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CFB: Can Boise State Go Unbeaten?

GS — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:22:32 +0000

Boise State is the unanimous choice to win the WAC this season and is the early season darling from the non-BCS schools to possibly pluck another BCS berth when the bids come out in December. Any BCS talk will die however if the Broncos are upset on Thursday. Over 70% of bettors at Sportsbook.com think that is a possibility, backing the Oregon Ducks as a 3-1/2 point dog.

Consider the track record of Boise State coming into the season.

Boise State has had three unbeaten regular seasons in the last five years and is 55-9 in all games since 2004. Faced with oddsmakers’ numbers just begging the sports bettor to play the other side, the Broncos are 33-25-1 against the spread in that time period.

In games played on the “Smurf Turf” blue carpet at Bronco Stadium, Boise State is 64-2 and 40-17 ATS the last decade, which includes 49 in a row during the regular season. Boise State returns a dozen starters, including quarterback Kellen Moore, who broke onto the scene last year as a freshman. In truth, Coach Chris Peterson might have a team equal to or better than the 2006 squad, which was 13-0 and knocked off Oklahoma in Fiesta Bowl.

The Oregon Ducks are not to be taken for granted just because they have a new coach in Chip Kelly. With just ten returning starters from last year’s surprising 10-3 squad, the ranking appears a trifle inflated, however three components help justify the number.

Oregon might not average 41.9 points per game this upcoming season, however, will still have ample firepower with Jeremiah Masoli at the controls. The junior quarterback is far from classic passer, but he’s accurate and is powerful runner and is listed as All-Pac 10 QB in several preseason publications. Speaking of powerful, 240-pound LeGarrette Blount is one blunt object in the open field. The architect of this high-powered offense is coach Kelly, whose been the Oregon offense coordinator. The Ducks are 27-5 ATS in first road game, including covering nine of last 10.

Sportsbook.com has Boise State listed as 3.5-point home favorite, down from opening number of 5.5, with the total having risen to 64.

This is the second game on ESPN Thursday night, which will start at 10:15 Eastern. Oregon has revenge on their minds after last year’s 37-32 home upset as 10.5-point favorites to the Broncos. Masoli told a Eugene television station during the offseason that the loss was “embarrassing” and that this year he and his team would “take it to (Boise State).”

Log on to Sportsbook.com for all of your College Football action this year.

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NFC EAST PREVIEW

GS — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:31:07 +0000

If not a consensus statement, it is at least highly debatable…The NFC East is the best division in football. Philadelphia, Dallas, and New York are all considered among the best teams in the conference. So who takes the top spot in 2009? You’ll get a different answer depending upon who you ask. Read on for one more opinion on that question as we preview the NFC East, offering in-depth information on each of the four clubs. Use this material to capitalize on the many prop wagering options being offered at Sportsbook.com.

2009 PREDICTED FINISH

1) Philadelphia

2) N.Y. Giants

3) Dallas

4) Washington

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

2008 Record: 11-7-1 SU (0 ML Units), 12-7 ATS

2008 Totals (Over-Under): 8-10

Odds to win Super Bowl XLIV: +1200, NFC Title: +500

Sportsbook Regular Season Wins Prop: Over 9.5 (-180) / Under 9.5 (+140)

StatFox Steve’s Take: Philadelphia lost a lot of well-known veteran talent in the offseason, but this is an organization that has shown a penchant for being able to keep the cupboard stocked. In fact, this may be one of the more talented Eagles’ teams of recent memory overall. Slight lean OVER.

TOP STATFOX HANDICAPPING ANGLES

PHILADELPHIA is 24-15 SU & 26-11 ATS in its L39 games against the NFC West

PHILADELPHIA is 4-2 SU & 6-0 ATS as a road underdog over the L2 seasons

PHILADELPHIA is 20-18 SU & 28-10 ATS on the road in its L38 games revenging a loss vs opponent

PHILADELPHIA is on a 17-3 SU & 15-5 ATS run when playing with 2 weeks+ rest

2009 OUTLOOK

If Donovan McNabb played in the NBA, he’d already be grouped with the likes of Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley as superstars who could never get over the championship hunt. Though his path to the promised land was blocked by a dynasty earlier this decade–the Patriots–like the aforementioned threesome, he doesn’t exactly have a sparkling record when it comes to giving his team an opportunity. In five NFC Championship games McNabb is just 1-4. Make no mistake, the Eagles are going to make another run at the NFC Championship. What they lack in individual star power, they more than make up for with a potent blend of interchangeable pieces. Battle-tested, yet still relatively young, Philadelphia’s offseason upgrades will prove to be worth every penny.

