Category Archives: Gambling

ST. PETERSBURG We have casinos and we have betting apps. We have deals with the Seminole Tribe and we have ravenous parimutuel sites. We have tons of gambling commercials and we have expensive campaigns for constitutional amendments underway.

What we do not have checks for white smoke from the Florida Governors Mansion is legalized sports betting in the state.

Oh, it was here for a while. For a little more than three weeks in November, to be precise. The Seminole Tribe had agreed to pay the state $2.5 billion over five years in exchange for creating online sports betting, as well as introducing roulette and craps games in their casinos.

The federal government signed off on the pact and Florida joined about two dozen other states in the sports gambling business, following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that opened the door in 2018.

There was just one small problem. Two, actually.

The Seminole gambling operation is supposed to be limited to tribal land. While their computer servers may have been located on that land, the app obviously was available everywhere.

Also, the states constitution had been amended in 2018 to put the expansion of casinos in Florida in the hands of voters. Adding sports betting, craps and roulette sounded like a form of expansion.

Thats why a federal district court judge put a halt to the Seminole pact on Nov. 23, effectively ending sports betting less than a month after it was launched.

Judge Dabney L. Friedrich said using the idea of computer servers on tribal land as justification for a statewide app was fiction.

So this was a victory for anti-gambling forces?

Well, yes and no.

Remember that constitutional amendment that put gambling expansion in the hands of voters? Now, there are several campaigns underway for a new amendment that would permit sports betting across the state. And when we say across the state, were not just talking about the Seminoles and their operation.

Online sports betting giants DraftKings and FanDuel are bankrolling the petition drives that are required to get the constitutional amendment on the ballot and in front of voters in 2022. (And they dont have a lot of time to get the nearly-900,000 verified signatures required, which is why they already have coughed up tens of millions on the campaign.)

If this venture succeeds, legalized sports betting will actually loom even larger in Florida, and the governor will need to redo the gambling compact with the Seminole Tribe because theyre not going to happily pay $500 million a year to the state if they no longer have exclusivity.

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Thats not complicated at all, is it?

Dont feel too guilty if your eyes began to glaze over a few paragraphs ago. Sports betting in Florida may have been one of the biggest stories of 2021, but it will remain firmly entrenched in the headlines throughout 2022.

Florida coach Dan Mullen seemed to think it was a good idea to deflect questions about his less-than-impressive record of recruiting. Were in the season right now, he said after losing to Georgia. Well do recruiting after the season. When it gets to recruiting time, we can talk about recruiting. Okay? Next question.

Turns out, UF administrators had questions of their own. A few weeks later, after losing to Missouri, Mullen was fired. People look at losses as a cause to get rid of a coach, athletic director Scott Stricklin said. But a lot of times the losses are symptoms of other issues. A week later, the Gators hired Billy Napier as their new coach.

While the Rays have rarely chased big-money free agents, they have not been shy about opening their wallets for homegrown talent. Evan Longoria, James Shields, Matt Moore, Brandon Lowe and Blake Snell are just some of the players signed to long-term deals in Tampa Bay.

The biggest signing of all came in November when the Rays inked 20-year-old Wander Franco to a deal that guarantees him $182 million over 11 years. It is the richest contract given to an athlete in any sport in Tampa Bay.

The Rowdies made their mark in 2021 with stellar defense. Then goaltender Evan Louro tore up his knee during a postgame celebration the week before the USL Championship title game. With Louro out of the lineup, the Rowdies gave up three first-half goals to Orange County on the way to a 3-1 loss.

Calvary Christian didnt have the lofty national ranking Miami Westminster had (No. 7 in the U.S.), but the Warriors had just as much heart and skill. And by the end of the night on Nov. 18, they had the Class 3A volleyball state title, too. Calvary Christian beat Westminster 25-21, 25-20, 25-21.

Plant, meanwhile, added to its impressive haul of state volleyball titles with a Class 7A championship victory against Windermere. Plant now has 11 state championships in volleyball, which is fourth best in Florida history.

Its not often you can triple bogey the 71st hole of a golf tournament and come back to win. But, then again, there arent a lot of golfers like Nelly Korda.

The Bradenton native birdied the final hole to reclaim a share of the lead, then won the Pelican Womens Championship on the first hole of a four-way playoff. It was her fourth victory of the season, the most by any American on the LPGA Tour in almost a decade.

