Off Shore Gaming Association

This year Super Bowl should be an excellent game, as these two teams match up very well, and the expectation is that this one will be a shootout. And touchdowns are always fun to watch especially when viewing with a mixed group of bettors, fans and commercial watchers. But, the most exciting thing about the Super Bowl? Prop betting or live wagering.
 
Prop betting has exploded with every outlet offering hundreds if not thousands of these ‘man-made’ wagers. Every outlet is currently offering props from the coin toss to the final play and utilize every offensive player and special teams gimmick. Keep in mind when looking at all of these wagers that the public generally bets ‘over’ and ‘yes’ so prices for these options are typically inflated.

Still, these wagers will make even the slowest of Super Bowl games interesting. You can bet on the yardage for Bush’s first carry, total yards, longest rush, receptions, reception yardage and whether he will score a touchdown. It’s a given that if your sportsbook is giving Bush this much attention, the so will the Colts. With plays available on Saints’ Marquis Colston and Jeremey Shockey and the Colts’ Joseph Addai and Reggie Wayne it may be worthwhile to look at some of the ‘other’ cast members on each team’s offense for a bit of value.

Saints WR Devery Henderson has been having a nice run in the payoffs, with 8 catches for over a hundred yards and two scores. So, I’ll take “Will Devery‘Henderson score a TD in the game?” for Yes at +235, instead of Colston at +105.

For the Colt’s turn to Austin Collie as the oddsmakers seem to have caught up with Pierre Garcon, who has been on fire for Manning in the last two games. Collie has been a huge contrbutor recently and is the only Colt with 2 scores in the post-season . “Longest Reception - Austin Collie” at -110 looks like a solid play, though it is hard to lay off of Dallas Clark to score a touchdown at -140.

The coins toss, the first score, the longest field goal are usually some of my favorites and will certainly get some of my attention. I also always look to an exact point prop, as these always have some excellent odds. Usually I will take the team that I like at the half and then place an ‘exact margin of victory’ play. So, thinking it will be a close game, rather than take the Saints +3 for the half, wager Saints up by 1-3 points at 4-1 or the Colts margin of 1-3 points at 3-1 odds.  Still, I sift through the pages and pages of prop at the various outlets clicking and clicking to find some crazy ones that make me look twice and perhaps, wager once.

Bodog has two that are just fabulous. “What color top will Kim Kardashian be wearing at the Super Bowl?” Black (the favorite at -135), white, or other color (6/5). I wonder what happens if she changes at halftime?  The silliest prop is obviously from 1968, “If any member of the Who smashes their guitar what does the guitar hit first?” Hmm, floor at 1/9 or drummer at 200/1? How ’bout “No” to will a guitar get smashed at -190 (these guys are pretty old for that kinda stuff).

In addition to all of this, you can bet LIVE during the commercial break of the game. WSEX pioneered this years ago and this year 5Dimes, who does some live wagering on various events, will have wagering during every comercial break. Bodog also is offering live betting during the game.

Sportsbooks worldwide pull out the incentives for the biggest single game of betting each year. This year is no exception with a 100% bonus offer at several outlets. BetJamaica has a $100 Free Play on a $100 first time deposit and at WagerWeb for every $100 you send in, you get the same offer – up to $1000, plus 5% back on any SuperBowl losses! BetPhoenix takes the same offer one step further Deposit $100 and receive a $100 free wager on the Super Bowl. If your Super Bowl wager loses you will get another chance to use it! WHAT!

SBG Global will pick up the fees for deposits and give you an additional $50 free Play for sending cash. Both betEd  and 5Dimes are coughing up a 50% bonus. And at least 20% can be found at most every outlet worldwide. Check here for the latest updated Super Bowl bonus offers.

Keep in mind, as with any bonuses, these offers carry restrictions. So make sure you check the fine print of any offer before you send money.

Who Dat making Ca$h on the Super Bowl? Enjoy the game.

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In just two days we will all have a huge entertainment decision. Which group of uninterested millionaires should we watch – The NFL’s best at the Pro Bowl or music’s royalty at the Grammys? But a larger decision looms. Which event is the one to bet on?