NEW YORK GIANTS

2008 Record: 12-5 SU (3.5 ML Units), 12-5 ATS

2008 Totals (Over-Under): 9-8

Odds to win Super Bowl XLIV: +1000, NFC Title: +400

Sportsbook Regular Season Wins Prop: Over 10 (+125) / Under 10 (-155)

StatFox Steve’s Take: The only thing standing in the way of another 10+ win season in New York is the fact that the Giants play in the NFC East Division. Dallas, Philadelphia, and Washington are all bound to get their share of wins in head-to-head play. I like New York to finish within one game either way of 10 wins.

TOP STATFOX HANDICAPPING ANGLES

NY GIANTS are 17-4 SU & 18-3 ATS on the road against conference opponents over the L3 seasons

NY GIANTS are 12-20 SU & 9-21 ATS at home in its L32 November games

NY GIANTS are 7-1 SU & 8-0 ATS on the road vs. good offenses (>=24 PPG) over the L3 seasons

7 PYA) over the L2 seasons

2009 OUTLOOK

Defense helped the New York Giants capture Super Bowl XLII over the New England Patriots, but it’s hard to forget the superhuman play of quarterback Eli Manning in that postseason. Fast forward to the 2009 playoffs, and coming off the best season of his career, Manning turned in a complete clunker, as the Giants lost in the Divisional Round of the NFC Playoffs to their most-hated rivals, Philadelphia. So what’s the moral of the story? Defense alone can’t and doesn’t, win championships. Failing to replace wide receivers Plaxico Burress and even Amani Toomer with some type of proven pass catchers may come back to bite the Giants. But playoff football is about running the ball and defense, two areas where the Giants are loaded. Their sights are set beyond the NFC East, and rightly so.

DALLAS COWBOYS

2008 Record: 9-7 SU (-7.05 ML Units), 7-9 ATS

2008 Totals (Over-Under): 9-7

Odds to win Super Bowl XLIV: +1200, NFC Title: +500

Sportsbook Regular Season Wins Prop: Over 9 (-155) / Under 9 (+125)

StatFox Steve’s Take: I really don’t know what to make of Dallas’ chances in 2009. On one hand, they are rid of the apparent drain on the organization, T.O. On the other hand, is the talent in the organization simply overrated. The Cowboys haven’t won a playoff game since Troy Aikman was in town. I’ll say 10 wins, but not enthusiastically.

TOP STATFOX HANDICAPPING ANGLES

DALLAS is 9-33 SU & 13-29 ATS on the road in its L42 games as a underdog of 3.5 to 10 pts.

DALLAS is 13-22 SU & 11-24 ATS on the road in its L35 games in the last 4 weeks of the season

DALLAS is on a 23-1 SU & 18-6 ATS run at home vs. poor offenses (<=4.75 YPP)

DALLAS is on a 8-0 SU & ATS run when the line is +3 to -3

2009 OUTLOOK

Few teams can pack as much drama in a 16-game season the way Dallas did over the last two seasons. Funny thing is, now that the Cowboys are moving into a state-of-the-art new stadium, complete with the biggest high-definition jumbo screen in the world, the centerpiece of the soap opera, wide receiver Terrell Owens (Bills), is no longer on the roster. Now that Owens is gone, it’s put-up or shut-up time for quarterback Tony Romo, entering his third year as a starter with a woeful record of 5-10 in the months of December and January. His passing stats often look pretty, as he threw for 3,448 yards and 26 scores despite missing three games, but the end results come crunch time leave much to be desired. The loss of Owens may be considered addition by subtraction off the field, but a straight-up negative on it. Head coach Wade Phillips survived a lost 2008, but the way the stars are aligning, in Dallas and the NFC East, the Cowboys face an uphill battle against the Giants and Eagles.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