As expected, Randy Arozarena was named the American League Rookie of the Year in November, making him the fourth Rays player to win the honor since 2008. Kevin Cash won his second straight Manager of the Year award, joining Hall of Famer Bobby Cox as the only back-to-back honorees.

With Ronald Jones spending most of his Sundays on the bench behind Leonard Fournette, everyone wanted to know if the Bucs would deal him to Tennessee before the November trade deadline.

It would have to be something really, really special, head coach Bruce Arians said of a trade possibility. Its just one nick on Leonard and RoJo is the guy again. Turns out, Arians was right. Fournette suffered a hamstring pull and Jones is back in the starting lineup.

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End of year review: The ever-changing odds of sports gambling in Florida - Tampa Bay Times

The number of bitcoin casinos has grown exponentially over the last few years, moving from a little-known but exciting proposition five years ago to something that many are now predicting will be the future of gambling. And if you go back just 10 years or so, these casinos were non-existent, and the entire idea of cryptocurrency gambling was the preserve of science fiction.

Its an exciting time for fans of crypto gambling, and its only going to get more exciting,

Both casinos and players can be charged fees. Usually, if the former are hit with a payment charge, it will be passed on to the latter.

Take credit cards as an example.

For a casino to accept credit cards, it must work with a merchant. That merchant will charge a fee ranging from around 1.4% to 3.5%. Incidentally, the reason that American Express is so rarely accepted is that it charges much higher fees than other providers and is usually near the top end of that scale.

To cover these costs, the casino will charge the player the same fee. But it doesnt end there.

Online casino payments are usually classed as cash payments, which means players will be charged the same as when they withdraw cash from an ATM. The exact cost can vary, but its usually a fixed price followed by an interest charge.

Its not just credit cards, either. Debit cards also come with merchant fees and if you have ever deposited into a PayPal account, converted the funds into a different currency, and then withdrawn, youll know that web wallets arent free (or cheap) either.

With bitcoin, there are no such fees because there are no centralized authorities/merchants to collect them.

The casino isnt charged, and so there are no payments to pass onto the players.

As a result, bitcoin payments offer benefits for both casinos and players its a win-win that is sure to bode well for the future of bitcoin gambling.

Despite the fees associated with them, debit cards and credit cards are some of the most popular payment methods among online gamblers. Its likely more about accessibility than anything else, as most legal age gamblers already have credit cards and debit cards, so its always the simplest option.

However, while it might be quick to reach into your purse/wallet and pull out a debit card, you wont benefit from the same speed when it comes time to withdraw.

Card payments can take anywhere from three to five days to process on average, and thats a long time for players to wait. If youve just scooped a big win, youll be eager to see those funds and put them to good use. If you then have to wait up to five days, youll be pretty annoyed.

Its why many players have been turning to Skrill, Neteller and PayPal, but these options also have their limitations, including verification processes and fees.

Bitcoin may be the better option for the majority of players. It can be just as quick and easy to set up, and once the payments are processed, they are instant. Theres no need to wait three to five days to get your funds, and they will be yours within seconds of the casino confirming the transaction.

Once you take away the centralized authority, you put more control in the hands of the casino, and that gives them more freedom to do what they want.

It means they are not servants to the merchants fees and regulations. They dont have to worry about the fees suddenly increasing, and they definitely dont need to worry that the payment provider will suddenly stop allowing its services to be used for online gambling.

This has happened several times in the past and it has made life difficult for casinos. They are forced to pivot at the last minute, creating chaos. With bitcoin, they are the ones in control and there is no centralized authority to govern their actions.

There are a few security risks with bitcoin, just as there are risks with all payment methods, but it is a safer option than most.

Security is really the final piece of the puzzle. If something is cheaper, faster and preferred by both the consumer and the provider, and its also safe and secure, there is no reason why it cant become the predominant product, and thats where we are with bitcoin in the online gambling sector.

With so much money being invested in bitcoin gambling and so many players backing these currencies, the future of bitcoin is both bright and promising. Of course, it could go either way and there are no guarantees, but if it continues in the same manner, we should see some very exciting innovations on the horizon.

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Why Is Bitcoin The Future of Online Gambling? - Study Breaks

What does it say about local culture that Las Vegas is considered the ninth island?

Yes, Nevadas lower cost of living attracts locals, and the state hosts one of the largest populations of Native Hawaiians outside Hawaii, but that does not fully account for the frequency with which locals head to the desert for vacation.

