Category Archives: Gambling

GambleAware has announced that it has recommissioned the Scottish Gambling Education Hub for a further three years from November 1, 2021, which has been delivered by the Fast Forward charity since 2018.

This Hub works with young people, and the adults in their lives, to raise awareness of gambling harms, and ensure that those working with young people and families are confident in their ability to offer harm reduction advice and, signpost those who need it to advice and support.

Upon the renewal, the pair assert that the mission will remain to ensure all children, young people and families in Scotland have access to gambling education and prevention opportunities and resources.

Furthermore, it is added that improvements to the current structure of the programme will be made, to ensure partners, practitioners, and policymakers remain engaged with the issue.

Allie Cherry-Byrnes, Fast Forwards CEO, explained: Fast Forwards work supports young people to make informed choices regarding risk-taking behaviours, towards positive life-long healthoutcomes.

Gambling has become normalised in our communities, with many young people affected by their own gambling, or by the gambling of a parent, carer, or family member.

The renewed funding from GambleAware means that the Scottish Gambling Education Hub willcontinue to work with young people, parents and educators to raise awareness of gamblingharms and ensure support is accessible if they need it.

Furthermore, in 2019, the Scottish Gambling Education Hub established the Scottish Gambling Education Network in a bid to bring together individuals from a variety of settings, with the aim to share best practices, provide support and help establish, sustain, and improve gambling education and prevention provision across Scotland.

The Hub will continue to facilitate and broaden the scope of SGEN activities, including the introduction of hosting a national conference in 2022.

Dr Jane Rigbye, prevention director at GambleAware, commented: Fast Forward has demonstrated its value as a key partner to prevent gambling harm among young people in Scotland. Given the success of the work already carried out, continuity is vital.

The Scottish Education Hub has engaged with young people, parents, the community and youthworkers in an impactful and creative way to deliver unique projects over the years.

We are delighted to support them further in their prevention and education work and look forward to publishing the independent evaluation of the project for their work in 2022.

To date, the Hub has trained staff from more than 550 different organisations across all 32 localauthorities in Scotland, including schools, colleges, universities, youth work and family services.

Moreover, the Scottish Education Hub will play a key part in supporting the creation of the English Education Hub and Welsh Education Hub, projects that will soon be commissioned byGambleAware to help the prevention of gambling harm among young people in both nations.

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GambleAware recommissions the Scottish Gambling Education Hub - Casino Beats

Scientific Games (SG) Lottery Group will participate in the National Council on Problem Gamblings (NCPG) Gift Responsibly Christmas campaign.

This initiative sees SG join several North American lotteries, as well as some in Europe and Australia, in supporting the US-based NCPGs annual efforts to raise awareness about the risks of gifting lottery games to underage players during the holiday season.

Scientific Games is a global leader in the gaming and lottery industries, and one of the first companies to be certified by the World Lottery Association as a responsible gaming supplier, remarked NCPG Executive Director Keith Whyte.

They are a valued NCPG member that is once again participating in the Gift Responsibly campaign. We thank Scientific Games for helping to spread the message that adults should avoid giving lottery tickets to children during the December holiday season.

The company will integrate the new initiative into its existing Healthy Play program, which provides lotteries with products and tools to promote safer gambling. The programs stated aim is to help lotteries educate their players, establish trust and increase lottery literacy.

According to SG Lotterys VP of Responsible Gambling Carla Schaefer, the companys creative and communications teams have designed holiday-themed Healthy Play marketing materials which feature the Gift Responsibly visuals.

She said: The NCPGs Gift Responsibly campaign is perfectly aligned with the goals of ourHealthy Playprogram.

Our creative and communications teams have developed holidayHealthy Playtrade ads featuring the Gift Responsibly visuals, as well as social media, website and internal communications tools to help share the important message that lottery games are not childs play and should not be gifted during the holiday season or ever.

