Gambling and cheating ....

[Dave2002]

I found this article quite interesting: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2...asino-loophole

However, I'm always wary of the concept of "cheating" and "crooks" in connection with gambling and casinos.

It seems to me that often it is the casinos which are the crooks, rather than the poor unfortunates who get conned into frequenting them.

[Sir Velo]

Slow news day in the Highlands?

[Serial_Apologist]

This could be turned into an interesting discussion on gambling - why do people do it? What did they do before the advent of money?

[RichardB]

This could be turned into an interesting discussion on gambling - why do people do it? What did they do before the advent of money?

I'm sure gambling has been around at least since the advent of personal possessions of any kind, so a long time before money existed. Also, taking a chance on one or other random outcome probably dates back even further than that in human prehistory. Gambling as we know it now, though, as Dave implies, is a racket. No wonder it's one of the profit-making endeavours of choice for organised crime.

[Dave2002]

I'm sure gambling has been around at least since the advent of personal possessions of any kind, so a long time before money existed. Also, taking a chance on one or other random outcome probably dates back even further than that in human prehistory. Gambling as we know it now, though, as Dave implies, is a racket. No wonder it's one of the profit-making endeavours of choice for organised crime.

That, and the "oldest profession".

[Petrushka]

There's gambling and there's gambling.

I do like to have a go on the Saturday afternoon racing and have funded many a boxed set from the winnings! Horse racing is one of the forms of gambling that isn't completely down to luck, though it naturally plays a part. The real challenge is to find out as much as possible about the runners with all the variables on form, going, weather conditions, trainer's and jockey's form etc, etc, and pit your knowledge and wits against the pundits. Whatever anyone tells you it isn't entirely random, and that includes the Grand National.

To me, it's just a bit of fun and I have clear boundaries so there's no chance of addiction as that's not in my nature.

One rule: never do the National Lottery and never, ever do scratchcards!

[teamsaint]

There's gambling and there's gambling.

I do like to have a go on the Saturday afternoon racing and have funded many a boxed set from the winnings! Horse racing is one of the forms of gambling that isn't completely down to luck, though it naturally plays a part. The real challenge is to find out as much as possible about the runners with all the variables on form, going, weather conditions, trainer's and jockey's form etc, etc, and pit your knowledge and wits against the pundits. Whatever anyone tells you it isn't entirely random, and that includes the Grand National.

To me, it's just a bit of fun and I have clear boundaries so there's no chance of addiction as that's not in my nature.

One rule: never do the National Lottery and never, ever do scratchcards!

Yep, I always enjoyed the challenge of trying to find value. It is about finding that opportunity where the odds given are greater than the chance of winning.

And on relative outsiders, the bookies quite often offer very good value to get money in.

[pastoralguy]

I found this article quite interesting: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2...asino-loophole

However, I'm always wary of the concept of "cheating" and "crooks" in connection with gambling and casinos.

It seems to me that often it is the casinos which are the crooks, rather than the poor unfortunates who get conned into frequenting them.

I always loved the Casino scene in ‘Rain Man’ where the Dustin Hoffman character beats the Casino’s odd by sheer memory. I also believe the scene where the Casino’s executives advise Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman’s characters that they should leave town asap! These guys do NOT like to lose!

[Petrushka]

Yep, I always enjoyed the challenge of trying to find value. It is about finding that opportunity where the odds given are greater than the chance of winning.

And on relative outsiders, the bookies quite often offer very good value to get money in.

I changed my method a couple of years ago and during the summer on the Flat I've been backing three or four horses in handicaps with over 20 runners who are very low in the weights and often at very big odds. Some bookies offer 5 or 6 places and it's surprising how often I get a place. It's even more surprising how often I've had winners at 66/1, 33/1, 40/1 pulling in hundreds of pounds. The jumps are more tricky but look out for those horses carrying little weight when the ground is like a bog.

I've also got a fair wodge of money in Premium Bonds which I suppose is a form of gambling and I've already won nearly £2000 this year alone.

It's how I manage to afford all these big boxed sets!

[pastoralguy]

I've also got a fair wodge of money in Premium Bonds which I suppose is a form of gambling and I've already won nearly £2000 this year alone.
!

Wow! Lucky you! Mrs. PG and I had almost £20k in Premium Bonds at one point and won…zilch!

[teamsaint]

I changed my method a couple of years ago and during the summer on the Flat I've been backing three or four horses in handicaps with over 20 runners who are very low in the weights and often at very big odds. Some bookies offer 5 or 6 places and it's surprising how often I get a place. It's even more surprising how often I've had winners at 66/1, 33/1, 40/1 pulling in hundreds of pounds. The jumps are more tricky but look out for those horses carrying little weight when the ground is like a bog.

I've also got a fair wodge of money in Premium Bonds which I suppose is a form of gambling and I've already won nearly £2000 this year alone.

It's how I manage to afford all these big boxed sets!

Very interesting .
On roughly the same method I was in Norton’s Coin when he won the Gold Cup at 100/1 on terrible going, a long time ago. The odds for fancied horses are closely calculated. Odds for outsiders reflect the desire to get money in, not their exact chance.

Those big handicaps on the flat are impossible to call, but you can play the odds and still get a return.

[Pulcinella]

Slightly off topic, perhaps, but I'm pretty sure that online betting got severely curtailed if not banned during the pandemic in Italy, as their government realised what a temptation it would be during lockdown.

Would that we in the UK had done similarly, imho.

[richardfinegold]

There's gambling and there's gambling.

I do like to have a go on the Saturday afternoon racing and have funded many a boxed set from the winnings! Horse racing is one of the forms of gambling that isn't completely down to luck, though it naturally plays a part. The real challenge is to find out as much as possible about the runners with all the variables on form, going, weather conditions, trainer's and jockey's form etc, etc, and pit your knowledge and wits against the pundits. Whatever anyone tells you it isn't entirely random, and that includes the Grand National.

To me, it's just a bit of fun and I have clear boundaries so there's no chance of addiction as that's not in my nature.

One rule: never do the National Lottery and never, ever do scratchcards!

Addiction isn’t in your nature? How many Beethoven Symphony Cycles lay about your house? I am just as bad, but let’s be clear, compulsive collecting is a form of addiction. Fortunately we are able to place limits on what we spend on our collecting. Most gamblers do the same. If everyone who visited Monte Carlo or Las Vegas wound up out of control and penniless then they would cease to be profitable. It is a small subset of gamblers who are in the throes of addiction and become financially ruined

[muzzer]

Online gambling is imho the most pernicious modern evil. Very opaque corporate structures, very poorly regulated. The modern form of cigarettes.