Only a few more days and one of the biggest boxing matches of the century is going to take place.  The fight between Mexico’s Oscar “Golden Boy” dela Hoya and the Philippines’ Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao has been a much promoted one.  This is due to a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that the rivalry between Mexico and the Philippines has escalated in the boxing world.

Now there is another reason that promoters and sponsors are going to great lengths to promote the Pay Per View fight even more.  With the economic problems that the whole world has been experiencing, consumers are spending so much less on the non-essentials – and guess what, that includes paying $50 or more for a boxing match!

That is why this fight has made some leaps and bounds in terms of promotional activities.  From Facebook to reality TV mini series – the promoters are laying all the cards that they can on the table, with the ultimate aim of attracting as many people to pay to watch the fight on PPV.  The promoters, including Coca-Cola, Tecate, and Full Throttle, are offering rebates worth anywhere from $10 to $20.  If people make full use of these rebates, they can effectively reduce the cost of the PPV fees to around $5 – not a bad deal.

Seeing as everyone involved in the production side is making such an effort to attract people, I can just imagine the turn out of the audience – even if only on TV.  Still, you can never tell in these times.  Are you watching the fight?

Bush stirred up a hornet’s nest when he signed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act in 2006 and its effects are still being felt today.  However, with the new president taking on the reins in January, new hopes are being raised.  The American Gaming Association, in particular, has been aggressively trying to re-establish its position with the government.  One result could be that Internet gambling can be reinstated pretty soon.

The Sun Times has this report:

The new sense of urgency comes as a presidential administration that appears friendlier toward the prospect of legalized Internet gambling prepares to take office.

To present a unified front, members of the association have to work through at least three viewpoints. Some casino companies support federal regulation of Internet gambling. Other members want that authority to rest with the states, like the regulation of non-tribal casinos. Still others, fearing competition from land-based casinos with online outlets, oppose regulation that would open the door to new rivals.

So what exactly have they been doing?

As a first step, the association has formed a working group to study bills that have cropped up in the past year.

Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services, has introduced a bill to regulate online gambling sites by exempting licensed operators from the federal ban and creating protections against underage gambling, compulsive gambling, money laundering and fraud.
Other bills were introduced in Congress last year and this year to legalize online poker at the federal level.

In California, state Assemblyman Lloyd Levine has introduced a bill to legalize Internet poker for California residents.

So what is your bet going to be?  I am going for legalized gambling.  Let’s keep our fingers crossed!

Is there such a thing?  Of course!  Just because you are gambling does not mean that you should not practice good manners.  I know, there are people who gamble do not seem to possess manners but do you want to be grouped alongside them?  I doubt it.  If you like playing the slots, here are some tips for good manners.  It can get you places, do not doubt that.

Coin cups on seats or handles mean something…
…that is, that usually means that the slot machine is taken.  If a person has been playing long enough on a machine, he or she might need to take a bathroom break – or any other kind of break.  Normally, though, people want to go back playing on the same machine.  When this happens, they leave their coin cup on the seat or the handle of the machine to signify that they are coming back to play again.  The next time you see a vacant machine, check for the coin cup first and if you see one, move on – someone has laid claim to it.

Multiple machines
There are people who like to play several slot machines at once.  There is nothing wrong with that – unless there are other players waiting to play.  If you like playing multiple machines and you see that there are people waiting on you, do them the courtesy of giving up the other machines so that they can have their turn.  You would expect others to do the same, right?

Here at Gambling Moments, we have never denied that we love to gamble and that we are staunch proponents of gambling activities.  That, however, does not mean that we are blind to the potential negative side of gambling.  That is why in this post, I have decided to highlight one of the most controversial issues – compulsive gambling.  I do realize how some people can get too immersed in gambling that they lead unbalanced lives.  This, no one wants.

If you think that you are on your way down this road, or you know someone who might be, try looking at this list of questions from Gamblers Anonymous.

1. Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?
2. Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?
3. Did gambling affect your reputation?
4. Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?
5. Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?
6. Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
7. After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?
8. After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more?
9. Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?
10. Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?
11. Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?
12. Were you reluctant to use “gambling money” for normal expenditures?
13. Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?
14. Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?
15. Have you ever gambled to escape worry, trouble, boredom, or loneliness?
16. Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?
17. Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
18. Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?
19. Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?
20. Have you ever considered self-destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling?

If you (or that other person) answer YES to at least seven questions, then there might be a problem.  You can seek the help of professionals.  Do not let gambling ruin you – enjoy it but do not let it run your life.

Have you ever heard of the saying “If something will go wrong, it will.”  It is actually not a saying but rather, it is called “Murphy’s Law.”  I am sure that a lot of you have heard about it – it is a pretty common “saying.”  So why am I talking about Murphy’s Law when this is no philosophical or scientific blog?

Think about it…in gambling, things could go wrong and if they will, they will.  I do not know if I am making much sense but let me explain.  A methodical gambler will study the odds, study the horse or team or player (depending on what he is gambling on) and spend some time analyzing the situation.  He would not merely place his bets without trying to get the best odds of winning.  He would do what he could do in order to make sure that things will go his way.

If you are such a gambler, you fully understand what I mean.  But how many times have you done all that you can in terms of preparation and analysis and then still end up on the losing side?  This can happen due to a variety of reasons but the bottom line is that something went wrong…and that, my friend, is where Murphy’s Law comes into the picture.  If something will go wrong, it will.

It can happen in horse racing – the favorite suddenly gets injured a few yards from the finish line.  It can happen in basketball – the star of the game remains cold all throughout the game.  It can happen in car racing – the engine of the lap leader blows out.  It can happen anywhere.  The moral of the story is simple.  If you are ever tempted to bet your life savings on a “sure bet,” think of Murphy.