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Scientific Games teams up with NCPG to promote responsible gambling this Christmas - Gambling Insider - In-depth Analysis for the Gaming Industry

Betting and gambling are widely used terms all around the world. Both terms are generally connected with high excitement and entertainment. However, many people dont understand the difference between the two terms. To become a professional gambler, you need to understand the casino vocabulary and increase your winning odds. Thats why we provide a detailed explanation of both phrases and put forward obvious benefits.

More About Online Gambling

If you are not ready to analyze sports teams and their performance, you can focus on online gambling. It includes wagering real money on popular casino games such as slots, blackjack, roulette, poker, bingo, or craps, among others. Gambling refers to wagering your money on events with the unsure outcome. The main intention of gambling is to win money from your activity. When speaking about gambling, it should include three elements: a wagered sum, an element of risk, and the main prize. The result of the bet is typically instant, for example, a spin of a wheel in a roulette game or similar.

Online gambling sites are perfect if you wish to claim regular awards and the best first deposit bonuses in UKGC casinos. You can also earn some free spins for popular slots and enjoy the action. Online casinos are accessible from any place, whether from a tablet, computer, or mobile phone. It makes online gambling even more attractive and comfortable way of entertainment.

More Info About Betting

Aside from gambling, we can talk about another popular activity for gamblers or online betting. It includes predicting the results of upcoming events and placing bets on the outcome. Betting is also known as a commercial activity between two participants the first one predicts the outcome of an event by placing a bet and the other one accepts the bet and pays an agreed amount (in case of a correct prediction).

If we speak about popular types of online betting, we can mention horse racing, betting on sports, or casino games.

Similar Elements of Gambling and Betting

Despite being separate terms, gambling and betting have some similarities -

What About Differences

Apart from having some similarities, we can mention some differences between the two terms:

Meanwhile, governments across the world are working hard to regulate betting. They want to control players behavior and prevent gambling addiction. At the moment, you can already find many organizations supporting people with gambling problems. If you notice any sign of addiction, you should react quickly and improve your life. Be sure to create a budget for gambling-related purposes and stick to it.

It is also worth mentioning that online betting has become an organized commercial project. Today you can see many betting enterprises inviting people to place bets and claim payouts based on the wagered amount. Betting is regarded normal activity which couldnt be said for online gambling which is always associated with some problems. Both activities can result in losses, but gambling can have more destructive consequences.

For more information about the differences between betting and gambling, be sure to check the following table:

The level of risk is high

Conclusion

As you can see, people entertain themselves with different activities, and both betting and gambling are included. Whilst both of them have common points, they are not completely the same. Betting is all about wagering on a unique event while gambling includes risking your cash to receive something in return.

Before choosing one of the activities, players should understand the difference between the two terms and make the right decisions. If you dont prefer researching sports teams and their previous results, you should stick to gambling. This will enable you to learn the rules of games from your home and boost the winning odds.

Authors Bio

Leslie Alexander is a talented Content Strategist at Gamblizard. Her passion for the gambling industry is remarkable, along with her ability to explain important segments of the industry. Leslie has years of experience in the production of gambling and comparisons reviews.

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Betting and Gambling: Different Realization but One Goal Excitement - The Dubrovnik Times

After much anticipation and speculation, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) emergency temporary standard (ETS) vaccine mandate is finally here. Or is it? On Nov. 5, 2021, OSHA issued the ETS requiring employers with at least 100 employees to develop a vaccination policy by Dec. 5 that requires employees to either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly testing for the virus. That same day, lawsuits challenging the ETS were filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth, Eighth and Eleventh circuits. Acting quickly, the Fifth Circuit (which covers Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi) issued an order the next day granting a temporary stay of the ETS. The order, however, left one significant issue unclear: Does the stay apply only in the Fifth Circuit, or does it apply nationwide? Since then, additional lawsuits challenging the ETS have been filed in every federal circuit court. So, what happens next?

