02.24.2009 | 10:00 am | gambling
It is very difficult to find a balance between privacy for athletes and sports people and the need to ensure that the world of sport is clean from any performance enhancing drugs. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has taken on the mantle of setting the drug testing program for various regulators around the world but has received severe criticism over the last few weeks.
Over the last few days we have seen the English football associations suggesting that their players should be exempt from drug testing during the close season when many of them are on holiday. However, critics to this approach claim that this will effectively give those who are tempted to take recreational and performance enhancing drugs a period of “grace” in which they can attempt to cheat the system.
Under the new regulations which have been introduced, any sports person on the National register for testing needs to make themselves available for one-hour between 6 AM and 11 PM three months in advance of a test. Communication between the parties involved takes place online with a messaging system available to ensure that all procedures are followed and there are no misunderstandings.
The world of gambling has in the past been severely affected by suggestions of drug taking because very often when the tests are released into the public domain many bookmakers and betting sites will already have paid out on the “winners”. While there is no doubt that gambling around the world is a massive industry the reputation of sport in general should come first although in this particular situation all parties, including sports people, seem to benefit.
Drug testing, drug taking and the production of new “hidden” drugs have prompted this fairly strong approach which has been taken by WADA and while there are critics, are there any real alternatives?
02.23.2009 | 10:02 am | gambling
The sport of cricket is just one of the many casualties from the US investigation into the affairs of Sir Allen Stanford and his highly influential Stanford Group. This is the billionaire businessman who is behind the 20/20 cricket tournament which saw an England eleven take on an all-star eleven with each winning player guaranteed $1 million in prize money. As it happens the England cricket team collapsed dramatically and were totally outgunned by the Allen Stanford all-star select team. So what does this mean for cricket?
The 20/20 tournament was only the tip of the iceberg with the ECB signing a lucrative sponsorship agreement with the Stanford Group which they claimed would see substantial investment into British grassroots cricket. There have been rumours that a number of cricketing associations around the world refused to sign up to any sponsorship deals with the Stanford Group and this has placed serious pressure on the ECB and leading lights in this association.
The bottom line is that English cricket has been somewhat left behind by the Indian Premier League (IPL) which continues to attract the best players in the world, the largest sponsorships and the largest worldwide media coverage. Indeed the ECB themselves were recently forced to allow contracted England cricket players to participate in the IPL in between matches, something which again attracted severe criticism from many parts of the sport.
While the ongoing investigation into Sir Allen Stanford’s business operations continue it was announced that all ECB and English cricket related agreements have been terminated although the aftermath looks as though it could carry on for some time yet. While charges have been laid against Sir Allen Stanford and his business group nothing has yet been proven although there are suggestions that the US authorities are investigating an alleged multi-billion investment programme.
02.2.2009 | 8:15 am | gambling
Liverpool boss Raphael Benitez is under serious pressure this morning after the sale of £20 million signing Robbie Keane to Tottenham (the club where he came from) for a cut-price £12 million. There is serious concern among Liverpool fans that the £20 million signing was not given sufficient time to settle into the club, having been dropped from a number of squads, and within six months he is back on his old stamping ground. The Liverpool boss has recently been demanding overall control of the club’s transfer policy although this latest move, which shows an £8 million loss in six months, has not exactly strengthened his case.
Many Liverpool fans are also questioning the sale of a quality striker such as Robbie Keane, as we enter final stages of the premiership season, with Liverpool just managing to hang onto the shirt tails of local rivals Manchester United. The weekend win over Chelsea dealt a bitter blow to their London rivals and ensures that Liverpool at least have a chance of clawing back a two-point deficit in favour of Manchester United. However, the club could be in serious trouble if any of their main strikers are injured or suspended between now and the end of the season with very little quality in reserve.
The Chelsea game also saw the attendance of the clubs two American owners for the first time for many months with speculation that they are either here to conclude a new contract with Rafael Benitez or possibly discuss the sale of the club to an Arab consortium. Either way there would appear to be internal strife and conflict within Liverpool football club at a time when the team is finally starting to perform on the pitch, and actually offering a threat to the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.Will the gamble to sell Robbie Keane work?
01.28.2009 | 8:24 am | gambling
While there is no doubt that the iPhone has been the most successful mobile phone of all time there are many who are now suggesting it has the potential to unlock the key to the mobile gambling market of the future. It appears that the power of the iPhone has attracted the attention of online gambling platform providers who are looking for an entry point into the mobile gambling market via a product which can support and enhance the online gambling experience.
Of late we have seen such well-known names in the casino sector as Ladbrokes Casino offering access to a whole range of mobile casino games with security now at record highs and the reliability factor showing significant improvement over the last few months. But can mobile gambling ever compete with the more traditional laptop/computer-based market?