The NFL seems very happy with itself over the whole week-before-the-big-game exhibition. They build-up of excitement surely has fans and bettors alike writhing their hands in anticipation of this Sunday’s matchup. The league may have moved the date of this game to keep bettors active in what normally would be a dead week, knowing that fan support only goes so far. But considering their stance on betting, I am sure that this ever crossed the mind of league officials (wink, wink).

Football is the hold grail of sports betting and when the real games and the real point spreads are gone, so are the players, taking with them all deposits and winnings. It will be 6 long months before sportsbooks will have a chance at winning back any of that money again. Perhaps league officials have spoken with offshore operators who tell them that the week after the Super Bowl over 50% of the players withdraw their balances, resulting in very little action for the Pro Bowl. Still, this new format does not appear to be breaking from tradition, even if players do have available balances. Players who are willing to wager on the game have not stepped up to the plate yet, with several outlets reporting almost no action on the Pro Bowl just 48 hours before the game. On gameday, one way to get in on some meaningful action is through live betting. 5Dimes will be offering wagering on the live action during the game and expects more volume on the live wagering than on wagers made before the game!

The Grammy are the Super Bowl of the music world. And, there are more betting options available, but surprisingly the event is not available at every outlet. A quick perusal of Elite and Premier rated sportsbooks showed that more than half do not have Grammy wagering available yet.

There are actually 4 main categories that are available for Grammy Awards betting action and are the most widely offered. The top wagering categories are Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. You can also bet on Best Rock Song at SBG Global, Pinnacle (though the field is one of the wagers) and betED. The craziest bet of the event is also available at betED – “Who will be the 1st to invade the stage?” with Lady Gaga as the favorite!

So for my tastes, I know that the Grammys will provide me with at least three-and-a-half hours of totally free, quality entertainment. But can the Pro Bowl guarantee me the same thing? With the replacements and the seeming lack of interest from the players, I’ll watch the Grammys.

But which event gets the wagering dollars?

Again, the Grammys. The Pro Bowl side wager has dropped to two and even 1 online, as if there is much basis for this. The not-so-giant point total has nothing to do with handicapping and frankly, at about the same number as Super Bowl total, may be an attractive betting option. But, with the Grammys you can do a little handicapping. Take a look at album sales, Billboard charts, previous awards shows and even TMZ to get an edge. It’s a shame you cat make parlays out of prop bets, but this is exactly why. Taylor Swift sure looks like easy money in a couple of categories after her hauls at the CMAs (she won all four awards for which she was nominated) and the VMAs (think Kanye West). Swift is the favorite in three available wagering categories. A differing line among several outlets in the Song of the Year Award category and Record of the Year category makes me lean towards the young starlet winning for Album of The Year. Employing the same logic, Pinnacle is leaning far towards Swift in this category; odds are currently at a whopping -113. The Kings of Leon are a sure bet to win the Best Rock Song award but at a long price, if available.

Enjoy watching and good luck with any wager you make, on either event.

For a complete, updated list of Grammy Betting Odds, click here.

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The NFL is sure going to be busy in 2010. And not promoting its product outside the United States or ramping up its fledgling TV network. No, the NFL, or should I say the NFL’s lawyers, are going to be busy fighting new legislation introduced this week from several states and a Supreme Court fight.

Last year, the tiny state of Delaware spent over $600,000 in legal fees to ensure passage of a very watered-down version of a sports betting bill. However, by providing just multi-game betting (parlay and teaser cards), the state still turned a profit. Now, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell has announced a decision to appeal an August ruling, by the 3rd circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, to the Supreme Court! That’s gonna incur some legal fees. Still, the state has to convince the court to hear the argument, thus, expanded sports betting in the 1st State is still a long shot.

The NFL and other sports leagues were able to convince the Third Circuit Court that Delaware should only be allowed to offer sports betting in the fashion that it was offered before the passage of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) that was passed in 1992. The federal law includes a partial exemption for Delaware, Nevada, Montana and Oregon, allowing them to have sports betting “to the extent” it was “conducted” previously. PASPA is really the one piece of legislation that is stunting any hope for the growth of sports betting in the U.S. If the case does get heard by the land’s highest court, it will be, as far as I know, the first time the Supreme Court has heard a challenge to the federal law.

