This Week in Gaming Review

New York has made a major move with authorizing the regulation of Daily Fantasy Sports. New York has 13% of the market of Fantasy Sports Players. This is great news for FanDuel and DraftKings. There was talk of these two merging. They may not have to if other states decide to follow New York.

The news was not as good for New Jersey and the quest for sports betting. The 3rd Circuit Court decided in a vote of 10-2 that the federal ban should be upheld. The next move is taking the challenge to the United States Supreme Court. There is no timetable or guarantee that the top judicial body would hear the case. An act of Congress may be a viable alternative. The American Gaming Association is in favor of having the sports betting ban repealed. Fantasy is clearing the way.

MGM is in Atlantic City doing auditions for dealers. They are mandated to hire a large percentage of their staff from the residents in the DC area where the casino is located. They have a sizable labor pool to choose from. Atlantic City is a great place to start.

                   Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for updates!
                   Check out my app, Smart Responsible Gaming at thegamingguym.com/

                                                        42 days until #G2E2016

Is Wagering on Fantasy Sports Gambling?

I saw this question about 10 days ago on LinkedIn. I did not read the response because I knew that I would weigh in on this. I like to maintain my objectivity when I write. I decided that I would compare betting on a football team like the Eagles to wagering on a fantasy team of my choosing.

When I bet the Eagles I take in consideration the line or points spread, homefield and weather. I

also chart the recent history between the Eagles and their opponent. If I can find more pluses to take the Birds then I put my money on Philly. If I can't ,then I don't wager on the game. If all roads and factors point to the opponent, I considered going the other way.

 

Some fans feel this is a form of blasphemy. No way can you bet against your team. A fan and a bettor are two different people. Fans are ride or die. Bettors are live to die another day. Read this paragraph again and you'll get it!

Now when I wagering on a fantasy team, I get to pick this imaginary lineup that would never play together against someone else's dream team of the week or day. I look at homefield, opponent and weather. I considered past individual performances. I also look at any significant injury. The injury variable is incorporated into the spread or line.

So the factors that go into picking a NFL team to wager on are the same as what you look for in betting on a fantasy team. So why is Fantasy a skill proposition and picking a team (Eagles) a gamble? The answer is not Sam Bradford.

The only difference is the point spread. My NFL team must win by more than the number designated or I will lose. My fantasy team just has to win. In a day fantasy league like DraftKings, FanDuel or Yahoo, my opponent and I may have some of the same players on our team.

Wanna Play??

Picking that secondary guy to go with your elite players will make the difference between winning and losing. There is something to be said for finding value at a price. Finding that value is a skill that is not based on luck. Skill ties more into percentages and analytics.

                                        Webster's definition of gambling is
: to play a game in which you can win or lose money or possessions : to bet money or other valuable things
: to risk losing (an amount of money) in a game or bet

: to risk losing (something valuable or important) in order to do or achieve something.

 

Wagering on Fantasy Sports sounds like gambling to me. And about 33 million other people.

 
           You can follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GamingguyM and Facebook
                                        at https://www.facebook.com/gaming.guy 
                        Instagram and videos at http://instagram.com/gamingguym
                            

http://www.thegamingguym.com/

 

 

Fantasy Sports Explosion

I have been researching Fantasy Sports in preparation for the upcoming NFL season. I am not a baseball fan these days because my team has the worse record in either league. Our coach just resigned without being asked to. Who does that? 

So NFL it is. I plan to review each position with a top 5. I looking for input. Each week starting July 13, 8:00pm EST, I will share the view thru my social media outlets.  Join me and my co host Nkeshi Free on Twitter for #GTLivechat.  #GTLivechat is a conversation that is conducted via Twitter with followers around the world. What makes us unique is that we make picks and then get a poll of which players are the popular choices. We will select the positions individually and give the consensus of what you think.  Fun. Easy and Free.   For those who have a gaming interest, look at Fan Duel, DraftKings and Yahoo after you connect with us.

Then in August, we will look at the divisional and conference breakdown of the AFC and NFC. Since we have followers from different regions, we will balance what they see and compare it to the national media outlets like ESPN and Sports Illustrated. This will prepare you for the upcoming season. 

                                                         Now my question is ....




CASHING???

OR

TRASHING???

 

                                      Get the winners by being informed!
                                                                        

 

      You can follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GamingguyM and Facebook
      at https://www.facebook.com/gaming.guym

                       Instagram photos and videos at http://instagram.com/gamingguym
                            

http://www.thegamingguym.com/

 

Mayweather and the Kentucky Derby with The Business of Sports

This was one of the most anticipated sports weekends in memory. The Mayweather vs. Pacquaio fight was an event that was five years overdue. While the fight was not as epic as some of it predecessors from the previous eras, this was the highest grossing fight ever. Customers paying $100 for a pay per view event is unheard of. Delaying the start so more people would be able to order the event is something unusual. The collaboration of HBO and Showtime was unique in that they evenly plugged the event with the announcing of the fighters and promoting future broadcasts. Mayweather gave a shout out to one of his sponsors, Fan Duel, after the fight.

The celebrities at the fight included Tom Brady, Beyoncé and Jay Z, Bradley Cooper, Charles Barkley, Mary J. Blige, Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg.