The lottery. When multiple lawsuits involving a common question of fact are filed in separate courts, the lawsuits are consolidated and heard by one court. Each federal circuit court in which a lawsuit has been filed will get one entry in a lottery, regardless of the number of individual lawsuits that were filed in that particular court. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation will then randomly draw one entry from that lottery. The lottery will occur on or after Nov. 16. All the lawsuits will then be consolidated and heard before that court. The selected court could then decide to keep the stay that was issued by the Fifth Circuit, modify the stay or throw it out. The court could also limit the scope of the stay to only the federal circuits that were in the lottery or could apply the stay nationwide. One thing thats for sure is that if the Fifth Circuit is selected via the lottery, the odds are against the ETS. However, if the lawsuit does stay in the Fifth Circuit or is assigned to another court that is perceived to be conservative, the Department of Labor and OSHA could decide to take the stay to the Supreme Court of the United States.

All bets aside, in the meantime, employers should continue developing their vaccine/testing policies. If mandate proponents hit the lottery jackpot, employers dont want to be in the red come the Dec. 5 mandate compliance deadline.

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Gambling on the Fate of the OSHA ETS Vaccine Mandate - Lexology

In the past year, Finland has seen a drastic increase in gambling. The Finnish government considered expanding gambling to generate more revenue for the country. Bettors must be aware of this change and understand how it might impact them if it becomes law.

The Finnish Parliaments Committee on Social Affairs and Health released a report discussing whether additional legislation should be regulating online gaming services available in Finland, including poker sites and other lottery-type games of teenagers who play without registration. There were mixed opinions from lawmakers about the new proposals, with some arguing that expanding gambling would only generate more problems than benefits for society as a whole.

This article provides an overview of the regulation of gambling and the benefits of the Finland government expanding gambling.

The gambling act of Finland was established as law on June 6, 2017. This law regulates gambling in Finland and guides the authorization procedure that is one of the most important steps for a company to gain access into the Finnish market. The law has set up national rules for online and offline markets, and its main goal is to protect consumers from harmful gambling activities.

The main goals of the act are to prevent illegal gambling and problem gambling and ensure that Finnish residents can participate in safe, legal gaming. The online services provided by the operators must be accessible to Finns only; otherwise, they will face a fine or imprisonment if they fail to comply with the law. There is also an option for the Finnish online market to be regulated by the EU gambling laws.

According to Section 3 of Act No. 569/2016, a company needs to acquire authorization from the Gaming Authority to operate online gaming services for Finns and foreigners. The company must also have more than ten employees who must hold different professional degrees, such as a gambling services manager, data security manager, senior auditing and compliance officer, or IT developers who develop their online gaming product. They must also report their employees to the Gaming Authority by providing them with an authorization code when they apply for an authorization according to Section 8 of the act.

The Finnish government decided to expand gambling to generate more revenue for Finland. According to reports, it is expected that the new legislation regulating online gaming services would generate an additional 60 million a year in tax revenues.

Online poker rooms have been experiencing a steady growth in their player bases. Statistics from Finlands National Migration Service show that almost 5,000 permanent residents registered as online poker players. The number of these Finnish poker players registered in a foreign online poker room has increased steadily since 2007 and currently accounts for more than 7 million in annual revenues. However, this income is not 100% taxed, as the revenues are generated from games played in other countries.

The Finnish government implemented the legislation to tax players winnings and contribute a larger portion of online gaming gross revenue into public funds.

Most importantly, we have received a mandate to examine further the possibility of levying value-added tax (VAT), payable to the state, on games of chance played online from Finland, said Finnish Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen.

The new laws only apply to players who are placing wagers with a Finnish online poker room. Although the move may seem drastic to some observers, betting companies have noted that most budget-conscious bettors prefer to play in offshore environments. These changes are likely to have little if any impact on their bottom line.

Our players dont care where they play, as long as the site offers fast withdrawals and quality customer service, said Oscar Moller of FortuneJack, an online poker room offering games for Finnish bettors. All they care about is finding the best promotions and bonuses for the games they enjoy playing.

Although proposals to expand Finlands gambling industry were met with some resistance, was a consensus that any changes regarding online gaming services would be made under EU regulations.

There were no enough job opportunities for all Finnish people who wanted to work.

