Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for October 08, 2015

It’s all in the vernacular. Making book is a no no. Having a fantasy football league is okay because it’s just entertainment… with money.

As long as you don’t take as percentage of the bets its not illegal

Today I learned that while paying someone to have sex with you for money is illegal (prostitution), paying someone to have sex with you for money while being filmed, is legal (pornography).

Gambling is not only legal, it’s mandatory. Only they call it insurance.

Midsouth Dave said,

I’m confused. If you don’t take a percentage of the bets, then how would you stay in business?- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -Volume!

I believe we may have already seen the beginning of the end for these Fantasy League sites. The recent revelations that employees of these companies were able to game the systems for their personal profit is going to leave a bad taste with many players. Many can accept a game where the odds are against the player, as long as the odds can, at least potentially, be understood and there is an even playing field for participants. (Casinos are a testament to that.) However, few will knowingly play a game they believe is rigged against them to the unfair advantage of other players.

Wow—Timely! How tight is your deadline for these dailies, Wiley?Or are you “just” very clairvoyant?

These companies got the law written very carefully, with a narrow line to tread. The fantasy league is based on real events, but not based on any one real team, so it’s very technically not betting on the game-as-a-whole and thus not “sports betting”. And BTW what the employees are accused of is not, very technically, cheating. It’s more like front-running, which is using privileged knowledge of the MARKET (other people’s buy/sell orders) rather than privileged knowledge about the STOCK (something about the company or stock itself). In summary: The idea is fine as a wager between friends, or even an office pool, but when it becomes big business with big money there is too much potential for abuse.

How weirdly prescient. Are you a witch?

Gaming is legal, gambling is not! Simple!

But, if you game the system, then you are into the illegal category.

Some things rarely changed; only what we name them. So just why are they still locked up? There are all those guys on Wall Street with their fantasies.

Lying to gullible people and conning them out of their money is legal if you call it televangelism.

If there is a line on it in Vegas there is a fix on somewhere!

That’s Wiley – just ahead of the game – cartoon-wise. Unbelievable!! ;)

Aah, you’re just a ta-a-a-ad late on that one!

Maybe we’ll get some comment from Pete Rose…

the MA Lottery is looking for a way to cash in on this stuff

I notice the bookies are being educated, but not rehabilitated……..

Just remember, folks : " It’s not how you win or lose the game, it’s how you beat the spread " !

No worse than an stock broker!

Just like loan sharking is illegal, but payday loans charging up to 300% no that is not an error, it really is 300%. Is legal.Also, while loansharking, charging up to 45% on loans is illegal, credit cards charging 45% is legal. My BofA visa, which I have had since 1973 wanted to up the interest to over 30% and added a lot of other charges, so, I got MC card from my local credit union for 10.5% so why does anyone pay 25% and up when they can get a much cheaper rate from a credit union? The “free” miles or the “cash back” is simply something that you are already paying for by using that card.Go with a CU card, the interest is far lower.

So if you bet on what individuals do it’s ok, but betting on a team is not. Which is easier to throw games with? A team or an individual?

The education system continues!

The government took running numbers and turned it into Lotto. Wherever the taxes come from…..

When they started playing their commercials here I suspected there was something ‘funny’ about the business. When someone suggests I could make money off something with no risk, I smell a rat.