There have been many markets in the gambling arena which have managed to move online including slots as well as more traditional poker and casino sites. Slots are a perfect example of a gambling experience which many suggested would not make it to the online market when in fact this exposure has taken the sector to a different level. We are now regularly seeing jackpots of $1 million and in fact the Mega Moolah progressive jackpot currently stands at $5 million with a life changing win awaiting one player!
There is no doubt that the mobile gambling market is slightly different to the more traditional online gambling market but mobile phones of today are becoming more like mobile computers than handsets. As a consequence, the ability to include a vast array of computing services and computing power in the likes of the iPhone has the potential to unlock a seriously lucrative mobile gambling market. How long this will take and whether the iPhone will actually unlock the door remains to be seen, but the scene is set for a substantial increase in mobile gambling income in the coming months and years.
01.26.2009 | 3:37 am | gambling
British tennis ace Andy Murray has this morning bowed out of the Australian tennis open after a disappointing display against Spanish rival Fernando Verdasco. The Spaniard is ranked 15th in the world although Murray has won each of the previous meetings and on paper was a strong favourite to go through today. In the end the Spaniard saw out the game with a 2-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory which was a major shock for many in the tennis world.
While there had been rumours that Andy Murray had been ill over the last few days it would appear that a loss of form and a loss of rhythm halfway through this game was the reason for his loss. Murray took the first set comfortably lost second and powered on to take the third leaving himself in a great position. Initially his opponent had started fairly quietly and Murray made the most of this, powering home a number of awesome returns and showing the form of earlier this month.
Whether it was a mixture of the hot weather, pressure to perform and weakness due to illness Andy Murray lost his way in the middle of this game. However on the plus side, the pressure and expectation on the Scottish tennis sensation has been building for some weeks and despite a number of Murray’s counterparts playing down his chances of victory in the Austrian open, on recent form these expectations seemed fully justified. Strangely enough this defeat will take some pressure off Andy Murray and hopefully allow him to return to his natural game of aggressive and well thought out tactics.
There is no doubt that Andy Murray still represents the best bet Britain has had of a Wimbledon champion over the last 20 years and he enters the tournament later this year with full backing from the British crowd and his Scottish compatriots. Short-term pain long-term gain?
01.21.2009 | 5:05 am | gambling
As the dust settles on Manchester City’s unsuccessful £100 million gamble to bring football superstar Kaka to the Eastlands Stadium there are serious concerns that the club is looking to run before it can walk. Backed by the billions of dollars of money from the football club’s new owner there have been rumours and counter rumours regarding substantial bids for some of the best players in the world. But what will happen next?
One element which seemed prominent in the Kaka bid is the fact that Manchester City appear inexperienced in dealing with some of Europe’s major clubs. The accusation that AC Milan had “bottled it” is something which could come back to haunt the Manchester City hierarchy. Clubs such as Milan have a history and reputation which goes back many decades and do not appreciate new kids on the block such as Manchester City looking to ride roughshod over them in an attempt to buy their best players.
The Manchester club has also been rocked by Robinho’s decision to leave the Tenerife training camp without permission and return home to Brazil. While the situation seems to have calmed somewhat since his initial departure there are suggestions that he will be fined a massive £320,000 upon his return. At the same time many Manchester City fans are seriously concerned that the club is out of control and lacking a structure prevalent in clubs such as neighbouring Manchester United.
Mark Hughes, the club’s football manager, had been somewhat pushed to the sidelines in the pursuit of Kaka and while he has reaffirmed his blessing for the eventually unsuccessful attempt to sign the superstar, many believe the club’s hierarchy are in control of the club’s transfer policy. If this is the case, it would appear that Mark Hughes is on very rocky ground and his long-term future at the club is in serious doubt.
01.20.2009 | 5:27 am | gambling
The ongoing court case regarding the state of Kentucky’s attempt to gain control of over 140 prominent gambling domain names appears set to go the distance. The judge in the initial case ruled in favour of the state of Kentucky’s attempt to effectively close down a number of prominent online gambling companies but a further appeal by the gambling community has proven successful. However, the case now goes to the highest court in the US, the Supreme Court, where a final verdict should be delivered later this year. What will happen?
This bizarre case involves the state of Kentucky’s attempt to prove that gambling domain names are in effect gambling equipment, in comparison to fruit machines and poker tables, and as such are illegal under state of Kentucky gambling laws. Using this rather strange comparison the state authorities have undergone a relentless pursuit of various online gambling companies and the eventual transfer of ownership of over 140 prominent domain names. Quite what they will do with these domain names, if their case is successful is unclear, but this move has caused serious reverberations within the industry.