Finlands decision to expand gambling created more jobs. It also means that the government has much more money in taxes. Many people working at gaming places can pay taxes for the government, resulting in more benefits for all Finnish people.

Some other countries have also expanded their gambling. They are making huge profits in taxes, which makes them rich and more powerful.

Gambling has been a popular pastime for centuries. Casinos, bingo halls, and lotteries rake in millions every year from people throughout the country who enjoy placing bets on horse races, sporting events, and card games. The money poured into these venues goes to much more than entertainment its also a significant source of revenue for the government.

Prohibiting does not work. Many young Finns visit neighbouring countries such as Estland, where there are more liberal gambling laws, and take their money across the border to gamble. It is also easy for Finns to visit Sweden, where they can gamble in many ways.

Legalized gambling has contributed to about 15% of GDP in Finland, with regulated gambling being worth US$240b. It is expected to rise to US$400b by 2022.

Finland has its gambling pioneer in RAY (rajatonta rahapeli, borderless gambling). It is a nonprofit company owned by the state that regulates lotteries, casinos, and betting terminals found across the country. However, it is taxed heavily.

There are lotteries and casinos at many greyhound racing tracks in Finland. RAY manages these and helps support the otherwise struggling economic (greyhound racing) sport in Finland. It impacts the amount of funding given to other sports such as ice hockey, basketball, etc.

The government of Finland has expanded gambling to increase revenue and create employment. Many jobs were associated with gaming establishments like casinos, but as these have closed down due to dwindling revenues, unemployment rates are high. It is a great opportunity for people who wont work!

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Why Did Finland Expand Gambling? - PlayStation Universe

Vivian Uyen Nguyen, 36, and Ngan Kieu To, 46, were arrested and charged with gambling promotion.

BEAUMONT, Texas Two women are behind bars after being exposed for illegal gambling operations in Port Arthur, according to a news release from the Port Arthur Police Department.

Vivian Uyen Nguyen, 36, and Ngan Kieu To, 46, were arrested and charged with gambling promotion after the completion of several undercover operations involving the Port Arthur Narcotics and Gun Unit.

To was arrested and charged Thursday, Nov. 4, while working within Lucky's Game Room that's located at 1110 9th Avenue.

Nguyen was arrested and charged Thursday, Nov. 11, while working at the Maytag Laundry building, which is located at 2600 9th Avenue.

Both locations contained multiple "8-Liner" gaming machines, police said. The permit at 1110 9th Avenue was removed by officers and the facility was shut down due to multiple violations, detectives said.

Full news release from the Port Arthur Police Department...

The Port Arthur Narcotics and Gun Unit conducted numerous undercover operations to expose illegal gambling in the City of Port Arthur. After the completion of these operations, two individuals were taken into custody and arrested for Gambling Promotion. These locations, 1110 9th Ave. and 2600 9th Ave. contained multiple "8-Liner" Gaming Machines. The permit at 1110 9th Ave. was removed by officers and the facility was shut down, due to multiple violations.

On 11/4/21, a female, 46 year old, Ngan Kieu To, was arrested and charged with Gambling Promotion while working within the facility of Lucky's Game Room, located at 1110 9th Ave.

On 11/11/21, a female, 36 year old, Vivian Uyen Nguyen, was also arrested and charged with Gambling Promotion while working within the facility of Maytag Laundry, located at 2600 9th Ave., Port Arthur, TX.

If you have information about a crime you could earn a cash reward of up to $1000 by providing an ANONYMOUS tip to Crime Stoppers of Southeast Texas.

Call 833-TIPS (8477) or download the P3Tips App on your mobile device to submit your tip anonymously.

This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.

Also on 12NewsNow.com

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2 women arrested, accused of illegal gambling promotion in Port Arthur - 12newsnow.com KBMT-KJAC

On 7 July, the Conservative MP for Blackpool South, Scott Benton, took his seat at Wembley to watch England take on Denmark in the semi-final of Euro 2020, courtesy of the Ladbrokes Coral owner, Entain a freebie worth 3,457.

