Category Archives: Gambling

By: Nick Piastowski May 5, 2021

Max Homa hits his tee shot last Sunday on the 8th hole on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort.

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Who does the journalist, betting analyst or data guru like? Or the caddie? Or the old-school gambler? Gimme the facts, storylines and trends. Gimme that inside-the-ropes look. Gimme your gut feeling.

You bet, bettor.

Welcome to GOLF.coms new gambling advice column, where weve assembled a panel of those aforementioned experts to make three best bets. A real-life professional bettor here will then heed that advice, add his acumen and wager his own cash. Its not unlike what you do through texts and Google searches except now its all in one place.

Our hope is to help you with your own weekly picks, whether those are for a low-stakes office fantasy league, (legal!) big-bucks bets with a sportsbook or through free-to-play Chirp Golf, an app from our parent company that is available in the App Store and at Google Play.

Now, on to some facts, the expert picks, the bettors best bets and info on how to bet for free.

This weeks tournament: Wells Fargo Championship, at Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, N.C.

TV: Thursday, 2-6 p.m., Golf Channel; Friday, 2-6 p.m., Golf Channel; Saturday, 1-3 p.m., Golf Channel, 3-6 p.m., CBS; Sunday, 1-3 p.m., Golf Channel, 3-6 p.m., CBS

Weather (weather.com): Thursday, partly cloudy, 73 degrees, 8 mph NNE wind; Friday, mostly sunny, 72 degrees, 12 mph NW wind; Saturday, partly cloudy, 77 degrees, 9 mph W wind; Sunday, partly cloudy, 84 degrees, 16 mph SW wind

Defending champion: Max Homa, 2019 (2020 event was canceled)

Top 10 in odds (via DraftKings): Justin Thomas, +900; Jon Rahm, +1,000; Bryson DeChambeau, +1,500; Xander Schauffele, +1,800; Rory McIlroy, +1,900; Viktor Hovland, +2,000; Webb Simpson, +2,000; Tony Finau, +2,800; Patrick Cantlay, +3,000; Patrick Reed, +3,000; Will Zalatoris, +3,000.

Nick Piastowski, GOLF.com, @nickpia

Bet 1: Jon Rahm, top 5, +200. His worst start all season is a tie for 32nd. Hell get close to the top five, if not higher.

Bet 2: Xander Schauffele, to-win, +1,800. A good course fit, and outside of the Players Championship, hes been knocking on the door all season.

Bet 3: Max Homa, top 10, +350. Its been two years, but the defending champ knows how to get it done here.

Jessica Marksbury, GOLF.com, @Jess_Marksbury:

Bet 1: Rickie Fowler, top 20, +275. I like these odds for a former champion. Plus, he was T4 here in 2019. This should be the week Rickie gets some positive momentum going.

Bet 2: Rory McIlroy, top 10, +200. Yeah, Rorys been off his game a bit of late, but he loves this golf course! And hes generally a top-10 king. These odds feel like a steal.

Bet 3: Winning margin, two strokes, +335. The past couple of winners have separated themselves from the field. Two strokes feels about right.

Brady Kannon, host, Vegas Stats and Information Network (VSiN), @lasvegasgolfer:

Bet 1: Bryson DeChambeau, to-win, +1,500. I think this course has some characteristics similar to Winged Foot, and we know who won there last summer. Driving the golf ball is very important at Quail Hollow, so I like having one of the very best in that category here this week. I think Bryson is built for certain courses. Augusta National is apparently not one of them I think this is.

Bet 2: Webb Simpson, to-win, +2,000. I used to avoid Webb at this event because he is a member at this course and a home game can typically be a negative for golfers but with limited capacity for fans in this day and age, I like Webb in this setting. He should have just enough support without it being a distraction. He, too, played very well last summer at Winged Foot.

Bet 3: Emiliano Grillo, top 20, +225. Grillo really pops on the stats this week as he did last week at the Valspar, where he got out to a great start and then fizzled. I think he builds on that good round and really good recent play all around and turns into a complete four-round success this week. I would not be surprised by a top 10 or even a win, let alone a top-20 finish.

Wes Reynolds, host, Vegas Stats and Information Network (VSiN), @WesReynolds1:

Bet 1: Bryson DeChambeau, to-win, +1,500. DeChambeau has had three weeks off and been in the lab after another underwhelming effort at Augusta National. He finished fourth here in his last appearance. Ranks No. 1 in the field for SG: Off the Tee, SG: Ball Striking, SG: Tee to Green and proximity gained from 200+ yards.

Bet 2: Viktor Hovland, to-win, +2,000. Shot a 65, the days low round, last Sunday at the Valspar to rally for a T-3 finish. He should continue that momentum into this week. The Norwegian is only one spot outside of the OWGR top 10.

Bet 3: Will Zalatoris, to-win, +3,000. Willy Z returns to North Carolina, where he played at Wake Forest. As expected, he did not really go on that well at the RBC Heritage after his Masters runner-up. Now he has had two weeks off to re-focus. The Wells Fargo has a history of high-profile, young winners breaking their maidens, including Anthony Kim (2008), Rory McIlroy (2010) and Rickie Fowler (2012).

Martin de Knijff, Metric Gaming, @mdkentrepreneur:

Bet 1: Matt Wallace, to-win, +8000. The 31-year-old Englishman has made great progress with his game the past 24-30 months. Hes always been very talented and can play tough courses really well but temper was always an issue (still is, but its better). Finished third at the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black in 2019 and followed up with stellar performances at the Memorial last year and the Arnold Palmer this year and last. Hes got three top 20s this season, highlighted with a third at the Valero Open, where he was in contention to win.

