Category Archives: Gambling

A gambling addict has described the moment she won 127,000 as the worst day of her life a move that led her down a path of debt, destruction and homelessness.

Lisa Walker, 48, from Essex said her addiction, which started with a poker tournament win, eventually led to bankruptcy, even losing her family home in the process.

The Peer Aid support worker has issued a message to others on the serious dangers of betting as Gamble Aware today release a new campaign on harms prevention for women.

Lisa was first introduced to gambling when her dad and grandad played cards together, but back then she would bet no more than 50p.

Is this an issue you want to warn others about? Get in touch: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk

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Even as a child, she remembers the rush she got from winning something as little as 1. Once she turned 18 and it was legal for her to enter casinos, Lisa's habit escalated drastically.

A big win in February 2001 became the start of a nightmare that would last two decades.

Aged 29 at the time, Lisa won a jackpot of 127,000 at Rendezvous casino and she describes it as the "worst day of my life".

"My heart was pumping in my chest and all I could think about was how in a couple of minutes every single person in this casino was going to know that I had won that jackpot," she told Jam Press.

"As the dealer slowly unveiled players cards, he got to mine and slowly revealed the royal flush.

"In a flash, alarms went off, people were screaming, the casino manager ran up to me telling me theyd have to check the cameras right away, and random strangers were running up to me congratulating me.

It was the worst day of my life.

"What should have been the best day of my life, some 20 years ago, led to a journey of despair, hopelessness, and having an awful, awful gambling addiction.

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Lisa became mesmerised by the atmosphere in casinos, overwhelmed by the tables and the bright lights, the smartly-dressed people and, thanks to the clever design of these spaces, the fact she couldn't tell what time of day it was.

Her newly-pocketed winnings enabled her to gamble much more frequently, typically four to five times a week.

She said: I became reckless with money.

On nights where I would usually only take 50 to a casino, I took 100, 200 or 500.

"With that came greater hours spent gambling, which I reckon was in the region of around 8-10 hours each day.

"Whether that was in the casinos, the dog tracks, betting shops, anywhere.

"I truly loved it. I loved the buzz it used to give me, but naturally with them came the crushing lows.

"Thats what it means to be a compulsive gambler, being truly unable to stop.

Even if I had won a 1million that night, it wouldnt have mattered because one way or another, every single pound would have gone back to gambling.

Lisa estimates that she has lost up to half a million pounds over the past two decades.

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She said: Throughout the years, given my wins and losses, I would say that Ive lost over 400,000-500,000.

"This would be from both losing the large win but also from gambling away the money that I got from re-mortgaging my house, not just once but three times, to continue to have the money to gamble and spent every single penny I had towards gambling.

The dangerous habit eventually left Lisa in sizeable debt so severe that she was forced to declare bankruptcy and sell off her house to pay it off.

She had previously sold her home but the sale didnt cover her debts, leaving her account still in the red.

She said: It's extremely difficult to think about it right now, and to think about all the things I could have had, whether that was my own little house, being debt free, being mortgage-free by the age of 30.

"But I didnt, and instead I chose this life of self-destruction.

"It was hell, well and truly, hell on earth.

Gambling also affected the support worker's health, as she struggled to sleep most nights, lying awake wondering where she was going to get more money to gamble with.

And her relationships suffered, too.

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Lisa said: It also resulted in the breakdown of a marriage and ultimately resulted in my children and I being forced to move into a hostel for a period of time.

It wasnt until her wedding night in 2018 to her third (and current) husband, Garry, that Lisa realised she desperately needed help.

She said: We had decided to have our wedding in Las Vegas and despite 15 of my closest family friends flying over to enjoy the wedding with both me and my husband, I spent the entire night playing the slots till 6am not leaving for a moment to enjoy their company or to enjoy the celebration.

It was when we returned from Las Vegas that I finally made the conscious effort to reach out and to get help from a close friend from someone that I knew at Gamblers Anonymous.

Lisa is one of 50,000 women who have now registered to self-exclude from all online gambling sites through GAMSTOP, a free tool for people living in the UK.

Since the pandemic struck, the proportion of women self-excluding through the service has been rising; in March, 26% of all registrants to GAMSTOP were women, which has risen to 31% by September.

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According to Gamcare, the number of women reporting gambling problems is increasing at double the rate of men, but only 1% of women who experience gambling related harm contact the National Gambling Helpline.

Lisa is sharing her story to raise awareness of the life-altering impact of a gambling addiction and to stop it being seen as such a taboo.