2008 Record: 8-8 SU (-2.75 ML Units), 6-8 ATS

2008 Totals (Over-Under): 3-12

Odds to win Super Bowl XLIV: +4000, NFC Title: +1800

Sportsbook Regular Season Wins Prop: Over 8 (-115) / Under 8 (-115)

StatFox Steve’s Take: There are several inexperienced head coaches that I don’t trust in the NFL. The one with a year under his belt that I have in that group is Jim Zorn. I truly believe he was outcoached down the stretch last season and it cost his team a playoff berth. Well, the division didn’t get any easier in the offseason, and I don’t think the Redskins got any better either, despite overpaying for DT Albert Haynesworth. Under 8.

TOP STATFOX HANDICAPPING ANGLES

Over the L2 seasons, WASHINGTON is just 3-4 SU & 0-6 ATS in non-conference games

WASHINGTON is 31-13 SU & 32-10 ATS in its L44 games vs. bad rushing teams (<90 RY)

WASHINGTON is just 6-14 SU but 15-5 ATS on the road in its L20 games vs. good rushing D (<90 RY)

Over the L3 seasons, WASHINGTON is on a slide of 5-10 SU & 2-11 ATS vs. losing teams

2009 OUTLOOK

Few players have seen their stock rise and fall as much as Washington quarterback Jason Campbell over the last year. A fast start in first-year head coach Jim Zorn’s West Coast Offense had the Redskins thinking playoffs, especially as Campbell completed his first 249 passes without an interception and the team opened up 6-2. Campbell didn’t throw his first interception until Week 9 against the Steelers, and that’s where the sky started to fall. After Washington limped down the stretch to a 2-6 record, Campbell’s job security was called into question. Owner Daniel Snyder reached into his pockets to pluck the biggest free agent on the market, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (Titans) and also drafted high-energy defensive end Brian Orakpo (Texas). Both moves helped quell the talk surrounding Campbell and provide upgrades to a defense that was fourth in the NFL in total yards (288.8 per game) and sixth in scoring (18.5 points per game). Haynesworth and Orakpo improve the defense, but the offense is where the problems lie. It’s going to take plenty of points to compete with Dallas, New York and Philadelphia in the NFC East. It could be bottom’s up for the Redskins.

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ONTARIO LOTTERY RUMBLINGS

GS — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:54:07 +0000

There are reports from Toronto that the apparently error-prone Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation could be in for a shake-up as politicians vie for kudos in straightening out the state company. And it appears that claims of extravagance with the taxpayer’s dollar may exacerbate the accusations faced by the OLG Board.

The Toronto Star carried the story, featuring a photograph of CEO Kelly McDougald, who was brought on board by the Liberal government two years ago to reform the lottery and gaming monopoly (see previous InfoPowa report). The piece ignited an immediate heated commentary from over 136 posters.

Three “informed sources” told the Toronto Star that McDougald is fighting for her Cdn$400 000-a-year job, as the Liberal government seeks to address the issues before it can be preempted by the opposition Progressive Conservatives when the Legislature returns September 14. A by-election scheduled for September 17th had added pressure.

The government is sensitive to accusations following the exposure of extravagant spending by the eHealth agency earlier this year.

“Something big is up,” a senior government official confirmed to the newspaper. “By next week, OLG will look much different. And by the time this is over, they’ll be forced to clean up their act.”

The Toronto Star recaps that McDougald has already been reprimanded by the Liberals for a series of problems at the gambling agency – including awarding foreign-made Mercedes-Benz cars as casino prizes at the same time as the province was bailing out General Motors and Chrysler.

And an audit last winter found:

* A Good Samaritan treated shabbily when he tried to turn in a cache of lost tickets;

* A malfunctioning slot machine erroneously informing a player he’d won $42.9 million when the maximum payout was $9 025;

* A misprinted scratch-and-win ticket that led a man to believe he had won $135 000 when he hadn’t.

* Questions surrounding results that showed lottery retailers, employees and their families won $198 million in prizes over 13 years, dating from 1996.

