AggieDave 6 #1 January 27, 2003 No shit! That's got to be a slap in the face. http://www.modbee.com/local/story/5983398p-6941698c.html QuoteWhat pools? By JOHN COTÉ BEE STAFF WRITER Jerry Jones of Modesto has seven chances to bring home $10,000. He isn't talking about lottery numbers. His chances correspond to squares in a Super Bowl pool. "It's the biggest game in the world," Jones said as he took a cigarette break outside a McHenry Avenue bar this week. "Everybody's got a pool going." He may not be far off. The American Gaming Association, a casino lobbying group, estimates that Americans will wager more than $5 billion on the Super Bowl this year. That figure almost matches the gross domestic product of Honduras or Nepal in 2001, according to the World Bank. Casinos in Nevada, the only state in the country where sports betting is legal, saw $71.5 million wagered on last year's Super Bowl, according to figures from the American Gaming Association. It estimates that a similar amount will be bet on the Super Bowl at casinos this year. The real money, estimated at about $5.2 billion, association spokeswoman Naomi Greer said, is bet privately: in countless pools in bars and offices, between people, and online. The most common pools involve grids of 100 squares, with squares typically costing $1, $5 or $10, and sometimes going for as much as $1,000. For each square, a player gets two numbers -- one for each team in a game. In football, the money is divided among people whose numbers match digits from the score at the end of each of the first three quarters, and the final score. The payout for the final score usually dwarfs the amount paid for the earlier three scores. Employees at government agencies and businesses ranging from international corporations to The Bee have Super Bowl pools -- even though they are illegal. "Basically anybody who does any sports betting in California is breaking the law," said Nathan Barankin, spokesman for the state attorney general. "Are there a lot of law enforcement agencies that are bracing this week in order to bust up literally tens of thousands of office pools that are being constructed? Doubt it." Officials with several local law enforcement agencies said cracking down on Super Bowl pools was not a priority. In fact, one official displayed acute knowledge of a pool for the upcoming game. But all the officials said they were unaware of pools being organized by law enforcement personnel. Bar owners and managers likewise said they were unaware of any Super Bowl pools, despite their historic popularity at bars. "Do you think I'm stupid?" one bartender said when asked. But numerous patrons at different Modesto bars said they were participating in pools -- just not pools at that particular watering hole. At one bar, a man offered a pull tab -- a smaller version of a Super Bowl pool. "It's always on the sly, man," said Gary Knoll, who was relaxing at a different bar. "Every business with more than 30 people has got one." A pool, in which participants aren't betting against odds made by a casino or a bookie, is unlawful because it is an illegal lottery, Barankin said. "There's only one legal lottery, and that's the state lottery," he said. Barankin noted that he was a regular participant in a sports pool for the NCAA men's basketball tournament when he worked as a staff member in the Legislature. "Once I got to the attorney general's office, I stopped receiving offers to participate," Barankin said with a chuckle. "I don't know why that happened." For Jones, 51, betting on the Super Bowl is automatic. "I'm in every year," he said. His best payout -- $900 -- was in 1985 when the San Francisco 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins 38-16. Jones had 6 and 8. But he's looking for more. "As far as the biggie," he said, "I'm waiting on that one." --"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rdutch 0 #2 January 27, 2003 I was trying to find the point spread online, and there is a report that someone bet 17 Million on the Buc's. All in one bet, that is crazy, but I bet he is happy today. Ray Small and fast what every girl dreams of! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,178 #3 January 27, 2003 A slap in whose face? Theirs, for having a small GNP, or ours, for spending that much on gambling on a football game while we pontificate about national safety, morals, and the many problems of the middle-class? OK, I'll take my holier-than-thou hat off.Wendy W. There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #4 January 27, 2003 Quote for having a small GNP, or ours, for spending that much on gambling on a football game Yes.I was basically saying that its pretty sad that we as Americans could, would and did spend more on a hobby (gambling) then the GNP of a small country that could use our help (and recieves our help).--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
outofit 0 #5 January 27, 2003 yeah, and i bet there r a lot of dumbasses crying the blues today who bet on oakland and paying the juice today! It is better to be dead and cool than alive and uncool! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumperconway 0 #6 January 27, 2003 www.scoresandodds.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