She said: No one ever confronted me about my money problems during my addiction.

"Problem gambling is a very easily-hidden addiction, unlike drink or drugs.

"Obviously with both of them you have signs to look out for.

Lisa has been in recovery for three-and-a-half years and counsels others who are suffering with similar struggles.

She is also in the process of establishing a women-only group for compulsive gamblers, which she hopes to launch within the coming months.

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Lisa added: What I have found is that women dont feel that they can talk about their addiction, with it often being seen as a male issue.

I have spoken with many women who dont feel they can go to support meetings, and I find it so upsetting that somebody could feel that way, as though they cant even seek help.

I hope things change and if we can increase the visibility of women who are recovering in the media that could make a big difference.

To people starting out, I just say be very, very careful. It is a slippery slope.

"You can control it and you can put it to bed. It is bloody hard work though.

"So if youre struggling, dont struggle alone and reach out."

According to GambleAware, losing track of time, spending more than was affordable and keeping gambling a secret were key warning signs of an unhealthy addiction to betting.

Its own figures show the number of women receiving treatment for gambling has doubled in the past five years, up from 1,134 in 2015/16 to 2,423 in 2020/21, according to data from the National Gambling Treatment Service.

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GambleAware chief executive Zoe Osmond said: "Our research shows women may not be aware they are starting to experience harm from gambling or, may be worried about reaching out for support due to stigma or shame.

"That's why our campaign highlights the warning signs to look out for, so we can support women who gamble and prevent them from developing gambling harms."

Gambling addiction expert and counsellor Liz Karter said: "Gambling behaviours manifest themselves differently in women than men.

"For example, we know the easy availability of online gambling leads many women to games which appear innocent and socially acceptable.

"The games seem safe and familiar, as they are so similar to the free play digital games we are all now used to playing.

"In addition, the hopes of financial gains can prove a powerful motivator.

"While gambling doesn't always lead to harm, it's vital women are aware of early warning signs including losing track of time, incurring increasing debt, or a tendency to hide gambling from others or gambling to forget their problems."

The NHS has an online help page for people worried they may be addicted to gambling.

You can take a test and answer a few questions to work out if your betting habits are under control.

GamCare also offers free information, support and counselling for problem gamblers in the UK.

The National Gambling Helpline is available on 0808 8020 133 and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you live in England or Wales, are aged 16 or over and have complex problems related to gambling, you can also refer yourself to the National Problem Gambling Clinic.

If you live in England or Wales, are aged 13 or over and have complex problems related to gaming, you can refer yourself to the National Centre for Gaming Disorders.

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Gambling addict says winning 127,000 poker jackpot was the 'worst day' of her life - The Mirror

Jason White| Special to the Courier & Press

Lorenzo's Locks: NFL Championship weekend

As Championship gets underway, USA Today's Lorenzo Reyes is locking in the Kansas City Cheifs and Los Angeles Rams.

Lorenzo's Locks, USA TODAY

Last weekend produced a massive amount of drama for sports bettors. All four NFL playoff matchups were decided on the final play, including threefield goals and a knockout touchdown in overtime.

But since NFL conference championships began in 1970, the home team has a record of 69-33 straight up. Since 2013, the home team is 13-3 straight up and 11-5 against the spread.

CHIEFS (-7) vs. Bengals: The Chiefs have gone 11-1 in their last 12 games and appear to be on their way to winning it all. Its easy to root for the Bengals, but this game is going to come down to the lack of pass protection for Joe Burrow. Hes been sacked 61 timesand that number will grow on Sunday. Patrick Mahomes isnt going to throw threeinterceptions, which is what the Bengals needed to win last week against the Titans.

RAMS (-3.5) vs. 49ers: The Rams are firing on all cylinders and have the advantage in all phases of the game. This will come down to quarterback play, and Matthew Stafford has been monumentally better than Jimmy Garoppolo. In his last fourgames, Garoppolo has thrown twotouchdown passes to six interceptions. That level of play wont be nearly enough to advance to the Super Bowl.

Anytime touchdown - JaMarr Chase (+100) - Bengals atChiefs: The Bengals are going to be trailing throughout, so Chase will have plenty of opportunities to score during garbage time.

OVER (5.5) receptions by Travis Kelce (-115) - Bengals atChiefs: The Bengals are vulnerable against the tight end position and Kelce is in an optimal position for massive production.