Bet 2: Erik van Rooyen, top 5, +3,000. Its all about driving for the South African. When hes on and hitting enough fairways, hes very, very dangerous. Three top 20s this season is not great form by any stretch, but his A-game is too great to offer these kinds of prices for a top 5.

Bet 3: Patrick Reed, top 20, +120. As good as this field is at the top, its, IMHO, very poor starting from the bottom 60 percent. If Patrick werent in the process of making swing changes with Leadbetter (first and foremost trying to drive the ball more consistently from left to right) Id say hed be > 55% to finish in the Top 20 but its probably closer to 50 percent under current circumstances. His chipping and putting are superb, and if youre missing greens here, youll be put to the test. Reed missed his first cut last week (made 17 of 20 last year) and thats, of course, not a good sign, but probably why youre getting this price.

John Rathouz, PGA Tour caddie and Caddie Network contributor, @rathouz:

Bet 1: Joaquin Niemann, top 10, +335. Excellent course fit and good form evidenced by his T10 last week. Long with his driver, one of the best wielding irons, and a great putter. Looking to improve on a top 40 his first time around, hes a much more mature player, but still with the youthful aggressiveness and fearlessness necessary to compete at Quail Hollow. Has linked up well with veteran caddie Gary Matthews since changing things up last year.

Bet 2: Seamus Power, top 10, +2,500. Mondayed in with a 62. The Irishman is a longtime Charlotte resident with success around Quail Hollow his first two attempts (T27, T13). When hes on, hes on, and guarantee hell be focused to give it a run, especially after missing out on the Zurich with Covid-19.

Bet 3: Harold Varner III over Kevin Streelman, -120. Another Charlotte resident with deep North Carolina roots. It can be difficult to play a home game, but the crowd will be on Varners side and the showman feeds off it. One of the top players on Tour in the all-around category who doesnt have a win (90-1 odds yes, please!). Coming off a T2 in Hilton Head, compared to a recent string of missed cuts for Streelman, who hasnt experienced success at Quail Hollow in over five years, with three straight trunk slams.

The old-school gambler:

Bet 1: Will Zalatoris, to-win, +3,000. My father drove a Ford Zalatoris back in the day. Great car.

Bet 2: Vicktor Hovland, top 5, +400. This guy is in it pretty much every time he pegs it.

Bet 3: Webb Simpson, top 10, +164. Horses for courses and such.

Erick Lindgren. Lindgren, the 2008 World Series of Poker Player of the Year,has won more than $10.5 million in poker tournament earnings and is an avid sports bettor. @EdogPoker:

Bet 1: Viktor Hovland, to-win, +2,000. Hes ready to win. This is the week.

Bet 2: Max Homa, top 5, +750. Guy is defending and peaking. There should be a name for that.

Bet 3: Cam Davis, top 10, +750. Ride the young guys who can smash it.

Continued here:

Wells Fargo Championship picks to win: Who a professional gambler is betting his money on - Golf.com

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A Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge ruled Friday that electronic bingo played in Macon County is legal, because thats what voters who approved a constitutional amendment in 2003 intended.(Photo: Advertiser file)

A sweeping measure that would allow voters to decide whether to create a lottery and bring legal casino-style gambling to Alabama won House committee approval Tuesday, setting up a major decision for the chamber in the last days of the session.

But the House Economic Development and Tourism Committee's approval of the amendment, SB 319,came after an hourlong public hearing dominated by opponents of the measure, including a former Alabama governor, who raised concerns about the bill's structure and its impact on excluded facilities in Greene and Lowndes counties.

"Youre putting us in a hole, youre burying us, and I think that is not fair," said Rep. Kelvin Lawrence, D-Hayneville, whose district includes Lowndes County.

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The amendmentis sponsored by Sen. Jim McClendon, R-Springville but is a resurrected version of a sweeping lottery and gambling package sponsored by Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston, that the Senate narrowly rejected in March.

The amendment would create a state lottery, with proceeds going to education, and allow casino-like gambling at VictoryLand in Macon County; GreeneTrack in Greene County; the Birmingham Race Course in Birmingham; the Mobile Greyhound Park in Mobile; The Crossing at Big Creek, outside Dothan in Houston County, and a site in Jackson or DeKalb County, intended for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, a federally-recognized tribe.

Rep. Chris Blackshear, R-Phenix City, who is handling the bill in the House, said there were "three facts" about Alabama gambling that everyone could agree on.

"One is gamblingexists in the state of Alabama today," he said."Thats a fact. Two, its mostly unregulated, especially unregulatedat state level. Three, the state sees no revenue from the gambling in the state."

An Alabama Gaming Commission, created to regulate gambling in Alabama, would decide the fate of smaller operators, like White Hall Resort and Entertainment in Lowndes County and smaller gambling operated in Greene County.

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McClendon's bill also directs the governor to pursue a gaming compact with the Poarch Band, who operate casinos on tribal land in Atmore, Montgomery and Wetumpka.

A fiscal note with the bill estimates lottery revenues ranging from $194million to $274million a year. The funds would go to a Lottery Trust Fund, with money going to a postsecondary scholarship program. The specifics of the program are not spelled out, but the bill requires the program to have a debt forgiveness components for college students pursuing "in-demand" occupations and who work in the state for a specific period of time.

Gaming and sports betting would be taxed at 20% a year, with the potential to raise the tax by 2% every five years, up to a maximum of 30%. The Legislative Services Agency estimates the tax would generate $269 to $403 million a year.

Money would be split between information technology (with the first $750 million going to broadband); rural health care, and mental health services.

The bill drew opposition from former Sen. Phil Williams with the Alabama Policy Institute, a conservative organization, who said it represented unwarranted government intrusion.