Brady at the Fight

Beyoncé and Jay Z arriving at the Fight of the Century!

The day started for most sports fans with the Kentucky Derby. This year had a field of 18 horses with the odds ranging from 3-1 to 99-1.

The winner was the favorite American Pharoah. This horse is train by Bob Baffett and is his fourth derby winner.

American Pharoah wins!

Number 4 for Bob Baffett

 

Churchill Downs Saturday's Kentucky Derby was  a first—because the bettors were able to bet money on the race from an iPhone app. Add that to the estimated revenue of  over 400 million for ticket sales and the amount wagered on the race exceeding 120 million.

This is the big business of sports. Events that people will fly to, dress up for, get hotels room and party afterwards. They also talk about these events on social media. Now they bet on them thru their phones. Technology takes the event to unprecedented levels. No matter the outcome, you can connect to and be a part of it. I love it. Tell me if you do.

              You can follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GamingguyM and Facebook

                                             at https://www.facebook.com/gaming.guym

                             Instagram photos and videos at http://instagram.com/gamingguym

 

NBA: Cleveland Cavaliers odds about to take a turn.

The past 24 hours have not been good for the Cavs. First, Kevin Love injured his shoulder and is expected to be out 2-3 weeks. The injury did look premeditated on the part of Kelly Olynyk, the player from Boston.  See for yourself.

Then in the 2nd half , J.R. Smith hits Celtic small forward Jae Crowder with a backhand, closed fist that knocked him down and out of the game. Crowder also suffered a knee injury on the same play. This looks like a suspension to me of at least 2 games.  How many games does it look like to you?

 

 

If the Bulls take care of business against the Bucks Thursday, these teams will meet at the end of the week. Cleveland will be shorthanded two men in the rotation. Even with Irving and James that would be a difficult task against Chicago and Derrick Rose.

 

The addition of Gasol along with the emergence of Jimmy Butler make Chicago a force even if Rose is less than 100%.  The defense is solidified by Noah and will attempt to surround Lebron.

 

 I am sure the odds of Cleveland winning the title and the eastern conference have shifted. They were a 11-5 and 5-11 during the season to win the championship and conference finals. I predict they go to 13-5 and 5- 8. Bulls will shift slightly from 12-1 and 5-1 respectively for the same plays to 10-1 and 4-1.   The price of picking Lebron or Kyrie Irving in a daily fantasy league should increase due to more anticipated minutes and shots. Let's see if I'm right.

 

 

                    You can follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GamingguyM and Facebook

                                             at https://www.facebook.com/gaming.guym

                             Instagram photos and videos at http://instagram.com/gamingguym

 

Poker or Fantasy Sports: Which one is the skill game?

Poker and Fantasy Sports are getting a lot of conversation. Both are receiving more consideration as games of skills and not chance. This interpretation makes both of them socially acceptable and widely popular. I decided to compare the two and give my assessment.

Poker has the statistics to determine probability of what may happen based on what cards you have. Stats in poker are constant and absolute. Psychology has a part to play, but a solid understanding of math and probability will increase your chances of winning. The hand and the chances of winning with it have a percentage that is comparable to the other players in the game. When watching shows like Poker Night in America , you are updated as what each poker player's chances are throughout.

Analytical variables are given to players in fantasy leagues that give them value based on past performance.  During the NFL playoffs, a prognosticator was giving predictions based on analytics related to the point spread. Variables in fantasy are subject to exponents that fall outside of the player's control. Weather, illness  and coaching decisions are things that can alter a fantasy player productivity. Think how many people wagered that Marshawn Lynch would score more than 1 touchdown during Super Bowl 49. We all know how that ended.

Poker is the true skill game of the two. I think that fantasy leagues will have a more diverse following that will include women. Poker is played predominately by males.  While there is a poker community that is established, there is not enough liquidity yet for it become profitable. Delaware Lottery reported a combine total of $600,000 for the year ending 2014. This number included casino and slot play. In 2014, several of the online gaming sites in Nevada and New Jersey shut down. Trump Taj Mahal just closed their poker room in Atlantic City. They anticipate reopening in the summer.

The acknowledgement of the professional leagues will build the support for more fantasy leagues. Fan Duel has commercials that air during ESPN telecasts.  DraftKings has added two more teams to its growing list of partnerships in the NBA . Shortly after announcing a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, DraftKings has struck separate deals with the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors.  There is also a  Daily Fantasy Expo this year in Miami. The Expo will focus on management, technology and marketing for the fantasy sports industry. Since 2006, fantasy sports has grown from USD $1.6 billion industry to a USD $15 billion industry. It's meteoric rise is considered the tip of the iceberg, given the new dynamic of Daily Fantasy Sports.

Imagine That!

The upside for poker is it can be played for low limits in the online gaming world.  Borgata and Caesars  are two of the top poker sites in  New Jersey. 888  is one of the leading software providers. Many states are talking about the legalization of poker. We will see who enters the game in 2015

.

               You can follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GamingguyM and Facebook
                                             at https://www.facebook.com/gaming.guym
                            Instagram photos and videos at http://instagram.com/gamingguym