Less than four hours earlier, Benton had warned parliament that a review of betting laws, widely expected to result in tougher regulation, must not be driven by anti-gambling ideology.

He called for casinos to be allowed more slot machines, adding that many people would be concerned about the Gambling Commissions plans for affordability checks on people betting online and in person, a measure intended to prevent ruinous losses.

Days earlier he had enjoyed another day out, at Ascot, courtesy of the Betting & Gaming Council (BGC) trade body. In total, he accepted hospitality worth 7,495 during a gambling-funded summer of sport.

All in all, according to a Guardian audit, 28s MPs 19 Conservative and the rest Labour have taken almost 225,000 in wages and freebies from the gambling industry since August 2020.

During the same debate at which Benton spoke one of his two speeches favourable to the gambling industry that month Labours John Spellar interceded. He referred to the urgent need to improve and continue Britains attractiveness as a casino destination.

He had recently been a guest of the Paddy Power owner, Flutter, at Englands match against Germany, and was due to attend the cricket at Lords the following month, at a cost of 874.80 to the BGC, whose members include major casino companies.

For the gambling industry, it was a busy month for both hospitality and political fulmination about the future of regulation.

On 13 July, the Conservative MP Mark Jenkinson expressed grave concerns about the prospect of the government imposing betting limits, in an article, sponsored by the BGC, for the Conservative Home website. The article appeared six days after he watched England play Denmark, courtesy of Entain, and less than a month after the BGC took him to Ascot, visits worth a combined 4,857.

There is no suggestion that any of the trio broke parliamentary rules. But their actions have raised concerns about the gambling industrys apparent attempts to curry favour with politicians and the system that allows it.

The gambling sectors charm offensive comes in the run-up to the publication of a white paper on gambling reform, expected early next year, that could significantly curb the profitability of bookmakers and online casinos.

One peer described the industrys charm offensive as a pretty obvious attempt to influence the outcome of the reforms.

By far the biggest beneficiary of the gambling industrys largesse over the past year was Philip Davies, the Conservative MP for Shipley. The Guardian revealed last year that he had accepted almost 50,000 to advise the Ladbrokes owner, Entain, on safer gambling and customer service.

Davies has previously said that his work outside parliament is a matter for me, although in 2010 he did not extend the same forbearance towards firefighters with second jobs, who were resisting changes to their shift pattern. The firefighters, he said, ought to start to live in the real world at a time when many people are grateful to hang on to their one job.

On top of his work for Entain, which employed two of his former political aides in senior roles at the time he took the job, Davies accepted hospitality worth a combined 8,695 from the company, fellow betting firms Flutter and Gamesys, and the Betting & Gaming Council.

In addition to what it paid Davies, Entain spent almost 41,000 on hospitality for 13 MPs over the summer.

The BGC spent half that sum, 20,405, escorting lawmakers to events including three England matches at Euro 2020, horse racing at Ascot, cricket at Lords and the Ivor Novello awards.

Of the 13 MPs who enjoyed the trade bodys hospitality, three spoke out in support of the industry within days of being entertained, two of them Benton and Spellar in the House of Commons.

During that same debate, Laurence Robertson a longtime advocate for the gambling industry warned of the great danger of tighter regulation, backing the BGCs view that it would drive people towards the black market.

As he has pointed out, he correctly declared his interest, a 24,000-a-year role with the BGC, advising on sport and safer gambling. He also took 9,307 worth of tickets and hospitality at Ascot, York and Sandown racecourses, Lords and Englands match against Denmark. The gifts came from the BGC, SkyBet, Entain and Coral.

In total, 28 MPs are either paid by the gambling industry or have accepted hospitality from the industry, with a total value of 224,281 since August 2020. All of the hospitality and salaries were declared to the register of members interests, in line with parliamentary rules.

Beneficiaries include the Conservative MPs Caroline Dinenage, who is a minister within the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which is overseeing the gambling review, and Aaron Bell, who used to work for Bet365.

The BGC is led by Michael Dugher, a former Labour MP.