UNDER (39.5) rushing yards by Deebo Samuel (-115) - 49ers atRams: Samuel is starting to show wear and tear from getting so many weekly touches. Hell have rushing opportunities but fall short on this total.

UNDER (279.5) passing yards by Matthew Stafford (-115) - 49ers atRams: Both teams will look to establish their running games, keeping passing totals below projections.

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The Commish's gambling picks are in for NFL conference championship Sunday - Courier & Press

First of all, do not contemplate if it's your fault that led the child towards gambling. From the day you notice a behavioural shift in your child try to take action immediately. Teach them about the pros and cons of gambling. Tell them when and how gambling will become a major problem and what are the different ways to get out of the addiction.

Parents should always be on the lookout for telltale signs so that the addiction doesn't grow on the child.

"Kids with a problem will talk about gambling, watch gambling shows, and lie about their own gambling.Parents will find scratch lottery tickets in drawers, amongst other things," says Dr. Jeffrey Derevensky, of the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology at McGill University.

If you are into gambling and want your child to know about it, then teach responsible gambling. Remember, whatever you teach the child stays in the mind for a long time and will be considered the biggest reference.

Do not coerce your child to give up gambling, instead help the child understand what disaster gambling can bring in if it becomes an addiction. Give examples of problem gambling.

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What parents should teach their kids about gambling? - Times of India

MINNEAPOLIS - JANUARY 26: Coach Joe Gibbs of the Washington Redskins is held up by his teammates ... [+] after winning the Super Bowl XXVI against the Buffalo Bills at the Metrodome on January 26, 1992 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Redskins defeated the Bills 37-24. (Photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images)

Thirty years ago Wednesday, Mark Rypien threw a pair of touchdown passes and the NFL team that played its home games in Washington, D.C. cemented its status as the closest thing professional football had to a dynasty in Pete Rozelles era of parity as it beat the Buffalo Bills, 37-24, in Super Bowl XXVI.

Washingtons win (more on the lack of a nickname shortly) also marked perhaps the first and nowhere near the last time The Simpsons accurately predicted the future.

Lisa the Greek, the first heavily sports-themed episode in the potentially never-ending run of The Simpsons, celebrated its 30th anniversary of its first airing Sunday. Three days before Washington rolled to its third Super Bowl win in 10 years, an estimated 23.2 million people watched Homer and Lisa bond over the latters uncanny ability to correctly pick NFL games.

Lisa, frustrated after Homer declined her invite to go hiking the Sunday after the Super Bowl in favor of going bowling with fellow barfly Barney, initially declined to pick a Super Bowl winner but eventually said Washington if she still loved Homer and Buffalo if she didnt.

After a fitful afternoon and evening of enduring long pregame shows, strange halftime shows and a Duff Bowl (won by Duff Dry because, as Moe puts it, they wanted it more), Homer cheered with relief as Washington won on a last-second touchdown. (As it turns out, in an era of Super Bowl blowouts, The Simpsons could not will into existence a second straight classic finish) The show ended with father and daughter climbing Mt. Springfield the following Sunday.

I find its very well-liked and well-regarded, longtime Simpsons show runner Al Jean said during a phone interview last week. It doesnt have as many lines that people give back to you, like I choo choo choose you or cromulent or embiggens. But every time somebody mentions it, its always like Oh yeah, that was really sweet. They love that show.

The football aspects of Lisa the Greek serve as an affectionate ode to the era that turned Jean and his fellow writers and staffers into big football fans one that helped football emerge as Americas most popular sport for television viewers and gamblers alike while turning Super Bowl Sunday into an unofficial national holiday.

Only viewers of a certain age will get the obvious references to The NFL Today featuring Jimmy the Greek, the first oddsmaker to appear on television, as well as Phyllis George, who had a card catalog entry as Lisa investigated the history of professional football at the Springfield Public Library and understand why Homer sat glued to the couch because getting up might have meant missing the rare display of all the days NFL scores.

You didnt know what the scores were you started watching Headline News to see the scores scroll, Jean said. Now on the Internet, you can find out whats going on at any game at any time. But at that point, it was a lot harder to get a result. It was a very different world.

Settling on Washington and Buffalo as the Super Bowl teams shortly before the episodes air date was another chance for the staff to put its football knowledge to use to a degree, anyway. While it would have been easy to dub in Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson, picking another team or teams if either of her picks lost prior to the Super Bowl, staffers were confident Washington and Buffalo the top seeds in their respective conferences as well as the only two teams to score more than 400 points in 1991 would make the big game.

