Category Archives: Gambling

Australia is a global gambling epicentre, with Australians spending some 40% more per capita than their nearest rival. Meanwhile, the lack of scrutiny of the gaming industry, its political donations and its revolving door for politicians has for years limited effective action on gaming policy.

As H2 Gambling Capital, which collates data on the global gambling industry, noted in 2017: Australians continue to gamble more than any other nation on a per-person basis, with the average adult spending US$990 which was [circa] 40% higher than their nearest rival.

During 2017-18, Australians bet more than $242 billion, of which $181.4 billion ($9,419 per capita for Australians over the age of 18) was spent on gaming in casinos and on poker machines.

In 2018 the Grattan Institute released a report Whos in the room? , which showed how political donations spike depending on what is happening in the policy arena. As the report notes: Donations from gambling bodies shift with policy debates. Graph 1 is taken from the report, and reveals the significant rise in political donations in 2010-11, which coincided with the [gaming] industrys campaign against poker machine regulations led by Tasmanian Independent MP Andrew Wilkie.

The report also discussed James Packers recruitment of former Labor Senator Mark Arbib and former ALP national secretary Karl Bitar to help secure Labors support in his bid to build the Barangaroo Crown casino in 2012.

Moreover, the gaming industry has long had a policy of hiring politicians or others with political connections to help in its lobbying efforts. Such hiring practices are clearly seen as necessary by the gambling industry to protect their revenue.

Revolving Doors: want a high-paid job at the bank? Become a politician

Consider the newly appointed CEO of ClubsNSW, Josh Landis. A former political advisor for the NSW Branch public sector from 2005 to 2007, he now heads an organisation that has capitalised on the NSW Governments legalisation of poker machines since 1956. It is no coincidence that the biggest gambling state in the biggest gambling nation in the world also has such a long period of deregulation of gambling.

In conjunction with his role at ClubsNSW, Landis is also executive director of ClubsAustralia. As outlined here, ClubsAustralia is more or less a front for the former, making ClubsNSW the leading lobbyist against poker machine reform.

Landis concurrent roles at ClubsNSW and ClubsAustralia complement his inside political knowledge and influence, including manager for government relations from 2008 to 2009, and executive manager for policy and government from 2009 to 2014 at Clubs Australia.

The latter position proved effective in 2011, when Landis appeared before parliaments joint select committee on gambling reform to oppose the pre-commitment gambling restriction scheme led by Andrew Wilkie and supported by then-prime minister Julia Gillard. InsideStory detailed the reasoning behind the failure of the Wilkie-Gillard campaign, showcasing the power of ClubsNSW to combat government reform.

For clubs, the central argument against reform is that by hindering the revenue stream from these addictive machines, they can no longer sustain their community-based donations. However, as Michael West Media has extensively reported, these donations are a drop in the ocean compared with the total revenue earned from their poker machines.

Brothers-in-Arms: the high-rotation revolving door between the Australian government and arms merchants

Audited financial reports of the top 25 clubs in NSW between 2008 to 2017 show poker machine profits, community-based donations, and key management personnel (KMP) compensation. They reveal that the NSW government has helped itself to approximately $2.9 billion (25%) of the top 25 clubs pokies profits.

In stark contrast, the clubs community-based donations equal $0.2 billion (2.2%).

Casino magnate James Packers hiring practices bring into sharp focus the revolving doors in Australias gaming industry. Retired politicians who currently lobby for Packer include:

Helen Coonan

A former NSW Liberal Party senator elected in 1996, Coonan has been a director of Crown since February 2012, less than a year after retiring from the Senate. In keeping with the cosiness between government and lobbyists, then-Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said in his address of Ms Coonans retirement: Helen still has much to contribute to our society and I look forward to continuing to work with her inside the Liberal Party and more generally.

Mark Arbib

A NSW Labor senator from 2007 to 2012, Arbib was appointed director of strategy and business for Packers investment company Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH) in 2012, the same year he left parliament. Arbibs position at CPH allows him to lobby for Packer in matters relating to Crown. Since 2014 he has also enjoyed a seat on the board of the Packer Family Foundation.

