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Thanks for the update, Jim Lampley.
We missed a good fight. And I missed my under. |
JoeMacDonald | 6 |
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I know HBO thinks they are helping the sport of boxing by replaying an excellent Pavlik/Taylor fight right after the Joe Louis documentary, as a lead-in for the Klitschko fight.
but this is the internet age. if people were interested in that fight theyhave either seen it somewhere online, or can go get it if they hear it was a good fight. There's no need to force feed it on us like NBC's 12-hour delayed Olympic coverage. I think a better idea would be to let us see the undercard. there were a couple of intriguing fights there. I think the boxing fans (even the potential fans) are better served by being shown the Duddy fight, at least. |
JoeMacDonald | 6 |
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Update...
I haven't forgotten about this. Right now, we are trying to figure out the best way for us, as a company, to proceed. We are putting together a plan of action for us to begin following this, and similar, issues in the future. This way, we hope to do a better job of both keeping our readers informed, along with informing the larger public. On that point, our marketing team did a fantastic job of disseminating this column. It got picked up by a number of blogs and made the Top 20 in a number of political blog/news trackers. So already we can see that there is a certain amount of mainstream curiosity, if not outright interest, in this issue. The one thing I think everybody above agrees upon is the need to play the political game and form (or support) a lobby or industry group, such as the Poker Players Alliance. To that end, we are currently evaluating possibilities. We should have a lot of this completed within a short period. Some new opinion pieces should also be posted soon. Thanks for the participation! |
Mr_Covers | 126 |
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Matador, you are absolutely correct in that arranging events is putting the cart before the horse. However, this thread is all about ideas, so anything, be it short or longterm, is welcome. GarFather, great points. Regarding Sunday Ticket... I am operating from hearsay here, but I heard on ESPN the other day that Sunday Ticket only has something like 2 Million subscribers. Yes, it seems like everybody we know is a subscriber, but that's because we all hang around with gamblers. So if we do manage to arrange a boycott, then given the numbers in our community, we would represent probably 25-33% of Sunday Ticket's subscribers. Even if a small portion actually follow through, we could still knock 5-10% off their revenues. And I can tell you as a businessman, that 10% DOES get noticed. As for taxation, well, they are doing it in the UK,, where the companies are taxed, not the players. Those companies are surviving quite well, and the vig is no different. The tax is absorbed by the companies and they seem to be able to afford it. So I'm not afraid. Canada is a bit different. Because we never had real sports gambling before, nobody knew to kick up a stink when the government started their sports lotteries with odds so terrible that it's effectively a tax on the stupid. Luckily for Americans, they have sports gambling in Vegas, so the government can't get away with such thievery. Every now and then in Canada the feds try to tax somebody who got rich off sports gambling, but then people start threatening to try to write off their gambling losses, and that ends the issue. |
Mr_Covers | 126 |
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Breaker, you definitely are getting it.
Right now, the general public doesn't really care about online gambling. But they kind of think of us as the same as porn or marijuana. As in, it should probably be legalized, but that doesn't mean we want to associate with those types. We need people to realize that EVERYBODY GAMBLES, and the only reason we do it online is because the government forces us to. We need to hit them with the good stuff, like responsible gaming, charities, tax dollars, and harmless fun. |
Mr_Covers | 126 |
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I like it. A lot.
Sometime in the next week, I'm going to sit down with some people here and we can decide exactly what we can do on our side to get things started. |
Mr_Covers | 126 |
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That is the reason I wrote the column. We had a meeting here last week, and we decided that we are going to get on the forefront of the movement to legalize online gaming in America. One way or another, we are going to be active in the cause. Now, we certainly don't have the resources of a publicly traded company, but we do have contacts and a strong user-base. We can volunteer some time, and we will definitely take part. |
Mr_Covers | 126 |
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Breaker,
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Mr_Covers | 126 |
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I guess the question is what would be more effective?
a) A boycott where nobody orders, or b) A plan where everybody orders as usual, and then cancels on the same day (presumably before the deadline) Both look pretty good to me, although "b" probably has a better chance of making the news. |
Mr_Covers | 126 |
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Don't get me wrong, I love the Sunday Ticket boycott idea.
