Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category

New Regulations for UK Professional Players

Friday, August 31st, 2007

It could be a result of what has been going on in the United States or not but the fact remains that professional players in the UK will be under new regulations starting this month.  The Professional Players Federation has recently issued a code on gambling.  Affected by this new code is the activity of sports betting.

As with other countries (well, the US to be more specific), sports betting has experienced a surge in the recent years.  However, concerns have been raised, time and again, regarding the integrity of sports which can be wagered on.  Of course, one of the main (and legitimate I would say) concerns of many is the fact that professional athletes may be able to manipulate the outcomes of games they are involved in.  As the case in the NBA showed us, it does not even have to be athletes.  Referees and other sports officials may be put in a compromising position due to the insider knowledge that they have about the sport.

So under the Gambling Act, anyone – player, referee, trainers, managers, and even journalists! – can go to jail if found guilty of cheating or helping someone cheat in order to get favorable results in sports betting.  The concern now is that there might be some interpretations of the Act that may not be clear to players and other concerned people.  As a PPF spokesman said “A footballer could tell his mates that so-and-so is going to play well or score, and without realising it potentially be in breach of the law. We would like to see proper education on the implications of the act.”

We’ll see how this one turns out soon enough.

Posted in Culture, International, Sports Betting | No Comments »

Sports Betting in Uganda

Monday, August 6th, 2007

This piece of news that I ran across online yesterday proves my theory that wherever in the world you go, you will run across people who like to gamble.  Whether it be on sports or cards or what not, there will always be someone willing to take risks.  For those who think that gambling activities are frivolous and unnecessary, it might be that the last thing they would associate Africa with is gambling.  I would tend to agree with them.  However, if you think about it, what is the logic behind this way of thinking?  As I said in the beginning, there really is no geographical limit to taking risks.

The people of Uganda are no different from millions and millions of people around the world – they have a passion for sports, specifically, soccer.  Recently, though, Sports Betting Africa announced that they are expanding their operations into East Africa, of which Uganda is part.  They are introducing their “Soccer 1×2” game which, they believe, will add some zest into the soccer fans’ experience.

How to play?  “One has to obtain an applicable fixture list for the 1X2 game and consider how each of the 12 pre-determined fixtures will end. The player must play a minimum of two board games of sh300 each. One marks (1) for a home team win, an (X) for a draw and a (2) for an away win.

The player who predicts right at least nine of the 12 games is an instant winner with sh2.78m as the highest jackpot.”

Posted in Culture, Football, International, News, Sports Betting | No Comments »

How to Avoid Online Betting Scams (Part 2)

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

In the last post we looked at some things that you can consider when evaluating how safe or legitimate an online sportsbook is.  Of course, as a reminder, I would like to say that these are only pointers and they do not guarantee, in any way, that you are safe from scammers.  Anyhow, let us look at some more tips on avoiding online betting scams.

Check out these management issues:  how long has the sportsbook been in business, how financially secure is it, and what kind of management does it have?  The first question is easily answered.  The second one would entail looking at listings such as the Stock Exchange.  The third one would entail more research.

One of the best measures for a sportsbook is customer service.  Check if they have service 24/7.  Try giving them a call.  Do their reps speak good English?  That is, is there no language barrier?  Are they helpful?  Courteous? Patient?  You want to know these things because if you encounter problems later on down the line, you would have to deal with them.

Last, evaluate their wagering rules and their bonuses and promos.  Though these things may not really give you a good gauge as to whether the site is legit or not, it is assumed at this point that you have a good idea regarding that already.  It is time to make sure that this site is going to give you your money’s worth!

Posted in Culture, Sports Betting | No Comments »

NBA Draft 2007 (Part 2)

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007

Here’s another piece of very interesting news.  Again, I do not know exactly how it is going to help you make your wagers but I could not help but share this with you guys.  Remember Spencer Hawes from Seattle?   He has been drafted into Sacramento.  As it turns out he is a right-wing fan Governor Schwarzenegger.  Very interesting comments from the young guy:

Hawes says he “loves” Arnold, and that he brought True Lies with him on the trip to New York, with plans to watch it on the flight home. “Now it has a little extra meaning for me,” Hawes said.

Before we expect some kind of right-wing, basketball-and-politics partnership to form, though, Hawes might need to change his stance on global warming. Schwarzenegger, who most recently discussed the issue with world leaders during a tour of Europe, has become a leading figure in the fight for action against climate change. Hawes has a different view.

When I spoke with Hawes at the league’s predraft camp on May 31, he talked about a recent Public Debate class exercise at the University of Washington. In it, he said, he denied the entire existence — and human cause — of global warming. When asked for his take on Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, Hawes said, “It’s one big lie. I talked about that in my opening speech — it’s the media’s liberal overexaggeration of just about everything.”

I wonder how Hawes will be in his opening game in the NBA?  We have yet to see if his passion for politics will be anything like his passion for the game.

Posted in Basketball, Culture, News | No Comments »

The Due Factor

Tuesday, June 26th, 2007

When betting on sports, there are certain things that are not cut in stone yet are as important as anything else.  These things are called intangibles.  For example, a serious sports bettor analyzes the recent performance of teams in a league.  This analysis will show who is playing well and who is playing poorly.  Aside from that, the sports bettor can find out information such as the mindset of the different teams and players as well as the chemistry between players both within the same team and with other teams.

The question, though, is just how much importance should be placed on the recent games when it comes to sports betting?  There is such a thing called due factor, which in essence simply refers to the idea that a team’s performance is about to change because of an extended streak (whether win or lose).

To give you a clearer picture, think about this year’s NBA champs, the Spurs.  Say they were on a winning streak – they’ve won their last 8 games.  The due factor would dictate that their chances of winning the next game have decreased.   Yet does this ring true?

I don’t think so.  The bottom line is that evaluating previous performances is important in determining sports picks but it does not have a predictive value regarding what will happen in the next game.  Though that is the truth, the due factor type of thinking is so common among gamblers – don’t be misled and fall for it as well.

Posted in Culture, Sports Betting | No Comments »

Sportsbetting and Superstitions – Do They Mix?

Tuesday, June 19th, 2007

We know that sportsbetting and information go hand in hand – of that there is no doubt.  Yet how about another factor that seems to be present in many instances in the world of sportsbetting?  I am talking about superstitions.  Do they really matter when it comes to sportsbetting?

Try going to a sportsbook or even just observing both bet takers and bet makers on Friday the 13th.  The chances are that you will see a large majority crossing their fingers or making any other gesture that is supposed to ward of bad luck – all this despite the fact that there is no empirical proof that Friday the 13th brings about worse odds.

Even the athletes themselves have their own superstitions.  Some have to wear a specific piece of clothing.  Others consider a cross-eyed woman bad luck.  Though these beliefs probably stemmed from way back in the Middle Ages, they still exist today – and more than that, they actually hold sway over some people.

Now I don’t know about certain superstitions but there’s this story about Sam Hildreth, a horse trainer.  One night he dreamt of a big hat.  Arriving at the races the next day, he went over the entries for a horse with the name hat.  He actually found two horses – Hatrick and Top Hat.  Being the superstitious man that he was, he bet on both.  As the race went on, the two horses were nose to nose.  It looked as if they would win one-two.  Imagine Hildreth’s excitement!  At the last moment, though, another horse comes out of nowhere, overtakes the two “hats,” and wins.  His name was Sombrero.

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