Allegedly recruited by James Packer during MP Andrew Wilkies call for a parliamentary inquiry into Crown, Arbibs inside knowledge and influence is something Mr Packer has valued in the past at a time when Arbib was still in parliament. The pair were spotted at the billionaires Ellerston property in 2010, a time when the Federal Government was being lobbied to slash licence fees for free-to-air commercial television networks. Meanwhile, Packer, with a 25% stake in Foxtel, was lobbying for changes to anti-siphoning laws.

Karl Bitar

The state secretary of the NSWs ALP Branch from 2008 to 2011, Bitar assumed the role of executive vice president group corporate affairs for Crown Resorts Ltd in 2013. A close friend of Mark Arbib from their time spent in grass-roots politics and, more importantly, Julia Gillards campaign director in the 2010 federal election. The role gave him direct involvement in and knowledge of Labors support for Andrew Wilkies pre-commitment scheme.

Packers influence extends well beyond his Crown recruitments. The Revolving Doors series will also investigate Packers connections to other retired politicians-turned-lobbyists including former Labor senator Stephen Conroy and former Coalition NSW premier Barry OFarrell.

Politicians lured into the gaming industry brush shoulders with the many lobbyists who pass the other way. With Covid-19 restrictions easing across Australia, poker machines are flashing their predatory lights once more, meaning it is now more important than ever to put the focus on the revolving door this industry thrives on. If not for us to better understand the internal political and lobbying machinations, then for those people and their families who have suffered and continue to suffer from this most addictive and destructive of pastimes.

Band of Brothers: Lockheed Martin and the Department of Defence

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Powerful and well-connected crowd out anti-gambling campaigners - Michael West News

Are you struggling to make money as a baseball gambler? If you are, its either because youre not putting in enough work when you evaluate games or you dont know how to use some of the tricks that winning gamblers use.

Heres a list of seven tricks that professional MLB gamblers use to help you win more of your wagers.

One of the big mistakes that I see most baseball gamblers make is using overall stats to evaluate games. What I mean is they look at the season statistics for the pitchers and hitters instead of looking at the splits.

Smart baseball gamblers look at every relevant split for each game they evaluate. This includes:

You also can look at the splits for night and day games, defensive splits, and how teams and players perform based on the month.

You need to look for every advantage you can find, and the only thing that you shouldnt look at is the overall stat line for any player or team.

Heres an example of why this is so dangerous:

A pitcher has pitched 200 innings and has an ERA of 3.50. This is a solid starting pitcher based on his overall stats. But when you take a deeper look, you can see that depending on where hes pitching, youre either overestimating or underestimating his performance.

At home hes pitched 100 innings and has an ERA of 2.50. On the road hes also pitched 100 innings, but his ERA is 4.50.

As you can see, at home hes one of the best pitchers in the league, but when he pitches on the road, hes not very good.

Losing MLB gamblers focus too much on hitting and offense and not enough on pitching and defense. Fans enjoy hitting, and winning gamblers focus more on pitching. This should tell you that youre probably not considering pitching enough when you evaluate MLB games.

It might make sense to balance pitching and hitting when evaluating games at 50% each. And this is a good goal to shoot for, especially if youre not making profit on your MLB gambling now.

The truth is that most losing gamblers are focusing 60%, or more, on hitting.

But I recommend going a step beyond this and weighing pitching and defense closer to 60%, and hitting and offense at 40%.

Even if this doesnt make sense, give it a try and see how it changes your results. You cant ignore hitting, but pitching controls every MLB game. Dominant pitching overcomes hitting every time. The problem is that theres not much dominant pitching in the game.

Amateur baseball gamblers tend to look at the best teams in the league and think that they almost never lose. And they look at the worst teams in MLB and think that they almost never win. But the truth is that every team loses and every team wins.