“But the straw that broke the camel’s back appears to be Liberal fears of a reprise of the eHealth Ontario debacle at OLG,” the newspaper explains. “The Tories, repeating their successful strategy that exposed spending run amok at the electronic health records agency, are seeking thousands of pages in OLG documents under freedom of information legislation.

“Records sought include expense accounts of senior executives, spending on leased, owned and rented venues, such as luxury boxes at sports stadiums, contracts for consultants as well as travel costs.”

In the case of the OLG, these demands for documentation have so far been stonewalled as the Liberals try to beat their political opponents to the punch by taking pre-emptive action.

Opposition MPP Norm Miller said his party has been trying since January to glimpse the inner workings of OLG.

“So far, we’ve been getting rebuffed. It certainly looks a lot like eHealth because with that we had to be very persistent – it wasn’t just ask once and get the information. It certainly makes us suspicious.”

Miller said the Tories targeted OLG because the organisation “has had quite a few problems.”

He added that voters would likely see through any OLG shake-up that seemed to be politically motivated.

“The concern is she’s [McDougald] been running OLG like it’s a private-sector company, when it’s a government agency,” one Liberal insider told the newspaper.

Approached for comment, both the CEO and her OLG officials remained silent, and Liberal politicians were reluctant to talk on the record because negotiations on the future of the OLG executive team are expected to continue through the weekend and into next week.

“Premier Dalton McGuinty issued warnings to government agencies like OLG in the wake of the eHealth scandal – which saw consultants paid $2 700 a day while expensing $3.99 bags of cookies to taxpayers – that such spending no longer passes the sniff test and must stop,” the Toronto Star report advises.

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MEGA MILLIONS UPDATE

GS — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:53:50 +0000

Yesterday’s report on two tickets winning the biggest Mega Millions jackpot in two-and-a-half-years of $333 million (see previous InfoPowa report) has been followed by a little more detail from the Lottery Post.

The winning numbers were: 1, 17, 31, 37 and 54 with the Mega Ball 31. The Texas Megaplier was 4.

34 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $250 000 prize: 6 from California, 3 from Georgia, 1 from Illinois, 1 from Maryland, 1 from Massachusetts, 2 from Michigan, 6 from New Jersey, 7 from New York, 2 from Ohio, 4 from Texas, and 1 from Washington.

The six California second-prize tickets will receive $220 778 each, because California’s pari-mutuel payout system splits the available prize money by the number of winners. The fewer winners, the greater the prize.

210 players matched four of five numbers plus the Mega Ball to net a prize of $10 000. 22 of those third-prize winners were from California and will take home $16 421 each.

The jackpot for the next Mega Millions drawing, next Tuesday night, resets to $12 million.

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WCOOP IS NIGH!

GS — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:53:35 +0000

Just a reminder that the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) is about to get going, and this year will feature 45 events No-Limit, Razz, Pot-Limit Omaha, Fixed-Limit Hold’em, 8-Game Mix, Pot-Limit Hold’em, Badugi, Omaha Hi-Lo, Fixed-Limit Omaha Fixed-Limit Triple Draw, H.O.R.S.E, 7-Card Stud Hi/Lo, Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, and the newly introduced No-Limit Omaha.

With a guaranteed prize pool of $40 million already allocated to the event by PokerStars, it’s likely to be another major Internet poker attraction.

There are three events for the high-rollers among you – a $2 million guaranteed No-Limit event on September 6th; an $800 000 guaranteed No-Limit Matchplay event on September 13th and a $1 million guaranteed H.O.R.S.E tournament on September 20th.

Last year, PokerStars awarded just short of $40 million in prize money to players in a total of 33 events, with the biggest winner the Main Event champion, who took home $1 265 432.

PokerStars has reported that an impressive slew of top Internet poker aces has already signed up, so you could be playing against some of the top names in the business.

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INTERNET INTERFERENCE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

GS — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:53:22 +0000

The respected top political reporter for CNet News, Declan McCullagh, wrote a fascinating update this week on a little known law currently being drafted in the United States which could hand the White House the power to disconnect private-sector computers from the Internet.