But while the staff decided Lisa would pick Washington to prove her love for Homer, Jean and many of his co-workers recalling teams such as the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders, all of whom lost an early Super Bowl before winning one within the first 15 years of the Super Bowl era ended up making friendly wagers on Buffalo, which lost Super Bowl XXV when Scott Norwoods 46-yard field goal sailed just right in the final seconds of a 20-19 loss to the New York Giants.

Alas, that was the first of four straight Super Bowl losses for the Bills, making them a super-sized version of the Minnesota Vikings, who lost four Super Bowls between the 1968 and 1976 seasons. Lisa called Buffalos last two losses as well: In January reruns of Lisa the Greek in 1993 and 1994, Lisa picked the Cowboys.

I dont know why anybody ever picked Buffalo, Jean said with a chuckle. I remember, as a kid, a team would lose, theyd come back and they would win. With Buffalo, youre thinking OK, they lost the first one, now theyll win the second. And they just kept getting worse every year.

(Here we should note Jean said the Bills wouldnt win this year but that Lisa would pick Green Bay over Kansas City. Lets call it a half-correct prediction?)

While the Bills are back in annual Super Bowl contention, much of what aired on Lisa the Greek serves as a time capsule for the NFL and the Super Bowl circa the early 90s.

Washingtons nickname was dropped prior to the 2020 season after decades of protests by Native American groups. After two seasons of going as Washington Football Team, the organization is slated to announce a new nickname next week.

The idea of a three-hour pregame show was mocked on Lisa the Greek, but the Super Bowl 55 pregame show began on CBS last Feb. 7 at 11:30 AM.

And the Super Bowl XXVI halftime show dubbed Winter Magic and paying tribute to the upcoming Winter Olympics on CBS and including a pair of songs performed by Gloria Estefan ended up being the last of the hokey era. With networks looking to hold viewers who left in droves at halftime in 1992 for Foxs live telecast of In Living Color, the Super Bowl XXVII halftime show by Michael Jackson heralded the start of the extravagant concert era. The trailer for this years halftime show was released last week, when the playoff field still consisted of eight teams.

Fewer than two years after Super Bowl XXVI, Fox went from thumbing its nose at the NFL to becoming part of the establishment by outbidding CBS for the rights to NFC games. Fox began airings NFC games in the fall of 1994, when The Simpsons moved from Thursdays to Sundays, where it has remained ever since. For 10 straight seasons from 2009-10 through 2018-19 the seasons highest-rated episode was one airing immediately after an NFC playoff game.

Theres no question The Simpsons ratings success is hugely due to a football lead-in, Jean said.

And in January 1999, seven years after Troy McClures Handle With Care parodied the idea of launching a dud of a new show in the post-Super Bowl slot (heres to your moment in the sun, MacGruder and Loud and Davis Rules), Fox used the window following its second Super Bowl telecast to launch Family Guy, which was followed by a football-themed Simpsons episode, Sunday Cruddy Sunday. Another superstar-packed Simpsons episode Homer And Neds Hail Mary Pass aired immediately after Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005, followed by the premiere of American Dad.

Nothings changed as much over the past 30 years as gambling itself, which has moved from the periphery into the mainstream. With gambling advice available on innumerable websites and on shows broadcast on every sports network, bettors no longer have to make their picks by relying on a Jimmy the Greek type or cartoonish pitchmen touting their impossibly high success rates via 1-800 lines.

In January 1992, when Homer tried convincing Marge gambling was illegal only in 48 states, a mere $50 million was legally bet on Super Bowl XXVI in Nevada. Today, gambling is legalized in 30 states plus Washington D.C. and casinos and sports books are advertising partners with leagues. More than $500 million was legally bet on Super Bowl 55.

They used to talk about it on Monday Night Football they would be very elliptical, though: So some of you are wanting this kick to go over the crossbar, Jean said with another laugh. But now its like Theyre 3 1/2 point favorites. They know. Its just the line is completely blurred.

Theres a lot more to wager on today, too so much so that with the love of his daughter at stake in 2022, Homer would have plenty of prop bets to consider beyond the point spread or a straight-up winner.

I think he would just make the stupidest prop bet like total number of missed two-point attempts or something where theres no possible way you can think about it and calculate it, Jean said. Its just random.

Will the first player to score a touchdown have a name starting with H? Thats the bet he would make and put a lot of money on.

