, he was one of the first, then Czechoslovakian, soldiers who participated in a foreign mission. Together with a unit consisting from volunteers, he set off to rescue French soldiers from captivity. In the middle of a ragging battle between the Serbians and Croats. The popular Czech slogan We can come to an arrangement didnt work so much as the rescue team wished. In spite of this, all were survived, the prisoners were rescued.

And only in the memoir the fans of General Pavel have a chance to find out all details of this adventure. For completeness sake, these details are additionally described in separate chapter by Colonel Karel Klinovsk, a participant of the mission and the best friend. Not less interesting is to look at the generals family life. He is relatively self-critical and admits that he hasnt always had enough time for his loved ones. In spite of this, from our conversation with his family, it is evident mutual respect, tolerance, love and never-dying support.

General Pavel also does a big favour in the closing chapters, which describe his service in NATO, and, thus, functioning of this organization, its attitude towards different recent or actual conflicts. We can even say that a reader acquires two books at one stroke a biography and a textbook of the global security policy.

Just two questions remain now: When a big foreign entertainment company shoots a picture about a rescue of the French contingent by an underestimated Czechoslovak unit? And when the memoires of General Peter Pavel can be issued at least in English translation for foreign readers?

And in the video below, General Petr Pavel is seen closing out his tenure as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee on June 29, 2018,

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Europe, the War in Ukraine and Shaping a Way Ahead: The Perspective of General (Retired) Petr Pavel - Second Line of Defense - Second Line of Defense

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Going To College? Here’s What You Need To Pack For The Fall Semester In Order To Survive – The Babylon Bee

Posted: at 8:00 am

Are you registering for classes for the upcoming fall semester at a prestigious and expensive university? You'll need to prepare for a cutthroat world of higher education and poverty that's in store for you.

Here is a definitive list of items you must take to college with you:

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Windfall tax on crude goes against incentive of more pricing freedom – The Financial Express

Posted: at 7:57 am

By N Chandra Mohan

For India, which imports 85% of its requirements, costlier oil implies a higher import bill and inflation, besides straining the current account, the broadest measure of Indias goods and services transactions with the rest of the world. Indications are that the crude import bill this fiscal is likely to substantially exceed last years level of 212 million metric tonne worth $120 billion. To incentivise higher domestic output, the cabinet committee on economic affairs has decided to provide greater pricing power to domestic oil producers to enable market-determined price discovery. However, they would continue to be barred from exporting their produce. Conflicting with this is the decision to slap a windfall gains tax on domestic crude producers.

Deregulation of crude sales and the waiver from allocating domestically produced oil only to government-owned refineries is effective from October 1. The largest state-owned producer, ONGC, thus can auction its output from Mumbai High to any refinery in the public and private sector. CCEAs decision thus could result in ONGC gaining by 7-8% from its crude and spur more investments in exploration and drilling, resulting in higher output. But these realisations would be hit by the windfall gains tax of as much as $40 a barrel. The development cess and royalty on domestic crude is 31% or $35 a barrel at current import-parity prices to refineries, which means that the effective tax is now higher at a substantial 65%, as reported byFE.

To be sure, taxation of windfall gains handsomely benefits the exchequer by as much as `65, 000 crore annually. But it also erodes the incentive to prospect for oil. This has been forcefully underscored by global oil companies operating in the North Sea in response to UKs energy profits levy imposed in May to fund a support package for households struggling with higher energy bills. ONGC, no doubt, benefited from the uptrend in global oil prices in supplying to state-owned refineries at import parity prices, registering a 31.5% increase in net profits in Q4 FY22. The oil giant needs these resources for its planned capex spend of `31, 000 crore till FY25. If the bulk of revenue generation goes as levies while costs of running operations take up 20-25%, this would make it difficult for it to invest more in exploration. However, the government has said the cess will not be levied on crude produced in excess of last years output.

Unfortunately, this exemption from cess may not mean much as the challenge of stepping up domestic output is daunting. Domestic crude production has been steadily declining from 38.1 mmt in FY12 to 29.7 mmt in FY22. Till May this fiscal, production at 5 mmt is virtually unchanged from the levels during the corresponding period in FY 22 according to the Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell. Domestic production is falling for various reasons, including declining output from old and marginal fields. India lacks the technological capability for deep water exploration. There have also been no major hydrocarbon discoveries of late either. The country is currently increasing expenditure on seismic surveys of domestic hydrocarbon assets.