There might be a new president-elect but the man who is currently at the helm of the world’s greatest nation is still George W. Bush, the same man who put into law the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act. This means that it is still within his administration’s power to do what they want to do with regard to Internet gambling – and they did do something!

Yesterday, they issued a final regulation, the ultimate effect of which is to really ban Internet gambling. The Associate Press has this report:

The rule from the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve requires those companies to establish procedures to prevent payments in connection with unlawful Internet gambling. They would be expected to comply by Dec. 1, 2009.

The chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., had asked the Treasury this week not to move ahead now, saying it would “burden the financial services industry at a time of economic crisis.”

The rule does not define “unlawful Internet gambling.” That has been an issue since Republicans pushed through the law that the new rule puts in place, by attaching it to a port security bill in 2006.

The law sought to curb online gambling by prohibiting financial institutions from accepting payments from credit cards, checks or electronic fund transfers to settle online wagers. But the law did not offer a clear definition of Internet gambling, instead referring to existing federal and state laws, which themselves provoke differing interpretations.

The big problem here is that they have not – or cannot – define exactly what unlawful Internet gambling is. Now how can a law be enforced if no one fully understand its scope and delimitations?

Seriously, what were they thinking?  I read this news brief from KXNT:

A couple was arrested over the weekend for leaving their two underage children inside their car while they went to a local casino to gamble. Metro police spokesman Bill Cassell confirmed that the pair was arrested around three o’clock on Saturday at the Tuscany Casino. The children have been taken into protective custody while the husband and wife remain in Detention Center and are each facing two counts of Child Endangerment.

It was very short but carried a lot of weight.  Two adults – at least in the legal sense – left two young children inside their car.  Now I remember this happening to me and my sibling when we were kids, but only because our dad had to run inside a store for a few minutes.  This scenario is worlds apart from what happened to these people who went inside the Tuscany Casino to gamble!

Seriously, people like these two are one of the biggest reasons that gambling has had a bad rep in some sectors for as long as anyone can remember.  When grown ups throw responsibility to the air in order for them to be able to gamble, trouble starts.  When parents, who brought lives into this world start disregarding those lives, people start questioning things.  If this is the kind of attitude that gamblers are associated with, then even the responsible ones (I would like to think of myself as falling under this category) are pulled into the controversy.

What do you think of this kind of behavior?

Photo by msb_nyc

Here is the last installment of this mini-series on baseball betting tips.  I hope that you will be able to master these tips and apply them when the right time comes.

Tip #6: Do not overlook the effect of the ball park.
Although the venue does not have as strong an effect as it does in football and basketball, the baseball park should still be included in your list of considerations when betting on a baseball game.  History will come in handy again – some baseball teams hit better in certain parks and some play poorer in others.  The trick is in being able to detect the patterns so that you can have better odds when betting.

Tip #7: Do not bet on rivalries if you can.
As tempting as it may be to bet on a game wherein the teams have a longstanding rivalry, it might not be the best idea.  How so?  Put yourself in their shoes.  If you are facing your biggest rival on the field, then the chances are that you would be putting your best foot forward.  You would do most anything in your power to come out on top.  Put two teams in this position and you have a very unpredictable game.  Anything goes, anyone might win.  Though this is the baseball fan’s dream – one of the most exciting kinds of games – it might not be the best situation for betting.  If I were you, I would just sit back and enjoy the game WITHOUT putting money into it.

Photo by xosarahox

How do you feel about how the World Series ended?  I am sure that there are a variety of opinions out there.  But that is all behind us now – another season will start in the ensuing months.  For now, let me share some more baseball betting tips which you can use when it is time to bet on this sport again.

Tip #3: Streaks are important.
Although I will start with saying that streaks are not everything, you should still consider them when making your bets.  Let’s look at a situational example to make this tip more practical.  If a heavy favorite wins 3 games in a row, what should you do for their next game?  Though you might think that betting on them is a good idea, I suggest that you do the opposite.  The chances are that they will not be winning the next game.  Same thing goes if an underdog has been losing 3 games in a row.

Tip #4:  Pay attention to the pitchers.
Pitchers are not the only important members of their teams but they are pretty important.  You should know that pitchers play every 4th day – usually – and that if, in his last game, he suffered even a minor injury, you should not bet on his team the next time around.  The chances are that he might not be recovered well enough to give you your money’s worth.

Tip #5: Also pay attention to the other key players.
As I said above, the pitcher is not the end all be all of a baseball team.  You should also pay attention to how the rest of the team performs and base your bets on the team as a whole.  Do not make the mistake of basing bets on the pitcher alone.

More tips next time?

The World Series is currently underway and I am sure that you have already been making bets.  In fact, there is some sort of controversy surrounding Game 5, wherein some bettors have been experiencing losses due to the different rules.  But I am not going to dwell on that.  Instead, let me share some of the best betting tips that you can take into consideration when betting on baseball.

Tip #1: Do not bet in the early season.
Well, this will not apply right now as the World Series is underway.  Still, this would come in handy in the future.  So why shouldn’t you bet early in the season?  Here are a couple of reasons:

-The weather can be bad in various parks early in the season.  With the problems that we are experiencing with the climate, the chances of erratic weather are even higher.
-Some coaches are still playing around with their line ups.
-Some players get off to a slow start.

The idea is to study and observe the teams well early on.  Bet later.

Tip #2: Don’t underestimate the underdogs.
If there is one thing that you should know about sports betting, it is that the underdogs have a way of surpassing expectations.  This actually applicable to other sports as well.  More than this, your risk of losing money is less when you bet on the underdogs BUT the potential to win large amounts of money is always there.

Let us look at more tips in the next post.