However, help may be on the horizon in other cases that are sure to be heard throughout the land. Perhaps on the success of Delaware, the State’s lawyers may be getting assistance from newly sponsored legislation in two states to void PASPA.

New Jersey made a bit of a play last year as State Sen. Raymond Lesniak introduced legislation to allow sports betting in Atlantic City, mainly as a way to bolster the dying casino town’s revenue stream. He was able to garner support from then-governor John Corzine and had the assistance of iMEGA, but his bill did not gain much traction. Just two weeks into the New Year and Leasniak is already making another play. He has introduced an act “permitting wagering at casinos in-person and through an account wagering system using telephone, Internet and other means on the results of professional and collegiate sport or athletic events”. Talk about going for the gusto! Lesniak is not only including sports betting, but, in the face of certain litigation by the NFL and NCAA, he is also adding in the Internet. Yes, internet wagering has made it into his 2010 version of the bill. So, the Justice Department will most likely also have something to say about this piece of legislation.

But Lesniak is serious, already ramping-up the rhetoric. He has been quoted as saying, “People are doing it. They’re doing it every day. They’re doing it for the NCAA tournament. They’re doing it for the Super Bowl and professional football. But we can’t regulate it and run it in the state of New Jersey.” Finally, someone who gets it - gamblers are gonna gamble. In fact, I just got doing it, and I want to do it again! Lesniak is also considering suing the Federal Government to overturn the PASA law.

Also this week, out of left-field, came a House Resolution from legislators in Missouri, of all places. Can it be that Gary Kaplan and David Carruthers are working their St. Louis jailers over to have their lawmakers allow sports betting? After all, the state probably owns the URL betonsports.com after taking down one of the largest sports gambling houses on the Internet. Was this really the whole reason that BOS was indicted and convicted - to pave the way for legal sports betting in the state?

The piece of legislation, House Concurrent Resolution No. 22 urges the United States Congress to remove the federal ban on sports wagering. The best line in the document is when the State legislators declare, I guess after the demise of BOS and little or no change in the gaming landscape, that “the federal sports wagering ban is not effective in curbing illegal sports gambling.” I wonder when the light bulb went on to figure that out? But cynicism aside, this resolution is being sent to the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Congress and to each member of the Missouri Congressional delegation. Hopefully, it will have some impact.

So, all of this legislation and legal wrangling could be a perfect storm for the NFL, NCAA and other sports leagues. PASPA was passed nearly two decades ago and all that has happened since then is the explosion of the multi-billion dollar Internet gambling industry and the continued expansion of gambling throughout the country. Following the success that Delaware has seen with just multi-game wagering, in just their first year of operation, and with states looking for any way to generate revenue, perhaps this is just the leading edge of the PASAP perfect storm. Next week Florida is going to discuss Internet wagering in the state capitol and Indian tribes in California are attempting to build a consensus on Internet poker issues. Perhaps we are approaching a perfect storm for Internet wagering as well.

My prediction for all of this for 2010? If states continue to struggle to find revenue, PASAP will have a tough time continuing to be the law of the land. I expect to see other states put pressure on the Federal government as well. And, oh, yeah, a whole bunch of lawyers are going to make a whole bunch of money!

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American Idol begins is 9th season tonight. The wildly successful talent showcase averages more than 25 million viewers and has been the biggest show in the US for the last six years. It has also been a nice wagering opportunity for those that get their wagers in early. Last season’s winner, Kris Allen, opened at +5000, a winning wager of $500 for every dollar bet. By the final week of the competition, he was down to +240 to +280 where each bet would have paid $2.40 or $2.80 respectively for every dollar wagered. Typically odds are not posted for American Idol until the final field of 40 is set, but Ireland’s Paddy Power has a couple of interesting wagers available right now.

Paddy Power Specials:

• American Idol to be scrapped before 2011 - 3/1
• Simon Cowell & Simon Fuller to be snapped having a punch up - 8/1
  *Must be real physical punch fight and not a joke or scripted affair.

You can also find several outlets right now that are offering -120 on either a male or female winner. However, these are long odds for basically the flip of a coin. So, for the next four weeks just sit back and watch the simpletons, the losers and that talented until the field of 40 is set.