India has around 26 sedimentary basins covering an area of 3.3 million square km, of which only seven Category 1 basins have established commercial production of oil. The policy challenge is to incentivise prospecting the remaining areas, which entails a huge amount of resources and technology. Over the years, the sedimentary basin exploited has remained stagnant at 6 to 7%. In Parliament, Union petroleum minister Hardeep Puri said this has gone up to 10% since 2016 and the expectation is that it will rise to 15% very shortly and go on to 30% after that. This is the frontier that must be tapped if the drive to step up domestic production is to bear fruition. Domestic producers need a free run from burdensome levies to invest in exploration.

Towards this end, it is also absolutely essential that state-owned producers like ONGC are strengthened. Not so long ago, there were reports that ONGC might have to give away a 60% stake plus operating control in Indias largest oil and gas producing fields of Mumbai High to foreign companies and divest its drilling and services arm to become asset-light, among others. This prompted former Union secretary EAS Sarma to write to the Prime Minister that instead of weakening ONGC, the government should adopt a conscious strategy to strengthen its ability. So, if the policy thrust is to shift from revenue to production maximisation, domestic oil producers must be incentivised to produce more to reduce Indias import-dependence. Giving greater pricing freedom while hitting their realisations through windfall gains taxation may not be efficacious to address the imperative of stepping up relatively greater self-sufficiency in domestic oil production over the medium-term.

The writer is an economics and business commentator based in New Delhi. Views expressed are personal.

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Windfall tax on crude goes against incentive of more pricing freedom - The Financial Express

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Memes: What are They and Why They Are Important

Posted: at 7:56 am

Today, we talk about memes.

Meme (pronounced /mim/, me-mm) describes a basic unit of cultural idea or symbol that can be transmitted from one mind to another and, inherently, everyone knows what memes are. In our everyday lives we live with memes; for example, catchphrases and clichs often serve the purpose translating non-literal, cultural ideas, while similes and metaphors hint at what words portray. Those are all memes.

So why devote an entirely new word, and even a study, to something that has existed for eons?

LOLCATs, a popular Internet meme, cat pictures with grammatical inconsistencies. Photo courtesy of icanhazcheezburger.com

The reason is: we live in a different time, where culture and international exchange is pervasive, especially with technology closing that gap. And, precisely because of this, as well as the emergence of the Internet society, multifaceted, non-standardized memes emerge to take the role for cultural and sub-cultural descriptors.

Whats fascinating about the present meme culture is its dependency on virality. If it lacks the audience and their appreciation (either on the positive or negative spectrum), then it will simply fade into obscurity. Presently, although an Internet meme is often correlated with pictures with offensive or funny taglines, it has proliferated for a much longer time. The intricacies of a meme lies in what the masses find appropriate to express an idea, regardless how simple or pointless it may be.

Rick Astley, English singer-song writer, at Macys 2008 Thanksgiving Parade. Photo courtesy of Ben W.

But, precisely because of this Internet culture, we find a convergence in meanings and creative output, even away from the Internet. For example, in 2007 an Internet phenomenon known as Rickrolling became a meme, where users are tricked, via bait and switch, into watching the music video for Rick Astleys 1987 hit Never Gonna Give You Up. Within a year, this practice has merged into mainstream media, and Rick Astley made an appearance at the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2008, effectively pushing him back into the spotlight as a popular cultural icon since his retirement in 1993. It can be very much argued that such memes (like Rickrolling) brought together a cultural concept, across the digital and international boundaries, to further tell us the story the advent of viral ideas on social media, as well as global change and connectivity.

For more resources regarding the study of memetics and memes visit the meme tag in the librarys catalogue.

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How to know when gambling becomes a problem and where to seek help – Kingsport Times News

Posted: at 7:54 am

Gambling can be a lot of fun for most people, according the the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services.

They set a budget, and enjoy the time that passes while they spend it. Theres more to gambling than the money, the departments website states. For many, gambling is seen as a form of entertainment where any money they happen to win is a bonus.

However, for some, according to the Mayo Clinic, Gambling can stimulate the brains reward system much like drugs or alcohol can, leading to addiction.

Problem Gambling Faces from Virginia Lottery on Vimeo.