In fact, almost every team in any given year, series of years, or decades, wins somewhere between 54 and 108 games per season. They also lose somewhere between 54 and 108 games.

Of course, some years theres a team, or possibly two teams, that win a few more than 108, or win a few less than 54 games. But overall, teams land somewhere in this range most of the time.

Its important to understand this when youre handicapping MLB games. This is because no matter how good a team looks, they simply arent going to win more than somewhere around two thirds of the time. And no matter how bad a team looks, the odds say that theyre going to win around one third of the time.

If you look at several seasons worth of win and loss records, you can see that its easier to lose enough to get outside of this range than it is to win more than 108 games.

Through the 2019 MLB season, there have been only eight teams win more than 108 games in a season. Heres the short list:

As you can see, in the 50 seasons from 1970 to 2019, there are only two teams that have won more than 108 games.

Heres how this information helps professional Major League Baseball gamblers. They know that even the best teams are going to lose 54 or more games. They just need to determine the 60 or so games on the schedule that the best teams are most likely to lose.

On the other side of this, they need to determine the 60 or so games that the worst teams are most likely to win.

You can have a season full of profits based on just these two things.

You can bet on Major League Baseball games using the moneyline, the totals, or the run line. When you bet on the run line, one team gets 1.5 runs and the other gives 1.5 runs.

When you bet on MLB using run lines, you need to look at the teams getting 1.5 runs for most of your wagers. Its challenging for any MLB team to win by two or more runs, so its dangerous to bet on teams giving 1.5 runs.

Of course, you still have to find value before making a wager getting runs, and many games dont have value so you shouldnt bet on them. When you get runs, you have to pay a higher price, so you must always consider this when looking for value. But winning MLB gamblers find the teams that are getting runs that have a price thats low enough to offer value.

The moneyline offered on MLB games by sportsbooks is just like the ones offered for other sports. You pay a higher price for favorites and get a better price when you bet on underdogs. And just like in other sports, home teams are favored more often than road teams.

Baseball is played in series, usually of three or four games. And professional MLB gamblers know that home teams rarely get swept, no matter how poor their overall records are.

You can use this information to build a profitable betting strategy by betting on home teams on the moneyline more often than betting on road teams. You still have to evaluate each game for value, but games with value almost always have it on the home team.

When the home team loses the first game of the series, theyre much more likely to win the second game. The same is true when the home team loses the first two games of a series.

In order to win a baseball game, a team has to get 27 outs. While an extra out or missing the opportunity to get an out might not seem too important over the course of a game, the truth is that every single out and missed opportunity to get an out is a big deal.

When a team commits an error they miss an opportunity to make an out. When a team on offense runs into an out they couldve avoided or makes another mistake that leads to an out, they give the defense one of the 27 outs they need.

You need to learn which teams are the best at getting extra outs and avoiding giving up extra outs. And you need to learn which teams are the worst in these areas. This is going to help you evaluate games better and make more money.

Whats the most popular statistic in MLB? Its probably home runs. Baseball fans tend to enjoy high scoring teams and games, and home runs and extra base hits lead to more runs. For this reason, fans tend to like players and teams with a high slugging percentage.

While theres nothing wrong with this, the problem is that most fans dont consider on base percentage. OBP is a simple statistic that shows how often a player or team reaches base. And the highest scoring teams have the highest OBP.

You need to consider slugging percentage when you evaluate games, but you also need to look at OBP for every game and player you evaluate. In many ways its at least as important as slugging, and in some situations it might even be more important.

Use these seven tricks to become a profitable Major League Baseball gambler. Avoid using overall statistics and use the appropriate splits every time you evaluate a game. Avoid overestimating the importance of hitting, and avoid making losing bets.

Understand the importance of 54 wins and 108 wins, and learn the best strategies for the available betting lines. When you use these tricks you can join the ranks of profitable professional baseball gamblers.

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7 MLB Betting Tricks - MLB Betting Strategies That Pro Gamblers Use - BestUSCasinos.org

Casinos are working feverishly towards making guests feel they are not at risk when they travel back to properties with newly implemented safety measures. Among all these new features, there is one important change blatantly missing: prohibiting smoking.

