**thanks Clevfan from MW for the read**
Experts say $1.4 billion US bet every day on sporting events
By JONATHAN HUNTINGTON
FEB 13
CALGARY SUN
The accusations authorities are making against Rick Tocchet for his alleged involvement in a New Jersey-based gambling ring brings the issue of sports betting to life.
According to New Jersey State Police, the alleged ring wagered about $1.7 million over almost 1,000 bets in a 40-day span.
That's just a small drop in the bucket compared to what today's subject, Charles Allen, and his team of bettors wager in the same span.
In the second part of a two-part series, Sun Media's Jonathan Huntington examines the explosion of sports wagering in North America over the last 10 years.
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The sports wagering industry has reached dizzying heights.
The volume of bets and the amount of money changing hands around the world continues to increase.
Betting on games in almost every sport has become an unstoppable craze.
"Sports wagering has become fashionable," said a gambler's anonymous member.
"And the availability to make wagers is huge."
Placing a bet on a sports game is almost the easiest task of the day.
From your cellphone while driving your car, to the Blackberry on your belt, to your laptop computer to the corner store -- you can make a wager in almost no time.
When Sports Select debuted on Oct.1, 1990, 500 convenience stores were equipped to handle wagers.
Today, the number has skyrocketed to 3,900 outlets.
But nothing is growing like online wagering.
International sportsbooks are riding an incredible wave of popularity.
Almost $100 billion US -- according to Global Betting and Gaming Consultants -- was pushed offshore in 2005.
In comparison, about $6 billion US was wagered off the continent in 1998. Simple math shows that number has been multiplied 17 times to reach today's total.
"Every online sportsbook operator I have spoken to stated that records were already broken for the amount of bets taken on this year's Super Bowl compared to previous Super Bowls a number of days prior to the actual game (last month)," said Christopher Costigan, the founder and president of gambling911.com, considered to be the global leader in gambling news.
Although it's hard to pinpoint an exact number, it's estimated there are more than 200 online sportsbooks operating today.
"Sports wagering is all about ownership and entertainment," said Calvin Ayre, the CEO of Bodog.com, arguably the most recognized and powerful offshore sportsbook on the planet.
"It is the emotional equivalent to, say, moving from the bleachers to the actual sidelines in a football game.
"Once a player places a sports bet, they own a stake in the game. And how can a game be anything but entertaining if you have a stake in the outcome?"
That explains why gambling on sports games has become part of life for millions of people in North America.
How crazy is the world of betting?
* According to the Global Betting and Gaming Consultants, a record $500 billion US was wagered worldwide -- legally and illegally combined -- on sports last year. That means almost $1.4 billion US was bet every day on sporting events.
* In the days leading up to Super Bowl XL, one estimate pegged betting on the game at $7 billion US. Danny Sheridan -- one of the most respected sports wagering analysts on the globe -- stated in USA Today that more than 50% of the adult population south of the border was expected to have a bet on the NFL's championship game. In other words, 147 million people in the U.S. had something riding on the Seattle-Pittsburgh tilt.
* On the Prairies, Sports Select is doing a booming business. The Western Canada Lottery Corporation estimates sports fans in the prairie provinces and northern territories will bet almost $70 million in this fiscal year, compared to $47 million in Sports Select's first fiscal year (1991).
* Nothing trumps the NFL in Canada. Hockey is this country's pastime but that means nothing to bettors in Canada. Sports enthusiasts flock to the corner store on Sunday mornings during the fall and early winter to bet NFL games through Sports Select.
"Sunday sales are typically 25% higher than Saturday sales," said John Matheson, a senior manager with the Western Canada Lottery Corporation. "On a per-game basis, American professional football sales average 3.5 times higher than professional hockey."
* Gigantic payoff: The biggest Sports Select payout in the Edmonton area happened nearly 15 years ago.
"An Edmonton electrician purchased 18 winning Pro-Line tickets Aug. 12, 1991, and won $895,333.48," said Matheson. "One of his tickets won $113,621 and that is likely the biggest win on a single ticket."