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Lisa The Greek Turns 30: Al Jean On Super Bowl XXVI, Gambling And The First Simpsons Sports Episode - Forbes

The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Shell and ExxonMobil are among those pursuing high cost oil projects that wont pay off in a 1.8C world

Fossil fuel firms are gambling on global warming going unchecked and the price of oil remaining high, a Carbon Tracker analysis has claimed.

The analysis says that, if the goals of the Paris Agreement are met then many oil exploration projects will not deliver the returns that their investors are expecting.

It names five projects which are particularly dependent on climate failure although report author and former BP geologist Mike Coffin told Climate Home News they were just five of thousands.

They are the expansion of the Lower Fars heavy oil in Kuwait, Shell and ExxonMobils Bosi field in Nigeria, Petrobrass Tupi and ExxonMobil and Equinors Bacalhau projects in Brazil and the Ichalkil Full project in Mexico.

Four of the five are offshore as these projects tend to be larger and therefore more expensive and time-consuming to build. They all require an oil price of above $50 a barrel to break even.

Oil and gas analyst Axel Dalman is the reports lead author. He said: Companies may see high prices as a huge neon sign pointing towards investment in more supply. However, this could become a nightmare scenario if they go ahead with projects which deliver oil around the time that demand starts to decline. Shareholders could face catastrophic levels of value destruction as prices fall.

The report says that the current high oil price of around $90 a barrel will not last as the worlds transition towards clean energy, particularly for vehicles, lowers demand for oil.

In a 1.8C warming scenario, oil demand will peak and then fall rapidly. To maximise their profits, Carbon Tracker said fossil fuel firms should only meet the rising demand with shale projects, which deliver faster.

To limit global warming to the strongest target in the Paris Agreement of 1.5C, the International Energy Agency has said that there is no room for any new oil and gas production (including shale).

Norway underpaid Indonesia for forest protection results, study argues

Even if the world reduces oil demand and the projects disappoint investors, Coffin told Climate Home News that many will continue anyway because, with so much money already spent, the remaining costs will be covered by revenue.

Of the five projects, the most expensive is state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporations Lower Fars project, at $7.5 billion. Its part of the huge onshore Ratqa field in the north of Kuwait.

To make 10% returns on their investments, the default rate of industry analyst Rystad, the project needs the price of oil to be in the high $50s. That means a huge demand for oil, incompatible with the world meeting its climate targets.

Chatham House Gulf analyst Glada Lahn told Climate Home News: Projects like this gamble on a desperate world in which oil may trade for higher prices as hope of reining in climate change is lost. No sensible investor should be banking on a future for heavy oil.

This project is particularly horrendous from an environmental as well as economic perspective, she said, because it requires high levels of energy and water to get the oil out of the ground and to turn it to a liquid so that it can be transported.

Germany backs gas as transition fuel in EU green finance guidelines

Kuwait is a member of the oil-producing countries club OPEC, which does not expect oil demand to peak until the late 2030s. This is why development in oil production is going on, said Aisha Al-Sarihi, research fellow at the National University of Singapore who has worked on climate policy in several Gulf countries.

The emirate has a target of producing 4m barrels of crude oil a day by 2040, up from 2.4m in 2020.

Kuwait has what claims to be the worlds first sovereign wealth fund, which invests oil wealth in a range of international sectors to enable future generations to face the uncertainties ahead with greater confidence.

Now it urgently needs to invest in transition domestically, said Lahn. That $7.5bn could far more beneficially be spent on efficiency and climate resilience.

Kuwait has suffered increasingly from heatwaves, water shortages, dust storms, sand storms and rising sea levels. According to its governments latest climate plan, these are all made worse by climate change.

Al-Sarihi said Kuwait should use its oil revenues to invest in economic diversification, renewables and hydrogen. If the returns on the Lower Fars project are low, Kuwaiti people will suffer as the government will have less oil revenue to spend, she said.

But, according to Chukwumerije Okereke, a Nigerian professor in environment and development at Reading University, fossil fuel firms pulling out of these projects will also cause problems.

While Nigeria is vulnerable to climate change, it also relies on oil economically. Oil and gas accounts for up to 86% of Nigerias foreign exchange revenues. Nigerias poverty rate is 40%, four times higher than the global average.

Shell and ExxonMobil have said they will develop the Bosi offshore oil field. Carbon Tracker finds the project needs $6.7bn in capital expenditure, wont start pumping oil until 2029 and needs an oil price in the high $50s per barrel.

Shell has promised to reduce its oil production 1-2% a year and focus on value over volumes, making it more cautious about taking on expensive or contentious projects. If it pulls out, Nigerian taxpayers and workers could suffer.