The Virginia Lottery and the Tennessee Lottery each offer Play Responsibly programs aimed at helping players avoid addiction, how to recognize problem gambling, and where to find help if you think you have a problem.

From the Virginia Lotterys website:

Q: What is problem gambling?

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A: Problem gambling includes all gambling behavior patterns that compromise, disrupt or damage personal, family or vocational pursuits. The essential features are increasing preoccupation with gambling, a need to bet more money more frequently, restlessness or irritability when attempting to stop, chasing losses, and loss of control manifested by continuation of the gambling behavior in spite of mounting, serious, negative consequences. In extreme cases, problem gambling can result in financial ruin, legal problems, loss of career and family, or even suicide.

Q: What causes problem gambling?

A: The cause of a gambling problem is the individuals inability to control the gambling. This may be due in part to a genetic tendency to develop addiction, ones ability to cope with normal life stress and even ones social upbringing and moral attitudes about gambling. The casino or lottery provides the opportunity for the person to gamble. It does not, in and of itself, create the problem any more than a liquor store would create an alcoholic.

Q: How much money do you have to lose to have a gambling problem?

A: The amount of money lost or won does not determine when gambling becomes a problem. Gambling becomes a problem when it causes a negative impact on any area of the individuals life.

Q: How widespread is problem gambling in the U.S.?

A: Two million U.S. adults (1% of the population) are estimated to meet the criteria for pathological gambling in a given year. Another 4 million to 8 million (2% to 3%) would be considered problem gamblers: They do not meet the full diagnostic criteria for pathological gambling, but they meet one or more of the criteria and are experiencing problems due to their gambling behavior. Research also indicates that most adults who choose to gamble are able to do so responsibly.

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Ohios gambling revenue down for third month in a row – cleveland.com

Posted: at 7:54 am

CLEVELAND, Ohio Gambling revenue in Ohio is down for the third month in a row, signaling that the record pace for casinos and racinos could be over.

Ohios casinos and racinos brought in $196.8 million in gambling revenue in June, $7.6 million shy of the revenue brought in during June 2021, according to reports Thursday from the Ohio Casino Control and Lottery commissions. This is the money kept by the gambling houses, after paying out winnings, but before state taxes and fees.

The states four casinos brought in $3.2 million less in gambling revenue in June compared to June 2021, but they were still $11.3 million ahead of 2019.

It was a similar story for the states seven racinos. They brought in $4.5 million less this June than in June 2021 but made $16.5 million more than they did in 2019.

Casino revenue was stable in April and May, within a quarter million dollars of 2021s numbers. But the racinos were down $7.5 million in May and $2 million in April.

Even with three slower months, gambling revenue in Ohio is still higher midway through 2022 than it was halfway through 2021, which was a record year with $2.3 billion in gambling revenue despite an overnight curfew put in place because of COVID-19 for part of the year.

Through June 2022, $1.17 billion in gambling revenue has been brought in by Ohios 11 casinos and racinos, compared to $1.15 billion in 2021 and $970.0 million in 2019, before the pandemic.

Gambling in the Cleveland-Akron area is seeing a similar slowdown, although one of three gambling establishments posted gains.

* MGM Northfield Park had $23.5 million in revenue, up from $23.1 million last June.

* JACK Cleveland Casino had $21.7 million, down from $22.8 million.

* JACK Thistledown Racino had $15.2 million, down from $17.4 million.

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Optimize Your Gambling Experience With These Tips – Geek Vibes Nation

Posted: at 7:54 am

Gambling is a timeless phenomenon, but it has also evolved and had a new breakthrough since the advent of the internet. Recently, more and more gamblers are interested in improving their gambling experience in various ways, which should be a matter of course.

So, being the nerds that we are, we are of course interested in how to optimize your gambling experience at an online casino. Therefore we have done enough research to say that we are pretty sure you will improve your gambling experience in the following ways:

Using casino bonuses is by far the best strategy for players who want to increase their chances of winning, but for the ignorant, a casino bonus can be more negative than beneficial. As a casino player, you obviously want to increase your chances of winning as much as possible, and one way to do so is by claiming a bonus. A bonus with reasonable terms and conditions gives you more money to gamble with and therefore more money to potentially win.