Smoking could easily spread the COVID-19 virus, not only because of the need to remove your mask but because of an individual's pattern of fingers to mouth while in constant contact with each game they decide to participate in.

Many doctors and experts have gone on record expressing that smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to coughing which in turn can aid in the spread of the infection. Unfortunately, casino operators dont appear to have all the health interests of both their guests and employees at the heart of their newly implemented changes. Should that change, now is the time to play the hand being dealt and push all the collective chips into the middle.

Patrons either turning on the news or coming across signs in local establishments are told to avoid touching surfaces others have touched, and then touching your face, mouth, or eyes. In casinos, gamblers continuously touch cards, chips, dice, slot machine buttons, and above all, money. Even those of us who are not medical experts can rationalize that the act of smoking could likely lead to a higher risk of transmission during uncertain times

Also, what about the risks to non-smokers resulting from secondhand smoke? Part of the outline in the current Nevada Gaming Control Boards reopening plan only requires properties to provide face masks or cloth face coverings upon request. Rather than make it a requirement, they only encourage guests to wear them.

The rationale behind the decision is not about safety, but money. Management running the properties are worried people would stop coming to play, leading to money lost from international tourism where many gamblers do not face such restrictions.

Dating to the days of Frank Sinatra to Sammy Davis Jr, many iconic images depict Sin City as a gambling destination where smoking has been synonymous with the lifestyle and imagery of the citys bustling nightlife. But times have changed, and the goal should be to not only attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19, but to help others avoid the fate of Davis, an avid smoker who eventually passed away from throat cancer.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas gambling expert and author David Schwartz recently told USA Today that the current state of the world presents an ideal time for Nevada gaming operators to consider implementing the change:

"Coming back from COVID-19, both casino patrons and employees may have increased concerns about the presence of cigarette smoke. Given that the customer experience will be very different when casinos reopen, this may be an ideal time for Nevada gaming operators to consider changing where they allow smoking on their properties."

Additionally, Ashley Herbert, Director of Government Relations with the American Heart Association, recently told the Shreveport Times:

No one should have to choose between their health and a paycheck...there should not be one class of worker that is unprotected from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, Herbert told The Times.

If the focus of state officials is truly on the health and safety of the public, then directives should be made demanding casinos in every state become smoke-free. If considered, the greatest gambling destination in the world can implement a change that validates the health and safety of guests and workers at the forefront of the new reality.

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Gambling Today: Time to Ban Smoking in Casinos - Sports Illustrated

People always connote sports betting in a negative light, as it is part of gambling. Throughout the years, the sports betting industry has continuously battled the state to make the activity legal and valid. And although most parts of the United States were able to get a go signal, few still remain in rage.

Its a fact that sports betting takes place in every sporting event, and some do not agree with this idea. However, if you look at the bigger picture of sports betting, it is the sole reason why a sport has become more popular. Aside from that, it attracts more fans, making sports events more thrilling and exciting.

As the debate for legalizing sports betting continues to be in hot water today, it is undeniably practiced in some states where sports betting is legal. Hence, to understand better why sports betting needs attention in all aspects, lets get to know both the pros and cons it provides not only to bettors but to all esteemed sports fans all over the world.

Here are the advantages sports betting can bring both for the fans and the sporting event.

Regardless of legality, sports betting has existed since long ago and served as the backbone of many sporting events on earth. This kind of industry offers a win-win situation for both the games and the bettors. The profits that they can both earn comes in huge numbers and can ameliorate immediate financial needs.

Also, the U.S. Supreme Court is still in the process of fully approving this kind of activity. While staying on that matter, they are still allowing sports betting in some states, but in a fairer environment.

One convincing reason why sports betting must be legalized is for tax purposes. The massive availability of sports betting can create enormous taxes for the state and the nation as a whole. It can help the state earn money that can help them fund on-going and upcoming projects, making them more progressive.