"It has the government picking winners and losers, he said."It literally takes the names of businesses and embeds them in our Constitution."

Gambling bills in the past have foundered amid disputes between the Poarch Band and the owners of dog tracks like VictoryLand over games offered and the governance of the facilities. Those fights have also sunk lottery bills. With Republicans divided over gambling, lottery advocates have needed Democratic votes. Democrats have been reluctant to give those without guarantees for the dog tracks, major employers in their districts.

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But several Democrats at the public hearing expressed wariness about the bill. Rep. Rolanda Hollis, D-Birmingham, who abstained from the vote, said she wanted stronger language on enforcement and inclusion of Black Alabamians in ownership groups.

The most sustained objections came from representatives of Greene County, which has several bingo parlors besides GreeneTrack which fund local governments there. Former Gov. Jim Folsom Jr., speaking on behalf of the operators, said their exclusion would cripple the county.

"They are forced to oppose the aspect of the bill in SB 319 that pretty much gives them a death sentence after two years of passage," he said. "Greene County's whole economicstructure is threatened under this proposal."

Charlie McAlpine, the mayor of Forkville, a town in Greene County, said the bingo revenues give his town the ability to draw down federal grants that pay for services like recreation and law enforcement.

"There are no substitutes in Greene County for the facilitieswe have," he said. "Its unique. Ive worked on development all over this world and I have never seen a situation like we have in Greene County."

Lowndes County officials like Lawrence also wanted White Hall included in the bill, saying it was critical to their operations.

"Stop putting the dirt on top of Lowndes County," said Gordonville Mayor Orbuty Ozier."Peel away the dirt. Give us the opportunity to continue to grow."

If approved by the Legislature, the amendment would go to voters in the November 2022 election.

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Brian Lyman at 334-240-0185 or blyman@gannett.com.

Read or Share this story: https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2021/05/04/alabama-lottery-and-gambling-bill-ready-vote-house-representatives/4935601001/

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Alabama lottery and gambling bill ready for vote in House of Representatives - Montgomery Advertiser

When it comes to expanding health care services for rural and poor people in Alabama, the Legislature is rolling the dice on gambling.

With few days left in the legislative session, the GOP-controlled Legislatures answer to a possible health care expansion is wrapped into a legislative proposal to earmark new gambling revenues for the provision of health care services, including rural health care services. Lawmakers are set to debate and possibly vote on a historic gambling package by Thursday.

But any effort to fund a Medicaid expansion is on hold for the time being. An expansion plan was missing in the states $2.5 billion General Fund budget that is effective for the fiscal year starting on October 1 and was adopted by the Alabama Senate on Thursday.

My personal position is when we have an answer on how to fund it, thats when well talk about it, said State Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, chairman of the Senate budget committee on Thursday. If you talk to the feds, it doesnt cost us anything. But they are not looking at what we need to pay. They have never completely answered how much it will cost the state of Alabama to do it.

Medicaid expansion

Advocates for expanding Medicaid say it could be done with a simple stroke of Alabama Gov. Kay Iveys pen, but the governor has been hesitant to do so since she took office in 2017. Iveys office says its up to the Legislature to agree upon a way to fully fund the expansion, which could affect up to 300,000 Alabamians. The costs to do so has varied; a 2019 University of Alabama at Birmingham study estimated it would be around $250 million per year.

Its also unknown how the $2 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law in March, could lower Alabamas obligation over time. New financial incentives were included within the coronavirus relief package for the states that have opted against Medicaid expansion. The incentives would provide a 5 percentage point increase on the federal match to cover the people already enrolled in Medicaid in Alabama as long as the state commits to expanding the program.

Alabama is one of 12 states that have not expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, the 2010 federal health care law that was a signature policy achievement for former President Barack Obama. Republican leaders have, for years, expressed political opposition to the program and concerns about its costs to state taxpayers.

Ensuring every Alabamian has access to quality health care is important to the governor and always has been a priority of hers, said Gina Maiola, the governors spokeswoman. However, as she has made clear, the problem has always been how to pay for it. She is open to the discussion, but right now, we simply do not have all the facts. This is a massive package, and our Finance Department and Medicaid Agency will need to thoroughly review it before we can fully weigh in on the issue.

State Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, provides an update on Alabama House Democratic initiatives during a news conference on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, at the State House in Montgomery, Ala. Standing to her left is Rep.Jeremy Gray, D-Opelika, and Rep. Dexter Grimsley, D-Newville. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

Democratic lawmakers have repeatedly called on their Republican colleagues to expand Medicaid, citing the American Rescue Plan Act as a rare opportunity for the state to reconsider its opposition.

State Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, said the failure to expand the program is costing lives in addition to gaudy economic opportunity projections. An Alabama Hospital Association study says that expanding Medicaid to include over 300,000 new recipients would bring between $2.7 billion to $2.9 billion of annual economic activity into the state.

Medicaid expansion would provide insurance coverage to people making up to 138 percent of the federal poverty limit.

Its the right thing to do and we should do it right now, said Drummond.

Robyn Hyden, executive director with Alabama Arise a Montgomery-based non-profit agency that supports anti-poverty policies said while the finances are complicated, she believes there is enough information for lawmakers to support the latest Medicaid expansion request. She said Alabama could save over $700 million over the next two years by accepting the deal offered in the coronavirus relief package.

It yields a tremendous benefit in state savings and all of the immediate economic development impacts (that will help pay) for doctors and nurses, said Hyden. We think the math has never been better.

