Care to Make a Wager?
I SHOULD be about 10 pounds richer. Not the weight, the currency. I should be, but I'm not. See, as a junior in college, I became a member of LadBrokes, an online gambling site. The plan was to put about 2 or 3 pounds (4 or 5 US dollars) on Ruud van Nistelrooy to score a goal against Real Madrid in a Champions League matchup. As I hit submit, I received an error message. But why? I had registered and everything! Much to my chagrin, I was barred because I lived in the US. Sports gambling online isn't allowed.
Fast forward to about two years later, and I still can't put my small wager down. People like William Saum, the Director of Agent, Amateurism and Gambling Activities for the NCAA want to keep it that way too. But why? My $10 won't hurt anybody right? Well, Bill thinks that allowing gambling on sports will comprimise the integrity of the game because athletes will take money to throw games. Fine. Keep a ban on athletes playing the game if you want to, but why must the rest of us abide by those rules?
Saum states in his testimony before the United States House of Representatives that students took money to "point shave" prior to the rise of internet gambling, and had to face harsh punishment for it. So did Pete Rose. I think athletes understand what is at stake if they cheat. But legalized internet gambling does not create cheaters. In fact, legalizing it could be a great new tax source.
There are always going to be people who over-indulge, it already happens in Vegas. But there are people who over-indulge in alcohol or chocolate, but we don't make those illegal.
But as things go now, odds are I'll have to move to England to bet on van Nistelrooy.
Fast forward to about two years later, and I still can't put my small wager down. People like William Saum, the Director of Agent, Amateurism and Gambling Activities for the NCAA want to keep it that way too. But why? My $10 won't hurt anybody right? Well, Bill thinks that allowing gambling on sports will comprimise the integrity of the game because athletes will take money to throw games. Fine. Keep a ban on athletes playing the game if you want to, but why must the rest of us abide by those rules?
Saum states in his testimony before the United States House of Representatives that students took money to "point shave" prior to the rise of internet gambling, and had to face harsh punishment for it. So did Pete Rose. I think athletes understand what is at stake if they cheat. But legalized internet gambling does not create cheaters. In fact, legalizing it could be a great new tax source.
There are always going to be people who over-indulge, it already happens in Vegas. But there are people who over-indulge in alcohol or chocolate, but we don't make those illegal.
But as things go now, odds are I'll have to move to England to bet on van Nistelrooy.
posted by Brad at
10:58 PM
5 Comments:
Brad, you know where I stand on this issue.
Haha, I have a pretty good idea!
Bradley:
try www.tradespots.com
I know americans were able to buy futures on the election and I would imagine they allow you to buy futures on Ruud sucking up a storm all you want.
(Not sure if you will be blocked there)
At this point, when sports are becoming more and more of a joke due to their horrendous marketing strategies, I don't see what the big deal is.
Exactly. I don't really think it would hurt people and as long as athletes attempt to maintain the integrity of the game, why not? I mean, I don't think allowing sports gambling will have any more drastic of an effect than the rampant steroid use already has.
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