Daily Archives: April 2, 2021

Most adults who bet on sports do so without major negative consequences. But about 1 percent of American adults have a gambling disorder, in which the core symptom is continuing to gamble despite harmful consequences, said Dr. Fong, who is a director of the Gambling Studies Program at U.C.L.A.

A vast majority of those with a serious gambling problem never seek or gain access to treatment, he said.

Studies have shown that sports bettors are typically male, under 35, single, educated and employed or preparing for a career. According to a new survey commissioned by the National Council on Problem Gambling, sports bettors showed significantly higher levels of problematic gambling than other gamblers. The risk of addiction is higher for young adults specifically sports bettors than for those of any other age, the survey found.

According to CollegeGambling.org, a subgroup of the International Center for Responsible Gaming, 6 percent of college students in the United States have a serious gambling problem that can lead to psychological difficulties, unmanageable debt and failing grades.

Young adults are at particular risk for developing a gambling problem, especially if there is a family history of gambling or if they are introduced to it at a young age, Dr. Fong said. The increased accessibility of online gambling may accelerate the development of problems, he said a phenomenon known as telescoping.

As sports betting has grown household names like FanDuel and DraftKings now offer legal avenues the need for recovery programs and dedicated treatment facilities has quickly outpaced their availability, recovery experts said. Rick Benson, the founder of the Algamus Gambling Recovery Center in Arizona, said the number of young adults who have sought treatment for gambling problems has more than doubled in the past two years.

Sex, drugs and alcohol are commonly covered in school and in the coming-of-age conversations that parents have with their children, but discussions about the consequences of gambling are rare, former gamblers and experts said. This can lead young people to underestimate the addictive nature of sports betting and other forms of gambling. Warnings, often in small fonts, that caution visitors to online sports books and gambling websites about the risks of addiction are easily overlooked.

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Its Easy (and Legal) to Bet on Sports. Do Young Adults Know the Risks? - The New York Times

If you are an American who is into gambling, you are probably already aware that the laws and regulations regarding betting in the United States are a little fuzzy and even confusing sometimes. Although the country has laws that are in effect throughout the land and its territories, the government has also given each state the right and power to write, pass, and enact their gambling laws within their area of jurisdiction. The state of California, for one, allows very few select games of gambling, although they are yet to legalize most games that people play.

In California, casino gaming, most sports betting, and localized online gambling and US online casinos are still prohibited and considered illegal. Despite that, its citizens can still play and gamble online through offshore casinos. Considering how huge the market and interest for online gambling is, is the state of California losing a lot when online casinos could be paying taxes to their government? What are the pros and cons of legalizing online gambling in the state?

Although the state is yet to join its neighbors in embracing gambling and its online counterpart, it is on its way, at the very least. Since 2018, at least 22 states have legalized gambling and are already enjoying revenue from it. California, on the other hand, is looking to be still skeptical about it.

Although the state is yet to join its neighbors in embracing gambling and its online counterpart, it is on its way, at the very least.

However, two key people in making the push to have gambling legalized would be legislators Senator Bill Dodd and Assembly member Adam Gray. To these advocates, legalizing and ending the criminalization of gambling is a wise move that will only bring benefit to everyone.

We must bring illegal sports wagering out of the shadows and support our communities with the revenue, said state Sen. Bill Dodd. We cant afford inaction.

With these in mind, what are the pros and cons for finally legalizing gambling and online gambling in California?

Revenue is one of the first things that would come to mind. People hiding in the shadows would now be able to freely conduct their activities, in exchange for paying taxes and other fees to the government.

It is estimated that Californians spend around $4 billion in gambling annually. If this money would be taxed by the government and would also increase due to the activity now being publicly recognized, it would help a lot in meeting the deficit and the needs of the state economy.

If casino games and sports betting are to be legalized, it would mean that establishment would be built and would provide jobs for more peoplefrom security to the house staff to dealers and casino managers. More jobs for the people are always good news for the economy.

Although legalizing gambling has its pros, it has also several conswhich are only some of the reasons why there are still people opposing its eventual legalization.

One of the most common problems that arise in a place open to gambling is minors venturing into it. Although there would be clear laws that would allow minors into any form of betting activity, loopholes around it are always being questioned.

Just like every hobby, gambling is prone to abuse. It is no longer news to hear of someone who fell into excessive gambling and ended up losing most of what was under their nameif not all. However, some implementable regulations and strategies can help people who are at risk of falling into this negative handling of gambling.