Lord Foster of Bath, the chair of Peers for Gambling Reform, said it was pretty obvious why the industry is giving largesse to parliamentarians, calling the flurry of consultancy roles and hospitality freebies an attempt to try and influence the outcome to the advantage of gambling companies. With millions of people impacted by problem gambling and more than one gambling-related suicide every day, I suspect [they] will find themselves on the wrong side of public opinion.

Matt Zarb-Cousin, a former aide to Jeremy Corbyn and director Clean Up Gambling, said: Far too many MPs have had their snouts in the gambling trough. This is a sector that derives most of its profits from the harm it causes their constituents. The government has an opportunity in its gambling review to demonstrate our democracy is not for sale.

An Entain spokesperson said: Any political engagement we conduct is always in line with the registers of members interest. As a sports betting and interactive entertainment company, we are proud of the role we play in supporting grassroots and elite sports both in the UK and internationally.

A BGC spokesperson said: Any hospitality is consistent with the parliamentary rules and is fully declared and transparent.

Aaron Bell said: I have declared all hospitality promptly and transparently in the register of members interests, and have always abided by the parliamentary code of conduct.

The other MPs did not respond to requests for comment.

Philip Davies (Con): 58,675 (8,695 hospitality, 49,980 wages)

Laurence Robertson (Con): 33,306.60 (9,306.60 hospitality, 24,000 wages)

Scott Benton (Con): 7,495 (hospitality)

Nigel Adams (Con): 7,417.14 (hospitality)

Aaron Bell (Con): 6,955.60 (hospitality)

Esther McVey (Con): 6,094.60 (hospitality)

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Almost 225,000 in wages and freebies taken from gambling industry by 28 MPs - The Guardian

John Denton| Special to FLORIDA TODAY

With more and more states legalizing sports gambling and it seemingly getting closer to a reality in Florida, Nigel Wheatstone created the Brevard-based Vegas Lit Games to serve as a safe space where novice gamblers could learn the tricks of the trade without risking gobs of cash.

At the same time, Wheatstone also had part of his focus affixed on starting an operation that could someday soon be a leader in the future of sports gaming.

Vegas Lit Games, which is based in Satellite Beach, is astartup company that hopes to capture a sizable market share of a sports gambling industry that is expected to grow immensely in the coming years.

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Currently, there are 15 states where sports gambling is legal and there are another six including Florida where proposed legislation to enact sports gambling is in place.

On Nov. 5, a federal judge delayed a decision over whether to temporarily halt the gaming compact that authorizes the Seminole Tribe of Florida to operate a sports betting business, allowing legalized sports gaming in Florida to open for the time being. That all could change, however, this week when the federal judge is scheduled to render a decision about the pact between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the State.

Regardless of what happens, Wheatstone already has a free 2 play app (Vegas Lit Sportsbook) in a place where people interested in sports gambling can learn strategies and play for points rather than money.

We wanted to create an ecosystem where new players could come and they could experiment with the whole process of sports betting, they could learn all of the fundamentals of it, understand the process, and do it in a safe environment where they're not going to lose any money, said Wheatstone, a native of England, who has worked in the U.S. for more than two decades with corporations such as Intel and Mastercard.

So, its more of a playground for new gamblers, Wheatstone added. We created an environment where there wasnt one before, and there is now. That goes back to my old trading days of giving people that environment to learn and experiment.

Wheatstone has other experiments in mind, such as a National Sports Bar League, where bar or restaurant patrons wager on sports (for points) against other establishments in the area. Plans are already underway to potentially bring the concept to sports bars and restaurants in Brevard County in the coming months.

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That general idea peer-to-peer gambling will eventually become the wave of the future, Wheatstone predicts. Rather than always having to bet against the house and its favorable odds, Wheatstone believes sports gamblers will migrate toward options where they can wager against friends and other fans in years to come.

Combine peer-to-peer wagering with significantly more in-game sports gambling and Wheatstone is confident that the Brevard-based Vegas Lit Games will be perfectly positioned to grab a share of the market where the sports betting landscape has never been more fertile in the U.S.

