Archive for the ‘News’ Category

NBA: Donaghy Guilty

Friday, August 17th, 2007

In what could be dubbed as one of the most scandalous events in the history of the NBA, the referee accused of illegal sports betting activities has been found guilty of the charges.  Timothy Donaghy, a 13-year veteran referee of the NBA, has pleaded guilty to the charges against him.  These include his accepting cash in exchange for making winning picks, which he made based on privileged information as an NBA referee.  More than that, some of these games were under his jurisdiction as a referee.

What do people have to say about this?  There is no official word from Commissioner Stern as of yet but U.S. Attorney Roslyn Mauskopf  says “The participation of an official of one of the world’s premier sports leagues in an illegal betting scheme involving his own sport demonstrates the corrupting allure of easy money. Today’s guilty plea and charges serve as a warning that seemingly easy money often comes at a high price.”

It should not cast such a shadow over the sports betting scene, though.  There are perfectly legitimate sports betting operations wherein ordinary people like you and me participate.  We should not be punished for what one person has done.  However, we have to be realistic.  With such a highly publicized incident, we can expect some sanctions on the sports betting side.  We might have to face more restrictions.  I have no idea what they may be but I am pretty sure that repercussions would follow.  I just hope that whatever they implement would not make the innocent suffer just because someone else messed up.

Posted in Basketball, News, 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 »

Sports Betting at CasinoUnreal

Tuesday, July 17th, 2007

A relatively old player in the world of online casinos, CasinoUnreal has recently undergone a face lift.  Established in 2001, this online casino is now offering new graphics, features, and games.  In the beginning, it was just another online venue for playing poker and other games but with their revamp, they are now offering sports betting as well.

This is, of course, good news to all sports betting enthusiasts out there who are always on the lookout for online venues to play in.  Existing members of CasinoUnreal do not need to create new accounts to be able to gain access to the online casino.  However, they may be in for a huge surprise as everything will be different from what they are used to.  Upon logging in, players will not be greeted merely with the casino homepage but will be given three options and the choice between poker and sports betting.

They have a wide selection of poker variations, from 5 Card Draw to 7 Card Stud to Omaha, and of Texas Hold ‘em Poker.  For sports betting, of course, you can take your pick from different sports such as baseball, football, golf, hockey, rugby, and tennis.

You can choose to play either by downloading their software or using the flash mode.  The latter is actually a much appreciated update by their players who do not want to have to wait for the software to download.  The flash player makes it easier for anyone to just enter the site and play immediately.

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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 »

Sportsbetting For Delaware

Tuesday, June 12th, 2007

In a move that could either be good news or bad news depending where you stand, the state of Delaware is planning to come up with a bill that would make sportsbetting legal.  Of course, there is more to it than that – the legal aspect would be extended only to a state-run sportsbook which would be overseen by the Delaware Lottery.

On the state’s part, Republican Representative Vincent Lofink holds evidence that this activity could give the state up to 70 million dollars in revenue.  This figure was included in the results of a study commissioned by the Video Lottery Advisory Council (VLAC) and conducted by Morowitz Gaming Advisors LLC in March. This is surely enough to make the opposition think twice.  However, the professional sports sector is definitely not going to take this sitting down.

According to Jay Moyer, legal counsel to the NFL, “…the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball would make our presence forcefully known.”  He goes on to say that “We stand foursquare in our opposition.”

Why is the professional sports sector taking this stand?  Mainly because they feel that betting corrupts the sport.

Of course, each to his own.  People who are enthusiasts of sportsbetting believe otherwise.  For those residing in Delaware and the surrounding areas, this is good news.  Having a state-sponsored sportsbook will only give them more opportunities to engage in their activities.  We do have to wait and see how things turn out.  You know very well how it is in politics, some things take time.

Posted in Basketball, NFL, News, Sports Betting | No Comments »