The downside of bonuses is that they almost come with wagering requirements that must be met before the winnings can be paid out, so for the uninformed, this can be a negative experience if you have won a small amount of money and want to cash that out.

In short, casino bonuses are used for chasing big wins and jackpots but if you want to be able to withdraw your small winnings at your convenience, you should skip the bonus.

What if there was a software that helped casino players identify the best slot machines based on information like RTP, bonus value and hit rate? Well, we can make you happy by telling you that such a software actually exists: Slot Tracker (read more about and download it here: https://slottracker.com/.

Slot Tracker is a chrome extension that monitors the traffic sent back from the casino to the players browser. The traffic in turn contains all the details about the players bet, winnings and bonus information and takes a copy of the data and stores it inside the players account.

With that said, Slot Tracker allows players to keep track of their own wins and losses to gamble more effectively. With the extension, the player also gets the opportunity to identify the best games with the best payout rates and RTP by comparing the data generated for different slots!

The hobby of gambling is exciting and can offer some high class entertainment. However, there is no denying that some people gamble more than they intended. Excessive gambling can lead to gambling addiction and financial problems. By making sure you gamble responsibly you thus optimize your gambling experience. If you have a high-risk behavior, we suggest that you play games that do not involve real money instead.

When it comes to gambling, there are some basic rules you should follow to make sure you do so responsibly:

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US Gambling Top 10 States As Ranked By PlayUSA – PlayUSA

Posted: at 7:54 am

In the United States of America, we love sports, we love betting, and we love rankings.

There are rankings for the best hot dog, best pizza topping, and the best type of hot dog as a pizza topping (gross), so PlayUSA decided to do a current ranking of the key states in the US gambling and US online gambling industry.

Its like each state was a football team and gambling was the game. Whos winning? Whos hot? What state is overachieving, and which ones arent?

Were talking US online casinos and brick and mortar. Different states have different offerings and dont get me started on just what each states governing body shows regarding revenue and profits and what they dont.

Our PlayUSA Top 10 Money Makers rankings (working title) will be a blend of objective matters, like, real dollars and cents, but also subjective.

Ohio isnt legalizing sports betting until Jan. 1, 2023, but are they going to be a big player when they do? Do they deserve to be on the list? The answer is yes.

But where would they rank?

I think the thing Americans love most these days is arguing. Lets spark some debate with the PlayUSA Top 10.

Arizona mobile sportsbook operators: 18

Population: 7.1 million

Casinos: 36

Money matters: First, props to Arizona for having one of the cleanest and easiest to understand revenue reports, but for purposes of our rankings, we dont want to focus so much on revenue, adjusted gross revenue, and tax rates.

Do you know why? Because every state has different metrics and different tax rates. Show PlayUSA the money. Show us the handles, how much money was bet. Period.

The latest numbers for Arizona show wagers for April were $512 million. It was down from March, but every states numbers were basically down from March. Arizona has a good infrastructure but doesnt get the same love as its Nevada neighbor.

Indiana mobile sportsbook operators: 13

Population: 6.7 million

Casinos: 13

Money matters: Indiana is that state that you didnt know was doing so well but has become a beacon of smart casino management. Whether that holds up long-term with the growth of state No. 8 remains to be seen.

Indiana also does an amazing job breaking down its revenue reports (hey, thats a plus for the guy doing the rankings). For May, it showed a total handle for sports betting of $308 million, which was down from $360 in April.

We also know that sports betting handle isnt the perfect indicator of a states overall casino industry health, but it is a huge clue, and Indiana is healthy and strong. When you look at the states population and the total handle, Indiana is a winner.

Illinois mobile sportsbook operators: 7

Population: 12.8 million

Casinos: 11

Money matters: We ding Illinois for not showing the handle, just the adjusted gross revenue for its 11 casino locations. That number (AGR) has held steady at over $110 million for the last three months.

Illinois makes this list, though, because of its potential mixed with what it currently offers. When the big casino opens on Chicagos North Side, it will be a game-changer.

Virginia mobile sportsbook operators: 14

Population: 8.6 million

Casino: 1, temporary casino opening Friday in Bristol

Money matters: The sports wagering handle for April was just short of $400 million. Virginia is still tapping its potential as a major gambling market.

With the District of Columbia having all kinds of weird restrictions that arent going away any time soon, Virginia is poised to grow. Four cities, starting with Bristol, will have brick-and-mortar casinos in the coming years. But those unregulated gray gambling machines have got to go.

