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Some Opinions In a Flash On Gaming: Brief editorializing on gambling issues of late, by M. Wilson, 1000casinos staffwriter.
Foxwoods Casino and the Pequot Tribe
Jeff Benedict's book, Without Reservation: The Making of America's Most Powerful Indian Tribe and Foxwoods, the World's Largest Casino, certainly throws your perspective into different aim. This book, which came out in April by Harpercollins, examines the legitimacy of the operation of Foxwoods, run by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut. Benedict's investigation suggests that the tribe's recognition, which seems to have been fast-tracked through Congress instead of going the excruciatingly slow, years-long route of waiting on official acknowledgement by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, is in question. Highly in question. While the first thing that leaps to mind is that the premise of this controversial writing may be just playing on the public's favorite monsters, prejudice and jealousy -- jealousy of such a rich and immense enterprise -- the careful writing makes you think again. Benedict acquitted himself favorably in his earlier book on the NFL, Pros and Cons, in which hard fact is clearly the foundation of his work. Suppose -- just suppose -- the Pequots should not have gained official recognition. The casino would have to be sold to another Indian nation ... or perhaps turned into an airport! In hindsight, the haste the tribal leaders acted in to get official status in order to launch Foxwoods seems distinctly unwise. The mills of the Bureau of Indian Affairs turn slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine. The tribe should have taken the slow way.
College Sports Betting Ban
One of the reasons some congressmen have given for their support of a ban on all gambling on college sports, ridiculously, is that it would deter widespread betting by students. Oh, sure! I remember so well how my college buddies and I would slam all our dough into a game and sweat out the score, ... and then we'd go back to the dorm and eat our dinner of Kraft macaroni & cheese, at 25 cents a box. What widespread betting by students? Does anyone really believe this is a serious problem? Certainly the economy has improved the financial status of a lot of people so there are more students who are also flourishing, but if they are gambling, for instance, their next term's tuition away, then those ones were probably shaving points on their SATs anyway. No: I'm more convinced that certain lawmakers are jumping on a moral pretense bandwagon which does not serve the people in any substantial way. The casinos, whose business it is to know this stuff, cite statistics showing that their sportsbooks contribute in a relatively small way to their overall income compared to the slots and table games. However, college sports comprise up to about 40% of the sportsbook's revenue. Moreover, the casinos seem to agree that having a sportsbook section adds an important element to the clientele they attract, and wish to continue to attract: namely, men (and women) who enjoy sports. We're not speaking of underage or impoverished students.
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