Apart from that, it can also open many job opportunities for those who want to earn money. In that sense, the opportunity to make money through sports betting is limitless. Thus, providing a positive impact both for the bettors, the sporting events, and the state.

When sports betting is not legal, there is a high possibility that oddsmakers can lure the public in all wagering games they can play. There are no laws that can govern the whole betting guidelines, and they can tame the gamblers by all means. Also, they can make odds always come in their favor, which may not benefit the sports fans at all.

When you think that sports betting is good in most aspects, here are some disadvantages that prevent other people from believing that it is a good practice.

As stated above, bookies dont make a generous credit to help their bettors earn a lot. Although some gamblers can outsmart bookies by making smart bets, most of the time, these bookies prevent that from happening. They usually build their odds value wonderfully to entice every bettor, who ends up losing instead of winning.

The purpose of sports is for fans to get entertained when boredom strikes. Aside from that, it will help them how to play the game and learn the guidelines set in every sporting event. When sports betting becomes legal, the fans might end up focusing more on studying each odds value for betting purposes, not for the nature of the game.

Moreover, sports will become more commercialized as it involves more money. When this happens consistently, games in the coming years will be offered for sports betting purposes, not for entertainment.

Sports betting involves a considerable amount of money, and addiction is inevitable. For a beginner, they may find this intimidating, but if they get hooked, they might not notice that they are already using the money allotted for personal expenses.

Sports betting doesnt have any formula that helps you win consistently. Its a winning or losing kind of game, and the chances of losing are higher than winning.

By conducting thorough research on its long-term effects and benefits, the decision to legalize sports betting is left in the hands of the Government. If this will become legal, the sports industry and its market must make sure that they are properly guided with its rules, so the game becomes fair. Whether your personal choice is to legalize sports betting or not, the option is for you to weigh and see how this platform will affect the economys nation in the long run.

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Legalizing Gambling: The Pros And Cons Of Licensing American Sports Betting - MarylandReporter.com

Playing the lottery or scratch cards may not be harmless, research suggests.

Although often considered good fun, these mild forms of gambling could be a gateway to troublesome behaviour.

Read more: Gambling loophole must be shut down

Scientists from Curtin University in Perth looked at the gambling habits of more than 2,000 people.

Of the 540 who regularly bought lottery tickets, almost a third reported gambling-related issues like financial difficulties, psychological problems or relationship red flags.

Scratch cards were found to be particularly harmful, possibly due to the instant result and impression players came close to winning.

Playing the lottery may not be 'harmless'. (Getty Images)

A survey of 8,000 adults found more than half (56%) of people in England gambled in 2016, but just 0.7% thought they had a problem.

In the US, almost 10 million (2.6%) are said to be addicted to gambling.

Lottery tickets and scratch cards are often considered harmless, despite little research into their impact.

To learn more, the Australian scientists focused on the 540 participants who bought lottery tickets.

Read more: Philippine police arrest 90 Chinese for illegal gambling

Results, published in the journal Addictive Behaviors, suggest almost a third of the players had some level of gambling-related risk due to their use of lotteries products.

This was more common among the young, male participants. Smokers, vapers and scratch card users were also more at risk.

Lottery tickets aside, other milder forms of gambling may also be more dangerous than they seem.

The data revealed scratchies were particularly harmful, said lead author Leon Booth.

We believe this is because some features of scratchies make them more appealing to problem gamblers, such as instantly letting the user know if they have won a prize and giving users the impression they were close to winning.

We also found people who are generally vulnerable to developing gambling issues, such as younger adults and males, were most likely to experience problems with lottery gambling.

Read more: Vegas casinos reopen after long coronavirus closure

The scientists want people to be more aware of the risks of lottery tickets and scratch cards.

The public needs to understand lottery products such as scratchies and lotto tickets are a true form of gambling and are therefore inappropriate gifts for children and youth, said study author Professor Simone Pettigrew.

Lottery products need to be acknowledged as more than harmless fun and a genuine type ofgambling, andpolicymakersshould act accordingly to reduce harms that result from these products.