We believe this kind of wagering will be the future based on todays metrics of mobile and in-game wagering, Wheatstone said. With mobile wagering capturing more than 80 percent of all sportsbook traffic, and 85 percent of that traffic being in-game wagering, you can see the desire. Plug in our pool and prop wagers, and you have an event that can be wagered on throughout its run time. Players can be paid out, and then they can re-bet before the game has ended. Imagine betting on the first quarter of a football game, and being paid out so you can pick up some props and bet on the second half of the game.

Our company owns a patent that covers this kind of wagering, Wheatstone added. When we bring this to market, we will be a major disruptor to the industry. With the general consensus that people want to bet against each other rather than the house, we are perfectly positioned to capture a patent-protected portion of the market.

Vegas Lit games is currently seeking Brevard County sports bar and beverage-related partnerships for promotion and marketing of their sports bar league events. Please make any inquiries to info@vegaslit.com.

Denton is a publicist for Otter Public Relations and a former Sports Reporter for FLORIDA TODAY

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Brevard-based Vegas Lit Games positioning itself to be a player in Florida's sports gaming - Florida Today

Fourteen gamblers are taking legal action against an online gambling company for allegedly refusing to pay them their full jackpot payouts, according to New Jersey regulators.

In one federal lawsuit, filed by Lisa Piluso of Pennsylvania, the gambler claims the company did not pay a $100,000 jackpot she says she had won while playing a slots game on her phone. The company allegedly maintained there was a bug in the product.

Thirteen other gamblers have claimed they were not given their correct earnings from the gambling company either, regulators said.

The Capital Gains slot game, played by Piluso on Oct. 2 in 2020, was run on an online platform by Caesars Interactive New Jersey, and the game is manufactured by American Gaming Systems, based in Las Vegas.

In a statement released by her lawyer, Paul DAmato, Piluso states, Im an experienced online player, and I was shocked when AGS (American Gaming Systems) officials, including the company president, told me they werent going to pay, even when I showed them the screenshot that I made of the $100,000 jackpot.

According to Piluso, they said I actually won about $300, but they then offered me $1,000, saying we were nice people. How many other players have been in the same situation but agreed to settle for a fraction of their winnings after being told they, too, were nice people?

An investigation into the matter was launched by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. In late August, the division wrote Piluso stating that the AGS had discovered an issue/bug within the game that failed to clear bonus symbols that had appeared on players screens during previous rounds.

On Friday, in response to questions from the Associated Press, the attorney generals office disclosed that it has fined AGS $1,000 for failing to ensure that the game was functioning properly. It is unclear if the company is going to challenge the fine or pay it.

Pilusos lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Camden, accuses the gaming company of consumer fraud and other wrongful actions related to the jackpot prize. Neither Caesars casino nor its online division were named as defendants in the suit.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Deion Johnson may be reached at djohnson@njadvancemedia.com.

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Gambling company sued by customers who claim they were cheated out of big payouts - NJ.com

Problem gambling and gambling addiction are not the same things. While problem gamblers may overspend or strain relationships, gambling addicts spiral out of control. This can lead to bankruptcy, job loss, and divorce. Bettors and their friends and loved ones can catch early warning signs of problem gambling and prevent them from escalating into something worse.

Dr. Kevin Alderson, Alberta psychologist, professor emeritus of counseling psychology for the University of Calgary, and author of the textbook, Addiction Counseling Today: Substances and Addictive Behaviors, identified six cognitive biases that problem gamblers and gambling addicts share:

These beliefs can be caught and corrected early to minimize the risk of an at-risk gambler becoming a gambling addict. Bettors can also learn responsible gaming habits from professional sports bettors, who approach sports betting with cold rationality.

The gamblers fallacy is the belief that random events will correct into a pattern a bettor expects or wants.

In other words, (the belief is) a big win is bound to (happen) after a losing streak, Dr. Alderson said.

Its a fallacy because the first event has nothing to do with whether the next event is a win or a loss.