The recent appeal ruling suggested that the move has no basis in law and while the poker community and poker companies were celebrating after the announcement, the fight goes on. There is some confusion as to whether the US Supreme Court will in fact favour the local authority, with many politicians in the US against online gambling, or whether this will come down to a purely law-based ruling.
There is some hope that Barack Obama could step into the breach and his love of poker could hopefully assist the battle to retain ownership of the domain names and businesses. This could well be a defining moment for the US poker industry and allow Barack Obama to show his hand at a very early stage!
01.19.2009 | 11:37 pm | gambling
This evening saw Liverpool football club drop more points against fierce rivals Everton in the latest Merseyside derby. The game was finely balanced before Steven Gerard stepped up in the second half with an exquisite shot from outside the box which curled into the bottom right-hand corner of the Everton goal. Many expected this to prompt a goal rush from Liverpool but their Merseyside rivals pulled their sleeves up and began to battle back.
As full-time approached Everton won a corner on the right hand side and an in swinging cross was met by in-form striker Cahill to bag a point for the “toffees” and leave Liverpool wondering what might have been. The loss of two points means that Manchester United remain top of the premiership this evening level on points with Liverpool but with a better goal difference. However, Manchester United now have one game in hand over their Merseyside rivals and Alex Ferguson’s mind games of the last week seem to be working.
While Rafael Benitez has been fairly quiet over the last few days many believe that his ferocious outburst last week has been the catalyst of a loss of form which has seen Liverpool drop four points in the last two games. Over the last few days UK bookmakers have grabbed the headlines as even though Liverpool the top of the table they were still quoted as second favourites at best behind Manchester United. This latest move, which sees Manchester United take top spot, would appear to confirm the thoughts of UK bookmakers regarding the chances of Liverpool bringing home their first premiership title for many years.
While we have only just turned into 2009 many believe that if Manchester United can win the next couple of games they will turn up the heat on their competitors at a time when both Liverpool and Chelsea are going through difficult patches.
01.14.2009 | 11:21 pm | gambling
If the political rumours are to be believed it would appear that online gambling in the US is set to make a comeback in 2009. It looks as though a number of bills are going through the Senate and we could see a resumption of the online gambling sector any time now. There have been a number of prominent key figures behind the push to reinstate the online gambling industry and finally it looks as though they may get their way. But will the resurgence of US online gambling affects areas such as Macau?
While there are obvious differences between the online and off-line casino sector there is no doubt that the two very much go hand-in-hand and can feed each other. Is it a coincidence that areas such as Macau have made the greatest gains since the US online gambling laws were passed? Is it a coincidence that we have seen a number of US companies moving overseas since the government turned against the sector?
Even though these are very difficult questions to answer there would appear to be a groundswell of opinion that a resurgence of US online gambling could also feed the off-line sector. It must also be noted that while Las Vegas did for a short period loses its crown as the capital of the casino industry this has been reclaimed since Macau experienced its first serious downturn. Las Vegas, and in particular the Las Vegas strip, has seen more than its fair share of recessions and downturns over the years but still appears to bounce back time after time.
There is no doubt that the general online gambling industry has missed the serious exposure which it had in America prior to the ban. A reopening of the online gambling doors to America could seriously boost the value of a number of poker sites in particular and may well see the “second coming” of the industry.
01.13.2009 | 12:12 am | gambling
Scottish tennis sensation Andy Murray is riding the crest of a wave at the moment after a couple of exhibition tournament wins this year ahead of the first grand slam, the Australian Open. He has taken apart some of the game’s best players on a regular basis, improved his ranking in the world and seen his fitness levels boosted higher than many thought possible. This has led to a serious improvement in his bank balance and he is now set to become, easily, the U.K.’s highest earning tennis star of all time!
However, while Andy Murray is currently in the form of his life approaching the Australian Open all eyes are on Wimbledon 2009 with possibly the best chance of a UK victor in the home tournament for decades. Tennis fans across the UK have been hoping and praying for the arrival of such a prodigal son as Andy Murray and while he is a staunch Scot, a British winner would be celebrated across the country. But can it happen?
The difference between Andy Murray today and the Andy Murray of two years ago is not only an impressive physique but the ability to close out close games against the best players in the world. He is also able to keep a very high standard of play throughout a tournament and appears to have improved his fitness and health regime markedly. The mental strength and physical strength are there and we now await his biggest test to date which will be Wimbledon 2009.
If Andy Murray was to take the men’s Wimbledon crown either this year or in years to come he would be an advertiser’s dream and unleash riches beyond his wildest dreams. A UK Wimbledon champion would be worth literally tens if not hundreds of millions of pounds to the advertising industry and open up Murray to superstardom and super riches. Is it worth having a gamble on the moody Scot?
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