Instead, consider the attractions: Gambling, fine dining, night clubs, spectacles, music festivals and shows. Ready access to drugs and prostitution (prostitution is legal in Nevada, except in its major cities Las Vegas and Reno, but readily available nonetheless.)

Las Vegas, a sprawling testament to hedonism and decadence, is an appropriate vacation destination for a local culture that seems resigned to political apathy, increasing inequality and escapist fantasy.

For my money, Vegas gambling is synonymous with the slot machine. But that humble slot machine, the one-armed bandit, has evolved over time.

The modern video gambling machine is a technological marvel, carefully engineered to entrap and exploit a user, says Natasha Schull, a cultural anthropologist and author of the book Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas, published in 2012.

In addition to surveying the science of addiction and the engineering behind gambling machines, Schulls book includes interviews with gambling addicts.

Schull says that many gamblers seek the zone, describing a dissociative, trancelike state in which daily worries and bodily awareness fade away, along with any sense of the passage of time. Game designers recognize the addicts desire, and they design their products to maintain a hypnotic flow of action and maximize the users time on the device.

At the extreme end of the spectrum, gamblers will spend whole weekends in this kind of trance, Schull said in a lecture delivered a few years after her books publication.

Schull says that gambling is not necessarily about winning money. Instead, its about an addiction to the flow state thats achieved when woman and machine become one. Thus, we cant fix problems by giving people lessons in probability that they missed in high school.

This understanding of gambling as a compulsion to escape from reality helps us make sense of the steady demand for gambling in paradise. During the pandemic, with travel to Vegas limited, illegal game rooms were busted regularly in Hawaii. Each time, thousands of dollars worth of machines were seized, often from bare, dingy rooms.

Why are people enduring these hellholes for hours at a time? Perhaps because the hell they escape to is better than the one theyre escaping from. Perhaps because local culture rewards and reinforces addictive behavior from cradle to grave.

At a recent family gathering, I noticed that my 3-year-old cousin was enthralled by his iPad. He was learning to read, and his iPad was helping him with three-letter words: C-A-T; H-A-T; etc.

Hed tap a button, and letters would spin on three slot reels. He was delighted each time theyd align, cueing up music or animation. For example, a cartoon cat would emerge from the machine and wink, reinforcing the link between word and referent, but also reinforcing the compulsive, screen-based behavior.

I imagined his future. In elementary school, well-meaning teachers assign educational software which gamifies learning by combining it with variable reinforcement. By middle school, hes paying for Fortnite skins and playing Roblox or Minecraft for hours at a time. In high school (if not sooner), hes on social media with his friends, introduced to the infinite scroll of Instagram or TikTok, craving the dopamine drip of notifications.

By the time he reaches adulthood, hes enmeshed in a world of addictive design. Social media companies optimize for time on a device, feeding him a steady stream of notifications and novelty. Advertisers know when hes prone to impulse buying, and they tailor their offerings appropriately. And more mundane addictions remain: sugar, coffee, alcohol, pornography, sex, drugs of all kinds.

This is the cultural milieu in which our children are raised. And the only thing thats changed is the technology.

After all, gambling is integral to local culture. From pogs to cockfighting, dollar-flipping to sports betting, pool to poker to mahjong. Somewhere, right now, someone is gambling in Hawaii probably someone you know.

Proposals to legalize gambling in Hawaii often start with this premise: Locals love to gamble, and its best for them to do it here, at home. Also, imagine all the money we can wring out of tourists.

Money fountains are tempting, and get-rich-quick-schemes are endemic to Hawaii at this point, especially among disaffected youth. Casino dreams take their place alongside cryptocurrency trading, NFT investment, multi-level marketing, drug dealing and, of course, real estate speculation.

Meanwhile, Hawaii languishes as the second-worst state for doing business, according to CNBC. Contributing to that overall ranking are dead-last rankings for the cost of living and for the cost of doing business. To be fair, our ranking includes one high point: Hawaii is the second-best state for quality of life (now called life, health and inclusion).

Somehow, I dont think addicts seeking the zone feel that their quality of life is high. But I could be wrong.

In my experience, the desire for risk-taking and the desire for negation commingle in the addict. And if we think it is natural or inevitable for the masses to seek the latter, that tells us only how limited our vision is, how fragile our hope.