Okereke said: Oil exploration is a major source of climate pollution in Nigeria but also, at least for now, the lifeline of Nigerias economy. The situation in Nigeria now is grave. Nigeria is between the devil and the deep blue sea with regards to stranded assets in particular and climate change in general.

As well as the economics of the global energy transition reported on by Carbon Tracker, Okereje said that local factors like insecurity and environmental degradation were making oil companies rethink their commitment to oil drilling in Nigeria.

It is sad that the poor will be the most impacted by the loss of jobs associated with unplanned energy transition in Nigeria, he said.

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Named: The oil companies gambling on climate failure - Climate Home

To say that Drake makes a lot of money would be the understatement of the century. Through music, which turned him into the biggest superstar on the planet currently, Drake has been able to step into ventures that generate wealth for the unforeseeable future. Not only are his songs andalbums still doing astronomical numbers, Drake has clothing deals,battle rap campaigns (with Smack and the URLTv team),record labels, and other operations bringing in a ridiculous bag. Almost unfairly, his gambling luck struck in a big way recently as well.

Drake posted on an Instagram story that he was playing roulette. This isn't a surprise, due to the copious amounts of money he can blow without issue, as referenced in a 2009 track with Lil Wayne and Birdman. The result of his gambling? A whopping $354,000 output for him to add to his wallet. All of this happened in the comfort of his lavish 50,000 square foot mansion in Toronto.

Speaking of Drake's home,Google recently tabulated the numbers of searches regarding rappers' living quarters. Drake came out on top in search quantity, with more than 1 Million people browsing with the intent of seeing his estate. The only person that accumulated more search action was Elon Musk, billionaire and aspiring entrepreneurial astronaut.

While $350,000 is chump change to a mega millionaire, that is an absurd sum of money to win, especially while sitting in your favorite chair or chilling in bed. We'll see what else the year holds for Drake as 2022 unfolds.

What is your favorite business venture that Drake has had a hand in? Tell us your opinions down below.

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Drake Won $350,000 Gambling From The Comfort Of His Home - HotNewHipHop

Online gambling has become a vast market, especially since the start of the pandemic. As most human entertainment activities shifted to long-distance, so did the gambling games, and the results are astonishing.

The players are now spoiled for choice when it comes to their favourite games, available on smartphones through fancy, sleek apps. These online gambling games will keep you on your toes if youre a fan of pursuing a high score.

This is one of the most popular choices for online gambling, with tournaments going live 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are both casual and pro poker apps available so that you can play with virtual as well as real money. The game interface is constantly being developed and updated. The games themselves are engaging and fun, so if you are a fan of Poker (whether it is Pineapple, the 5-card draw or the most popular Texas hold em variance), youll instantly fall in love with it.

Online Poker apps are also a great way for building your skills and developing your strategy for the real thing, whether you play with your friends at home or you want to become a professional.

All betting statistics are clear 74% of people in the UK gamble online playing casino games and Blackjack is among their favourite choices for online gambling games. The rules of the game are easy; its all about decision-making, so players dont have to develop any particular skill set. That will keep the senses occupied and the emotions high.

If you want a thrilling game that keeps you engaged while not leaving the comfort of your own home, Blackjack is a no-brainer.

While Poker and Blackjack are experiences that are best felt in person (since human interaction is their pivotal part), slot games are the same wherever you decide to play in a virtual casino or at a brick-and-mortar one. It all comes down to man vs. machine in the end.

They are also the easiest, include no skill whatsoever, and the player relies solely on luck. In the digital versions, the player presses the button and waits for the virtual slot machine to present the results.

There are several variations of the game; some include certain decision-making for the next role, while some just make the player pull the lever and wait to see if the big jackpot is coming their way. It would seem that the fun lies within the simplicity, which makes these online games a staple option for gambling fans.

If you wish to find and download one of the online slot games, various developers have a plethora of options, so youll have no trouble finding what you like the most.

Similar to slot games, dice are luck-oriented and straightforward.

Dice are tossed at the push of a button, and the outcome will decide the winner.

Most dice games have the same rules as poker games; the players try to score the best hand by owning combinations that are the same as in Poker the higher number, a pair, two pairs, three of a kind, the straight (numbers in an increscent order like 1,2,3,4,5), and a poker (four of the same number). There are different iterations of dice games as well, but all of them are simple, easy to learn, and require no skill, so feel free to try them out.

