In case you missed ESPN’s hyperbolic exposition of “bracketology” this weekend, the berths for the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament have been announced, beginning one of bookies’ favorite times of the year, March Madness. And the NCAA is shocked, yes, shocked that people gamble on the tournament, and suggests that the best way to end […]
NCAA troubled by betting Read More »
gambling & cultureI was just saying to a group today that other countries are far ahead of the US when it comes to “harm minimization” in gambling. Here’s a case where, many in the industry say, minimization goes too far: regular reminders to gamblers that they are…gambling.
You can’t help but notice that poker is ubuquitous on television these days. New Jersey assemblywomen Joan Voss has, and she thinks that those who profit from the Hold’Em craze should pitch in when it comes to helping those with a problem.
GA to be funded by ESPN? Read More »
gambling & cultureIf you get a chance, check out Breaking Vegas tonight on the history channel at 9 PM. This episode is about Ed Thorp, the guy who greatly advanced card counting with “Beat the Dealer,” and I think that I’m going to be in it. I remember doing an interview for this show, so there’s a
Consider Vegas Broke Read More »
life in vegasI found this headline strangely intruiging, as you might as well: Las Vegas SUN: Three convicted in ‘honey bun’ heist at Tunica casino. This made me think of the erstwhile HBO series OZ. I don’t think that Adebisi got sent up for anything like this, though. This seems like more like something Busmalis would have
The Honey Bun Gang Read More »
gambling & culture, haphazard worldI’ve seen two news reports this morning that seem contradictory. On one hand, online gaming is booming in Britain. On the other, Harrah’s has just pulled the plug on its online gaming site.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky, in my estimation, might have been the best novelist of the 19th century. Sure, people in his novels have an unfortunate tendency to give chapter-long monologues on “the mission of Russia,” but from what I understand he got paid by the word. For much of his life his compulsive gambling kept him in
Crime and Litigation Read More »
gambling & cultureThis is the most distgusting thing I’ve seen in a while. Usually, fruit and yogurt smoothies are relatively healthy alternatives to other soft drinks. As Americans have become more concerned with their eating habits, they have grown more popular. So the next step is for a completely unhealthy food manufacturer to co-opt smoothies and re-package
Nineteen companies have submitted proposals to build a casino resort in Singapore. How to choose the winner? I’ve got three ideas.
At first I thought this story would get a few laughs, but like so much else, it ended in tragedy…well, for the turkey. Not since the days of Thomas Granger has a turkey been so unjustly put to death.
Requiem for a turkey Read More »
haphazard worldAt last, gambling has come to kindergarten! Seriously. Kindergarten students are going to have to play the lottery if they want a seat at a Virginia elementary school.
Kindergarten gambling Read More »
gambling & cultureToday the Birmingham News asks, Is there a problem gambling can’t solve? Read the article to find the answer.
Question of the day Read More »
gambling & cultureI’ve got plenty on my desk today, so I don’t have time to really post on anything. In the meantime, take a look at this cool online art site, the Olea Nova online fine art gallery.
This has nothing to do with the TV show In Search Of, I just want to imagine Leonard Nimoy narrating this entry while spooky music plays in the background. This is actually about the disturbing variety of search terms that lead people to this site. I might not be posting for the rest of the
The odds of winning the lottery are bad enough, but Michigan is adding insult to injury by selling tickets for the Golden Pack, long after the top prize was won. This is the kind of thing that, if a person tried to do, would be called fraud, but because a state does it is called
Big prize gone, tix still for sale Read More »
gambling & cultureI know that I write frequently about Roll the Bones, my forthcoming book with Gotham, and I’m always referencing
If it’s on the Internet, it’s got to be true, right? Maybe not. According to Dow Jones (so says Yahoo), Wynn Resorts is looking to build in Singapore. That seems reasonable. But one paragraph in, the article says that Wynn owns the Bellagio and Mirage.
Internet news: take it or leave it Read More »
news about gamblingIt’s official:Texas Hold ‘Em is the new bingo, at least according to the Cincinnati Post. Is this officially the moment that Hold’Em jumped the shark?
Then what is the new penny slots? Read More »
news about gambling…doesn’t have to stay there. Here’s a news story you rarely see in Las Vegas, despite the fact that many of its 37 million visitors each year spend much time in casinos: A woman gave birth to a son inside a Russian casino.
What happens in Novosibirsk… Read More »
news about gamblingWhile double checking the list of new arrivals from the Gambler’s Book Club against the UNLV catalog, I came across a singular title:Casino Cafeteria. This gem has the alternate title: What you always wanted to know about casino gambling but were to [sic.] intimidated to ask. It is allegedly “a smorgasbord of standard and unusual