We have engineered a world in which upward mobility has stalled and our local middle class feels increasingly insecure. Given that, gambling and speculation are an attractive escape. They dull our pain and numb our senses.

We cannot be naive about the hurt and dislocation that people feel. If we remove the narcotizing effects of gambling, Netflix, pornography, video games, and social media, we may well find a community wracked by cynicism and rage. The challenge is to create a world worth living in, one that we dont feel driven to escape from.

Civic renewal requires that we attend to our surroundings. We must reconsider our built and natural environment, our economic and social institutions. If they are not worth our time and attention, we must make them so.

Renewal means investing in the small but reliable acts that benefit our community. It means picking up litter at the beach; volunteering with a nonprofit to help the least of us; or joining a church, club or sports league.

These solutions may seem small when set against the problem outlined above, and they are deliberately so.

I have found that in the halls of power, most officials are unwilling to admit that problems are so severe, for that would compel them to act with urgency and purpose. And a call to action would expose the fact that many would-be leaders lack vision. They cannot imagine life other than as it is, so they cannot be trusted to steer us into the future.

Change will come from within the community. It will bubble up from spontaneous human association, as people wake up and realize that life can be better.

Civic renewal cannot be a product of central planning. There will be no glorious revolution, no single leader who can serve as the vessel for our dreams. Renewal is a project of many people, many generations working together.

Our first step is to shun Las Vegas, to leave the zone, to turn away from the screen and take responsibility for what comes next. We must not leave the future to chance.

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Sterling Higa: Leaving Behind The 9th Island And All It Stands For - Honolulu Civil Beat

Jason White| Special to the Courier & Press

Week 16 of the NFL season didnt do much to add any clarity to the playoff landscape. Only one AFC team has puncheditsticket to the playoffswhile five teams in the NFC have earned a playoff berth.

With 24 teams still alive to make the playoffs, these late-season games become more and more pressure-packed.Veteran quarterbacks always have an edge in these win-or-go-home scenarios.

COVID also continues towreak havoc in the world of player availability. Stay up to speed on all roster announcements and watch for subsequent line movement. Its monumentally important to hold off on placing your bets until as close to kickoff as possible.

Two-team teaser:

BUCCANEERS (-10) atPanthers:After being shutout in Week 15, Tampa Bay took out its frustrations on the Panthers. Buccaneers 32, Panthers 6 -(WIN)

RAVENS (+3) atBengals:COVID and injuries forced the Ravens to play a 35-year-old practice squad player at quarterback. Bengals 41, Ravens 21 -(LOSS)

COWBOYS (-10) vs. Washington:The Cowboys dominated both sides of the ball and recorded their largest margin of victory in the history of this storied rivalry. Cowboys 56, Washington 14 - (WIN)

Prop bet:

Five-team money line parlay:Buccaneers, Bills, Patriots, 49ers, Packers (+115)

COLTS (-6.5) vs. Raiders:The Colts played at a very high level in the crucial month of December. Even with the uncertainty of the status of quarterback Carson Wentz, the rushing attack led by Jonathan Taylor will tell the story. The Colts are 10-5 against the spread this year while the Raiders are 6-9.

OVER (41.5) Jaguars atPatriots:During their seven-game winning streak, the Patriots were averaging just over 32 points per game. Despite their offensive woes during the past two weeks, the Patriots will get back on track and light up the scoreboard. Look for the Jaguars to do their part late in the game to push this total over the top.

UNDER (46) Broncos atChargers:The Chargers are struggling and willbebattling for their playoff lives.They have the offensive weapons necessary to blow out the Broncos. Look for them to keep Denver at bayjustenough to keep this total below the number to gain. The Broncos are 3-12 against the point total this year.

VIKINGS (+6.5) atPackers:The Vikings need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive while the Packers will be looking to hold on to the #1 seed in the NFC. Its tough picking against Aaron Rodgers,but the Vikings are one of the few teams with ahistory of success against him. Minnesota is 6-3 in their last 9 games against the Packers.

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The Commish's gambling picks are in for Week 17 of the NFL season - Courier & Press

As Sankranti nears, Chittoor district witnesses a frenzied atmosphere with punters from other places coming here

As the rural side of Chittoor district gets ready to join the Sankranti festivities, the police officials have formed special teams to tackle the menace of rooster fights and gambling, focusing on the forest-fringe villages and known offenders.

