Bingo – An addictive pastime

Stories of gambling addictions leading to financial ruin are not particularly rare. Usually however the form of gambling at the centre of the addiction is something stronger than bingo.

Bingo has always been considered one of the less hardcore forms of gambling, when compared to the likes of card games, horse racing or even fixed odds betting terminals.

A recent case has reminded us however that bingo can in fact be highly addictive and in rare cases, just as disruptive as the other, typically more ‘hardcore’ gabling types.

Take Jacqueline Balaam as an example, this is the story of a Finance Officer for Pembroke College who stole nearly £300,000!

The object of Jacqueline’s gambling addiction was online bingo and her favourite site was said to have been Jackpotjoy, where she reportedly spent £6 million on online bingo!

playing_bingo

The addiction couldn’t have been any more disruptive for Jacqueline and her family, which includes to young daughters. As a result of her gambling driven theft she has been handed a 30 months prison sentence.

Over the years that she played from time to time she would win large amounts such as £15,000, but rather than taking the money and spending it on something like a holiday, she would simply gamble her winnings, and as with all forms of gambling, eventually be left with nothing.

Jacqueline’s work privileges in the finance department put here in the ideal position to be able to manipulate the books in order to facilitate her theft at the same time as covering her tracks.

It is reported that in order to obtain the money in her personal account she would change the details of suppliers in the accounting system to her own personal banking details and then switch them back so that suppliers would also be paid.

It wasn’t until January 2014 that this scandal was uncovered during an internal audit at the college. At that point the auditors discovered that she had taken £285,986.

After this point the police were brought in and the rest is history, Jacqueline now has 30 months to look forward to in jail.

So is it possible to break out of an addiction before it consumes your life? It would seem that the answer to this question is ‘yes’.

In 2014 a lady called Marilyn Jones successfully abandoned her addiction to online bingo.

Marilyn wasn’t just a small time addict either; she claims to have played bingo every day during a 10-year stretch, having started in 2004.

Thanks to excellent counselling provided by Beacon, Marilyn has been able to quit the game and regain control of her life.

It seems that it is often the case that a gambling addiction is started when an individual has some good initial wins. This was true for Marilyn and in order to try and gain even more money a person who is becoming a gambling addict will then ‘reinvest’ the winnings in order to make more money. This strategy can work in the short term, but except for very rare mega jackpot winning cases, this strategy will lead to the player spending so much on the game that the winnings don’t even dent the shortfall.

If you have a gambling problem, or feel that you’re spending too much on bingo, write to your bingo operator and insist that they impose limits on the amount that you’re allowed to spend, responsible bingosites such as Rocket Bingo will be happy to do this. Of course, it may be the best idea to give up the game altogether, in which case you should seriously think about making contact with a help provider such as Beacon or Gambling anonymous.

The Buzz Around Bitcoin Gambling Sites

Gambling has always generated a lot of interest, from the days of simple card and dice games played by workers in their downtime to modern online casino games. Now there is a new way of gambling, or at least a new way to finance it. This way is called Bitcoin.

If you want to kick-start your journey as a Bitcoin gamer, you’ll need to first find secure Bitcoin gambling sites which accept BTC payments. There are few at the moment, but the number is growing. There are even several sites now which are exclusively for Bitcoin players.

But First, What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a name you might well have heard in the news, but you may not know what it is. It is a cryptocurrency which is a form of electronic currency. There is no physical coin or banknote which represents it and all transactions in Bitcoin (BTC) take place online. When the currency was launched in 2009 one Bitcoin was worth approximately $0.003. At one point in 2017 the value of 1BTC reached almost $20,000. Continue reading …

MTT Basic Strategy

МТТ (Multi-Table Tournament) – a poker tournament with the following structure: participants start playing sitting at different tables. MTT begins at a scheduled time and ends when one of the participants wins all the tournament chips.

MTT Prize Pool and Level Structure

Like in any other tournament MTT utilizes a structure with growing blinds. Blinds increase by 1,5 – 2 times on each new level. Level intervals are preset. A 5-minute break occurs every hour. Typically it takes 3-4 hours to reach the bubble stage.

Pay zone is defined for every tourney, but usually 10-20% of participants reach it. Almost always the winnings increase the higher on the tournament ladder the participant gets and the biggest prize is grabbed by the winner of the MTT.

