|
SFGate.com has a column called 2 cents which allows their readers to comment on subjects related to potentially controversial articles. On August 27th they published an article about the Poker Players Alliance and their struggle to keep internet poker legal in the United States. The 2 cents column on that day had the catchy question, "Has online gambling caused you any grief?" This is a simple question which doesn't really relate to the original article it was created from. In poker you are playing against other people, and the house only takes a cut, so it's irrelevant whether you play it online or not. If you're good you will be more likely to win than if you are not. Online gambling, on the other hand, includes sports betting and internet casinos which are more about chance than skill (I'm referring to slots when I mention casinos). I read over the list of responses to the question, "Has online gambling caused you any grief?" I was amused and confused. Most of these people didn't seem to understand the question. Others didn't seem to have much of a clue about anything at all. All of the responders were male. This is my response to their two cents. Cris Hammond, Sausalito writes "Grief? Naw. I broke even last week, which is great, because I needed the money." Chris, I'm very sorry to inform you of this, but you are an idiot. Gambling is all about good money management. The house always has an edge which is why you should only play with your entertainment money unless you are a professional poker player. If you're happy that you broke even because you needed the money then you are playing with money that you don't have to play with. Breaking even is a great thing, as it allows you to use the initial money set aside for playing to be enjoyed for more gambling at a later date, but it should never be a relief that you have it as you needed it for living. This is gambling which means there's always a chance you will lose. "Lost plenty on online gambling. Cannot beat the computer. Avoid the habit, or you can lose your shirt," says Dan Yee from San Francisco. Here is a man with reason for grief. Being unlucky isn't fun no matter where you play. With that said had he won he would be singing a different tune. Either way, this is a good example of why you only play with your entertainment money and not your rent money. Gambling can be rough for a person with addictions, admits Ken Norwood from Berkeley. "Yes! I am easily addicted. Thousands like me will also become addicted. Further, online gambling will induce acceptance of gambling and will encourage urban casinos around the Bay, and the accompanying social, economic, land use, traffic and environmental ills. Just thinking it brings me grief!" While Ken admits to having an addictive personality I couldn't quite get if he was actually addicted to online gambling or not. I think Ken's biggest concern is that the Bay Area doesn't get littered with land-based casinos. Too bad he doesn't realize the easiest way to avoid land-based casinos populating your area is to encourage players to go online. Reg Bronner from Oakdale said, "I am concerned that the owners of the main online poker site are based on the island of Gibraltar, outside the control of any regulatory agency. They pretty much do what they please. I have encountered under-18 high school students from New York playing Texas Hold 'Em, using credit cards. This shouldn't be happening." Gibralter has some of the strictest regulations for internet gambling companies, so his statement about Gibralter is simply wrong. Plus there are independent watchdog agencies like eCogra which make sure that their certified casinos play fair. My question for Reg is what are you doing around under-18 year olds and how did they get a hold of a credit card? They show a picture of Reg on the site and I just have to say I find his statement a tad creepy. Tom Coates from Castro Valley, on the other hand, loves internet gambling. "Playing online poker has been great for me. I won a satellite online and got the $10,000 entry fee for the 2006 World Series of Poker. I saw myself on ESPN recently last night in the opening show. I didn't win, but I'm all ready for next year." Tom is obviously someone who makes the most of his time online. He's studied poker, knows his strategies and plays well. This should be the goal of every gambler. "Gambling online is not in my comfort zone. In casino gambling, it's bad enough that the house takes an edge in many games. In online gambling, how do you know it is even a fair game?" Bob Benson from Lafayette asks a reasonable question. Any online casino worth placing your money into has their odds audited monthly by an independent auditor (typically PriceWaterHouse Coopers). These odds are then published on their site for all to see. The nice thing about internet casinos is that their odds are typically better than land-based casinos, meaning the house edge is smaller, so you're more likely to win online. J.R. Skelton from Mountain View gets no grief from playing online. "Not at all. I love poker, but I only play for play money. The thrill of victory is there, but not the agony of defeat (well, maybe a little)." Jack Grant from Concord agrees with J.R., "The only grief it has brought me is when banks now decline my deposits because of more strict laws. That, and when I lose. Losing brings me grief." Jack should try an alternative deposit method, such as Neteller. Neteller is easy to use and is accepted by every casino, poker room, and sportsbook online. Many internet casinos even offer an extra bonus for using Neteller as your deposit method. Internet gambling is a controversial subject in the United States right now. Even though we love poker, casinos, and the internet our politicians don't seem to like the three combined. Perhaps if the politicians could find a way to tax internet gambling successfully they would give it a better spin and more people would see just how much fun gambling online can be. Related Links: Posted on: August 29, 2006
Back to August 2006's archive |
||||||||||||
|
|
Del.icio.us
Digg
Google
Spurl
Furl
Simpy
Y! MyWeb