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Online Gambling Legalization in California: The Pros and Cons - LA Progressive

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The Dave & Busters eatertainment chain is aiming to spark a comeback this summer through innovations ranging from onsite sports betting to a trio of new restaurant ventures, at least one of which is virtual.

It also announced the retirement of chairman and longtime brand leader Steve King, who will be succeeded in June by Kevin Sheehan. King has served in leadership positions for the games-and-food chain for 15 years.

The concept he exits will likely be considerably different from the arcade brand he joined as CFO in March 2006, judging from the list of changes that were foreshadowed for financial analysts Wednesday by CEO Brian Jenkins.

Many of the recovery tactics he aired have become virtually standard features in the comeback plans of full-service restaurant chains. The brand will try to capture more off-premise sales, for instance, in part by launching a virtual wings concept called Wings Out. The startup is currently being tested in seven Dave & Busters stores.

It is also rebranding the food operation within its cavernous units as the Inspired American Kitchen. The menu currently extends to just 22 items, with the roster scheduled to grow to 28 selections next month. The bill of fare is 33% shorter than the menu previously offered to on-site game players.

The selections will also be offered for takeout and delivery.

Management also made reference to a second virtual concept slated for testing this fall. The executives were not clear about the specialty of that venture. The forecast incremental annual sales for all three restaurant initiatives at $50,000 per unit.

Part of the America rebranding is outfitting the foodservice operation with high-speed ovens that trim the production time for one-third of the offered items by 40%, according to management. A new kitchen management system will be installed by July to get food to customers more quickly so they can spend more time playing games.

This is the most extensive update to our food offering in more than 10 years, and it allows our guests to explore new flavors, said Margo Manning, Dave & Busters COO.

The gaming portion of the eatertainment concept is also being updated. Additions will include consoles based on Minecraft, a favorite of online game players, as well as an arcade version of Hungry, Hungry Hippo, a board game aimed at young children.

New entertainment options for adults could include sports betting where allowed by law, Jenkins revealed.

We feel like sports betting could represent a meaningful opportunity for this brand, he told financial analysts. This is a wave that's really just kind of beginning.

To help margins, Dave & Busters is also looking at its service model. Digital ordering, even in-store, is being encouraged by the addition of tablets and encouraged the use of an app. Servers stations are being expanded to shave labor costs, the officials explained.

The various initiatives were described to Wall Street analysts after Dave & Busters posted evidence that the rebound bringing casual dining sales back to 2019 levels has been slow to take hold in the eatertainment sector. During February and March, same-store sales at fully re-opened stores were still down 24% from 2019 levels, according to Jenkins. Many full-service competitors posted positive comparable sales for at least a portion of that period.

The chain ended January with 107 of its 141 restaurants in operation.

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Dave & Buster's is betting on sports gambling and virtual brands - Restaurant Business Online

Maryland is poised to follow in the footsteps of neighboring states that have legalized sports betting.

A measure backed by Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County), approved overwhelmingly in the House of Delegates earlier this month, is moving through the state Senate.

And a lawmaker who sponsored sports gambling legislation last year has pledged that the General Assembly will approve a bill before lawmakers leave Annapolis on April 12.

The focus of debate in the legislature this year has been on minority business participation making sure Maryland doesnt replicate what happened with medical marijuana, when Black entrepreneurs were shut out when licenses in the lucrative new industry were awarded.

Gambling advocates have lobbied the legislature to boost the number of both bricks and mortar and mobile licenses, claiming that the more venues there are, the more likely it is that businesses run by people of color and women will benefit.

All that remains, it would appear, is for the final details to be nailed down.

But a scholar and journalist who has tracked the impact of gambling around the world both legal and illegal has a warning for states like Maryland.

Declan Hill, a University of New Haven professor and the author of two books on sports gambling, said states must insist on stricter federal oversight of the industry.

Without it, he said in an interview, theres a wave a tsunami of match-fixing that nobody is preparing for in this country.

Before a Supreme Court 2018 ruling, sports gambling outside of Nevada occurred underground.

With sports wagering about to be both legal and convenient (as close as your phone), observers expect a huge increase in the amount of betting that occurs in Maryland.

Hill warns that if no one is tracking unusual patterns in the wagers that are placed, match-fixing schemes orchestrated by people involved in organized crime will go undetected.