The Road to Hollywood” auditions airs on Wednesday, Feb. 3 and will feature contestants that will compete in the “Hollywood Round” episodes starting on Tuesday, Feb. 9. We will post the American Idol betting odds from outlets around the world once they have been released, typically the Friday before the Hollywood Rounds begin. Check back at the end of the month for the latest odds on your favorite Idol.

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The annual College Bowl season is here and OSGA has got you covered. Two of our annual college football offerings, the BCS Bowl Contest and the College Bowl Report, are now available.

The 2009-2010 OSGA College Bowl Report is a must-have for anyone interested in the college bowl season. The annual report features the opening LVSC line, updated odds from two sportsbooks and the date, time and network that will air each bowl game. In addition, the report features comments from pro handicapper Marc Lawrence, hand picked from the Playbook 2009-2010 Bowl Stat report. This report is a great tool for both fans and bettors of College Bowl games. You can view the report here, or download a printable PDF version of the report here.

This year the annual BCS Bowl Contest from OSGA is bigger and better than ever. In its seventh year, the Pick’em Contest now includes 32 bowl games and has a prize pool of over $500. This contest is Against the Spread. Players simply pick the winners of each game (ATS) and then the correct score of the BCS Championship game as a tie-breaker. Points are awarded for each win and each of the BCS games are worth extra points, so everyone has a chance right up until the National Championship game between Alabama and Texas.

There is NO FEE to enter the OSGA 2009 College Bowl Pick’em. The GRAND PRIZE of $250 is for OSGA Members, while non-members will get $150. The Runner-Up gets $100 - $50 for Non-Members. Places 3 through 5 also get prizes - 3rd Place gets a $50 Free Bet; 4th Place will receive $25 and fifth place will get a $25 Free Bet

This contest takes just a few minutes to enter and there is No Entry Fee. Check it out at http://www.osga.com/2010-Bowl-Contest.html. The deadline for entries is 8PM on Sunday December 20. GOOD LUCK!

For all of your College Bowl game needs (except for beer and snacks) head to OSGA.com. There are several sportsbook contests and college football bonuses listed in addition to the OSGA College Bowl Pick’em. You will also find the latest gaming news and membership information.

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The latest round of hearings initiated by Barney Frank regarding his continued effort to repeal the UIGEA and legalize and regulate internet gambling were certainly not at the top of any legislators ‘to do’ lists yesterday. The lightly attended and I mean lightly attended, hearing basically pitted Frank against gambling’s latest arch enemy, Representative Spencer Bachus from Alabama. The hearing lasted about 90 minutes and towards the end Frank noted several times that they had to finish so that they could vote. I guess he looked around the empty seats and realized that there were not enough present. Frank ended the hearing by letting us all know that this debate will continue into next year. And probably the year after that and the year after that……

Frank started the proceeding and spun his usual stance on personal freedoms. “The notion that this Congress should tell millions of adult Americans that we know better than they, what they should do with their own money, on their own time, on their own computers seems to me to be a very grave error and I hope that this whole legislation is repealed.”

Bachus, on the other hand, not only hammered his usual rhetoric about children becoming gambling addicts. He fabricated the statement, “in the next 5 years we will create a generation of 10s of millions who from their youth will be addicted to Internet gambling and therefore lifelong problem gamblers”. Bachus also stated emphatically that he would “do everything I can to make sure this never happens.” He also added that online gambling is “particularly predatory and an abusive intrusion into American homes.” Wow, I guess that anyone could simply turn off the computer to stop the intrusion.

Luckily, in Frank’s rebuttal, he stated that there was no basis for the millions of addicts that Bachus claimed and added that, “I don’t think this is simply about protecting young people . . . there are some people who do not want gambling.” He added that the notion that you end the legal ability for Americans do to anything because some people will abuse it is a ‘recipe for the destruction of individual freedom.”

So, after the only two representatives who seem to really care about the issue were done (or present), the testimony started. In the interests of space and so as not to rehash the entire hearing, I will break the testimony down into three groups, those for or against the legislation and those who were simply testifying to provide information. If you would like to view the hearing in its entirety, click here.

