Sports betting front and center in Georgia legalized gambling debate

ATLANTA — Advocates for bringing legalized gambling to Georgia will be back under the Gold Dome next month, pitching the financial benefits of casinos, horse racing and sports betting together and separately.

But legislation authorizing online sports betting in the Peach State may have the best odds to advance.

“It’s the easiest one to pass,” said Georgia Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, chairman of the House Economic Development & Tourism Committee. “It clearly does not require a constitutional amendment. … It’s just a matter of us giving the [Georgia] Lottery Commission direction and authority they already have.”

Efforts going back the better part of a decade to legalize casino gambling and pari-mutuel betting on horse racing in Georgia have been unable to muster the two-thirds majorities in the state House and Senate required to approve constitutional amendments and put them on the statewide ballot…

How horse racing can appeal to a younger crowd

The Sport can overcome its ugly past

Let’s be clear. I wasn’t planning on liking horse racing.

I spent the first four weeks of the shutdown in a hazy search for sports, looking for signs of it everywhere — in old NBA classics, Madden simulations, the car chases on TV from which I couldn’t un-glue myself.

Growing up in Edmonton, Alberta, I made the three-hour trek to Calgary Stampede parties multiple summers in a row without ever giving a single thought to buying tickets to the rodeo. Horse racing was even less than an afterthought.

Even though I thought it would be tedious, maybe a little charming but ultimately not for me, I was ready to play the ponies. It’s the kind of thing you do early in a relationship, when you’re still pretending to be open to new experiences.

And then a dozen beautiful horses leaped from the gates, and I was entranced…

Read how she got hooked on horse racing

Slot Machines Seduce their Victims, Then …

Slot MachinesThis article was first published in Psychology Today.

Slot machines are often displayed as bright, shiny objects. Similar to video games, they feature creative, trendy themes, bright colors, flashing lights, and a combination of sights and sounds designed to lure potential customers.

Appropriately, Mike J. Dixon et al. (2019), in conducting research into gambling as a form of escape, began by noting the allure of slot machine play as a form of entertainment. Unlike slower games such as lotteries, slot machine payoffs (when they occur) are immediate, often accompanied by attention-grabbing music and high tech animations. In addition, slot machines are by nature unpredictable—due to what the authors refer to as a “variable-ratio reinforcement schedule.”

They focused on players who entered the “slot machine zone,” a state of absorption during which the game dominates their awareness, causing time to pass by without notice, a state many players find extremely pleasurable. Unfortunately for some, however, despite the similarity to the concept of “flow” in positive psychology, slot machine-induced flow often leads to negative consequences — in terms of time management and monetary loss.

Depression and Dark Flow

Dixon et al. describe the phenomenon of …

Casino industry launches campaign to legalize sports betting

Sports bettingWASHINGTON — Casino industry officials on Monday launched a new campaign to legalize sports betting, something New Jersey has been trying to get for years. They’re behind the new American Sports Betting Coalition, which is trying to get Congress to repeal a 1992 law that allows such wagering in only four states: Nevada, Delaware, Montana, and… [Read more…]

Historic Horse Racing Continues to Crush It

historic horse racing machineBOYNTON BEACH, Fla., March, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Exacta Systems and Kentucky Downs once again shattered the single month historic horse racing handle record in February, with wagering in the 28-day month totaling $51.8 million. The previous record of $47.2 million was only one month old, having been set in January. This marks the third straight month that a new HHR (Historic Horse Racing) wagering record has been set at Kentucky Downs.

In addition to the record set at Kentucky Downs, Exacta set a one-month record by handling over $75 million in HHR wagers at its installations in Kentucky and Wyoming, up from its previous record of $68.6 million set last month.

“Despite the short month, Exacta and Kentucky Downs added over $4.5 million in pari-mutuel wagering handle when compared to January’s record numbers,” commented Exacta Systems President Jeremy Stein. “I am confident that with the introduction of Exacta Premium Game Titles with minimum jackpots of $100,000 at Kentucky Downs next month, the explosive growth of historic horse racing will continue. In January, Exacta went over $1 billion in total wagers handled since we first went live in 2015. We are on pace to do $1 billion in total wagers at our combined installations this year alone, which will continue generating millions in new revenue for purses, breeders incentive funds, racetrack operators and state general funds.”

For more information about the company and the Exacta historic horse racing system, visit www.exactasystems.com or the Exacta Systems Facebook page.