Our new findings add to an increasing body of evidence showinglotteryproducts are associated with harm in a substantial minority of users.

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Lottery and scratch cards not harmless forms of gambling - Yahoo Sports

By: James Colgan June 5, 2020

In a Miami Scramble, a team is rewarded for the performance of its weakest players.

Getty Images

Which spots are on your list of must-see golf destinations? St. Andrews is an easy one, same with Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Bandon and Cabot. What about Florida? South Beach, anyone?

Sure, Miami doesnt have the same cache as some of the aforementioned spots. But the namesake behind this weeks golf gambling game, the Miami Scramble, deserves at least a tip of the cap for birthing a unique twist on a timeless golf format. Heres how you and your buddies can play.

The traditional scramble is a format used by golfers around the world, often in the case of large outings and events. In a scramble, all four golfers play the best ball of their foursome on each successive shot until the ball is in the hole.

As a result of each golfer playing the foursomes best shot, a scramble generally sees improved scoring and pace of play. However, the nature of the format also lends itself to getting dominated by groups featuring one highly-skilled golfer.

In a Miami Scramble, the rules of a traditional scramble are flipped on their head. As opposed to a single low-handicap golfer carrying his or her team, a Miami Scramble requires a teams weakest players to perform well in order to be successful.

A Miami Scramble requires a combination of ability and strategy from all four players. Teams who use their best players tee shot are forced to rely on their other three golfers to carry the remainder of the hole, while those who opt to rely on a tee shot from their lesser players risk losing birdie opportunities off the tee box.

In either case, teams who wish to score well in a Miami Scramble are only as good as their weakest link. If youre ready to raise the stakes (and the temperature) in your next round, its time to try the Miami Scramble.

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In this golf gambling game, your weakest link will make or break you - Golf.com

Banned since March, the gambling industry in Latvia is allowed to resume operations as of next week.

The gambling industry in Latvia is planned to return as of June 9. The legal gaming operators in the country can reinstate business following a parliament bill. The Saeima, which is Latvias parliament, has passed a bill yesterday, June 5, that effectively allows the return of gaming. Under the bill, both online and land-based gaming operations can return to business. With the return of business, the country marks the end of Latvias state of emergency.

All gaming operations in Latvia were banned after a bill introduced on March 22. This was a direct result of the countrys government aiming at reducing the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Back in April, the Latvian government updated the bill, effectively banning online gaming with instant effect. The emergency bill however is not the first hit on the gaming market in the country. Last year, the Latvian parliament made changes in the industrys taxation and fees. According to the government, this move was solely to add fresh funds towards the state budget.

With the Latvian bill being passed, operators can resume operations as of June 9. Despite the gaming industry losses, some Latvian deputies disagree. New Conservative Party members Krijnis Feldmans, Gatis Egltis and Linda Ozola submitted an updated bill which aims at continuing the land-based gambling ban in Latvia. Their bill however was rejected.

The deputies bill quickly caught the eye of the Latvian Gaming Association (LGA). According to them, proper actions were taken by the retail gambling prior to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. LGA also pointed out that land-based also took measures towards problem gambling. The association also said: Even before the ban on gambling, industry operators implemented both the virus prevention measures set out in the recommendations of the authorities and measures promoting safe and responsible gambling.

In addition, the association outlined their specialized action plan towards reducing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The measures would include enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols, frequent airing of the rooms but also limited customers per venue. LGA pointed out that as per the action plan, there must be one person per every four square meters. In conclusion the association noted that enhanced social distancing will be applied as well as monitoring of visitors to ensure all rules are followed.

Elsewhere in Europe, the UK announced that the betting venues will reopen as of July 4. Measures in the UK venues will be similar to the Latvian ones. Punters will have access to hand sanitizer, social distancing is also going to be monitored.

