Gambling taken to excess.
In this week’s Vegas Seven, I consider the bigger impact of the attention focused on problem gambling due to the case of Maureen O’Connor: The recent revelation that former San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor had reportedly embezzled more than $2 million from a charitable foundation to feed her gambling addiction has focused attention on pathological […]
Defining a Dark Allure in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThe 60 Minutes hit piece on slot machines finally came out. I’ve been hearing about this for a while, and it was actually about what I expected: We Americans spend more money on slots than on movies, baseball and theme parks combined. But with the modern slot machines, there is a greater potential for a
60 Minutes hits slots Read More »
news about gamblingIf you missed my brief appearance on Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell last night, I’ll give you a quick recap. I was part of a panel that talked about the Terence Watanabe case, which was news because his attorney talked to Good Morning America. I’d prepared some factoids about a previous high-profile attempt to use “the
Stuff I didn’t say yesterday Read More »
news about gamblingA high-roller who lost an incredible amount of money gambling in Las Vegas casinos is seeking to avoid paying some of his markers, claiming that he was too drunk to know what he was doing. From the LV Sun: High-rolling Nebraska philanthropist Terrance K. Watanabe is mounting an unusual defense to charges he failed to
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news about gamblingCan people control their behavior? Or, as the Smashing Pumpkins might say, in spite of all our rage, we’re still just rats in a cage? This piece in the Columbian gives a shot at figuring it out, and even quotes your illustrious blogger: Gambling is an example of variable or intermittent reinforcement. A gambler learns
Of rats and machine players Read More »
gambling & culture, news about gamblingWe had a big kidnapping case here in Las Vegas a few weeks ago that had nothing to do with casinos and everything to do with the standard “drug deal gone wrong.” So I found this story from the Sun Daily quite interesting: A Chinese man faked his own kidnapping as well as that of
Fake kidnapping, real slots Read More »
gambling & cultureLike me, you’ve probably got town hall fatigue from this grueling election season. But here is a town hall-type meeting you might want to attend: A panel discussion on the ins and outs of the gambling industry will be held October 14, from 10 a.m. to noon, at UNLVs Paradise Campus. Admission is free. Mark
State of the state of gambling Read More »
news about gamblingA psychological study unveiled at the convention of the American Psychological Association makes a bold claim: that 2 percent of all gamblers account for nearly 25 percent of all casino wins and losses. From Science Daily: In another study, psychologist Arch G. Woodside, PhD, of Boston College, and Ralph Perfetto, PhD, of the University of
Gambling study makes provocative claim Read More »
news about gamblingThat could mean that you’re driving up to Vegas from LA and ran out of gas before you got too far. But in this case, it’s about a group of thousands of admitted problem gamblers who’ve filed a class action lawsuit against the government corporation that owns Ontario (Canada) casinos. From the CBC: A $3.5-billion
I’ve got a more in-depth look at the Canadian responsible gaming monitors in the LVBP. Here’s a snippet: Recently, the British Columbia government announced plans to hire nine “responsible gambling information officers.” These new deputies of safe gaming will spend their working hours hanging out in casinos throughout the Canadian province, looking for “distressed gamblers”
Responsible gaming monitors redux Read More »
news about gamblingWhen asked about problem gambling, casino industry spokespeople often say that they have no idea of whether people are gambling to problematic levels. Sure, they drop a lot of money here, the line goes, but how are we supposed to know how much they can afford? Well, there’s a solution to every problem, and a
Problem gambling checklist Read More »
UncategorizedTim Donaghy, the NBA ref accused of gambling on games that he refereed, has plead guilty. From USA Today: The Boston Celtics, favored by four points, faced the 76ers in Philadelphia on Dec. 13 and won 101-81 in what seemed to be just another NBA blowout featuring bad Atlantic Division teams. On or about the
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news about gamblingYou might remember that a while ago I recommended Burt Dragin’s reading/signing event that we hosted at UNLV. The LVRJ attended, and gave it a great write-up: Burt Dragin spent considerable time in Las Vegas during the 1950s but never lived in the gambling resort town. An 8-year-old Dragin started taking frequent “family vacations” from
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life in vegasBurt Dragin. Six to Five Against: A Gambler’s Odyssey. Berkeley: RDR Books, 2005. Six to Five Against is a refreshing, sometimes wincingly honest look at one man’s gambling. Drawing chiefly on his own experiences but supported by Dragin’s investigations into the thrall that gambling holds for many, this is an open, honest, and readable story
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book reviewsThe Nevada Council on Problem Gambling is sponsoring the first annual state conference on problem gambling: it takes place April 19-20 at the Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. If you question the propriety of holding a problem gambling conference in a casino, I’m guessing you’ve never been to Nevada. In this state, that
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life in vegasI’m hardly one to make light of problem gambling, but this story is ridiculous. From Ananova: Russian actors are being paid to pretend to be destitute beggars in a government scheme to discourage people from gambling. They will tell passers-by how they were once rich executives who lost everything after becoming addicted to gambling. Vladimir
I always used to wonder about the Riddler. If he was such a criminal mastermind, why did he always give Commissioner Gordon or Batman and Robin clues to catch him. Wouldn’t he have been more successful if he just tried to pull off his capers quietly? But I recently read that the Riddler actually suffers
A Bank-Robbing Problem, too Read More »
atlantic cityThere are several things ironic and perplexing about the story I’m going to relate. Read it for yourself, from the Windsor Star: One Ontario government agency is giving a researcher $500,000 to study how casino design affects gambling. But another arm of the government — the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation — has forbidden her
Ironic and perplexing? You bet. Read More »
gambling & cultureThere were a few stories about the teen gambling “epidemic” around the wires this morning. Here’s one of the better ones, from the Asbury Park Press: It takes more than luck to win at Texas Hold ‘Em, Eric Rothman says, which is why the 18-year-old high school senior enjoys putting his poker-playing skills to the
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gambling & cultureWhen I tell Australian people my name, a lot of them say, “Cool.” I wondered why, until someone told me that there’s a famous Austrailian football (soccer) player named David Schwarz–just like me, but no T. It guess it’s like if someone from Australia was named “Roger Clements” and was talking to American baseball fans.
Aussie footballer–no relation Read More »
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