Ohio mobile sportsbook operators: TBA

Population: 11.8 million

Casinos: 11

Money matters: Ohio took a different track from other states regarding sports betting, setting one universal launch date of Jan. 1, 2023. Its in the process of soliciting operators and handing out licenses.

All that stuff is boring for people in Ohio. They like their football in Ohio, and its a bummer they will miss out on betting on the upcoming season.

Meanwhile, the Ohio Casino Control Commission reported revenue of $81 million for June. Thats the fourth straight month it has dropped since a peak of $93 million in March. Wed still rather see the handle numbers.

Michigan mobile sportsbook operators: 15

Population: 10 million

Casinos: 25

Money matters: Here we go. Michigan isnt afraid to show its big numbers. The three Detroit casinos reported $108.7 million in May revenue, but thats down from the numbers in March and April.

Lets note two things about all the revenue numbers: 1. Inflation is a factor, and 2. summer means fewer sports to bet on and different summer vacation plans.

Michigan showed $333 sports betting handle in May. Thats the lowest its been all year. The Ohio/Michigan rivalry will be fun to watch.

Pennsylvania mobile sportsbook operators: 14

Population: 13 million

Casinos: 16

Money matters: There have been huge numbers coming out of Pennsylvania. For May, the total handle was $493 million for sports wagering, but thats way off of the $714 million for March.

Casino revenue has also tapered off. LIVE Casino Philadelphias gross wagers were down for the second straight month, so Pennsylvania gets penalized a bit here, but its overall numbers are still huge.

New Jersey mobile sportsbook operators: 21

Population: 9.3 million

Casinos: 20

Money matters: Bettors put down $766.4 million on sports in May. In May. When there is nothing really to bet on. Just wait until football season. The revenue numbers for New Jerseys land-based casinos were relatively flat at $233 million.

But the best news in New Jersey in the last week was the fact that the operators negotiated a deal with workers in Atlantic City and avoided a strike. No one was buying the argument that the casinos were sharing too much revenue with their partners. Some of that money had to go back to the workforce.

New York mobile sportsbook operators: 8

Population: 20.2 million

Casinos: 24

Money matters: The state with the biggest population on this list has to rank high. It has systemic advantages. Think of it like Ohio State in college football. Its big and getting better all the time.

New York does its industry reports by the week, which makes it a bit of an outlier. It reported a $1.3 billion handle in May for online sportsbooks, and for the week ending on June 26, it had $218 million. You cant ignore the numbers.

Now, whats going to happen with a land-based casino in New York City? Is it a dream? A reality?

Nevada mobile sportsbook operators: Over a dozen, many linked to casinos.

Population: 3.1 million

Casinos: 334

Money matters: If New York is the Ohio State, then Nevada is Alabama, always the favorite, even though it can be beaten from time to time. Nevada reported its best May ever with a $1.3 billion gaming win for the casinos.

Nevada/Las Vegas is still the leader of American gambling and are No. 1, but there are lots of challenges and even more competition coming.

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US Gambling Top 10 States As Ranked By PlayUSA - PlayUSA

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If CA legalizes sports betting, will gambling addiction boom? – KCRW

Posted: at 7:54 am

In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a ban on sports betting in most states in the country, and since then, more than two dozen states have legalzied some form of gambling on athletic competitions.

But if you want to wager legally on sports in California, you still basically have one choice: horse racing, at places like the historic Santa Anita Park Racetrack in Arcadia.

Santa Anita opened in 1934 and still attracts devoted fans of racing and betting like Stanley Duran, who comes as often as he can. For him, the track is a home away from home.

I mean I like to gamble. Its entertainment for me. More gambling, more fun, says Duran.

But sports betting in California could soon explode far beyond the racetrack, with legal wagering allowed on pretty much all professional and college competitions.

A ballot measure backed by Native American gaming tribes would allow sports betting in reservation casinos and horse racing tracks. It has qualified for the November ballot.

Meanwhile, a competing measure is also on the ballot. It would allow online gambling that you could do from a smartphone or other digital device, anywhere and anytime. Its backed by online sports betting companies like FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM, which say theyre ready to spend more than $100 million to pass the ballot measure.

At Santa Anita, gambler and sports fan Daniel Chavez loves the idea of being able to bet on something other than horses.