Several hamlets and thandas in the mandals of KV Palle and Tamballapalle, bordering with Kadapa district, buzz with rooster fights between December and February during which punters from not only Chittoor and Kadapa districts but also from Karnataka come here.

Some families are known for grooming special breeds of roosters meant for the bloody and cruel completions, with betting running into crores of rupees during the season.

In addition to rooster fights, the gambling activity would also be in full swing in several forest-fringe villages. Fearing police raids, even the enthusiastic gamblers from the urban side would find their way to join the batches in fields and forests-fringe areas.

Deputy SP (Madanapalle) A. Ravi Manohar Achari told The Hindu that special teams were formed to curb the prohibited rooster fights and the gambling menace.

We have about 300 known offenders organising the rooster fights in Madanapalle sub-division. Based on the past records, we are going to bind over all of them and seize the roosters found to be groomed for the banned sports. Special teams would be posted at all vulnerable hamlets till the Sankranti festivities get over, the Deputy SP said.

Meanwhile, the police on Sunday morning took five punters into custody and seized two roosters, eight two-wheelers, and a cash of 19,000 at a remote locality near Devarajulapalle village of B.Kothakota mandal of Madanapalle division. A case was registered.

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Special teams formed to tackle menace of rooster fights, gambling in Chittoor - The Hindu

Record numbers of women are becoming addicted to gambling, statistics show.

There has been a year-on-year increase of 132% in women reaching out for help over their betting habits. But gambling charity Gordon Moody estimates that just 3% of female addicts are seeking help.

It revealed the figures just months before it is due to open the worlds first women-only residential treatment centre in the Midlands.

Matthew Hickey, the charitys chief executive, told how in recent years, there has been a huge rise in the number of adverts for online gambling sites aimed specifically at women.

He said: Covid has highlighted a crisis which needs urgent attention.

Theres little doubt that women suffer even more than men from the guilt and shame surrounding gambling addiction, which is why we need to get the message out that the support is there.

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A YouGov survey, carried out last month for gambling awareness charity GamCare, showed women are 30% more likely to play instant win games, equally likely to gamble online as men and three times more likely to play bingo.

Public Health England also reports that while 0.5% of Brits are problem gamblers, 7% are negatively affected equivalent to five million people.

Stacey Goodwin knows only too well the damage gambling can cause. The 29-year-old once lost 50,000 in just six days after being lured into the betting world by 1 slot machines.

Stacey, who worked in a betting shop, says she originally swore never to start gambling. But at the age of 19, she decided to have a flutter.

Before I knew it, my life was in tatters, Stacey said.

Id regularly gamble away my entire months wages on pay day, took out massive loans I could never hope to repay and considered taking my own life. It seemed the only way out.

With support from her mum, Stacey started attending Gamblers Anonymous groups, but said: Everyone there seemed to be a middle-aged man. I felt I was in the wrong place.

Three years ago, Stacey contacted Gordon Moody and went on a four-day rehab retreat which she says changed everything.

I came to understand my triggers, accepted my addiction and developed tools to help me recover, she said.

It wasnt easy, but the counsellors didnt make me feel ashamed.

Now in recovery, and with the help of Gamban software blocking gambling apps and websites on her phone, Stacey openly talks about her journey on TikTok using the handle Good Girl Gambler.

Stacey, from Chesterfield, Derbys, said: I get 40 to 50 messages every day from women gamblers asking for help. They simply dont know where else to turn.

It was two full years after my rehab retreat before I actually opened up about my own addiction.

Its only now, with fresh eyes, that I can see how so much of the gambling industry is aimed at women, with pink bingo and female characters in online gambling games. Its a multi-billion-pound industry that knows exactly what its doing.

Stacey thinks one of the reasons women are reluctant to talk about gambling is because few female celebrities have spoken publicly about it.

You have dozens of footballers, snooker players, you name it theyre all men. A woman gambler develops a gambling addiction and thinks theyre the odd-one-out, she said.

There must be hundreds of famous women out there who have blown everything gambling. The fact theyre hiding their addiction adds to the problem.

GamStop, which launched its free tool to block gambling on mobile devices in 2018, reported its 250,000th user last week.

More than a third of those signed up to the software are women.

Addictions counsellor Steve Pope has seen a 400% increase in the number of women reaching out to him since the pandemic began.

He also told how gambling addiction has the highest attempted suicide rate of any addiction, at 82%.

Its because its so easy to hide, he said.

