How games of chance reflect and influence the world around us.
This tidbit intrigued me so much I had to post it. From the San Diego Herald Tribune: In horse racing lingo, it’s called “milkshaking.” Under cover of darkness or a blanket, a handler inserts a tube into a horse’s nostril, directs it to the stomach and feeds the animal a baking-soda solution in the hope […]
Of milkshaking and men Read More »
gambling & cultureSometimes, I like to step back from things and consider them in historical context. We truly live in a fantastic world of wonders. I’ll explain after this story, from KeralaNext.com: A mathematics graduate from Belfast, Northern Ireland, who snubbed a 40,000 pound a year banking job to earn a mere 4,500 a week playing internet
Hold em more profitable than banking Read More »
gambling & cultureThis story has been bouncing around for a few days, and even made the CNN Headline News ticker. According to a Yale University study, older people who gamble are actually healthier than those who don’t. From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: The findings are not rock-solid. They’re only based on telephone interviews, but the results are the
Elderly gamblers healthier Read More »
gambling & cultureThe NCAA has long been opposed to any kind of betting on college sports, often throwing legal and illegal bookmaking into the same pile of forbidden goods. I doubt that they would condone a college course on sports betting. The organization does, however, sponsor programs that try to limit student betting. The Diamondback reports on
Scaring students straight? Read More »
gambling & cultureIn the Bible, lots were often used to make tough decisions. Joshua apportioned the land of Canaan to the Israelite tribes by lot, for example. In the Roman Empire, some official positions were filled by lot. There is something completely democratic about selecting someone for a job using nothing more than what anthropoligists call sortilege,
Gambling has been around for thousands of years, and many religions have at least tolerated it in moderation. Still, many churches offer religious objections to gambling.A recent letter to the editor in the Jamaica Gleaner lays out a Christian pro-gambling argument: CHRISTIAN GREETINGS. It is with great trepidation that I write this letter, asking the question
Bible study (updated) Read More »
gambling & cultureChris Palmieri of BusinessWeek recently spoke to Harrah’s Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman about the impending Harrah’s/Caesars merger. Here are some excerpts: Q: What’s the rationale for this deal? A: We want to be the leading distributor of gaming. The way our company does that is to leverage distribution. Caesars gives us vastly improved distribution in
Loveman talks shop Read More »
gambling & cultureMore insightful journalism from USA Today, but this time I actually mean it. Dennis Cauchon has a pithy survey of the recent slot expansion: Slots increasingly are a rite of passage for state governments in search of a lucrative new source of tax revenue. State and local governments raised about $6 billion from taxing casino
USA plays slots today Read More »
gambling & cultureAmid all the projections of revenue, one loses sight of the fact that slot machines make money because people choose to play them. Just who are those people? John Grogan of the Inquirer has an answer, in a column about one woman who likes to play: In an earlier, better time, Patricia McNally enjoyed horseback
Portrait of a slots player Read More »
gambling & culturePeople have always wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes at Las Vegas casino hotels, right? And if one show is a success, two is even better. Well, how about three? Caesars Palace has granted unprecedented access to A&E Network to create a new real-life series offering the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at Las
Diminishing returns? Read More »
gambling & cultureThere are certain things in life that appear to be contradictory but actually make sense. Fans know, for example, that professional wrestling is “fake,” i.e., the results of the match are booked in advance, yet they still watch, which is a tribute to the athleticism and story-telling of the “sports entertainers.” In some ways, this
A game called hope Read More »
gambling & cultureI read an interesting piece in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the links between gambling and sports. Here’s the opening, but I really urge you to read the whole thing: The relationship between sports and gambling, once at arm’s length and now almost hand in hand, is embodied by the brothers Maloof. The family owns both
Gambling and sports Read More »
gambling & cultureHere’s a great capsule summary of the Harrah’s/Caesars merger proposal, and a breakdown of Harrah’s Caesars, MGM MIRAGE, and Mandalay Resort group, from Yahoo Finance: Casino operator Harrah’s Entertainment is close to buying bigger rival Caesars Entertainment in a $10 billion deal that would form the world’s largest casino empire with $8.8 billion in annual
Metaphorically, of course. Since both Bill Harrah and Jay Sarno are deceased, I’m talking about the companies that claim them as founders: Harrah’s Entertainment and Caesars Entertainment. According to the Wall Street Journal, quoted here by Reuters, Bill’s company is going to acquire Jay’s, the second major gaming merger in a month: Harrah’s Entertainment Inc.is
Bill and Jay’s Excellent Adventure Read More »
gambling & cultureScratch-off cards have become a huge money-maker for lotteries. It’s only natural that they will continue to evolve. From KCRG-TV9 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa: This fall Iowa will become the first state to test an electronic version of a scratch-off lottery game. A market trial for “Quarter Play” will start in October. The game is
Electronic scratchers Read More »
gambling & cultureNo, it’s not about O’Reilly running a pool over who gets shanked next. Rather, this post concerns Australian wagering habits. They apparently gamble a lot. From The Age: Australia’s passion for a punt continues to grow, with new figures showing a record $128.3 billion – $8,571 per adult – was wagered last financial year. Australians
I’m always amazed at the things that get turned into slot machines. One of the hallmarks of the slot machine is that, like the lottery, it has democratized gambling–you don’t need a big bankroll or any skill–just push “max bet” and hope for the best. Still, this might be taking it too far. I’ve always
I love news stories that aren’t news stories. I flipped on the TV this morning and saw that a local station had gone through the trouble of sending a crew out to the freeway to interview a police official who had some startling news: With more people driving and more cars on the road, there