Such a contentious threat to the freedom of the Internet was bound to attract the attention of users, Internet companies and civil liberties groups, who were alarmed this spring when news of the controversial draft surfaced in Washington DC.

McCullagh reports that aides to Senator Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, have spent months drafting behind closed doors. CNet News obtained a copy of the 55-page draft of S.773, which despite revision still appears to permit the US president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks in the event of a ”cybersecurity emergency.”

“The new version would allow the president to “declare a cybersecurity emergency” relating to “non-governmental” computer networks and do what’s necessary to respond to the threat,” writes McCullagh. “Other sections of the proposal include a federal certification program for “cybersecurity professionals,” and a requirement that certain computer systems and networks in the private sector be managed by people who have been awarded that license.”

Larry Clinton, president of the Internet Security Alliance, told McCullagh: “I think the redraft, while improved, remains troubling due to its vagueness. It is unclear what authority Sen. Rockefeller thinks is necessary over the private sector. Unless this is clarified, we cannot properly analyze, let alone support the bill.” The Alliance counts representatives of Verizon, Verisign, Nortel, and Carnegie Mellon University on its board.

Representatives of other large Internet and telecommunications companies expressed concerns about the bill in a teleconference with Rockefeller’s aides this week, McCullagh reported.

A spokesman for Senator Rockefeller approached by McCullagh declined to comment on the record, saying that many people were unavailable because of the summer recess.

However, a Senate source familiar with the bill compared the president’s power to take control of portions of the Internet to what President Bush did when grounding all aircraft on September 11, 2001. The source said that one primary concern was the electrical grid, and what would happen if it were attacked from a broadband connection.

McCullagh recalls that when Rockefeller, the chairman of the Senate Commerce committee, and Olympia Snowe, a Republican from Maine introduced the original bill in April this year, they claimed it was vital to protect national cybersecurity. “We must protect our critical infrastructure at all costs – from our water to our electricity, to banking, traffic lights and electronic health records,” Rockefeller said.

In May, President Obama acknowledged that the government is “not as prepared” as it should be to respond to cyber-disruptions and announced that a new cybersecurity coordinator position would be created inside the White House staff.

“Three months later, that post remains empty, one top cybersecurity aide has quit, and some wags have begun to wonder why a government that receives failing marks on cybersecurity should be trusted to instruct the private sector what to do,” McCullagh trenchantly observes.

In his analysis of the proposed legislation, McCullagh writes that Rockefeller’s legislation seeks to reshuffle the way the federal government addresses the topic. It requires a “cybersecurity workforce plan” from every federal agency, a “dashboard” pilot project, measurements of hiring effectiveness, and the implementation of a “comprehensive national cybersecurity strategy” in six months – even though its mandatory legal review will take a year to complete.

Lee Tien, a senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco, told McCullagh that the privacy implications of sweeping changes implemented before the legal review is finished worry him.

“As soon as you’re saying that the federal government is going to be exercising this kind of power over private networks, it’s going to be a really big issue,” he predicted.

Probably the most controversial language begins in Section 201, which permits the president to “direct the national response to the cyber threat” if necessary for “the national defense and security.”

The White House is supposed to engage in “periodic mapping” of private networks deemed to be critical, and those companies “shall share” requested information with the federal government. (“Cyber” is defined as anything having to do with the Internet, telecommunications, computers, or computer networks.)

“The language has changed but it doesn’t contain any real additional limits,” EFF’s Tien says. “It simply switches the more direct and obvious language they had originally to the more ambiguous (version)…The designation of what is a critical infrastructure system or network as far as I can tell has no specific process. There’s no provision for any administrative process or review. That’s where the problems seem to start.

“And then you have the amorphous powers that go along with it.”

McCullagh adds: “Translation: If your company is deemed “critical,” a new set of regulations kick in involving who you can hire, what information you must disclose, and when the government would exercise control over your computers or network.”

The Internet Security Alliance’s Clinton adds that his group is “supportive of increased federal involvement to enhance cyber security, but we believe that the wrong approach, as embodied in this bill as introduced, will be counterproductive both from an national economic and national secuity perspective.”