FOR the repeal of the UIGEA AND legalization:
Mr. Samuel A. Vallandingham testifying on behalf of community bankers noted that the financial payment systems were not designed for trapping and prohibiting unlawful internet gambling transactions. Obviously, the banking community does not want this burden so it was no surprise that he and his group support H.R.2266, to repeal the UIGEA. But, apparently the small bankers of America also support H.R. 2267 because once clear legalization and regulation occur, then the banks won’t have to figure out what illegal gambling is.

Mr. Mike Brodsky, representing YouBet, the online race book based here in the U.S. came out in favor of both bills as well with a convincing argument. He referred to the current stat of Internet gambling as a ‘Wild West affair” that is “out-of-control’. But, he came out with one off the best statements of the morning. “Enacting H.R.2267 is the most effective way of achieving the stated goals of some of the bills harshest critics.” During the Q & A period after the testimony was completed he helped Mr. Frank make a point that the different branches of government see Internet gambling differently, specifically that the DOJ calls all Internet gambling illegal. Brodsky answered this question by stating that 88% of all pari-mutuel wagers placed in the U.S. are placed across state lines!

Ms. Parry Aftab runs WiredSafety, a volunteer non-profit internet protection organization. She was the most compelling speaker of the day and said that Internet gambling is a consumer protection problem. She stated that though she does not “advocate gambling anywhere . . . We need to do something because what we have right now is not enough”. “The only way to protect consumers from online gambling risks is by legalizing it. If we don’t legalize it - we can’t regulate it.”

Those who were non-committal and/or were just providing information:
Professor Malcolm K. Sparrow who ran a study, funded by the Poker Players Allliance and Harrahs, for the Wired Safety group, focused on managing risks. He noted three ‘unregulated’ jurisdictions – Antigua, which does actually regulate their operators, the Kahnawake Indians in Montreal and, of all places, Grenada, which currently has no Internet gambling operators. Though Sparrow does not show the greatest grasp on the industry, he did provide some solid insights. He stated that in the current U.S. scheme the America incurs all of the social costs while exercising no jurisdiction and offering consumers no protections. He said that he would expect that in a regulated environment most consumers would move from offshore operations to licensed ones.

Mr. Keith S. Whyte, the executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling stated that internet gambling in the U.S., Canada AND the UK is the LOWEST form of problem gambling. He also said that his group did not see any decrease in help line calls after UIGEA was enacted.

Mr. Jim Dowling, a former special agent with the IRS who now works with casinos and financial institutions came the closest to putting everyone to sleep. The only worthwhile thing that he added was that any blacklist of offshore operators would be out-of-date as soon as it was published. He wanted to keep dulling us to death but Frank cut him off before anyone started snoring

The only full opponent of these two bills was The Honorable Robert Martin, Tribal Chairman of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians in California. He wondered why Congress would want to protect foreign illegal operators - legalize offshore gaming at the expense of local jobs. He felt that Internet gambling would put the Tribe at a competitive disadvantage to Internet operators. I guess he also thought that selling Manhattan for a bunch of beads was good business, as it would be obvious to the casual observer that an Internet presence will only enhance any land-based gambling operation. Martin was reading from a prepared statement and appeared like he was looking for his foamy red nose and big floppy shoes whenever he was asked a question by the legislators.

The final phase of these hearings is always a question and answer session with the panel of witness. This is always an entertaining segment, especially with Bachus asking the questions. And, he did not stop mystifying. He spent the bulk of his ammo trying to discredit the proponents of the bill with questions like this one to the executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. “Harrah’s is one of your main contributors, right.” A befuddled Whyte replied looking more like this :>O. He stated that Harrah’s is one of the councils sponsors and contribute $5000 annually.

However, a new player did emerge during this phases of the hearing. Peter T. King, the ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security made a statement during the Q & A. His powerful words included, “All prohibitions are well intended - sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. Usually they don’t. In this case I don’t believe it is - we are losing revenue and we’re not achieving the social purpose that was intended. I strongly support this legislation.”

And so do we. This hearing was the first one out of all of them I have endured where I came away feeling positive. The scale is tipping and may be getting heavy in favor of legalization. But unfortunately, we will all have to wait until 2010 for the next round and the potential for any real change here in the U.S.

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