Off Shore Gaming Association

The California State Governmental Organization Committee took serious first steps yesterday towards permitting state residents to use computers to legally wager on intrastate Internet poker. There is no active bill currently in the California Legislature, yet this informational hearing brought in players from around the globe. And, I don’t mean poker players.

There were experts from as far away as Sweden and gaming companies from as far away as Australia. All of them, in one way or another, looking for a piece of the pie. Apparently there is gold in them there felts, as Gerard Cunnigham, president of BetFair USA, which owns the TVG horse racing network, suggested that Internet poker in California would generate as much as $900 million in revenue annually.

Still, it looks like this is another issue that will polarize the many factions that are looking to divide up the revenue pie. Represented at the hearing were California cardrooms, racetracks, tribal gaming, legal experts, gaming experts, international gaming companies, problem gamblers groups and the political right. This was by far the most informative and well prepared group we have seen at any government hearings, including Barney Frank’s U.S. House hearings of the last several years.

The biggest hurdle that the California legislators may have to overcome is the 58 Indian tribes who have casinos throughout the state. Collectively the tribes pay a million bucks a day to the state for the right to have ‘exclusive’ right to the gaming devices (slots). However, they are split on the issue of Internet poker.

“We feel the games should be controlled by the tribes and the state – and taxed, said Robert Martin, chairman of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, a powerful casino tribe located in Riverside County. However, another tribe from the same county fought against the proposal. “We simply do not agree with the consequences of authorizing intrastate Internet poker,” said Mark Macarro, chairman of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. Alison Harvey. executive director of the California Tribal Business Alliance, put it most bluntly stating several times that the introduction of Internet Poker would violate the current agreements and thus, the state would not be able to collect the $365 million that the tribes currently pay.

As expected the experts pitched regulation and taxation and the problem gamblers and the California Coalition Against Gambling spoke about the evils of expanding current gambling. Meanwhile, pretty much everyone else who testified before the committee gave solid information in their area of expertise; they also pitched the services of the companies that they work for.

Throughout the hearing off shore gaming companies were referred to as ‘illegals’. The companies that were present representing international gaming interests were Ladbrokes, BetFair and Paddy Power. All of which were more than happy to announce that they were ‘legal companies’, reiterating that they had never taken any bets from U.S. citizens.

John Pappas from the Poker Players Alliance was the only person who stood up and defended companies that currently offer poker to US citizens. He stated and restated with emphasis that these are companies that are legal and licensed in their jurisdiction. They are not operating illegally.

Still, throughout the nearly 8 hour session, the committee seemed to actually understand one fact. That Internet poker is currently being played by California residents and the state is not getting a dime of revenue from it. Powerful stuff to a cash strapped state.

State Sen. Roderick Wright, D-Inglewood, chairman of the governmental affairs committee that held the hearing, stated, when talking about people playing poker on the Internet currently, “That ship has sailed”. Wright added that he is not committed to one model, whether it be an ‘open market’, championed by all of the international testimony, offered from existing parlors and tribal gaming, or through a select number of licensees. ‘It would be foolish to do nothing,” Wright stated several times.

One of the most compelling arguments came from Leo Chu, a partner in the Lucky Derby card club and owner of Hollywood Park. He came with a speech that he said took two weeks to write and just put it down, going ‘off the cuff’. He said tribes and card clubs are well positioned if online poker became a legal market. He added that Internet poker players and land-based players are not quite the same player. He cited a failed attempt to put computer poker in Hollywood Park. “It did not bring anybody out of their house to the casino”, Chu stated.

This latest poker push is reminiscent of 1848 when people from far and wide came to California in search of a fortune. Back then they came from New York and Florida and the Midwest. Now, the burdening Internet poker industry is bringing them in internationally. The largest gaming companies in the world only show up when there are hundreds of millions at stake. Perhaps if the California tribes and the government listen to the likes of Chu, BetFair and Ladbrokes, they can keep the estimated $300 million from leaving the state every year and strike it rich in the process.

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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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