We need an integrity board to make sure that we can see whats going on in the gambling market in live time, the Oxford-educated scholar said. And if youre not an illegal bookmaker, why would you care about that data? Lets get it out there. Lets get it shared.

If the U.S. fails to oversee patterns between betting trends and match outcomes, American sports will become mere theater a phenomenon Hill says has already happened abroad to a significant extent.

One of the reasons that American sports are growing internationally is because they still have a high reputation for integrity. But unless we get this right, were going to risk that integrity. Were going to risk our competitive advantage.

Hill insists he supports the legalization of gambling in the U.S. to get it out of the shadows, wrestle at least some of it away from organized crime, and make sure that its properly regulated and taxed.

But he warns that there are insufficient efforts to combat the spread of gambling addiction that is endemic in Europe.

It used to be, say in 2005, a bunch of guys would sit down and watch a soccer game, and they would be wholly interested in the soccer game, he said. Now, theyll have 20 phones open, multiple different betting accounts going, and theyre consuming the sport in the way that [people who bet on horses] consumehorse racing.

That is the long-term danger for American sports, that they cease to be primarily athletic competitions and they slowly and gradually transform into vehicles for gambling.

Hills advice for state lawmakers across the country is not to believe the promises from industry lobbyists. Also: prepare for them to come back in a year or two, seeking a reduction in the states share of the action.

As soon as the law gets passed, theyll start whining for them to lower their taxes, he said. And theyll start claiming that they havent reallyaffected the illegal gambling market and if they are going to compete, they need to have lower taxes.

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The Threat That Legalized Gambling Poses to Professional Sports Maryland Matters - Josh Kurtz

While our political class is hoping to aid the urban minorities by proposing zoning law changes to allow more affordable housing in the suburbs, and woke school curriculums, another plan is being hatched to further soak urban minorities of the little disposable income they have sports gambling.

This regressive taxation against our poor has been going for decades. Connecticut legalized the lottery in the early 1970s and with clever marketing plans, convinced poor minorities that they actually had a chance of winning enough money to change their lives even though the odds are infinitesimal.

The lottery now brings in $370 million annually to the Connecticut governments coffers and studies have shown the majority of ticket sales occurs in overwhelmingly poor minority neighborhoods over 50%. There are not a lot of Powerball winners in New Canaan, Darien or Greenwich. But this was even made worse with casino gambling.

Gov. Lowell Weicker made a deal with the Foxwoods casino in 1992, that later was extended to the Mohegan Sun casino in which 25% of the revenue from the slot machines was turned over to the state. Presently, this brings in close to $300 million annually. But this is a grossly regressive tax because those who play slot machines tend to be poorer. The high rollers playing on the expensive blackjack and crap tables pay nothing. Furthermore, slot machines have a notoriously low payout, only 92% in Connecticut, meaning you will lose $8 for every $100 you bet.

Following Governor Weickers footsteps, Gov. Ned Lamont has made a deal with both casinos in which they pay a 13.75% tax on sports betting profits. This is estimated to bring in an additional $40 million annually.

Sports betting, like the lottery and slots, is a suckers game. It is almost impossible to win in the long run. This is because there are basically two types of bets. On entails how much a team is going to win by over another team. This is called the spread. For example, no one in the right mind would bet with even odds that High Point College was going to beat the UConn women. However, with a spread of 40.5 points, you may want to consider betting with even odds. So, lets say you bet $100 on High Point to beat the spread and the final score is UConn Women 100 and High Point 65. You should win $100. But you dont. The casino takes around 10%. Thus, you only get $90. The House always wins.

Now you could also bet on High Point College to beat UConn with 20 to 1 odds, meaning if you bet $100 and High Point wins, you get $2,000. The problem here is that the chance of the UConn women losing to High Point is much less than 20 to 1. In fact, it is about as likely as an asteroid hitting the arena during the game. Again, it is a suckers bet. The bookies who figure out these odds are highly intelligent people who do this for a living. You cant outsmart them in the long run.

But it gets worse. The casinos are working with an online betting company called DraftKings that allows you to deposit money with a credit card. But DraftKings also has other features including in-running bets in which you can bet on live action during a game. Is Paige Bueckers going to make both her foul shots? Will Chris Boswell make that 50-yard field goal? Will the ref call roughing the passer when Tom Brady gets hit with a feather duster? This is insanity. Gambling addicts will be losing hundreds of dollars a game.