McCullagh subsequently managed to squeeze a comment from Jena Longo, deputy communications director for the Senate Commerce committee, who said in a statement:

“The president of the United States has always had the constitutional authority, and duty, to protect the American people and direct the national response to any emergency that threatens the security and safety of the United States.

“The Rockefeller-Snowe Cybersecurity bill makes it clear that the president’s authority includes securing our national cyber infrastructure from attack. The section of the bill that addresses this issue, applies specifically to the national response to a severe attack or natural disaster.

“This particular legislative language is based on longstanding statutory authorities for wartime use of communications networks.

“To be very clear, the Rockefeller-Snowe bill will not empower a “government shutdown or takeover of the Internet” and any suggestion otherwise is misleading and false. The purpose of this language is to clarify how the president directs the public-private response to a crisis, secure our economy and safeguard our financial networks, protect the American people, their privacy and civil liberties, and coordinate the government’s response.”

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10320096-38.html

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POKER PLAYERS’ FUNDS REMAIN FROZEN

GS — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:52:57 +0000

Monies that were seized by federal orders on their way through e-cash companies and banks to pay US online poker players will not be released, a US District Judge in San Diego ruled as the week came to a close.

The funds, which are understood to amount to some $13 million in the San Diego issue, are believed to have been destined for mainly Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars players, and were the subject of an appeal against federal warrants seizing the cash by San Diego-based Account Services Inc., an e-cash company allegedly owned by Canadian national Douglas Rennick. Rennick is not in custody, although US federal officials indicted him on bank fraud and money laundering charges, as well as conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business.

The government also seeks $565 million in forfeited money it claims are the proceeds of illegal acts involving online gambling transactions.

The Rennick indictment enabled federal officials to sidetrack the San Diego action as ‘irrelevant’ pending the outcome of the criminal trial, possibly adding years to any recovery.

The San Diego Union Tribune reports that the case raises questions around the legality of online poker in the US, but that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller denied a bid by lawyers for Account Services Inc., and the Poker Players Alliance to return the money, focusing on a specific legal issue of the court’s authority rather than debating the legality of online poker.

Michael Pancer, a lawyer representing Account Services, submitted in court papers that company officials believe the funds were seized under the federal Illegal Gambling Act. The company – later joined by the one million strong players association – argued that poker is not covered under that law and therefore the seizure was illegal. Pancer also contended that prosecutors in the case have used questionable tactics to hold on to the money, and have avoided arguing the legality question.

Now, following Judge Miller’s ruling that the seizure must stand, it could be years before company or players see any of the money.

Court papers filed by Pancer’s law firm on behalf of Account Services say the company makes payments to players who are cashing out or withdrawing from a game when instructed to do so by the designated operator. The company makes thousands of payments each month, according to court papers.

The controversy began in June, when prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan seized funds in bank accounts for Account Services at Wells Fargo and Union Bank. The precise justification for the seizures remain sealed in an affidavit applying for the warrants.

The federal gambling act requires that a state law against gambling has to be violated in order for a federal prosecution to be brought, said Marc Zwillinger, a lawyer for the players. Most states, including California, distinguish between games that predominantly rely on luck and those that rely on skill in defining whether gambling is taking place.

The players argued that poker is a game of skill, and therefore no laws were broken and the seizure was illegal.

Armed with those arguments, the company filed a suit in the San Diego District Court, where the banks holding the accounts are located.

Before the issue could be heard, prosecutors in New York indicted Rennick. They then argued the indictment made the San Diego lawsuit irrelevant and that Miller should not hear it. The judge agreed, saying the players could try to recover the money after the criminal case is resolved.

Lawyers for the players, however, contend that could be years. Rennick is a Canadian and is not yet under arrest and there is no telling when his case will be heard. The lawyers cry foul.

“It seems the government switched gears and they seem to have done it to specifically avoid the question of whether online gambling violates federal law,” Zwillinger said.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan declined to comment on the case, or say if the office is seeking Rennick’s extradition.

Pancer said Account Services is considering “other avenues” to try to get the money, but declined to be more specific.

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SALT LAKE INTERNET CAFES RAIDED

GS — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:52:25 +0000

Utah’s strong stand against gambling came to the fore over the weekend with reports from the Salt Lake Tribune that police had arrested 50 employees and gamblers in a swoop on an Internet cafe.