Pros and Cons of the MTT as a Poker Game

The most pleasant feature of MTT is the possibility of winning. For instance, winning a tourney with 1000 players would give the lucky player a prize which is 200 times bigger than the buy-in (a fee player pays to participate in the tournament).

However, it is impossible to beat 1000 players without getting lucky. Thus, high variance is in the nature of the MTT. This means that there is a huge deviation of winnings from expected value. Even experienced players may not manage to reach a single final table playing 100 MTTs. This would lead to negative results.

Therefore, if a player is eager to specialize in MTTs and takes it seriously he should:

— Be tough mentally and be in a good shape;
— Conduct conservative bankroll management;
— Avoid MTTs with enormous player pools;
— Play several MTTs at the same time.

Goals of MTT players

Many players try to reach pay zone by any means, as any further success depends on luck. Therefore such players believe that frequent pay zone winnings would result in a positive ROI. However this strategy is not optimal. Bottom pay zone positions usually rewards players with prizes worth less than 2 buy-ins. Moreover it is quite difficult to achieve such results. You won’t be able to reach the pay zone in most tournaments regardless of how hard you try. Continue reading …

What is Arbitrage Betting?

Arbitrage betting takes learning and skill before mastering this form of gambling. Those who enjoy sporting events or simply making a guaranteed profit can benefit from arbitrage bets. Make a constant profit day in and day out while betting on each possible outcome of sporting events. Because most sporting events only have a few possible outcomes, making a profit no matter who wins is simple but it takes time to master. Arbitrage bets can be made in person, online and over the phone.

Arbitrage Betting

Arbitrage Betting on Sporting Events
Although arbitrage bets can be made on a number of different events and activities, the most common form is sports. In game such as tennis, American football and basketball, two teams go head to head in hopes of winning the game. Your desirable outcome is to make a profit no matter which team wins the game. This popular form of betting is also known to many as surebets.

Placing Arbitrage Bets on Sporting Events
It is absolutely possible to make a guaranteed profit on all arbitrage bets if you know the right steps to take. While many may think that making bets on all outcomes will result in a guaranteed loss of money, this is not always the case. You will want to search around for bookies that offer the best odds so that you will make a profit no matter what. Different bookies will offer different odds than the last. After some time gathering betting tips and predictions and looking into surebets, making a profit will become easier. Because sporting events only have two or three possible outcomes, there are only a few bets that need to be made.

Finding the Best Surebets
Making surebets are legal in all parts of the world. Bookies usually create these opportunities simply because they need to balance their books. Each day during sporting event seasons, you can make these bets and gain a profit. Before you are able to make a profit of up to 15%, you will need to do some learning and research on bookies and the best odds. In the beginning, most bets will only gain you a small profit of around 5%, but this will add up when making continuous bets.

How to find out about the latest Slots Games

There are lots of great slots games out there but there are also new ones coming out a lot as well. This means that it can be quite difficult to keep track and if you like to know what new games are available and like trying them out then you may not want to be left behind. You may be always thinking about what new games might be coming out and hoping that you will be one of the lucky ones that gets to try them out really early on.

You may find that there are some websites which will give details of new slots games as they come out as well as where they can be played. These can be really useful to check regularly as you will know what is new. If you do a search, you will be able to find out which sites do this and it is worth taking note of several of them. Until you are really familiar with them, you will not know which ones are the most likely to release the news the quickest and provide the best reviews, links etc. Continue reading …

The State of Online Bingo in 2016

Online gambling has been a controversial topic in politics, and sometimes for good reason.  But recently evidence emerged showing that it is completely wrong to regard online bingo games in the same light.

While it has always been the case that bingo has never been viewed by reasonable audiences as being a serious problem, many anti-gambling legislators and lobbyists have accused bingo of contributing to gambling addiction and many other similar claims.

lucky-cow-bingo

It illustrates the problem of what happens when somebody is championing a cause.  There can be a tendency to jump to unfounded conclusions, or even to fabricate evidence in support of the view they are trying to push.  Such things are both foolish and potentially harmful.

