Sports betting's image problem

CharlieMaxwell · Jul 6, 2005

Sports betting clearly has an image problem. No matter how much people in the industry try to recast the activity as a recreational hobby and a freedom of choice issue, the image just can't be buried.

Read the rest of Wild Bill's latest column by going to the RX home page at www.therx.com

Charlie

RobFunk · Jul 6, 2005

WB makes me feel his frustration. A good write, but one that laves you ticked. I suspected this was a problem.

OMNIVOROUS FROG · Jul 6, 2005

Bill's article hit the nail on the head. It has just created a wide gap between now generally accepted poker, and still not accepted sports bettors. And the gap will widen to Grand Canyon proportions. There are no WSOP for sports bettors, no awesome tv coverage, no recogizable names. You know what I tell people I do? I am an internet investor, or a day trader. Then they just leave you alone. As far as cleaning up our image, I say to hell with them. I have no desire to be on television, or to be accepted. Legalization? I sure am not holding my breath for that. And the poker guys are right, it is very tough to beat. I don't feed them at their ponds, but come into mine and this FROG will eat your poker fish money like they ate it from their fish. My ego is in check. After all of the fawning and taking all of the fishes money, these guys think they should beat everything, they are invincable. If they do not win, it can't be beat. The FROG says, keep on trying guys. I'll leave the tables for you.

Best Wishes...OF:howdy:

Hitman26 · Jul 6, 2005

"You know what I tell people I do? I am an internet investor, or a day trader. Then they just leave you alone."

This hits home with me. I say the exact same thing. I just wish people wouldn't even ask me what I do.

Horseshoe · Jul 6, 2005

Some of the guys at that table must not be familiar with Baxter, Reese, Brunson, Tomko, Boston, Appleman,etc..and their other "hobby" ??

OMNIVOROUS FROG · Jul 6, 2005

Exactly Horse. The ones that are whining are the ones who just can't beat both. I can't beat them at their pond, but I know my limitations and do not even try. They adhere to that mindset, if I can't beat it, it ain't beatable. It is like a stockbroker that spends 12 hours studying the market and 5 minutes for the game he bets. He beats the market regularly, but the sports just take it all back. Don't blame the game.

Best Wishes...OF:howdy:

szlem · Jul 6, 2005

Sports betting surely has the image problem, apparently not for everybody. In my case, I started to treat it seriously after I had read an interview with some pro-gambler in the Forbes magazine. The interview presented betting as just another form of investing and it made me think about it more seriously.

blueedwards · Jul 6, 2005

society's scale of least degenerate to most degenerate:

1) lotto players

2) poker players

3) sports betting/casino gamblers

4) horse bettors

5) crystal meth dealers

WildBill · Jul 6, 2005

How about dealers Blue???

Good points guys on the "internet investor" idea. Sad that somehow that is a good job, yet working hard at something that requires skill, patiences, discipline, and saving up a good sized investment is not.

blueedwards · Jul 6, 2005

WildBill said:
How about dealers Blue???

Good points guys on the "internet investor" idea. Sad that somehow that is a good job, yet working hard at something that requires skill, patiences, discipline, and saving up a good sized investment is not.

what do you mean? poker/blackjack dealers? i think most people think they are just earning a living.

WildBill · Jul 6, 2005

Depends on whose opinion you hear I suppose. Some of my friends view them as low lifes, but they deserve more respect I agree.

redpimp · Jul 6, 2005

Hitman26 said:
"You know what I tell people I do? I am an internet investor, or a day trader. Then they just leave you alone."

This hits home with me. I say the exact same thing. I just wish people wouldn't even ask me what I do.

Thats until you run into some smart arse geek who actually works for Merryll lynch and he wants to discuss the PE ratios and the advantage of investing in china stocks vs Retail or tech stocks on the NasDaq, and for dessert its a discussion on China's fast paced economic climb as opposed to Japan and the declining trade between US and those two...Then its time to puke your guts out and tell this baffoon to "fack off" so you can enjoy your pistons game!!!! (this has actually happened to me more than once)

To tell you the truth, i am currently nursing a fantastic idea that could be worth millions if i met the right people who could help foster my idea. And if done right, sports gambling would leap miles ahead of poker and never ever look back.

This industry is successful in countries like England and is actually no different from investing in the stock market...Matter of fact sports betting is actually safer than that the stock market. (If you know some one in this field and they explained to you what exactly insider trading is and the potential for abuse by those on the inside, you would definately default to sports betting rather than
the market.

RobFunk · Jul 6, 2005

szlem said:
Sports betting surely has the image problem, apparently not for everybody. In my case, I started to treat it seriously after I had read an interview with some pro-gambler in the Forbes magazine. The interview presented betting as just another form of investing and it made me think about it more seriously.

You remember the month of the issue? Name of the guy? Would love to read this.

szlem · Jul 7, 2005

RobFunk said:
You remember the month of the issue? Name of the guy? Would love to read this.

That's the problem I cannot remember. Few months ago I searched the online archive of forbes to read it once again but I didn't manage to find it

drunkguy · Jul 7, 2005

you talking about Mark Cuban?

red007 · Jul 7, 2005

Hitman26 said:
"You know what I tell people I do? I am an internet investor, or a day trader. Then they just leave you alone."

This hits home with me. I say the exact same thing. I just wish people wouldn't even ask me what I do.

i say the same thing. i'm a day trader. but they don't leave me alone. they want stock tips etc...

WildBill · Jul 7, 2005

Wayne Root has been interviewed and said much of what you mentioned in Forbes. He tries to come off as a genius, but I think most of us all know a little better than that. Scary thing is the guy legitimately thinks he is going to win an elected office in the next decade.

TTinCO · Jul 7, 2005

WildBill said:
Scary thing is the guy legitimately thinks he is going to win an elected office in the next decade.

I suspect that he thinks that he has the entire world snowed.

BooksWorstEnemy · Jul 7, 2005

If I told my old man I was going to make a living buying and selling short term positions in stocks, options or commodities, he'd be ok with it.

If I told him I was going to make a living dealing cards for a large corporation in Vegas, he'd be ok with it.

But if I told him I was going to make a living betting on sports (which I am not able to do anyway) he'd probably cut me out of his will. At the very least, there would certainly be judgments.

As Mark Cuban said, the stock market is a ponzi scheme. He is right, with the exception of some piddling dividends. Someone else will always control the actual company unless you are a billionaire. Your stock certificate will entitle you to a dividend if you are lucky, but at the end of the day, you are just hoping to find someone who will pay more than you did. At the end of the day, the stock certificate is as worthless as the paper it's printed on. You have no control over the company and with the exception of a potential dividend, you are entitled to nothing through your "ownership" of the company. I've made a ton of money investing (gambling) in the stock market, but at the end of the day, my investments in the stock market were really gambles. Everything in life is a gamble, isn't it?

Later,
Books Worst Enemy

miked429 · Jul 7, 2005

sports gambling has always been linked to the corruption of the game in the eyes of the public.this is the #1 reason why sports gambling will never be legal nationwide in the u.s.a. imo.