Turning our eyes to the United States, many states already restarted their gaming industry. The latest reports show some 25 states that have already opened their gaming venues for visitors. More states are also planning to reopen for visitors in the upcoming weeks. Overall the gaming industry around the globe will need more than a few months to recover from the COVID-19 impact. Keeping in mind the shutdown applied worldwide, most governments have already felt the need for fresh funds which can come from gambling taxation. One can only hope that once the travelling is resumed to normal, the industry will find a way to quickly recover from the devastating COVID-19 hit.

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Latvia to Restart the Gambling Industry on June 9 - GamblingNews.com

It is difficult to keep ones mind in the clear and the sanity intact, given the kind of times we are peddling through. Everywhere we look around, we can only see darkness and uncertainties. 2020 has been looking bleak in every way, and it has pushed us to reconsider our actions and second-guess the kind of lives we have been living all this while. Was it the desired normal? And once this is all over, is it a great idea to go back to that kind of normal, or do we need to stitch a new normal? Well, only times can tell us about this. But, the kind of uncertainty that has loomed large in every sector, it is pretty scary to think of them. People hardly know what to do with their lives, and the economy looks terrible. Months of lockdown have put industries out of business, and it is not very clear when things shall start looking promising again. People have turned to activities that they had not previously thought about, to kill boredom and if possible, make some money out of them.

One such activity is gambling. The gambling industry, just like any other industry, has been severely impacted by COVID-19. Land-based casinos have gone out of business and endangered the livelihood of many. But the only welcome relief amidst the entire crisis is the online casinos. Online casinos have seen a significant increase in their revenue ever since COVID-19 ventured out on a death rampage. People have found a new hobby and a new way to make money. In this article, we shall try to gauge the exact reasons why online casinos have become a hotspot for gambling activities in times as such.

Online Gambling Does Not Require You to Step Out:

People all over the world have been in a lockdown situation for months. And even if the lockdown laws are easing up and people have started going out, everyone is following the social distancing norms. Therefore, online gambling is quite an amazing option to indulge in some fun gambling activities without having to stress much about catching the infection if one goes out. One can just stay home, snug under their blanket while trying their hands in making some fun money.

Online Gambling Makes for an Easy Option to Make Money:

The economy is in a crisis, and people are looking for ways to earn some additional income. Online gambling is one such way to handle the crisis. You can sit home and try making money, without having to try hard to find another job that pays you well. Of course, you have to be careful while gambling online. But,online gambling in NYand several other places have stepped in like a knight in shining armour. There are numerous games that you can play, and if you are careful and lucky enough, you might just end up winning a big amount.

Online Gambling Makes for A Great Way to Kill Boredom:

There is hardly anything new left to try out in these times. People have perhaps read all their books, binge-watched TV shows and tried learning new skills. Online gambling can make for a new thing to do in times as such. You only need to be careful about signing up on these sites, and once you do that, you shall open up the door to a myriad of games to try out. You can never really get bored of these games. Plus, it comes with the added benefit of earning some extra cash. This is something that makes online gambling a much sought after domain during these difficult times.

Final Words:

Online gambling can be an amazing way to beat the quarantine blues and make some money out of the same. And it is specifically the same reason why people all over the world are turning to more and more forms of online entertainment. The gambling sector might be crumbling under the pressure of COVID-19. But, online gambling has come in as a saving grace. Therefore, on one hand, where the land-based casinos have no revenues to turn in, online gambling has been wonderfully saving the day for the gambling industry.

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Gambling in the Times of Coronavirus - The Union Journal

GameStop (NYSE:GME) shareholders: brace for impact. The retailer has pre-announced fiscal 1Q20 results, and the numbers do not look all that good.

Global sales and comps are estimated to come in about one-third below year-ago levels. As a result, adjusted EBITDA will turn from a positive last year to a negative this time. Net loss of roughly $167 million suggests a sizable, negative EPS of $2.50 - although about 75 cents of it should be associated with a one-time charge for inventory obsolescence.