Gambling uncertainty

She said what is less known is whether gambling is a stable bet for boosting financial support for health care. Lawmakers are set to debate that various parts of the wide-ranging and ever-changing gambling and lottery package during committee hearings on Tuesday. The main aspects of the package include authorizing a lottery, six new casinos, and sports betting and an encouragement for negotiations on a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

Even if lawmakers support a gambling provision, it will have to go to the voters for final approval. The last time voters got to decide on a lottery plan was in 1999, when they defeated a ballot initiative by 8 percentage points.

Im not sure what will happen with gaming and the lottery, said Hyden. If it passes the Legislature, it takes a constitutional amendment and a statewide (referendum). But Arise will continue to lobby the governor (for the Medicaid expansion). The best thing we could do for our health care infrastructure, including rural health care, is expand Medicaid as much as possible.

Danne Howard, executive vice president of the Alabama Hospital Association, said her organization is pleased that Alabama lawmakers are including a provision to fund rural health care within gambling legislation. SB310, which was approved out of the Alabama Senate last month, dedicates 25% of net gaming revenue toward rural health. Gambling legislation also includes significant money to fund broadband and mental health services in Alabama.

Substitute legislation, released on Monday, increases the percentage of gambling revenues to health care to 40%. The latest version does not specify an amount to rural health care or rural hospitals.

With state lawmakers negotiating a final version of the gambling package, Howard said she is unsure what it might ultimately mean for the rural hospitals.

We are please they are dedicating some money for the provision of health care services, said Howard, quoting the verbiage contained in SB310. I can tell you that I dont know what is meant by that. But we are happy health care and the provision of those services (are included).

Alabama State Senator Greg Albritton takes questions from the media on Thursday, April 29, 2021, at the State House in Montgomery, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

Albritton said the gambling legislation appears to be the only path forward for immediate health care expansion and addressing rural health deficiencies.

Thats the only source we are going to have that is available to get the resources to deal with what we need to deal with, he said.

Rural hospitals continue to be a concern for Alabama where seven have shut down since 2010. The percentage of rural hospitals operating in the red increased from 39 to 47 percent in the past five years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has only heightened the need for more doctors and nurses in small towns.

The Chartist Group, a healthcare analytics company, published research last year that indicated that 12 out of 45 rural hospitals in Alabama are most vulnerable to closure due to several factors that includes the lack of Medicaid expansion.

Said Drummond, I think COVID has taken our skeletons and threw them out of the closet. It showed where our deficits are in health care. I think Republicans see the need and urgency as well. If we dont fix health care, not only is there an economic disadvantage to do so but it will spiral in these other areas of education and jobs.

This story was updated at 1:39 p.m. on May 4, 2021, to clarify how Medicaid expansion will work under the American Rescue Plan Act signed into law in March.

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Gambling in, Medicaid expansion out, with Alabamas latest rural health care approach - AL.com

Could access to sports gambling in Arizona lead to increased addiction? Thats the concern by some now that Gov. Doug Ducey has signed a bill that allows a significant expansion of gambling, including sports betting. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

PHOENIX The ability to attend a sporting event, place a bet on a team and possibly return home a winner will soon be a reality in Arizona.

So, too, could an uptick in gambling addiction, some worry.

Excitement surrounded Gov. Doug Duceys decision to sign a bill on April 15 that allows a significant expansion of gambling, including sports betting under licenses issued to tribes and professional sports teams. Gambling on fantasy sports and Keno games at horse race tracks will also be permitted.

But will accessibility increase detrimental behavior?

Each state needs to take some responsibility and understand that a lot of people dont gamble socially or dont gamble like a normal person, said a recovering gambling addict from Arizona who chose to remain anonymous.

Nearly 2.6% of the U.S. population, almost 10 million people, have an addiction problem because of gambling, according to the North American Foundation for Gambling Addiction Help. In WalletHubs recent survey of most gambling addicted states, Arizona ranked 41st, a number possibly impacted by the states newness to expanded gambling opportunities.

I know its a revenue-making function for the state but if theyre going to have places where you physically go and gamble like sportsbooks, they need to put right on the front door and visible that if you have a gambling problem, you need to call 1-800, the recovering addict said, because this is just going to open up a whole new can of worms for people, especially in todays world with so many different stressors, so many different pressures on people whether economic, social, marriages, everything.

Arizona does have a support system for gambling addicts and will further increase its efforts to help combat problem gambling in the state, said Max Hartgraves, the public information officer for the Arizona Department of Gaming

When Ducey displayed historic House Bill 2772 on April 15, he had members of several tribes seating by him. (Photo by Alina Nelson/Cronkite News)

The ADGs Division of Problem Gambling (DPG) partners with individuals, agencies and community groups to promote education and prevention of problem gambling. The DPG also subsidizes treatment for anyone with a gambling problem and has a self-exclusion list that allows people to ban themselves from certain gaming facilities. The list prevents these people from collecting winnings or recovering losses.

In this newly passed legislation, operators of event wagering and daily fantasy sports are required to develop a procedure to inform participants who have a problem with gambling that help is available, Hartgraves said via email. Operators are also required to allow problem gamblers to voluntarily exclude themselves from these games statewide.

Additionally, operators are prohibited from paying out any prize or award to a person on this self-exclusion list, and any prize or award won by such a person shall be forfeited and donated to ADGs Division of Problem Gambling. Lastly, operators are required to develop and maintain a program to mitigate and curtail compulsive play by promoting responsible gambling measures. We will encourage operators to utilize the professionals and services already in place through DPG to meet this requirement.

The passage of the Arizona legislation was tied to an updated gaming compact Ducey struck with tribes and is expected to generate significant revenue. In Colorado, in its inaugural year of legalized sports gambling, sportsbooks took in over $300 million in wagers in March.