I think its awesome that we could bet on any kind of sport, says Chavez. Its not hurting nobody. If you want to make your money, you should be able to spend it in the way you want.

Gambling addicts stand to lose

But theres a group of Californians who deeply fear the prospect of sports betting becoming legal in the state and the damage it could do to their lives. Theyre recovering gambling addicts, likeHarold A., who didnt want to use his last name to protect his privacy.

Harold says an addiction to gambling is as powerful as an addiction to drugs and alcohol.

Well, it's a disease, okay? says Harold. It's compulsive addictive behavior. And it's no different than other compulsive, addictive behaviors. This is something that can be arrested, but can never be cured.

Harold, whos been in recovery for decades with the help of Gamblers Anonymous, says his addiction nearly destroyed his life, as debts mounted and family ties broke.

I was the hamster on the wheel. I was running from the card room to the racetrack to the cocaine dealer, says Harold. I mean, I had every seat on the Titanic, as they say in recovery, and no seats were any good.

Harold fears legal sports betting could tempt him and others in addiction recovery back to reckless gambling. My reaction personally? I'm worried, I'm worried, Harold says.

Harolds also worried a new generation of gambling addicts will be created, lured into sports betting by the ease of mobile wagering combined with glossy marketing campaigns the gambling industry has already unveiled in other states.

The campaigns feature a whos who of Hollywood and sports celebrities, like Ben Affleck, Kevin Garnett, Drew Brees, and Jamie Foxx, all hawking the rush of sports betting.

Dr. Timothy Fong, co-director of UCLAs Gambling Studies Program, says about 1% of California residents have a gambling problem. Now, one out of 100 people, it doesn't sound like a lot, says Fong, but that's about the same percentage of men and women with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia or severe psychosis in the state of California.

Fong anticipates that if sports gambling becomes legal in California, especially mobile betting, addiction rates could double, potentially wrecking the lives of millions of people.

Fong says those most vulnerable to gambling addiction are the people who can least afford to lose money, like the poor and those with untreated psychiatric conditions and personal trauma.

Is the state prepared?

The California Department of Public Health has an Office of Problem Gambling that connects people falling into addiction with counseling services. When asked for this story about what the state is doing to prepare for a possible future where sports gambling is legal and fueling higher addiction rates, office director Robin Christensen and a Department of Public Health spokesperson demurred.

Later, the agency said by email that its consulting with other states that have legalized sports gambling about their experiences with addiction, but no details were provided.

Californias $4 million a year gambling addiction budget is underwritten by the gambling industry.

Recovering gambling addict Harold A. thinks that creates a conflict of interest and that the $4 million is peanuts.

That's a drop in the bucket, says Harold. We're talking about billions of dollars. This is a billion dollar industry.

The political push for more gambling

Meanwhile, with sports betting measures on the November ballot, the gambling industry is trying to build wider political and public support for the idea of wagering on athletic competitions.

The backers of the ballot measure that would legalize mobile betting promise that taxation of gambling revenue plus money earned from licensing fees will go to fund housing and mental health programs for the states homeless.

That earned legal sports gambling the support of some big city California mayors, like Robert Garcia of Long Beach.

For us, its all about homelesness dollars, says Garcia. When we heard that this initiative was looking into putting dollars into ongoing services, and cities would get substantial revenue, I think a lot of the mayors were very interested in this.

Mayor Robert Garcia of Long Beach is a proponent of legalizing sports gambling in the state if some of the betting revenue can be used to fund homeless services. Photo by Saul Gonzalez.

Gambling industry critics say whatever betting revenue is spent on fighting homelessness isnt a good trade if it leads to more addiction. Critics also say the money would just be a tiny fraction of what the industry could earn in the state.

If sports gambling does become legal in California, one study predicts $30 billion in bets could be wagered annually.

Thats why the gambling industry calls California the holy grail of sports betting.

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Editorial: Short takes on evasion, persuasion, gambling and goring – St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Posted: at 7:54 am

By the Editorial Board

Ghosting her competitors

Trudy Busch Valentine may be new to politics, but the Democratic candidate for Missouris open Senate seat apparently has already learned one strategic lesson and not an admirable one. Valentine has been dodging efforts to get her on a debate stage with her top primary opponent, Lucas Kunce. Her campaign hasnt responded to repeated invitations.