There are those who will argue that since the surrounding states are in on the action, we have to do the same. But why should we stoop to their level? If this is allowed, soon we will be seeing ads with jovial minority actors displaying their iPhones with thousand-dollar deposits they made gambling on sports. But the reality will be much different despair, domestic violence, substance abuse, alcoholism and bankruptcy. A relative of one of my patients blew his brains out in the Foxwoods casino parking lot after losing big.

The state assembly and Senate have yet to approve of the governors plan. Maybe a few Black politicians will step up to the plate and go to bat for their constituency, but this is unlikely. They would risk losing political support from public employee unions whose main interest is preserving ample pensions and Cadillac health insurance. And this constituency will never be satisfied. Within a few years, the Democrats will be back asking for more and all that our urban minorities will receive is more credit card debt.

Joe Bentivegna is an ophthalmologist in Rocky Hill.

CTViewpoints welcomes rebuttal or opposing views to this and all its commentaries. Read our guidelines andsubmit your commentary here.

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Opinion Sports gambling is another tax on the poor and minorities - The CT Mirror

AMHERST, Mass. Coinciding with Problem Gambling Awareness Month, a University of Massachusetts Amherst research team previewed findings on Wednesday from the groundbreaking Massachusetts Gambling Impact Cohort (MAGIC) study in a free, public webinar.

The webinar drew more interest and attendance than any previous event presented by the UMass Amherst research team known as SEIGMA (Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling in Massachusetts), according to Rachel Volberg, principal investigator of the SEIGMA and MAGIC studies, who moderated the webinar.

MAGIC was the first major cohort study of gambling in the United States, surveying the same individuals over six years to understand more about how gambling and problem gambling develop and progress, and how remission from problem gambling occurs. The study was commissioned by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) as part of its robust research agenda aimed at gauging the impacts of introducing casinos in the state.

Following a presentation by MAGIC co-lead investigator Robert Williams, a panel representing problem gambling research and prevention efforts across the Commonwealth discussed the preliminary findings and policy recommendations.

The findings revealed evidence that the state has been successful in its goal to repatriate Massachusetts dollars previously spent at casinos in nearby states. This is good news, Williams said. In addition, the introduction of casinos had no negative impact on lottery participation.

The study found a decrease in out-of-state casino gambling participation from about 33% in 2013-14 to 16% in 2019 and an increase in in-state casino gambling, up to 14% in 2019, following the opening of Plainridge Park, MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor.

The four gambling categories non-gamblers, recreational gamblers, at-risk gamblers and problem gamblers remained relatively stable over the study period, with about 70% of participants identifying as recreational gamblers. About 14% of the 3,000-plus participants from across the state were non-gamblers; about 12.5% were at-risk gamblers; and about 3.5% were problem gamblers.

Nearly 20% of the at-risk gamblers subsequently become problem gamblers, but a much more common route was moving back to recreational gambling, the study found.

Researchers theorize that the very small but statistically significant increase in problem gamblers from 2.3% in 2013-14 to 3.7% in 2019 resulted not from the opening of MGM and Boston Harbor but from the publicity in various media that preceded the openings. They found a coinciding increase in internet searches related to casinos during this period, suggesting that the media hoopla and advertising precipitated relapse. We cant prove that but its very tantalizing, Williams said.

Williams presentation emphasized that there is no silver bullet to prevent problem gambling. Rather, a wide array of educational and policy initiatives is neededto address the multifaceted biopsychosocial causes.

The study identified more than 100 individual, social and environmental variables that predict and mediate the development of future gambling and problem gambling. Gambling-related variables, such as biggest loss or win in a single day, were the strongest variables associated with problem gambling.

The findings of the many other risk factors such as having lower income, being male, having substance abuse or mental health challenges were consistent with previous research.

Each problem gambler has a unique array of risk factors, Williams said. You need to tackle problem gambling from a multidirectional way as well.

When problem gamblers were asked what they thought caused their problem, the top three responses were: a desire to win, 30.2%; boredom/enjoyment/excitement, 21.4%; and 9.3% denied a problem even though they self-scored in the problem gambler category.