You could just keep losing, losing, losing, and never have a big win, Dr. Alderson continued.

Even the best sports bettors have small edges. Their picks are no more likely to be winners after a losing streak. The pros know that and budget accordingly.

Problem gamblers and misinformed gamblers alike believe winning streaks are likely to continue. Bettors may believe that if theyre hot on a particular day or weekend, then theyll stay on their hot streak.

Gambling doesnt work on the basis of your beliefs, Dr. Alderson said. It works on the basis that the favor is always with the house.

If a coin is tossed 1,000 times, it will likely land heads close to 500 times and tails 500 times. There may be streaks of 10 heads or 15 tails in a row, but over many flips, the pattern will even out to roughly a 50/50 split.

Professional gamblers stick to systems knowing randomness results in winning and losing streaks. Over the long term, though, their small edges turn into profit. However, since recreational bettors do not have such edges, it is far more difficult to recover from losing streaks.

Some people appear to be lucky, while others seem unlucky. The reality is everyone has the same chance of hitting the jackpot or going on a losing streak. Believing otherwise can lead at-risk gamblers to become problem gamblers or gambling addicts.

If you think youre a lucky individual, youre more likely to get into gambling and to keep gambling, Dr. Alderson said.

Professionals dont rely on luck to beat the house. They develop skills and systems that work over many bets.

Problem gamblers often believe in locks, or bets that have virtually no chance of losing. Professional gamblers understand thats nonsense, thats there no such thing as a lock in gambling.

Even though you can become better at gambling, Dr. Alderson said. Theres certainly no guarantees when it comes to what the outcome of it is going to be. But generally most of the time, youre going to lose more than you win.

Professional gamblers understand their edge is small, which means theyll lose plenty of bets but will come out ahead over the long term.

Many gamblers think theyre better at gambling than they really are. Professionals approach their craft more realistically. If their edge begins to erode, their meticulous recordkeeping will indicate their system should be tweaked. The game of blackjack provides an example.

It used to be that if you were a professional blackjack player and you used the counting technique, that your odds were actually slightly better than chance and you could come out on top over the bank, said Dr. Alderson. However, larger decks and frequent reshuffles have mitigated some of the edge gained by card counting,

To be profitable over the long term betting on sports, you must win more than 52.4% of your wagers against the standard -110 vig. Professional sports bettors have the expertise that allows them to do that.

Predicting games against the spread at a 53% clip may seem easy to some casual gamblers. However, it takes years of hard work and a great amount of intelligence to achieve this level of success.

A common thread runs through the previous five cognitive biases. At-risk and problem gamblers overestimate the odds of a win and underestimate the odds of a loss.

Going out and thinking theyre going to pay for their rent and instead losing the money that would be used toward their rent, Dr. Alderson said.

Viewing the world through rose-colored glasses distorts bettors perspective and gives them unrealistic expectations about profitability.Professional sports bettors use sophisticated quantitative models to decide whether to place a bet and know exactly what their edge is when wagering on individual events,

Professional gamblers approach gambling in the opposite way that at-risk and problem gamblers do. The pros are experts in their chosen games. But theyre also experts in bankroll management, willing towalk away from a bet that doesnt have a positive expected value, and constantly tweaking their models to stay ahead of the market.

All gamblers should learn how to set budgets, track their performances, and recognize when theyre losing. At-risk gamblers can also set bet limits and time limits on sportsbook apps. They can even self-exclude and lock themselves out of their accounts for months at a time.

But when problem gambling becomes a gambling addiction, these self-imposed restrictions often arent enough. State and local governments must invest in problem gambling interventions. They must encourage enough gambling addiction counselors to become certified to treat gambling disorders. Friends, family, and loved ones must learn to recognize the signs of at-risk and problem gambling.

Everyone in the sports betting ecosystem is responsible for responsible gaming, and everyone has a part to play in keeping sports betting fun.

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Six Cognitive Biases That Problem Gamblers And Gambling Addicts Share - GamingTodaySlotsToday