Originally posted on 08/17/2010:

Quote Originally Posted by durito View Post
Casinos and sportsbooks are evil yet you work for a company whose income is derived from player loses at sportsbooks.
I'd like to think that in all aspects, I decrease the income of sportsbooks. I try to expose fraudulent sportsbooks, even when it causes me headaches. I try to educate people how not to piss away money gambling. I/my group battle sportsbooks when the risk/reward ratio is good.

That said, it is a very frustrating battle. I once wanted to teach card counting. Almost everyone I tried, failed catastrophically. Then I added 1 filter question before trying to teach them: "What is 2% of 200?" I asked 20 people this. 2 got it right.

I don't expect any amount of public education will ever hurt my bottom line. The public contains too many gamblers that have no real interest in learning, or working to win. But I have steered a few. I occasionally lecture at Notre Dame, and it's encouraging to see an intelligent, mathematically weak person have that flash of insight where they realize they don't have any chance at all. I give a couple lectures every semester on this topic.

Make no mistake. Sportsbooks are no better than cigarette manufacturers. They sell something toxic, and ruin many lives. Education is the only answer, but most people can't stomach the cure.

Sports betting is "fun" from a few perspectives. The problem solving and intellectual challenges are very rewarding. The money, while pretty good, is no better than any intelligent person could do on their own with a well-run business. In the competent operation of sports betting or profiteering, your returns are mostly a function of the time you devote to your cause (and to a lesser extent, your intelligence; but anyone that wins long term at sports betting will likely do well in any pursuit.)

Why do you bet on sports, Durito? Is it pure money? Is it truly the most efficient way to sell your time for money? Is it the power of controlling your own life? Is it the egotistical fulfillment of crushing those intellectually weaker? All winning bettors have their reasons, but yours are less transparent than most.