This is a standard maneuver for candidates who appear to be leading, as Valentine is, because it allows them to avoid direct questioning in forums they dont control while denying their opponents the chance to engage them. But its unfair to the voters and bad for democracy.

Valentine is an heir to the Busch beer fortune, a factor that has some Democrats excited about her prospects for putting up a realistic financial fight against the eventual Republican nominee in a red state. She has already garnered some big endorsements but that doesnt justify political cowardice.

People are also reading

The debate was to air this Tuesday on KMOV (Channel 4) and partner stations in Jefferson City and Joplin. Organizers still hope to stage a debate before the Aug. 2 primary.

Scales finally fall from Joe Rogans eyes

Podcaster Joe Rogan gained notoriety for spreading outright wrong information about the coronavirus and vaccines. His right-wing messaging so rankled musicians like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell that they delivered an ultimatum to Spotify: either drop Rogan, or well pull our music from the platform. Spotify opted to keep Rogan, its biggest seller, but did urge him to down down the rhetoric.

Boy, did Rogan tone it down.

He stated this week that he would no longer accept offers by ex-President Donald Trump to appear on the show. Hes such a polarizing figure that so many people felt like they could abandon their own ethics and morals and principles just to attack him and anybody who supports him because he is an existential threat to democracy itself, Rogan said.

It was enough to rankle other pro-Trump personalities like former adviser Steve Bannon, who labeled Rogans listeners as low information voters. Funny, but Rogans audience doesnt seem terribly different from the listeners Trump used to love to talk to.

Tasty for all eternity

The newest trend in gravestones is a delicious one: Some families are honoring loved ones by having their favorite family recipes engraved on their stones. The New York Times reports that in cemeteries across the U.S. and in other countries, family recipes mostly desserts are being immortalized alongside birth and death dates. The trend is driven in part by technology that allows more intricate and detailed engraving on the stones than was possible in the past.

Recipes are such a beautiful way of remembering people, one enthusiast of the practice, Allison C. Meier, of Brooklyn, told the newspaper. Youre still following in their footsteps and putting ingredients together the way they did.

There are some hazards to it, though. One monument containing a family fudge recipe called for too much vanilla due to a mistake by the engraver in 2000. A generation of cemetery visitors presumably made the too-runny fudge before the mistake was corrected almost 20 years later, the Times reported.

Phillips 66 gas and illegal gambling dont mix

Its sad when a global corporation does a better job of supporting Missouri law than Missouri lawmakers do. As legislators continue to allow an unlicensed gaming-machine industry to thumb its nose at state gambling statutes, Phillips 66 has publicly condemned the machines and has declared that its gas stations arent allowed to host them.

The thousands of electronic gaming machines at gas stations and bars around the state take in money from players and pay some of it back to lucky winners. This is the dictionary definition of gambling, but the machines owners refuse to submit to state licensing and oversight. They dont pay anything to the state, while drawing gambling dollars away from legitimate casinos that do.

The owners political muscle has thwarted legislative efforts to crack down. But as the Post-Dispatchs Kurt Erickson reports, Phillips 66 isnt playing their game. We expect the operators of these branded stations to abide by local and state laws, a spokesman said in an email. We do not condone illegal gambling or any other illegal activities. What a novel idea.

Next time, bring a zoom lens

The score so far this summer: sharks-4, bison-3, humans-0. Somethings seriously wrong with Team Human. In the last few weeks, according to various reports, there have been multiple interactions between humans and animals to the detriment of the former. Climate change is warming the waters, bringing sharks closer to the shore, believed to be a factor in many attacks. Human vigilance is the only short-term solution there.

But in the case of bison-versus-human attacks, chalk the casualties up to pure stupidity by humans, who frequently ignore signage and warnings from park rangers to keep respectable distances from the animals.

According to the National Park Service, bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds. Their thrashing tails can be a forewarning of a pending attack. Too many people ignore the signs, thinking they can pose up close for that perfect photo for everyone to admire online.

Additionally, bison can run up to 35 miles per hour, making escape unlikely. The bison are defending their homes, just as humans would do if an intruder tried to come inside their abode. Bison are not a part of some outdoor photo-op petting zoo.

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Editorial: Short takes on evasion, persuasion, gambling and goring - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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