Credit: Bisnow

Although the numbers above look awful on the surface, identifying the short-term impact of the COVID-19 crisis on GameStop's first-quarter results is important. In the retail space, Dollar General (NYSE:DG) comes to mind: maybe 22% in positive comps will not be the new normal going forward, and neither will TJX Companies' (NYSE:TJX) evaporating revenues.

During the quarter, several GameStop stores were closed, even though the company declared itself an "essential business" in order to remain open for a few extra days. But the following quote provides a clue as to how bad the period has been for GameStop, even after accounting for COVID-19 headwinds:

Excluding stores that were closed during the first quarter as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, comparable store sales are expected to decline in the range of approximately 16% to 17%.

The sharp decline in comps ex-closed stores during a period when at-home entertainment should have thrived is worrisome. At the same time, I think the numbers also speak to the well-known challenges faced by the company prior to the pandemic. GameStop continues to suffer from the final few months of the console cycle and a secular shift towards streaming and mobile gaming.

Source: DM Martins Research, using data from company report

It was also interesting to note that cash flow from operations, while still negative, is expected to improve substantially this year. This is due to the company's "focus on optimizing the cash conversion cycle and carrying more efficient levels of inventory, which resulted in accounts payable at the beginning of fiscal 1Q20 being lower".

Yes, GameStop has burned far less cash while being partially shutdown than as a fully-functioning retailer.

Since I wrote my most recent, bearish article on GameStop, the stock has climbed 14% from $3.60/share (granted, against a 22% gain in the S&P 500). But between then and now, shares (1) lost a third of their value in the last week of March, (2) doubled in the first few days of April, and then (3) fell by nearly 30% in the first half of May. Time the entry right, and an investor would have looked like a genius. Time it wrong, and a portfolio's returns would have been embarrassing for the rest of the year at least.

I certainly have fundamental reasons for not liking GameStop and its stock. However, what drives me further from it is not a "hot take" on the future of the company. Rather, it is the stock's erratic price behavior and all the distraction that comes with share ownership.

Data by YCharts

The graph above shows how hard it has been for an investor to deal with GME in the past year. Shares have consistently failed to reclaim 12-month highs, while bouncing all over the place. More important than the business prospects, the stock has been influenced by speculations on the gaming console cycle, drama at the Board of Directors, sky-high short interest, and the buying and selling of shares by a celebrity investor.

There are currently 2,800 names trading at the New York Stock Exchange. Why would I ever consider buying GME, other than for the pure joy of gambling, with so many more compelling alternatives to it in the market?

I use an approach that favors predictability of financial results and broad diversificationwhen choosing stocks for my All-EquitiesStorm-Resistant Growthportfolio. So far, the small $229/year investment to become a member of the SRG community has lavishly paid off, as the chart below suggests. I invite you toclick hereand take advantage of the 14-day free trial today.

Disclosure: I am/we are long DG, TJX. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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GameStop's Awful First Quarter And The Joy Of Gambling - Seeking Alpha

Photograph courtesy of Armon Owlia for The Triangle

Listen to this episode of Mark and Jair Explain Sports online:

This week, Mark and Jair have an inside scoop about the gambling industry from a U.S. Integrity member, COO Scott Sadin. Sadin pointed out companies that interact with U.S. Integrity. One noticeable partner of Integrity sports is the NBA. After having Dave Barritt as a guest last week, it was good to take another dive into the gambling world of sports. If youre interested in taking a highly recommended sports gambling course, visit https://sportsgamblingeducation.com/.

Earlier today the NBA announced more regarding its plan to restart and finish the 2019-20 NBA Season. The season is expected to resume on July 31. Many people question team chemistry and they may have a point. We shall see. Will LeBron James lead the Lakers to triumph, or will it be another upset and bitter ending to a season with high expectations? Lets talk more next week.

Stay tuned for more episodes of Mark and Jair Explain Sports. Both Mark and Jair will come up with several different sports topics to discuss during their podcast. Be sure to follow them on Instagram @exsportsdrexel.

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A Deeper Dive Into Gambling - The Triangle - Drexel University The Triangle Online