The research teams preliminary policy recommendations, which are aimed at supporting the development and expansion of effective, efficient treatment and prevention programs in Massachusetts, include:

In the webinars closing remarks, MGC chair Cathy Judd-Stein called the studys findings riveting and said they would provide guidance for state regulators and policy makers.

There has been no other longitudinal study of gambling behavior of this scale in the United States, she said. It shapes our understanding of gambling behavior in Massachusetts and contributes to the few comparable studies worldwide.

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UMass Amherst Research Team Previews Findings and Recommendations from Groundbreaking Gambling Study - UMass News and Media Relations

The digital era brought us a lot of good things - all the information in the world is just a few clicks away, we can talk face-to-face while being miles apart, or work in the same virtual office with people from across the globe. However, this level of accessibility also has the potential to harm us - were always dancing on the thin line between usefulness and abuse.

Practically everyone has a smartphone or a tablet by now, and reaching gambling sites has been made far too easy. Gambling is the kind of activity that starts as something we do for fun, but it can quickly pull us into the vicious circle of addiction. Once that happens, we risk ruining our relationships with family and friends, financial security, and losing our jobs. Since this is an important topic that doesnt get discussed nearly enough, we decided to do our own research and create a guide for employers on how to provide proper support to employees endangered by gambling addiction.

Gambling Addiction in Numbers

Before we give any practical advice on dealing with an employee with a gambling addiction, lets look into how gambling affects people in general. Stats tell us that 0.6% of the adult population has, or had, problems with gambling. If we include people with less severe addictions, the number goes up to 2.3%.

When an employee suffers from gambling addiction, so does their work performance. According to a study from the NSW Government, almost 25% of gamblers admitted that their addiction impacted their work ability. This drop in performance can manifest in many ways, from using workplace technology to access gambling sites to office absenteeism to indulge in gambling. Its essential to recognize the signs of gambling addiction on time, so well list the most common ones here:

These signs may or may not be caused to gambling addiction, but theyre undoubtedly red flags an employer should address before they turn into bigger problems that will be both costly and time-consuming to resolve.

What To Do When You Suspect an Employee Is Struggling With Gambling Addiction

Wrapping It Up

Gambling addiction is a severe problem that should never be ignored. Unaddressed gambling has the potential to ruin lives and turn great employees into disconnected and unproductive husks. Employers should support their employees on their journey to recovery, but, to do that, they have to be able to recognize early signs and address them promptly before the addiction causes any irreversible damage.

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How To Deal With Gambling Addiction at Work - The African Exponent

Northern Ireland goalkeeper Trevor Carson has revealed how a gambling addiction left him at rock bottom.

he 33-year-old, who currently plays for Scottish Premiership side Motherwell, said he has not placed a bet in more than six years after seeking professional help.

He recalled how his lowest moment came when he spent his last 200 which he had kept to buy his young daughter a birthday meal and present at the bookies.

Carson, capped five times by Northern Ireland, was speaking in an interview with football journalist Michael Clarke.

He described how his father would place novelty 50p bets for him at the age of 11 but what started as fun developed into a serious addiction that almost ruined his life.

Carson said, through the help of support group Gamblers Anonymous, he has now overcome his addiction.

For years I convinced myself that maybe I didnt have a problem, or if I wanted to stop that I could stop. I needed that help, I needed to go to Gamblers Anonymous. It changed my life it definitely did, for the better, he said.

Carson, from Killyleagh in Co Down, spent five years at Sunderland a spell which included loan moves to several lower-league clubs.

He later joined Bury, Cheltenham Town and then Hartlepool, before signing for Motherwell in 2017.

Carson said it was at Sunderland when he first realised he had a serious problem.

He described how he had to seek help from the then chairman, former Republic of Ireland striker Niall Quinn, after getting into serious financial difficulties as a result of his gambling.

Speaking to The Michael Clarke Show, he said: I have no shame in saying I did have a gambling addiction. I got myself in pretty serious debt. I wasnt earning big money at Sunderland at that time. It was the end of the (2005/06) season and I ended up having to go to the club.

Niall Quinn was the chairman at the time and I ended up ringing Niall and he couldnt have been better. He said come over, speak to me. And I will never forget him, my mum will never forget him, for what he did for me, because I was in a dark place then.

He got me over, he said to write down my debt what I owe, who I owe and he said just forget it. I said no, I have another year on my contract, I will pay you back deduct it from my wages or whatever, I just need to get my head above water.