The new Arizona agreement would provide tribes with 10 licenses and allow them to run sportsbooks at tribal casinos. Online gambling sites can also benefit from the deal and already DraftKings announced a partnership with the PGA Tour which will include a sportsbook at the TPC Scottsdale, home of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The Phoenix Suns and FanDuel also have announced a similar deal.

The licenses could bring in at least $100 million in revenue for the general fund, said state representative Jeff Weninger, R-Chandler.

I truly think its going to help drive conferences here, Wenninger said. When youre going down the checklist of us versus someone else and all the beautiful and great attributes we already have and then you add that element to it, I think it will fuel that. And then I think it really fuels the mega events. The day before the signing of the bill, you already had PGA announcing that they were going to have a sportsbook built at the Phoenix Open the year of the Super Bowl.

The recovering gambling addict understands the revenue stream House Bill 2772 brings to Arizona but believes gambling venues at sports events would be extremely harmful. And I would have zero interest. I wouldnt go to a game because the last thing I need to do is go and enjoy a baseball game and also pass a sportsbook or be active at my seat betting on games. I dont need any of that. Thats all detrimental to my health, detrimental to a gambling addict.

Weninger does not believe sportsbooks in stadiums would be a major trigger because he does not think they would be in your face such as a 50/50 raffle ticket sale.

If youve ever been there and they have those raffles going on and theres like 10 people standing in the hallways saying, Hey, you want to get on the raffle, he said. I dont think its going to be anything like that. And I understand and sympathize with the plight but at the same time, they sell alcohol at games and you could have somebody whos been fighting addiction on alcohol. And youre going to run into those situations in everything under the sun.

As more states legalize sports betting, it is becoming more normalized. ESPN recently did a sports betting-themed alternate feed for an NBA telecast and ESPN News constantly runs betting lines concurrent with its programming.

Rick Benson, founder of the Algamus Gambling Recovery Center in Prescott, said if ESPN and other major sports networks continue to air gambling-related content, they need to also provide support for the fight against problem gambling.

To be using the National Council on Problem Gambling hotline number I think would certainly be a good idea, Benson said. There is a national council hotline number. It then tracks into any given state in the country based on the area code that the call came in from.

As sports gambling nears its arrival in Arizona, attention on the decision is coming from a variety of places.

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Will the accessibility to sports gambling in Arizona increase addiction? - Cronkite News

COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Ohio General Assembly pursues an open process to determine the best way to allow sports betting, out-of-state operators are pushing for a mass proliferation of gambling that is wrong for Ohio. House Bill 65 would allow an estimated 876 locations for underregulated casino-style slot machines, providing unprecedented gambling access to Ohioans. If enacted into law, HB 65 would also drain revenue from education and other state and local programs funded by tax revenues from well-regulated casinos and racinos.

An independent study by Spectrum Gaming Groupconcludes that a distributed gaming model, as experienced in Illinois, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, would result in an increase in casino- style gambling but a decrease in state and education revenue. Under such a system proposed through HB 65 customers seeking casino-style slot machines would be drawn to the convenience of nearby underregulated and untaxed operations, which do not share revenue with education and other state programs.

Ohio's casinos and racinos contribute as much as $343 million annually to education through video lottery payments. However, if electronic instant bingo machines are authorized at veterans and fraternal locations, the state could lose millions of dollars of that funding each year. The study also finds these operations have less experience and insufficient ability to uphold the state's strict regulatory standards to ensure responsible gaming for Ohio.

"Regulated casino gaming upholds the most stingent standards around responsible gaming, fair play and consumer protection," said Jess Feil, vice president, Government Relations & Gaming Policy Counsel for the American Gaming Association. "Underregulated gaming machines put the most vulnerable at risk, preying on those with problem gambling habits, while undermining and diminishing the economic contributions of the legal, regulated casino gaming industry."

Instead of the mass proliferation of instant bingo machines in the state, Get Gaming Right Ohiosupports a responsible sports betting model with multiple regulated and experienced operators similar to Indiana and Michigan, giving customers access to safe and innovative products that will responsibly produce $50 million in state revenues each year. Sports betting should be reserved to operators that have robust licensing and operational standards. With a proven ability to offer real-money sports wagering in a highly regulated environment, this model protects the state from being subject to heavy losses due to unexpected sports results.

About Get Gaming Right Ohio Get Gaming Right Ohio is committed to educating the public about the need for responsible, regulated and limited gaming and sports betting. Get Gaming Right Ohio is supported by JACK Entertainment, MGM Resorts International and Penn National Gaming.

About Spectrum Gaming Group Spectrum is a nonpartisan consultancy that specializes in the economics, regulation and policy of legalized gambling worldwide. Spectrum has provided independent research and professional services to public- and private-sector clients since 1993.Spectrum is widely recognized by gaming regulators, government agencies, gaming operators and analysts throughout the world for delivering independent, transparent and credible research and analysis that withstands the highest levels of scrutiny. Spectrum also serves as Executive Director of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS), a testament to the credibility, quality and independence of the firm's work.

SOURCE Get Gaming Right Ohio

http://www.getgamingrightoh.com

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Mass Proliferation of Gambling Machines and Venues Would Have Severe Consequences for Ohio - PRNewswire

This April, New York passed the legalization of mobile sports betting.

Although leaders believe this will have a positive economic impact for New York State, potentially closing the budget deficit over time, increasing the availability and accessibility of gambling options may cause problems for those at risk. The Western Problem Gambling Resource Center maintains a neutral stance on gambling; however, we want the community to know there is a local, confidential resource available if you or someone you know is struggling to control their gambling.

Problem gambling is simply anytime someones gambling causes problems in their life. These could be financial or relationship problems, issues at work or school, some people have even resorted to criminal activity to support their gambling problem.