The police raid on Sunday at a Murray Internet cafe followed a months-long gambling investigation, a spokesman revealed.

Customers were playing various slots, Keno and poker at the Fortune Cyber Café, near 625 W. 5300 South, Murray police Det. Kenny Bass said.

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8 of 134 Aussie pokie games have higher volatility levels than recommended – but the authorities have not flagged them

GS — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:52:15 +0000

One of Australia’s favourite gambling vehicles – poker machine games commonly referred to as ‘pokies’ – are at the centre of a new row building Downunder.

Eight of the 134 games approved since December 2007 have a level of volatility which is higher than that recommended by the Australia/New Zealand Gaming Machine National Standard, but their identities remain secret, reports the Aussie news site News.com.au.

The Australia/New Zealand Gaming Machine National Standard recommends the nominal standard deviation of a game be no more than 15, yet the eight machines exposed through Freedom of Information Act disclosures are alleged to have volatilities in excess of this number.

While all poker machine games must have a return to player of at least 87.5 percent, games with a low volatility pay out a larger number of small prizes. However, highly volatile games pay out a smaller number of large prizes.

The disclosures have been exacerbated by a bar on identifying the games because the information is deemed to be “commercially sensitive”.

Independent MP Kris Hanna told News.com.au that the excessively volatile games were cheating punters. “While some receive higher jackpots, there is less return to players in between payouts,” he said.

“The machines are already addictive enough without extra tricks. Gamblers should be told which games pay out less frequently.”

However, Independent Gambling Authority director Robert Chappell said he was not concerned about the claims because the regulation was a guideline.

“This particular fact doesn’t concern me,” he said.

“It’s a welcome development that the regulators have put limits on volatility because it enables us to be better assured games will resolve at their true return to player.”

Australian Hotels Association SA general manager Ian Horne said if Chappell wasn’t concerned, then no one should be.

“If the independent regulator has no concerns and they are qualified in this material, why would Kris Hanna have any concerns other than to cause mischief,” he said.

“We have total confidence in the integrity of the approval system and anyone who suggests there is some manipulation here is being deliberately provocative for political gain.”

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IRISH CLAIMS OF INCREASED PROBLEM GAMBLERS

GS — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:51:53 +0000

The Irish Examiner carried an alarming article at the weekend, reporting that the number of people attending Gamblers Anonymous (GA) meetings around the country has doubled and in some places trebled over the past six months as people can no longer afford their betting habits.

Unfortunately, much of the report was anecdotal and unsupported by hard numbers, other than some general land gambling details quoting provisional revenue figures for 2008 in excess of Euro 3.6 billion as gambled in betting shops – a slight increase from 2007 – despite the decline in the number of bookies by almost 500. The figure does not include bets taken on-course, online gambling or the National Lottery.

Nevertheless, a quote from a Gambler’s Anonymous spokesperson that there has been a surge in people attending meetings as addicts who could no longer keep on top of gambling bills due to changed economic circumstances causes concern.

“Less than a year ago meetings around Dublin city had just five or six people – seven at most – but now some are catering for up to 30 people,” the spokesman said, adding that there are several GA meetings every day in the capital.

“In the good times people could support the habit, they were on such good money they were still able to the pay the bills,” he said. “Now they just can’t and need the support network of the meetings to try and stop.”

“Gambling is something that is seen as attractive and acceptable – like the horses or the dogs – but no one realises how many people are in trouble with it.”

Austin Prior, head of treatment services at The Rutland Centre, also confirmed his organisation was seeing a big increase in the number of calls and enquires about treatment in relation to gambling.

“While times were good most guys were able to keep a step ahead, but since the credit crunch is biting suddenly they have found they are in trouble.”

He encouraged people with a family member with a problem to seek help and support as they often ended up feeling shame and guilt.

The article also quotes marriage counselling service Accord, which revealed that a growing number of couples experience problems around internet usage and time spent in “cyberspace” as a source of marital conflict.

John Farrelly, director of counselling with Accord, said one of the key areas causing conflict was internet gambling – but gave no supporting numbers.

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