Instead, he said Quinn set him the challenge of competing with the main two goalkeepers. Craig Gordon and Marton Fulop, saving the club from signing a third senior keeper, as a means of paying him back.

Carson made his debut in a July 2006 friendly against Darlington, after Gordon and Fulop got injured, and signed a three-year contract, but never held down a first team spot.

Later, he moved down the leagues, and it was during a spell at Cheltenham that his addiction started to run out of control.

He said he felt sick after relapsing after Quinns help, adding: You think that would have been it I was maybe 19 or 20 at the time, and I still gambled after that. It wasnt enough for me to give it up.

It wasnt until I went to Cheltenham when I was 25 or 26. I had got married in the July, moved to Cheltenham, and my marriage broke up maybe two months later. My partner moved back to Newcastle.

He added: That is when it hit rock bottom basically I lost a lot of money. I didnt even contact the PFA, I remember Googling, and I went to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting for the first time in my life.

It was a Tuesday night, November 10, 2015. I always remember the date because it was my last bet. For me, just going into that meeting and sitting around a circle and speaking to other people who had this addiction and illness that is what helped me.

I went to meetings, I still do Zoom meetings now just to keep on top of it, because I always know I am one bet away from being in that dark place again.

Carson told Michael Clarke that one incident sticks in his mind where he lost money he had saved for his daughters birthday as being a turning point, saying it was the moment he realised he needed help.

He added: It was my daughters birthday on November 4 and she is up in Newcastle and I am going to see her on November 7 or 8 I cant remember.

At the time I had gambled that much money I think I had 200 to my name. That 200 was enough for me petrol up to Newcastle, take my daughter out, get her a little present, take her for something to eat and petrol back down. The rest of the month would look after itself.

I had managed to convince myself that I could make that 200 into 1,000 that is the gamblers mindset I could get her a better present and take her to a nicer restaurant.

So I went into the bookies, lost the 200. Luckily I was able to go to my grandad, which I did on many occasions, and made up a lie about needing money for this and that, which as a gambling addict you do. You lie and you deceive.

But for me I just never forget getting in the car and thinking this cant go on.

It was his darkest moment, he explained, adding: Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to accept you have got a problem or to want help, and for me that was my rock bottom."

For Carson, the signs started at an early age, as innocent fun led to an addiction that almost ruined him.

In the podcast, he added: I can remember back to being 10 or 11 years old playing football on a Saturday, then I would go with my dad to watch him on a Saturday afternoon playing for Killyleagh or Saintfield whoever it was.

You would always meet at the bookies and your dad would put your 50p football bet on for you.

For me it was sort of instilled in me, and I had it in me.

When I was at the height of my addiction, the thought of going a week without a bet seemed impossible, but I am six and a half years now without a bet and it is all from going to that one meeting at Gamblers Anonymous.

Carson is the latest Northern Irish sports person to speak out about problems with gambling.

Former Armagh All-Ireland winner Oisin McConville lost tens of thousands of pounds but has since recovered and trained as a counsellor.

Northern Ireland footballers Kyle Lafferty, Roy Carroll and Keith Gillespie have also publicly discussed their past problems.

Carson said learning to speak to others was the first step to tackling his demons.

It took a few days for me to build up the courage to go I accepted that I did have a problem but it just was a pride thing I think, he added.

But it is honestly the best thing I have done.

My advice to anyone out there if they are going through anything similar is to speak go out, get help. Because it is the best medicine, just speaking.

Thousands of other people are going through the same thing and need the same help.

He added: The old saying is one day at a time, and all of a sudden that day becomes a month, and that month becomes a year. For me it is six and a half years down the line.

If you are at the start of your journey, it might seem daunting, but for me just speak out and get help.

* Anyone affected by gambling can contact the National Gambling Helpline 24 hours a day on 0808 8020 133 or visit the GamCare website.

Watch: Trevor Carson - the keeper who can't be kept down.

Belfast Telegraph

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Northern Ireland keeper Trevor Carson reveals gambling hell left him at 'rock bottom' - Belfast Telegraph

You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away, know when to run.

The Gambler by Kenny Rogers

There are many type of games of chance, attitudes about gambling and trades-off for society.

Gambling attitudes range widely, from it being harmless fun, to an edgy activity to avoid but tolerate, to concern over vice and addiction.