Lets look at a few problem gambling facts:

n Each person struggling with problem gambling affects six to 10 of those closest to them.

n A study found that nine out of 10 people affected by someone elses gambling problems felt emotional distress.

n One in five persons struggling with a gambling problem have attempted and/or died by suicide.

Because as many as 10 other individuals are impacted by one persons gambling problem, a persons mental and physical health could certainly be impacted. It is important to recognize the warning signs of problem gambling. We can not simply pick a person struggling with gambling problems out of a crowd. So, what are some warning signs can we look for?

n Being absent from friend/family events because of gambling.

n Feeling stressed or anxious when not gambling.

n Low work performance due to absence or preoccupation with betting.

n Lying to family and friends about how much money and time is spent on gambling.

n Chasing losses to get even.

Services for those persons struggling with problem gambling are available in WNY. Friends and family of those impacted by problem gambling are also encouraged to reach out for support. Local, confidential, and free help is available through the Western Problem Gambling Resource Center.

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Help is available for gambling problems | Letters | thedailynewsonline.com - The Daily News Online

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After moving to Las Vegas to work as a dietitian, ANDY BELLATTI, R.D., 38, received a $50 voucher in the mail to play slots. Five and a half years later, he had maxed out 12 credit cards and cashed out his 401(k), and he was more than $35,000 in debt. His boss convinced him to consider a 12-step program, and now hes three years into recovery.

I made the first bet of my life when I was 24 years old when I first came to Vegas on vacation. I'll never forget that in that first day of just playing a slot machine, I was hooked. I mean, it was immediate.

It was all framed under this guise of "going on vacation." I would gamble for 20 hours straight. I would have a budget of X amount and go over it by five times. I wouldn't eat. I wouldn't really sleep. But I think it was very easy to tell myself, "Okay, well, I was on vacation."

And then I moved to Vegas in 2012 for a job. I didn't really know anybody and I had a job that was kind of very isolating. Rather than maybe put myself out there and be a little bit vulnerable to meet people, I decided that it was safer and more comfortable to avoid that.

Instead, it became a thing where my casino trip went from once every two weeks to once a week, and then multiple times in a week. I had one credit card [when I moved]. Fast-forward five-and-a-half years laters, I have 12 credit cards and $35,000 in credit card debt.

I liken an addiction to a computer program that eats up a bunch of memory so everything else runs slowly. My brain was consistently having to deal with addiction, whether it was because I was thinking about when I would gamble next or I was worrying about the fact that I got an alert from my bank that I had an overdraft.

Once I got into recovery, I could be more present in my career. I could think more clearly. Being more present can only make you a better dietitian, [because] somebody is telling you something and you have to be listening for certain cues. Its very hard to do that when youve gotten two hours of sleep and youre thinking, "When am I going to get paid?"

Once my behavior got healthier, I was able to think, "Wow, now I can actually use my money toward things that I want to do." It could be for buying a home; it could be for starting my own business. If it werent for recovery, that would never have happened. I would have gotten stuck on that treadmill of despair.

This story appears in the May 2021 issue of Men's Health.

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Andy Bellatti's Gambling Addiction Ruined His Life. Recovery Saved It. - menshealth.com

Nothing quite says a Jerry Jones draft like a first-round pick once put on conduct probation by Penn State after his conduct contributed to a lawsuit against the school; a second-rounder suspended by LSU for a bowl game; and a fourth-rounder accused of 11 incidents of physical and verbal abuse by a former girlfriend. Josh Ball also once tried to choke himself. Give the Cowboys credit, thats a new one.

Time will tell how all this works out, as always, and heres hoping it does. For the communitys sake, if not Jerrys long-lost Super Bowl hopes.

In case youre wondering why we always find ourselves here, there are basically three reasons:

Now, I can hear some of you already: No charges were filed, and, besides, these guys can play. If thats your take, Stephen Jones is on your side. The Cowboys checked out Balls story, in particular, to see how hes handled his, uh, adversity, as Stephen put it. He even dusted off the old nobodys perfect bromide.

Let he who is without sin cast the first touchdown if hes so high-and-mighty, in other words.

The problem with the nobodys perfect defense is that it excuses everybody. I mean, whats off limits?

Nothing, apparently, if you run a 4.3 40 and your lawyers good enough.

Not to get too preachy, but whats wrong with investing valuable draft capital and a chunk of your salary cap on guys who dont have a history, whether behavioral or physical, that could rear up and bite you? Because its not like you dont have other choices. No matter what you may hear, not every great football player comes with baggage. Only seems that way around the Cowboys.

My apologies for the sarcasm. Its a congenital condition. The Cowboys have men who would make any mother proud. Just not enough of them. They practically said so in declaring that they not only needed talent on defense, they required leaders on that side of the ball. Hard to see how some of these bios fit the job description.

Of course, everything went haywire when first Carolina and then Denver took the cornerbacks the Cowboys had in mind. Truth is, it went haywire long before.

Remember Byron Jones? The Cowboys drafted him in the first round in 2015 out of UConn. They played him out of position at safety for three seasons because they needed a safety. They still do. When they finally moved him to cornerback full-time, he proved to be one of the leagues best, according to Pro Football Focus. No, he didnt collect any picks as a corner his last two seasons as a Cowboy. One of the problems with good cornerbacks is that quarterbacks dont challenge them much. When they did, Jones was usually in position to swat the ball away.

But, right or wrong, cornerbacks are often defined by the number of interceptions they pile up. The Cowboys undervalued Jones; the Dolphins didnt. Miami gave him five years, $82.5 million. Which was a lot of money. So was the five years, $100 million the Cowboys gave Amari Cooper. Jerry doesnt mind paying offensive players, and, frankly, good wide receivers are easier to find than good cornerbacks.