When things unravel, addicts feel a crushing sense of guilt and shame.

Its a buzz which unlike alcohol or drugs seems to be harmless, so a mum at home with the kids has a flutter online and before she knows it, shes blown her Universal Credit and cant pay the bills.

Rebecca Sparkes, a psychotherapist specialising in addiction, told how women gamblers had previously been put off by the male-dominated environments of betting shops, but that had completely changed.

She said: Since the pandemic, more women have used online gambling sites not because other activities have been unavailable, but as a way of alleviating stress.

One client tells me she goes into a complete fantasy world while gambling. Its an easy and seemingly risk-free escape from a difficult reality.

Mum-of-two Lisa Walker managed to hide the extent of her gambling addiction from her husband even on her wedding night four years ago.

While Gary and all the guests drank champagne, teetotal Lisa rushed straight to the casino.

Lisa, 49, said: Id engineered things so we got married in Las Vegas but all I had in mind was hitting the roulette wheel.

I blew thousands. I even called the UK for a 2,000 payday loan.

Back home, Lisa rang her son Danny to ask for help paying off the loan. But within 30 minutes, she spent all the money he gave her at a betting shop.

That, for me was rock-bottom, Lisa said.

After decades of gambling, lying and cheating, I knew I had to get help.

Lisa, of Rainham, East London, had started gambling when she was just eight, playing cards during break times at school for money.

For her 18th birthday, her dad took her to a casino but it wasnt until Lisa was 29 that her gambling got out of control.

She recalled: I went to the Rendezvous Casino in Southend where I got a Royal Flush and won 127,000.

"Instead of paying off my mortgage, which I couldve done twice over, I couldnt resist the buzz of the casino and wasted it all.

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Even with Danny and her disabled daughter Georgia to look after, the then-single mum couldnt stop and in 2012, Lisa declared herself bankrupt, having remortgaged her house three times and lost around 500,000.

She said: I was homeless with two kids and even then, I was still gambling.

Lisa attended her first Gamblers Anonymous meeting in 2018 and last month, she started a new job at gambling charity, Bet Know More.

She has even secured the funding to start her own women gamblers support group, called New Beginnings.

Lisa said: Every single person knows of a problem gambler who is hiding their addiction. If by telling my story I can help just one woman get her life back, it will be worth it.

Working for a charity supporting drug and alcohol addicts didnt stop Kerri Nicolls from getting hooked on gambling and she didnt recognise her own addiction until years later.

Kerri, 39, said: Just over 10 years ago I decided to put a 1 bet on a football match and won. I was pretty much hooked from then.

Kerri was then offered a free 200 credit with Bet365 and went on to download several betting apps on her phone.

I was taking out loans and maxing out credit cards, hiding my losses, always desperate to claw them all back, Kerri said.

I was so hooked, I even gambled at a friends funeral.

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In 2013, she persuaded her partner to take out a 12,000 loan to help her clear her student debt but it was just a ruse to get more money to gamble with.

Within two years, she had accrued 45,000 of debt and was forced to admit she had a problem.

Her dad agreed to pay off the money in the form of a loan but Kerri was offered more credit so continued gambling, betting 5,000 a time on sporting events worldwide.

When the truth about her addiction eventually came out, Kerris relationship collapsed and she moved back home, where she suffered from suicidal thoughts.

Her mum insisted Kerri visited her GP, who referred her to a crisis team. She also then joined Gamblers Anonymous, started a peer support programme at GamCare and sought help from Gordon Moody.

In 2019, Kerri, from North Devon, got a job as a peer support worker with the charity. I know how coming forward as a woman with a gambling addiction can be hard, she said.

I felt Id never be able to stop but Im stronger now and happier than Ive ever been. Sure, I lost over 100,000, but now I have a new partner, a job thats rewarding beyond measure and Im alive.

For help, call 01384 241292 or visit gordonmoody.org.uk. Alternatively call 0808 8020 133 or see gamcare.org.uk. Download gambling-limiting software for free on any smartphone or laptop at gamstop.co.uk

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'I lost 50k in six days after I was lured into the betting world by 1 slot machines' - The Mirror

Up to 42,000 people in Northern Ireland are 'problem' gamblers, often running up huge debts, it has been revealed.

nd for every individual gambler, a further six people are affected adversely.

The province has the highest rate of problem gambling in the UK - four times higher than England, for example - against a backdrop of increased poverty and levels of poor mental health.