Joe Maddon: Use ‘Moneyball’ Stats to Teach Math

“I’d like to see fantasy baseball in schools and make it part of math class,” he explained. “If you brought fantasy baseball into school and brought in technology such as Skyping, for example. End of January, beginning of February, I would Skype a classroom here and talk about team construction. Theo Epstein does it a day or two later.

ANALYSIS/OPINION — Baseball’s rock star was in town for the baseball winter meetings, and he stopped by a youth baseball event at Gallaudet University. Kids and adults alike flocked to him, asking for autographs and photos, and hung on his every word.

No, I’m not talking about Bryce Harper, who didn’t have the District in his… [Read more…]

Public in Japan Against Mindless Games of Chance

Slot MachinesJapan’s ruling bloc steamrolls controversial casino bill through upper house amid growing social concerns

Ditch attempts by opposition parties. The ruling coalition shut down by majority the attempts by the opposition camp, including the main opposition Democratic Party, Japanese Communist Party, Liberal Party and Social Democratic Party, to stall the bill, agreeing to submit a no-confidence motion against Abe’s cabinet in the lower house earlier in the day. Were the… [Read more…]

Internet Gambling Cafes coming to N.J. Racetracks?

TRENTON — Supporters are pitching it as the latest idea to help two of New Jersey’s struggling industries: horse-racing and casino gambling. But opponents are labeling it as a sneak move just a month after voters overwhelmingly rejected a plan to open two casinos in the northern part of the state. Under a bill recently introduced… [Read more…]

Video Lottery Machines at New Jersey Racetracks?

Historic Racing game slot machines If casino vote fails, should N.J. put video lottery machines at racetracks?

TRENTON — A state lawmaker has a backup plan if New Jersey voters reject next month’s ballot referendum to bring casino gambling to the northern part of the state: Installing slot machine-like gaming at the Garden State’s racetracks. Assemblyman Ralph Caputo said Monday that should the referendum fail — as polls predict it will — he… [Read more…]

How to Find the Best Online Sports Books

Guest Post

Fans have always seen sports betting as a way of becoming more engaged with their favorite teams or sports. The online sports book, however, has broadened players’ options and horizons significantly, and now an entire global sports market is open to players, wherever they are in the world. Many traditional forms of betting on sports, whether it be on-course, at a bricks and mortar bookmaker, or even on the phone, have largely been superseded by the online sports book.

There are any number of reasons as to the rapid increase in popularity of online sports betting. Firstly, for those who take their sports seriously, it’s a chance to put your knowledge to the test and gives you the opportunity to make informed choices before making a wager, by studying records, form, recent results, etc., through the information provided by websites like SkySports. Having up-to-date news and stats from sports and leagues around the world means that no matter where you are, you can keep in the loop about what’s happening with your favorite teams and stars.

The range of bets on offer on all types of sporting events is also one of the great appeals of online sports betting. Single-event betting and parlay (or multi) bets are generally the most popular markets, but there are always plenty of prop and exotic bets on offer at the best sports books, like this site – so you can wager on whole season events, like who will be the champion, right down to in-game events such as who will be the first scorer or who will be ahead at half time.

However, you don’t have to follow a sport intimately to be able to enjoy betting on it. When the big international events roll around, like the Super Bowl, the FIFA World Cup, US Open Tennis or the World Series, even the casual fan can find enough background data and stats online, on ESPN for example, to be able to place a bet without feeling as though they’re completely in the dark. The abundance of advice and guidance on these major events means you don’t have to be an expert to enjoy getting involved.

People who are new to online betting might naturally feel a little apprehensive about signing up for a sports book, but if you choose wisely, you should have no issues with security, privacy and fairness. However, if you’re not certain about how to find the best sports book, there are a number of good review sites that give you background on how online sports betting agencies are operated and what you can expect from them (follow the link to find out more). Using a review portal before you commit will give you some peace of mind that you’re betting with a well-regulated, reputable brand, as well as information on how to go about setting up an account and the sorts of special offers that are available to new players. These Welcome Bonuses provide great value and the chance to make free bets or receive a cash bonus when you set up an account, so do your research to find out which sites will give you the best value.

For the enthusiastic punter, another advantage to online sports betting is that the biggest operators will often also run online casinos or poker rooms as well, and with these it is always easy to sync your accounts, so you can play poker, slots or bet on NFL, NBA or MLB matches all from the one playing account.

Whatever your interests, whether it’s racing, sports, poker or casino games, the online betting world is growing all the time, and is full of great opportunities if you know where to look.