Of course there is no denying that the bingo industry is huge and makes well over the equivalent of a billion dollars each year in the UK alone, but that has to be seen in perspective.  Merely considering the size of the industry and how much profit it makes isn’t a fair test of whether it is a good or bad thing for the public in general.  Looking at a site such as luckycowbingo.com shows very clearly just how silly it is to view these sites as predatory.  Participants usually see their activity on sites like this as harmless fun, and perhaps also exciting due to the possibility that they may win a big prize. Continue reading …

The Truth About Gambling Winnings and Tax

If you’re trying to win big at gambling, you might wonder whether or not any of your winnings would be subject to tax. You’ve heard of players getting visited by the tax man before…but does that apply to you? Not necessarily.

What you need to realize is this: as a citizen of the UK, you would not have to pay any tax on any of the winnings you gain. Not a single one, and that’s why a lot of people breathe easy as they explore a new path in gambling.

However, if you end up becoming a professional gambler that makes any type of media appearances for money, or sells books on the topic, you could have to pay taxes on those things. If you’re really that worried, we suggested that you speak with a qualified accountant and/or a solicitor for more information.

But most of you all can breathe easy knowing that you can make the most of your gambling winnings. But now that we got that out of the way, what’s the fastest path to make money through real money gaming?

mobile gaming

One word: mobile. Specifically, mobile gaming. This means that you can not only take advantage of the portability factor, but you have your games at a close space.

We like slot games, because there are a ton of them and they usually translate pretty well to the phone. You don’t get a squished slot game that’s hard to see. Instead of a cramped experience, you actually get a lot of games that flow well with the small screen factor of the smartphones on the market.

Going through all of your options in the world of real money gaming isn’t easy, but now that you now you don’t have to pay taxes in most cases, it’s definitely time to see how much money you can win. Naturally, you don’t have to just play slot games only. You could always play real poker for money on the go, or just stay at home and play from a big computer screen. Either way you slice it, this is a great opportunity to make money.

Yet we couldn’t just end this guide with talking about the money. The community around the world of gambling will help you sharpen your game, if you allow them to help. Be open to criticisms and make changes to your game to see a sharp rise in making money for the long run. Check it out as soon as you can!

The five golden rules of success in online roulette

The internet is awash with websites to unlock the secret to roulette but the fact is that roulette is a game of chance. However, there are few things the high rollers do to boost those chances in online roulette.

1)   The best strategy is no strategy

Some punters are convinced that you should never hit the roulette tables without being armed with a strategy or system. There are countless websites offering ‘roulette computers with a 93% success rate’. The makers of these machines claim that these computers are able to calculate the rate of the wheel and ball.

However, the fact is that the efficacy of such contraptions is dubious at best. This is especially true of online gambling, with roulette from 32red.com and other reputable online operators using random number generators to keep things clean and honest.

Some say that you can use randomness to your advantage. The theory is simple, if you lose, double your bet. If you win, halve it. For example, if you start with a £5 bet and you lose, bet £10 on the next hand. If you lose that one, then bet £20 next and so on.

The theory goes that by doubling your bet each time, you’ll eventually catch up and win. But when will you catch up? No one knows. Really, the best strategy is to just be sensible with your money. Besides, even the best strategy in the world cannot predict random numbers.

2)   Choose a reputable operator

Many people question whether online casinos are rigged, which is understandable considering that operators have so much power to basically do whatever they want out of the view of punters. With this in mind, we recommend that you only play at internet casinos with a good reputation, such as the aforementioned 32Red or Golden Tiger Casino. Such operators hold full licenses and are fully regulated by international gaming authorities and independent auditors.

3)   European Roulette gives you better odds

One way you will definitely improve your odds of winning is choosing French, or European roulette over the American version. This is because the US wheel has a few ‘0’s on the wheel which makes it harder for you and increases your disadvantage against the house. Whereas European and French roulette gives the house an edge of 2.7%, that advantage is almost doubled to 5.26% in the US version due to the presence of extra numbers.

4)   Stick to nearly even money bets

Betting on black and red, or odds and evens will further increase your chances of winning. In fact, these are just about the best odds in any online or offline casino. And while each single bet won’t offer you the best returns, this will give you staying power and it is where the smart money is.

5)   Know when to ‘walk away’

If you have £400 to bet and you lose it – walk away (or switch off your computer)! It is rarely wise to go back and try and win your money back.