One case study shows a family member who paid off 15,000 of a relatives' gambling debt, leaving 19,000 still outstanding, 10,000 of it owned to other relations and friends and 9,000 on credit cards, payday loans and overdrafts.

The grim reality of gambling was spelt out to an Assembly committee which is investigation how legislation controlling the practice can be modernised.

Maurice Meehan, of the Public Health Agency, said Northern Ireland has the highest estimated rate of problem gambling of the UK regions, essentially four times higher than England and one of the highest rates internationally.

"Northern Ireland also has the highest prevalance of mental illness in the UK which may make the population particularly vulnerable to problem gambling," he told the committee which monitors the Department of Communities.

Advice NI, which is the umbrella organisation for the independent advice network, has suggested a central collation of statistics on the issue.

Head of Policy Kevin Higgins said: "If we had a real-time collation of stats, it would give us a better idea of the ongoing nature of the problem and, depending on the stats provided, give us an idea of the areas or types of gambling in which the problem lies."

Mr Meehan said in the province it is estimated that between 9,000 and 42,000 people take part in "harmful" gambling but only a small proportion are receiving any kind of treatment at any time.

Dr Joanna Purdy, of the Institute of Public Health, said: "As Northern Ireland has the highest levels of deprivation and mental ill health in the UK, that makes a particularly vulnerable nature in respect of gambling harms.

"For every one person experiencing problem gambling, six others are adversely affected. That equates to around one in ten people living in the most deprived areas experiencing harm from either their own gambling or someone else's gambling."

Advice NI had dealt with 11 cases of indebtedness caused by gambling, with a total amounting to just below 217,000. Official Charlotte Ahmed said: "That illustrates how widespread gambling addiction is. It affects not only individuals but their families."

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Gambling a problem for up to 42000 in Northern Ireland - Belfast Telegraph

Twitch streamer Tyler Trainwrecks Niknam has become one of the most-subscribed content creators on Twitch after hosting a $1 million giveaway.

On January 1, Trainwrecks decided to give away $1 million after winning a $10 million prize from gambling on stream. Viewers entered to win a portion of the money by posting 21 in the chat along with their Bitcoin wallet address. Some of the winners were his friends, including $35,000 going to a childhood friend of Trainwrecks.

Trainwrecks giveaway stream peaked at over 70,000 viewers. He also gained over 21,000 subscribers in that one single day. That brought Trainwrecks from around 30,000 subscriptions to 51,000, skyrocketing him to a new place among the top 10 most-subbed streamers on Twitch.

Trainwrecks has become very popular over the past few years despite ongoing controversy. Most recently, Trainwrecks was criticized for his gambling on stream. He gambles a large amount of money online, and some viewers have gone so far as to call it a gambling habit. Trainwrecks tells his viewers not to gamble, but there is no denying that his young viewers are impressionable and may be influenced towards gambling, especially after seeing Trainwrecks win millions of dollars from his gambling exploits.

Other streamers like Felix xQc Lengyel, who used to gamble on stream themselves, have spoken out against gambling on stream. Twitch has also banned gambling-related links and codes, but the site still allows streamers to gamble during live broadcasts so long as they arent providing promotional links or codes to their viewers.

After his $1 million giveaway, Trainwrecks reportedly won another $1 million while continuing to gamble online.

Excerpt from:

Trainwrecks gives away $1 million during live Twitch stream - WIN.gg

The Latest Released Mobile Gambling market study has evaluated the future growth potential of the Global Mobile Gambling Industry and provides information and useful stats on market structure and size. The report is intended to provide market intelligence and strategic insights to help decision-makers take sound investment decisions and identify potential gaps and growth opportunities.

Additionally, the Mobile Gambling Market report also identifies and analyses changing dynamics, emerging trends along with essential drivers, challenges, opportunities, and restraints in the Mobile Gambling market, which will help the future market to grow with promising CAGR and offers an extensive collection of reports on different markets covering crucial details. The report studies the competitive environment of the Mobile Gambling Market is based on company profiles and their efforts on increasing product value and production.

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Keep yourself up to date with the latest market trends and changing dynamics due to COVID Impact and Economic Slowdown globally. Maintain a competitive edge by sizing up with available business opportunities in Mobile Gambling Market various segments and emerging territory.

The research offers detailed segmentation of the global Mobile Gambling market. Key segments analyzed in the research include Type and Application.