Gambling can be entertainment like the NCAA basketball tournament brackets so common now during March Madness, or late night poker games in dorm rooms for quarters or even bingo to socialize while dreaming of winning. This seems pretty harmless.

There are lotteries and scratcher tickets. Raffles offered by Rotary Clubs and Catholic schools seem like beneficial fundraisers.

And then theres serious gambling like at casinos with slot machines, blackjack and roulette.

Horse and dog racing tracks or the booming sports gambling on any game imaginable, all tolerated if in moderation.

Still, nobody views gambling as exactly virtuous. In approaching a convenience store counter, a patron with a slushie and snack has a different attitude than the average Lotto player.

And compared with the mall, theres definitely a distinct vibe in a casino.

While having an occasional beer or two is OK for most people, some folks can to go too far with such simple pleasures. So many of us know someone first- or a second-hand who has fallen off the wagon, leaving a mess of their lives and of those around them.

Just as some people cant seem to handle their liquor, there exists a taboo undercurrent of compulsive gambling in our society. And, man, does it seem to be poised to take off.

Gambling problems are joined at the hip with the idea of something-for-nothing, false hope, superstition and compulsive tendencies.

Gambling vendors have clearly invested in neurological insight in how to reel people in, and keep them playing.

While gambling establishments can be said to be private businesses that deal in legal vice to willing customers, its another thing for our government to profit from addicted populations. Such is the nature of state-run lotteries.

Lotteries go way back in American history, with proceeds used to pay for bridges, armies and Ivy League schools.

Missouri also followed a popular trend in entrenching lotteries, by dedicating its proceeds to education since 1993, thereby maintaining bipartisan support since. Democrats tend to like more revenue, particularly for public schools. Republicans like them as a revenue enhancer to fund the treasury without having to raise taxes on the general public.

The thing is, lottery funding for education, veterans programs or other heart-strings purposes is a shell game more revenue from this side, allowing existing funds to go to other programs.

Gambling is said to be a tax on people who are bad at math. Lotteries are a regressive tax of sorts, as poorer people tend to spend more, in proportion to their income and in absolute terms. Call it a reverse Robin Hood.

Like it or not, a new wave of gambling is coming.

We could outlaw the stuff, but prohibitions on activities people want to do lead to black market offerings, organized crime and even more unsavory side-interactions.

Restrictive legal frameworks can slow the tide but risk cronyism and government corruption. Open it all up like Oregon has and a corner of Break Time or IHOP could turn into a mini Isle of Capri.

The gambling industry rolls faster than the rules, leaving lawmakers to play whack-a-mole. But a state lottery operated in our name, deliberately built upon a foundation of desertion, while destroying the lives of our most vulnerable citizens, is absolutely shameful.

If adults want to gamble that is up to them, but how to handle the societal fallout from those who become compulsive is a tall order.

Cures include professional counseling and ones social circles to provide a personal safety net.

Prevention, always more preferable, starts with personal mores, positive peer pressure and educating the public about the dangers of gambling, such as the documentary film Out of Luck available on streaming services.

Run away from the whole mess as much as you can, for everyones sake.

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Gambling is the vice we can't afford - Columbia Missourian

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The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has published plans to strengthen the regulation of shared racehorse ownership following an industry-wide consultation completed in the autumn of 2020.

The consultation, which was formed part of one of the nine key goals for British racings recovery plan, examined the current risks and opportunities of shared ownership and how they might be addressed through enhanced regulation and improved administration.

The industry plan for shared ownership, which has been developed through consideration of the consultation feedback and further engagement with stakeholders, details 10 key measures to be introduced as part of a phased implementation plan over the next 12 months.

The measures are designed to support public confidence in Syndicates and Racing Clubs and provide a solid foundation for the continued growth of shared ownership. The measures include strengthening the existing Code of Conduct for Syndicates, which was originally introduced in February 2017.

Richard Wayman, Chief Operating Officer of BHA, said: It is vital for the future of our sport that we are able to attract and retain racehorse owners. Syndicates and Racing Clubs clearly have a pivotal role to play in those efforts.

The consultation responses confirmed that the sport has many extremely well-run Syndicates and Racing Clubs who give their members exemplary levels of service. It is crucial that the public can continue to have confidence in Syndicates and Racing Clubs, which these measures have been designed to support.

My thanks go to all of those who took part in the consultation and took the time to offer the feedback which has been central in devising this important package of measures.

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