Did I mention that the Cowboys missed on Chidobe Awuzie in the second round in 2017?

So instead of going into last weeks draft with a matched set of Jones and Trevon Diggs, the Cowboys had to have a walk-in starter at cornerback. But Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain II were gone before the Cowboys were on the clock. So they traded down two spots, picked up a third rounder in the process and got Micah Parsons, reportedly the fourth player on their board.

But Parsons is also a linebacker, and even if a good one, the Cowboys have now spent two firsts and a second on linebackers over the last six drafts. Judging by the fact that they declined Leighton Vander Eschs fifth-year option Monday, theyre not getting a proper return on their investments. For that matter, Jaylon Smith may not be long for the Cowboys, either. Smith has been mediocre, at best, the last two seasons, while the primary complaint about LVE is his availability.

Did I mention that teams medically flagged Vander Esch before the draft in 2018, and the Cowboys knew he had a history of neck problems?

Anyway, the Cowboys are flush with linebackers, at least for the moment, but still light on defensive backs. And thats why, after coming up empty in the first, they felt compelled to draft Kelvin Joseph in the second. Even if, at 44, the Kentucky cornerback went much higher than most analysts projected.

Could Joseph still end up a walk-in starter? Hed better be. The Cowboys dont have any good alternatives.

Will McClay has done a terrific job turning around Jerrys draft history overall, but if you look closely, most of those success stories have been on offense. Defense? DeMarcus Lawrence remains his best pick. Runner-up: Byron Jones. Offense has taken precedence with Jerry. The mistakes hes made gambling on defense have only forced him to double down.

Even when he went all-in on defense in this draft, a first for the general manager, Jerry couldnt help himself. Its the wildcatter in him. Dont try using his history against him, either. Hell just cite Randy Moss, whom he passed on because of Moss legal history, not to mention Michael Irvins. Ever since, Jerrys tried to make up for that mistake, only to leave a trail pockmarked with them.

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Jerry Jones just can't help himself. Gambling on players with baggage is in his nature. - The Dallas Morning News

Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site.

Advertisers can use Facebook and Instagram to target ads at teenagers who the social media giant thinks are interested in alcohol, tobacco, and extreme weight loss, two new studies have found.

To test Facebooks system for targeting consumers with online ads, the studies authors created Facebook ads featuring cocktail recipes, dating app offers, and weight-loss tips that promoted an eating disorder.

The researchers used Facebooks tools to target the ads at users between 13 and 17 years old who were categorized as being interested in those topics.

Facebook gave the green light for the all those ads, plus several more that promoted gambling and other adult activities, even though the company officially prohibits targeting teens with such ads.

None of the ads were shown to the public. The two groupsan American nonprofit research organization called Tech Transparency Project and Reset Australia, a technology watchdogcanceled the advertisements after they were approved but before they appeared in Facebook users feeds.

Facebookor any companyshould not be allowing this sort of advertising to teenagers, says Ariel Fox Johnson, senior counsel for global policy at Common Sense Media, a research and advocacy organization that studies how children use media and technology.

Teens are more susceptible to targeted ad techniques than adults, Johnson says. And all the problems with advertising to teens are exacerbated when youre targeting teens based on their unique insecurities and problems.

These rule-breaking ads illustrate one of the enduring challenges of maintaining an enormous social media platform: Even if you write sensible-sounding policieslike Facebooks bans on advertising alcohol or weight-loss products to teensthose rules are just words on a screen unless theyre strictly enforced. And researchers and journalists have repeatedly found that Facebooks filters can allow harmful content to slip through onto its platforms.

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Keeping posts that break the rules off a platform like Facebook isnt always easy. Hundreds of millions of Facebook users are constantly bombarding the site with text updates, photos, and videos. Facebook says that it takes down the lions share of harmful posts using artificial intelligence tools and a 35,000-person workforce that combs the site for violationsbut that it cant remove every policy-violating post.

In this case, however, the ads werent full of slippery innuendo and cheeky code words. Facebooks tools for targeting ads appear to allow advertisers to openly direct inappropriate ads at 13- to 17-year-olds who might be interested in dangerous topics. Facebook does not allow kids under 13 to use its products.

The Tech Transparency Project designed an ad that offered teens pro-ana tipsthats common slang for pro-anorexiaon a background image of a womans narrow waist. The ad was pitched at teens whom Facebook has identified as interested in weight loss.

One of Resets ads encouraged users to TRY YOUR LUCK and WIN PRIZES! alongside icons of dice and a poker chip, and was targeted at teens who Facebook thinks might be interested in gambling. Both groups also created ads featuring cocktails and aimed them at teens Facebook had tagged as interested in alcohol.

These interests are among the hundreds of categories that Facebook uses to sort its users into groups, based on their activity both on and off Facebook and Instagram, which the company has owned since 2012. Advertisers pay to access these categories of users to get their pitches in front of specific audiences.

The platform gives advertisers an estimate of how many people they can access in each group. The Tech Transparency Project found that Facebook shows a potential reach of 910,000 teens under 17 interested in alcoholic beverages, 300,000 teens under 17 interested in gambling, and 140,000 teens under 17 interested in weight loss.

Thats a flaw right off the bat, says Katie Paul, executive director of the Tech Transparency Project. Facebook shouldnt even allow you to pick those interests when youre targeting kids under 18.

A Facebook spokesperson tells Consumer Reports that the company is investigating why some of these violating ads were not detected.

We prohibit ads about alcohol, weight-loss products, and certain other topics from being shown to people under the age of 18, and we have age restriction tools so that businesses can better control who sees their content, the spokesperson says. We also may re-review ads after they are live.