By Type:

By Application:

The report will include a market analysis of Mobile Gambling which includes Business to Business (B2B) transactions as well as Mobile Gambling aftermarket. The market value has been determined by analyzing the revenue generated by the companies solely. R&D, any third-party channel cost, consulting cost and any other cost except company revenue has been neglected during the analysis of the market. A comprehensive analysis will be provided covering the following points in the report:

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Top Key Players included in Mobile Gambling Market:

Region Included are: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Oceania, South America, Middle East & AfricaCountry Level Break-Up: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, South Africa, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Germany, United Kingdom (UK), the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Turkey, Russia, France, Poland, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Australia and New Zealand, etc.

What benefits does the In4Research study is going to provide?

Key questions answered by Mobile Gambling market report

Table of Content For Mobile Gambling Market Report

Chapter 1. Research Objective

Chapter 2. Executive Summary

Chapter 3. Strategic Analysis

Chapter 4. Mobile Gambling Market Dynamics

Chapter 5. Segmentation & Statistics

Chapter 6. Market Use case studies

Chapter 7. KOL Recommendations

Chapter 8. Investment Landscape

Chapter 9. Competitive Intelligence

Chapter 10. Company Profiles

Chapter 11. Appendix

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About In4Research

In4Researchis aprovider of world-classmarket research reports, customized solutions and consultingservices, and high-quality market intelligence thatfirmly believes in empowering the success of its clientssuccesses in growing or improving their business.We combine a distinctive package ofresearch reports and consulting services,global reach, andin-depth expertise in markets such asChemicals and Materials, Food and Beverage, Energy, and Powerthatcannot be matched by our competitors. Our focus is on providing knowledge and solutions throughout the entire value chain of the industries we serve. We believe in providing premium high-quality insights at an affordable cost.

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Recent Developmens in Mobile Gambling Market with Emerging Technologies, Business Opportunity and Industry Forecast to 2026 Industrial IT -...

Blockchain technology offers elegant solutions for multiple use cases and improves the traditional system by making it transparent, censorship-resistant, fairer, and removing any third-party intervention. In recent years, the crypto industry and particularly the Ethereum ecosystem have pushed this technology to the next level opening opportunities for several sectors.

The BC.GAME project has managed to leverage Ethereum and its smart contract capabilities to build a game and gambling platform which brings the principles of blockchain, fairness, and transparency, to an industry that no longer needs to be based on trust. The platform is based on the hash algorithm and storages all of its data on Ethereum.

Thus, users can utilize blockchain explorer tools, such as etherscan, and verify for themselves that all transactions and relevant data have been stored on the blockchain. Once it has been secured by Ethereum, its impossible for any single entity or individual to tamper with it.

BC.Game is an open-source project, and its code is available on GitHub for every user to verify the legitimacy of the project and its 1% house edge. The team behind the platform has even enabled an algorithm that can verify the equality for their games and test it in different game conditions with random numbers.

On an official Medium post in which they demonstrate the fairness and unfeasibility of tampering with BC.Game, the team behind the project said:

The official organizer cannot manipulate any game setting. Therefore, CRASH is more transparent than other gambling methods. This is the cornerstone on which our game is built.

In addition to its principles, align with those that gave birth to the entire crypto industry, BC.Games offer users a series of games that can be customized and adapted to their styles. Also, players have the opportunity to receive extra rewards via BC.Games bonus program and a feature called Rainbot.

The latter gives prices to random players just by participating in the platforms chat and could provide a good source of income during downward trends in the market. The Rainbot feature can be used in combination with CoCo, if the player has reached a level 3, to gain more rewards and a larger passive income.

In order to participate in BC.Game, users only need to deposit funds and play. As the player progresses and reaches a certain level, he will receive a bonus on any bet mitigating any potential loss and maximizing any future reward.

Currently, players can make manual bets or auto bets on BC.Games digital slot machines, popular card game Blackjack, dice with guarantee impossible manipulation, a unique game called Crash, and others. In the coming months, the platform will add Plinko, Bitspin, and Roullete.

As BC.Game and the Ethereum ecosystem continue to expand in 2022, the future of finances, arts, entertainment, payments, and games seem more likely to be run on top of a blockchain where the odds cant be altered to favor the few in detriment of the many.

See the rest here:

Why BC.Game Is The Best And Most Transparent Gambling Platform Running On Ethereum - newsbtc.com