One of the most popular gambling games in history now has an online version. Instead of a physical wheel, there is a virtual one spinning on the screen of your smart device or computer.

Its your job as a player to bet your chips on numbers and colours on the virtual roulette wheel or a combination of numbers and colours while waiting for the roulette ball to land on one of the fields. If the ball falls on a field that youve put your stakes on, its a score for you.

There are several roulette variations, such as European roulette, American Roulette, French Roulette, Mini Roulette, Multi-wheel Roulette, and Live roulette. These various options differ in the total number of fields, combinations of fields that you can stake on, and game mechanics, but the games core system remains the same.

Roulette offers more initiative (compared to dice and slots) to the player who makes the predictions and stakes their chips, so if that is what you are looking for, roulette could be your thing.

Modern technology has managed to fit the entire casino experience in your pocket. So if you are looking to spend your free time staking your chips, playing against others, developing your gambling strategies, or making some easy money, the options are at your disposal.

Finding the best-rated apps, learning the rules, and registering for different gambling games has never been easier. Its up to you to decide what the best way to make your bet is.

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The Most Popular Games in Online Gambling - Salon Priv Magazine

But it may be a difficult row to hoe for the states.

Another National Football League playoff weekend is on the horizon and betting on NFL games is now commonplace in many states. The league itself encourages betting. It has partnerships with gambling businesses. One team, the Arizona Cardinals, will have an in-stadium sportsbook. Not every state has sports gambling but there is a possibility that some of the non-gambling states could have some form of gambling by the 2022 NFL season or in 2023. The candidates for sports betting are Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri and Vermont but there are some major obstacles to overcome in those states.

In Alabama, legislators have advanced a bill that will permit a state-run lottery and statewide mobile wagering. In Georgia, sports ownership groups including the Atlanta Falcons, the Atlanta Braves, the Atlanta Hawks and the Atlanta United along with voters want sports gambling but lawmakers have said no. Kansas politicians are trying to figure out if they can support a sports gambling bill. Kentucky Republicans are not on board with gambling. The Maine legislature supports gambling, the Governor Janet Mills doesnt. In Massachusetts, the Republican Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and members of both parties in the Democrat-controlled General Court support sports betting. But no one can agree on various aspects of sports gambling and that has been a hang up for a couple of years. Missouri lawmakers have problems with video gaming terminals. Vermont lawmakers could move ahead with online sports gambling but nothing is certain at this point. Sports leagues protested when New Jersey planned to open a sportsbook after voters said yes to legalized sports gambling in November, 2011. There were lawsuits with lower courts siding with the sports leagues. In 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act that limited betting on college and professional sports.

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Eight States Could Take Up Sports Gambling Legislation This Year - Sports Talk Florida

23 January 2022, 21:50 | Updated: 24 January 2022, 08:48

This was the moment Camilla Tominey was moved to tears by the story of a caller who was saved from his life of gambling by his daughter.

It comes as three former gambling bosses are lobbying investors andMPs tobegin treating the harm that's caused by betting in the same way that they've treated those of tobacco.

Matthew, 50, from Croydon picked up a gambling addiction in his teens, which started with using machines at amusement arcades.

"I got hooked, I don't know how," he said.

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Camilla replied: "The problem withtoday, and why it's so pernicious, is that now a man of your age at the time can just go online and spend all this money."

Matthew explained that a turning point in his recovery was having a daughter.

"I bought her a bottle of bubbles for 40p from a shop. I remember sitting with her watching her trying to blow a bubble, she just couldn't do it. I helped her.

"I walked away from that and I thought you know what, that's the best 40p I've ever spent in my life, and I never gambledagain."

"Aww Matt you're making me well up here, honestly," Camilla said.

Matt explained he must've gambled up to 500,000 but that that moment of connection with his daughter made him think "why did I do all that?".

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Camilla Tominey moved to tears by caller's gambling recovery story - LBC

The furious Democrats who revile Kyrsten Sinema dont know her very well.

She may not have single-handedly derailed President Joe Bidens presidency by ensuring that none of his ambitious legislative agenda ever reaches his desk, but Arizonas senior senator certainly has become the face of the Democrats circular firing squad.

And her highly choreographed speech a week ago in which she rhetorically dug Bidens political grave from her quavering voice to her purple dress to her silver cross necklace understandably made her public enemy No. 1 for outraged Democrats across the nation.