All six of the ads that Paul scheduled were approved within half a day. Some of Resets ads, including two that showed young women exhaling smoke, were rejected, but Facebook accepted a version of the ad with a young woman holding an e-cigarette. A badge on the image said, Cool girl.

Dylan Williams, who leads advocacy campaigns at Reset Australia, says he was taken aback that so many of the ads his group created got through the filter. We were really trying our hardest to get the ads rejected, he says.

Both groups conclusions square with the results of an experiment that Consumer Reports performed last year. We set up seven paid ads with a range of COVID-related falsehoods, including one that encouraged users to drink bleach. The ads, which violated Facebooks policies against coronavirus misinformation, sailed through the approval process. CR canceled the ads before they were shown to Facebook users.

I am appalled that Facebook still hasnt fixed its ad-approval process, a year after your original experiment, says Nathalie Marchal, a researcher at Ranking Digital Rights, a nonprofit that grades tech companies on factors including their privacy and content moderation practices. Enforcing its own rules for advertising is the bare minimum Facebook should be doing: They write those rules, the volume of ads is much smaller than user content, and they dont have to weigh the same kinds of free-expression issues for ads as they do for user content.

Teens arent just the unwitting subjects of targeted advertisingmany say theyre also creeped out by it. When Reset surveyed 400 16- and 17-year-olds about data collection and profiling last month, almost 79 percent of them said they were concerned about Facebooks data gathering practices. They were particularly worried about being pegged for an interest in weight loss, gambling, or cigarettes.

What can you do to keep unwanted ads out of your digital diet? Its hard to avoid targeted advertising onlinethese ads are the financial engine of some of the biggest tech companies, including Facebook and Google. But there are a few ways to make it less personal and intrusive.

Facebooks ad preferences allow you to see what information about you is made available to advertisers, and the interest categories that Facebook has assigned to you. You can remove the categories individually if you dont want advertisers to use them. You can also tell Facebook to stop using information about you that it gathered from other companies in order to target ads. However, youll have to follow separate instructions to tell Instagram to do the same thing.

If you come across a Facebook ad that shouldnt be thereif it appears to be targeting teens with alcohol ads, for exampleyou can report it to Facebook.

You can also try to reduce the amount of targeted advertising you see elsewhere on the internet. Google allows you to turn off personalized ads, and a new feature on Apple devices like iPhones and iPads allows users to tell apps to stop tracking them.

But Johnson at Common Sense says that teens shouldnt have to jump through such hoops to avoid targeted advertisingthey should be off-limits entirely.

We do not consider it in the best interest of children to show them ads based on profiling, she says. Some countries, like the U.K. and Ireland, have recently proposed or published guidelines that discourage targeting advertising toward kids. Hopefully, companies are going to start to listen.

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Facebook Approved Alcohol and Gambling Ads - Yahoo News

Gambling addiction and the help that is available

by: Andy Mehalshick

EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU-TV) Its called the hidden addiction because it often times does not garner the attention of other addictions such as alcohol or opioid addiction.

Addiction counseling experts tell the I-Team that gambling addictions are on the rise. They say that many people put off getting help because they didnt realize they had a problem.

If its not caught if its not recognized in some situations we may see things progress and thats really where the problems begin to amplify, said Josh Ercole, executive director council on Compulsive Gambling of PA, Inc.

The nonprofit organization provides counseling services to people who have a gambling addiciton. The group also provides training to the operators of gambling venues, such as casinos, in how to spot a protential problem with a person who is gambling.

You know its something Andy where you have to remember is most cases people arent going to have a problem, said Ercole.

But Ercole tells the I-Team, the number of folks who do have problems are on the rise.

Once things start to progress thats where we start to see people turn to different types of acts in order to fund their gambling Maybe turn to different stories to cover up what they are doing.

Ercole says while casinos are still hotspots, online gambling numbers are increasing.

We saw a shift in age, so, traditionally online gambling is something particpated in higher rates by younger folks and sure enough we saw the highest call volume than weve seen in history really thats the 25-34 range.

Jason Harlen and Stefanie Wolownick are addiciton counselors at Wyoming Valley Alcohol and Drug Services based in Luzerne County. They say the numbers of calls regarding gambling addicitons has grown in recent months for them as well. They say some people may be surpsied by what motivates many people to gamble.

Again Andy, its not about the money. Its about winning; thats what the addiction kinds of clings to its the winning, said Wolownik.

The availability of online gambling that has caused a lot of issues for people. So we are receiving phone calls on a daily basis from individuals looking for help because they have a disorder and they cant stop on their own, said Harlen.

And as with other addictions treatment is available and varies from person to person.

Treatment is a word to describe a word that is used to discuss counseling you know cognitive behavioral therapy is utilized, said Harlen.

Josh Ercole says the gambling industry is required by state law to fund programs that deal with compulsive gambling. The president and general manager of Mohegan Sun Pocono sent a statement to the I-Team which reads in part:

Mohegan Sun Pocono (MSP) strives to understand problem gambling and to help those who do have problems obtain the help they need. MSP partners with the Executive Director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania to implement mandatory annual training on compulsive & problem gambling for all team members. MSP also has a self-exclusion program where we work with guests who wish to be barred from gaming activities at our property.

All guests of MSP have access to information brochures at any time, and the number to the problem gambling hotline is included in all gaming-related marketing efforts from MSP. We will continue to stay involved and be very supportive of problem gambling initiatives.

For more information on gambling addiction, visit the website for Council on Compulsive Gaming of PA, Inc.

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I-Team: The hidden addiction - PAHomePage.com