The problem is that Sunday Ticket doesn't start again until September, so it really won't be a media story until then. At that time, it's gold! I'm all for publicizing the plan beforehand, but it won't get any traction until it becomes clear that Sunday Ticket sales are down 25% because of a boycott. Then it's news. |
Mr_Covers | 126 |
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Matador,
You are right. We do have contacts. We could raise a real ruckus, if we wanted to. But, you are correct, we have to coordinate it properly, and then have everybody do something both noticeable, and positive. We have to do something that not only brings attention, but it doesn't cast a negative light on us and make us look like a bunch of, well, criminals. I like your DirecTV idea, but unfortunately we won't be able to make a real point for another 8 months in that regard. As an example, without getting too party-based, I like what the Democrats are doing right now to get their Minimum Wage law passed. They say they won't grant themselves raises until the Minimum Wage law gets ratified. Say what you will about the benefits of the legislation, that's a very effective tactic they are using. It gets the point across, hits their opponents in the pocketbook, and looks good with the people. We need to find similar ways to make our own points. We need to show: - We are not degenerates. - The children are safe - We are not terrorists - The USA is missing out on a whole pile of tax money - that money could do a LOT of public good - The current policy is hypocritical - We won't be stopped |
Mr_Covers | 126 |
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I love the part of that argument that never gets mentioned:
If Little Johnny actually manages to get online and bet the family fortune, all Big Johnny (Johnny's Dad) has to do is call Visa and have them issue a chargeback... and then give Little Johnny a smack. Problem solved. Not even really a problem. |
Mr_Covers | 126 |
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sp57,
A few companies, sportingbet for one, have offered to submit to paying taxes. The feds have avoided that question for now. As I mentioned in the column, up until now, the tone of the industry has always been, "You better tax us, because you can't stop us. We're getting rich no matter what you do, anyway." You don't say that unless you are sure the other side has run out of bullets. They hadn't. Maybe now would be a good time for a more conciliatory tone. something the politicians would find less threatening. The EU is thinking of brining this topic up with the US. I hope they take a proper angle. |
Mr_Covers | 126 |
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Matador, I missed that last idea before I posted.
Wow. I think that's a brilliant idea. I'd hate to lose my Sunday ticket, but that's exactly the type of revolt that would\ get media attention. |
Mr_Covers | 126 |
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Matador,
This was the first of a series of articles during which I hope to discuss as many good alternatives as we can muster. Good to have you on our side! In the meantime, this is as appropriate as any place to begin the conversation. We need to find ways to mobilize our community and direct their energy into something productive for the cause. This won't be easy. We are a group that has traditionally tried to hide our identities and keep our hobby to ourselves. We are spread out all over the continent, but the Internet has at least given us a gathering place right here. It's not feasible to plan rallies or marches, but maybe there are other ways we can show the strength of our numbers. We need more than petitions, although that's a start. Let's face it, we need an effective lobby. But beyond that, we need some smart, clever and effective ways we can organize ourselves and prove that we are a force to be reckoned with. We are a smart and resourceful bunch. We should be able to come up with some cool ideas on how to positively get our cause into the public's consciousness. |
Mr_Covers | 126 |
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Matador,
You make a lot of valid points. Frankly, Covers has NOT shown a lot of balls either, but I would lump us in with the "Industry" side (we were the ones displaying hubris and industry mismanagement), rather than the sports bettors. It's not illegal to bet in Canada, anyway. If anything, the uncertainty of the situation has worked to the benefit of Covers in the past, since we were based in Canada. We thought it was better to keep quiet and stay under the radar. In retrospect, it was a short-sighted policy that helped us grow as a company, but it did nothing to help change the longterm situation. I purposefully used the word "criminals" to make a point. As long as the US government views the industry as unlawful and continues arresting, charging, and convicting participants, then what would you call it? If it walks like a duck... Maybe the law is unjust. I'm sure the Neteller guys will find a lot of solace in that thought when they are doing 20-years of federal time. You can keep the blinders on and trying to maintain the status quo, but unless the industry works to get the laws changed, the legal situation isn't going to change either. This is not a 3-week old problem, it's been festering for years. Maybe you haven't felt there was a problem, because you could always gamble. But for as long as the government was preoccupied with trying to shut the industry down, there WAS a problem, but it just didn't happen to affect you. Confrontation and defiance definitely work as an agent for change. But they aren't particularly effective when the oppressed minority is disorganized and easily marginalized and ignored. We can consider us marginalized right now, and it will definitely stay that way if we put our heads back in the sand and avoid the central issue. We've got to stop trying to find simple bandaids for the problem (ie. alternative payment methods), and attack this problem at the source. We need to get the laws changed. Maybe we do follow the path of the civil right movement and organize marches. I doubt that would work in this case. We need to lobby. We need to get the grassroots organizations to support us. We need to take the blinders off, and start thinking about the right way to do this. That's the entire point of the article. I'm not claiming to have all of the answers. I'm just the kid pointing out that the Emperor has no clothes. We all need to talk and figure out the best way to coerce the government into changing the laws. It's time to get organized. If you don't agree, then you can continue on your merry way, but don't think you are making a difference. |
Mr_Covers | 126 |
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