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In the wake of that speech, and the assurance that nothing will ever persuade her to end the filibuster, change how it works to make it more difficult to use to enforce minority rule orcarve out an exceptionto it for voting rights legislation despite the hypocrisy that, barely a month earlier, shevoted to do just that for a bill that raised the debt ceiling pundits have sought to explain her motivations and predict her political fortunes.

Particularly on the left, theres been near unanimity among national political analysts and talking heads that Sinemas obstruction on the filibuster all but destroys her chances of getting re-elected as a Democrat in a state that is in the deep purple phase of transitioning from red to blue.

But I think any analysis that writes Sinemas political obituary wildly underestimates how shrewd she is and fails to recognize a relatively simple truth about todays politics.

Make no mistake: If Kyrsten Sinema thought it was in her best political interest to change the filibuster, shed have been leading the charge.

Ive seen up close how her ambition and politics have changed since 2004, when she was first elected to the Arizona Legislature, and I have no doubt that shes as canny and conniving a politician as Arizona has ever seen. What shes doing now with the filibuster and Biden echoes things she did years ago that have flummoxed if not infuriated her ostensible progressive allies.

Like how she praised Russell Pearce, the scion of xenophobia and nativism who was facing a recall election in 2011, and boasted about being able to work well with him. Or when she co-sponsored legislation that was used to criminally prosecute immigrants who paid to be smuggled into the United States.

Those were both done in service of shoring up her centrist bona fides in advance of a 2012 congressional bid in a purple district. Sinema rightly calculated that those policy positions and votes may anger progressives, but wouldnt alienate most of the white liberal voters she needed to win over in a three-way primary. And when the general election rolled around she could (and did) point to those and other bills as examples of how she would work across the aisle in Congress.

Sinema was elected in 2018 by a slim margin, and she achieved victory because she won over enough moderate Republicans and right-leaning independents who were turned off by Donald Trump. Her opponent was Martha McSally, a fellow congresswoman and a moderate Republican who, in the pre-Trump days, had fashioned herself as someone with an independent streak who wouldnt be beholden to the GOP.

That was a problem for Sinema and the Democrats, who would have much preferred Trump sycophant Kelli Ward who now heads the Arizona Republican Party win the primary, as McSally was tailor-made to appeal to the center-right crowd.

But Trump changed the GOP and McSally, faced with a primary election against Ward, ditchedher outspoken criticism of Trumpand insteadembraced the then-president, believing her senatorial hopes would be dashed if she didnt. That hard pivot gave Democrats all the ammunition they needed to paint McSally as a Trump lackey and for Sinema to present her record of independence as the real deal, unlike her opponents politics of convenience.

In the process, Sinema went so far in crafting her brand as an independent that shewholly distanced herself from the Democratic Party, didnt endorse its candidate for Arizona governor and refused to say if she planned to vote for Republican Gov. Doug Ducey

Heres where the conventional wisdom about Sinemas chances in 2024 falters: There wont be someone who can present themselves as a middle-of-the-road Republican on the ballot. Extremism is the coin of the realm in the modern Republican Party, and its all but certain that whoever wins the partys nomination in 2024 will be less like Martha McSally and more like Kelli Ward. As angry as they might be with her, Sinema knows Democrats will still side with her over a Big Lie-spouting, pandemic-downplaying, misinformation-peddling Republican.

And shes banking on that in her craven pursuit of power. The most important audience ofthat speech about the filibusterwas those center-right voters she won over in 2018. Sinema campaigned as a centrist, and centrists dont do anything that could remotely be considered radical and theres little more radical in the Senate than scrapping the filibuster to pass controversial legislation.

Of course, her gambit isnt without risk. Just this week, Sinema lost a longtime supporter when pro-choice groupEMILYs List withdrew their support.An effort is well underway to mount a primary challengeagainst Sinema, with hundreds of thousands of dollars being pumped into it. Progressive icon Bernie Sanders sayshe would support a challengeto his colleague. A few dozen well-heeled donorstold Sinema theyll close their walletsif she doesnt reverse course on the filibuster.

But if progressives cant find a viable candidate someone who already has a base of support, can raise money and mount an aggressive campaign their disgust with Sinema wont matter. Phoenix Democratic U.S. Rep.Ruben Gallego would fit the bill, and will top progressives wish list. Barring someone like him getting into the race, Sinemas strategy to piss off the left in order to attract the center-right is likely to pay off and position her for a 2024 campaign win.

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Kyrsten Sinema is gambling that her filibuster vote will help her win again in 2024 - Ohio Capital Journal